MW Group

12/06/2026

Last Friday, our CEO Mikael Karlsson led a panel with specialists Ewa Skoog Haslum, Head of the Swedish Armed Forces Operations Command, and Lennart Blecher, Chairperson of EQT Real Assets, on stage at Sommarminglet 2026.

An event that once again gathered Sweden's tech, political and business leadership for one evening. This year with defence, resilience and to uncover opportunities to action on the agenda.

The conversation touched on what it takes to build capability in the Nordic security landscape: the role of long-term private capital, the touch points and opportunities between political ambition and industrial capacity, and how partnerships can accelerate what needs to be achieved.

These are questions we work with every day. Strengthening Nordic Total Defence is not a headline — it is our mission. And that work happens in rooms like this one.

Thank you to Fredrik Hjelm and Johannes Schildt and team for a great event as always.

11/05/2026

Last week, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency convened the first meeting of a new Business Council for Total Defence — a strategic forum established to contribute perspectives, experience and situational awareness in support of strengthening Sweden’s collective resilience and defence capability.

Our CEO, Mikael Karlsson, has been appointed as a member of the council.

To us, this is not primarily recognition — it is responsibility.

At MW Group, our purpose is to contribute to a stronger and more resilient society by strengthening Nordic total defence through fostering and developing defence-related companies. We invest in, build and scale small and medium-sized enterprises that support both civilian preparedness and military capability.

We believe this is fundamental to building resilient societies at scale — not through a handful of large governmental institutions alone, but together with a strong ecosystem of specialised and capable, small och large, companies working together across sectors.

That ecosystem does not emerge on its own. It requires long-term commitment, industrial capability, access to capital, and genuine partnership between the public and private sectors.

“This council represents exactly the kind of forum we need — where government, authorities and industry can come together, share perspectives on a strategic level and take collective responsibility for the long-term work required to strengthen Sweden’s defence capability and resilience AND to make sure that things gets done. I am honoured to contribute.”
— Mikael Karlsson, CEO, MW Group.

Photo: Försvarsmakten

07/05/2026

We are pleased to announce that MW Group has acquired a 60% stake in link22 AB — a Swedish cybersecurity company specialising in secure data communication, access control, and the protection of sensitive information in security-critical environments.

As Europe's defence build-up accelerates, interoperability between systems and nations is no longer optional — it is essential. link22's deep expertise in secure command and communication systems makes this acquisition a natural fit for our strategy.

Mikael Karlsson, Founder and CEO of MW Group:

"The defence build-up in Europe is largely about creating interoperability between systems and nations. Secure and robust communication solutions are absolutely crucial here. link22 possesses highly relevant expertise in this area, and we see great potential in developing the company further together.”

link22 Founder and CEO Conny Ljungqvist remains in his role and as a co-owner — ensuring continuity, entrepreneurial drive, and the long-term stability that defines how we build our industrial group.

This acquisition strengthens MW Group's position at the intersection of physical and digital security, and reinforces our commitment to keeping critical technologies under stable, long-term Nordic ownership.

Försvarsindustrigruppen MW Group, med bland andra H&M:s storägare Stefan Persson som storägare, går in i ett svenskt nischföretag inom säker delning av hemlig…

14/04/2026

MW Group has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Alumbra Stockholm and Richardssons — two high-technology manufacturing companies with market-leading positions in their respective niches.

The companies represent decades of accumulated process maturity, certified quality, and specialized expertise embedded in dedicated employees—assets that cannot be replaced or built in a short time. As demand for defence capacity accelerates across Europe, access to this kind of precision manufacturing is essential.

Under the MW Group’s ownership, the companies gain access to capital, an industrial network and business development support, enabling them to invest in capacity, technology and competence. At the same time, as part of the de-centralised model within the group, the companies retain their identity, entrepreneurial spirit and close customer relationships.

Peter Gossas, who remains Chairman of the acquired companies comments: “I look forward to the next phase in Alumbra’s and Richardssons’ impressive development, and how their combined capabilities with MW Group will further contribute to value for our customers, our suppliers, our employees, and society as a whole.”

Mikael Karlsson, Founder and CEO of MW Group continues: "The resilience and rearmament in Europe are not just about investing in systems. It is about ensuring that the entire industrial value chain has the capacity to deliver. Through this acquisition, we contribute to securing and scaling up that capacity and I’m happy to welcome all Alumra and Richardssons team to the family."

Read more in Dagens industri:

Försvarsindustrigruppen MW Group, med Stefan Persson som storägare, fortsätter att bygga ett nordiskt totalförsvarsimperium.Nu förvärvar koncernen två…

18/02/2026

We welcome Mikael Ek as the new Chairman of the board for MW Field Services, an MW Group operating company.

Mikael brings over 40 years of senior leadership experience in telecommunications, digitalisation, and critical societal infrastructure. Most recently, he served as CEO of Svenska Stadsnätsföreningen for 17 years. He has also held key positions at Eltel and Telia.

"We are strengthening the board at a moment when critical telecommunications infrastructure matters the most. I am confident that Mikael, with his wealth of experience and leadership, will add significant value to the company going forward," says Mikael Karlsson, CEO and founder of MW Group.

Resilient communication networks are foundational to a strong society. This appointment reinforces our commitment to delivering on that mission.

19/01/2026

We are proud to welcome General (ret.) Flemming Lentfer to MW Group as Senior Advisor.

With more than 41 years of distinguished military service, including his role as Chief of Defence in Denmark and Director General of the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation, Flemming brings important expertise to our mission.

His career spans operational leadership in ground-based air defence, strategic planning at the Danish Defence Command, The Royal Danish Defence Academy, and service as National Armament Director. Flemming's substantial experience with NATO, the EU, and Nordic defence cooperation—combined with deep insight into operations, capabilities, and materiel/IT—positions him to strengthen our work across all our operating companies.

Mikael Karlsson, CEO of MW Group:

"Flemming embodies what we mean when we say we serve a strong society. His decades of leadership at the highest levels of Danish and Nordic defence bring invaluable perspectives that will directly benefit every one of our operating companies—from strategic market insight to navigating complex sector opportunities. Access to senior advisors of Flemming's caliber alongside the existing advisory board is central to the value we provide both to our existing companies as well as the new ones joining. As we continue strengthening Nordic total defence, Flemming's expertise in operations, acquisitions, and international cooperation will help bridge defence innovation with resilience. We are honored to have him join us."

Welcome, Flemming.

01/12/2025

We're pleased to announce that MW Group and Teracom Samhällsnät have signed a Letter of Intent to make joint investments in companies within the civil and military defence sector across the Nordic region.

This partnership brings together two organisations united by a shared purpose: to strengthen Swedish and Nordic total defence capability. By combining the resources and expertise of leading private and state-owned companies, we can achieve more together than we ever could alone.

Johan Petersson, CEO of Teracom Samhällsnät: ”We’re now bringing together Teracom's experience in secure communication solutions with the agility and inventiveness of the small and medium-sized companies represented by MW Group. Together we can create many excellent solutions for Nordic civil and military defence and contribute to increased resilience."

Mikael Karlsson, CEO of MW Group: "Teracom is the perfect partner for us as we make important investments to strengthen the Nordic region and our alliance's deterrence capability. Teracom's enormous expertise, experience, and credibility in critical communication infrastructure and continuity management will help us jointly make the right investments for Sweden and our allies.”

06/10/2025

We're thrilled to announce that Fredrik Ekstrand joins MW Group as Chief Business Development Officer. This appointment accelerates our growth ambitions and Fredrik will strengthen support across all our portfolio companies – enhancing market access, scaling capabilities, expanding networks, and establishing new partnerships.

As our CEO Mikael Karlsson notes: "Fredrik's deep understanding of the Nordic defence sector makes him invaluable for developing strategic relationships and strengthening our operating companies."

Ekstrand joins from AFRY, where he led Defence Tech, and brings extensive Nordic defence sector expertise gained through founding Cervino Consulting and delivering major defence programmes.

"Many entrepreneurial defence companies seek a strong industrial partner to help them take the next step," says Ekstrand. "MW Group offers not just capital, but access to a unique network, strategic advice, and concrete support to win new business. This makes us the most attractive partner for ambitious defence companies building real capability."

01/07/2025

We're pleased to share exciting news from eCiceron, our operating company specialising in secure, robust, and interoperable communication solutions.

eCiceron welcomes two distinguished new board members: Pontus Agerteg and Owe WAGERMARK. Both bring extensive experience from the Swedish Armed Forces and defence industry, providing invaluable understanding of customer needs in this critical sector.

At MW Group, we believe in empowering our society with the tools they need to protect and serve. With these appointments, eCiceron reinforces its commitment to innovation and excellence in defence communications.

Owe Wagermark will continue in a position as senior advisor at MW Group alongside his position in the board of eCiceron.

Det svenska teknikbolaget Eciceron, som utvecklar nätverks- och kommunikationslösningar för totalförsvaret, stärker nu sin position inom försvarsområdet. Genom att rekrytera två nya ledamöter till styrelsen – med tung bakgrund inom försvar och säkerhet – siktar bolaget på att acceler...

25/06/2025

Today, we welcome five exceptional leaders to our advisory team.

From the defence sector, we're happy to introduce:
Major General Bengt Andersson (ret) – Swedish Amphibious Corps
Major General Lars-Olof Corneliusson (ret) – Royal Swedish Naval Reserves
Major General Gunnar Karlson (ret) – Defence Forces Reserves
Rear Admiral Thomas Engevall(ret) – Royal Swedish Naval Reserves

These distinguished military leaders bring decades of strategic experience and deep insights into both domestic and international defence matters—expertise essential to MW Group's mission serve a strong society.

From the corporate sector:
Magnus Brannstrom – Former CEO of Oriflame

Magnus brings transformative business leadership experience from both multinational corporations and agile enterprises, spanning sectors crucial to MW Group's growth strategy.

"These appointments, along with the strong existing lineup of advisors, significantly enhance our ability to support our operating companies in the area of defence, security and business transformation and strengthens our ability to deliver innovative solutions for our customers across public and private sectors" says Mikael Karlsson, CEO of MW Group.

Learn more about our advisory team and how we're shaping the future of total defence on our homepage.