Kronaby

Born from the dissolution of Sony Mobile's accessories division in Sweden. In late 2015, four former Sony Mobile executives-Sarandis Kalogeropulos, Thomas Sandelius, Pål Borge, and Fredrik Rosén-founded Anima AB in Malmö with backing from Chinese electronics manufacturer Goertek. The company initially had no specific product in mind, but in January 2016, the team decided to create a hybrid smartwatch brand. The name 'Kronaby' combines 'krono' (time) with 'by' (Swedish for village). After attending Baselworld 2016 for research, they returned in 2017 with a complete four-collection lineup: Apex, Sekel, Carat, and Nord. The watches achieved revenues of $37 million in 2017 and $50 million in 2018. However, in December 2018, majority owner Goertek abruptly withdrew all financial support to focus on component manufacturing. Anima AB filed for bankruptcy in February 2019, putting 60 jobs at risk. The brand was rescued in March 2019 when Spanish watch conglomerate Festina Lotus SA acquired all assets and intellectual property from the bankruptcy estate. Under Festina Group ownership, Kronaby continues to operate with R&D remaining in Malmö.