IN BRIEF
Italian group MVC Group, owner of Castelli and Sportful, announced on 24 September the acquisition of Tailfin, the British maker of bikepacking bags and racks. Founded in Bristol in 2017 by engineer Nick Broadbent, Tailfin generated nearly €10 million in revenue in 2025, after average annual growth of around 50 % over five years. Its founder and management team remain in charge and retain a minority stake. For MVC Group, it is the fourth deal in less than a year.
The technical apparel maker that dresses cyclists under the Castelli and Sportful brands is moving into luggage. Tailfin, which the MVC Group press release describes as the global leader in premium technical bikepacking, is changing hands. According to the group, this category is highly complementary to Castelli and Sportful’s technical apparel.
Tailfin: growth of around 50 % a year
Nick Broadbent, a mechanical engineer and product designer, founded Tailfin in Bristol in 2017 and is its CEO, according to the press release. The brand sells premium bikepacking bags, racks and accessories. According to the press release, it has achieved average annual growth of around 50 % over the past five years, reaching nearly €10 million in revenue in 2025. More than half of its sales come from the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany.
Tailfin also claims more than 20 patents granted or pending. MVC Group says it wants to draw on this expertise for future triathlon and outdoor products, two areas where it is present with the Zoot and Karpos brands.
The founder stays in charge
Tailfin’s founder and management team will continue to run the company and retain a minority stake. MVC Group highlights its presence in 75 countries through 10 subsidiaries to accelerate the British brand’s international development. “With Tailfin, we are not simply adding a new product category”, says Emilio Foà, CEO of MVC Group, in the press release.
A fourth deal in less than a year
According to the press release, MVC Group was founded in 1946 by the Cremonese family, which still controls it, and it has been making deal after deal. Before Tailfin, it opened its tenth international subsidiary in July, in the United Kingdom. In February, it acquired Wolvenberg, which gave rise to MVC Benelux. Another deal was carried out by Zoot, its Californian brand of triathlon apparel and accessories. Its three-year business plan targeted €150 million in revenue in 2028, and the group believes this acquisition has a positive effect on that trajectory. Given its enlarged scope and the expected industrial and commercial synergies, MVC Group says in the press release that it plans to raise its growth targets.
