Icon Medialab

About Icon Medialab

Icon Medialab emerged in 1996 as a pioneering internet consultancy from Stockholm, founded by Johan Staël von Holstein, Jesper Jos Olsson, Erik Wikström, and Magnus Lindahl, all of whom brought experience from the Kinnevik Group. Staël von Holstein, a charismatic figure in the late 1990s Swedish internet boom, leveraged his public presence to attract significant clients and investors. The company's core business was to guide major corporations into the digital world by offering a comprehensive approach that integrated technology development with brand strategy and business development for their clients' web presence. This model attracted high-profile customers such as SAS, Ericsson, and Vattenfall.

The firm's service offering was distinguished by its combination of IT expertise with skills in behavioral sciences, copywriting, management consulting, and interface design, aiming to create functional online businesses. They utilized a range of technologies, including DHTML powered by JavaScript on the front end and server-side solutions built with Java and various Microsoft technologies. This was supported by strategic partnerships with companies like Oracle for databases, Intershop for e-commerce, and Microsoft. The business model focused on providing these comprehensive e-business solutions across multiple internet platforms.

Icon Medialab experienced rapid growth, becoming the first Swedish internet consultancy to go public in 1998. The company expanded aggressively, and by the year 2000, it had grown to over 2,000 employees in 31 offices worldwide. Despite reaching a turnover of approximately 1.7 billion Swedish Krona in 2000, the company struggled with profitability due to its rapid global expansion costs, leading to significant financial losses and workforce reductions during the IT crash. In 2002, Icon Medialab merged with Lost Boys, subsequently rebranding to LB Icon AB. Further consolidation occurred in 2006 when the company merged with Framfab, becoming LBI International AB, which was later acquired by Publicis Groupe in 2012 and merged with Digitas to form DigitasLBi.