Turning Over Half a Billion SEK
This is the story of Inrego—and the evolution of IT reuse.
It all began in 1995. Back then, computers were incredibly expensive, and only a few households owned one. Mobile phones didn’t exist, and the internet—what was that? Students gathered in computer rooms at universities and libraries. The dream was to have a computer of their own.
“As students, we didn’t really need the latest tech. We needed a word processor, and we needed it at a reasonable price. That’s where the idea for Inrego came from,” says Henrik, as we sit down for coffee at Inrego’s headquarters in Täby.
He goes on to tell me about the journey of running a circular IT company. About the challenges and the rewards. Today, the company turns over half a billion SEK, reuses 350,000 IT products annually, and sells its products on the global market. The biggest challenge? Time. Time, time, time.
“To produce a new computer takes four minutes. To refurbish a used one takes an hour,” Henrik explains. Competing against new production isn’t easy and demands strong partnerships and the ability to turn problems into opportunities.
Schools Led the Way for Used IT
In the early 2000s, schools started implementing computer programs, and with used products, they could get 30 computers for a computer lab instead of just 10 new ones. “We tried sending out a fax offering a refurbished test computer at half the price. It was an instant hit!” Henrik recalls. Soon, Inrego delivered 500 test computers to schools across the country. The business grew—and suddenly, the inventory couldn’t keep up with demand.
Stepping onto the Global Market
“If no one wants to get rid of their used computers, there’s nothing to sell when you work exclusively with pre-owned IT products,” Henrik explains. The solution? The global market.
“We started building an international network to source products in the quantities our customers wanted and to sell products that weren’t in demand in Sweden,” he continues. “It’s really quite natural—transitioning to a circular economy has to happen on a global scale!”
Pioneers in Climate Calculations for IT Reuse
The years passed, and on the way back from a company kick-off, a colleague exclaimed, “We must be able to calculate the climate benefits of reuse!” No sooner said than done, in 2010, Inrego began calculating the CO2 savings companies could achieve by reusing their IT equipment. Together with IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Inrego developed a science-based model to highlight the positive environmental impact.
Once again, Inrego led the way—not only by offering cost-effective IT products but also by creating sustainable ways to consume IT.
Award-Winning Business with a Focus on Culture
Over the years, Inrego has been nominated for and won numerous awards, including being recognized as one of Europe’s top solutions for nature, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Leadership in Sustainability. Today, Inrego employs over 170 people in Sweden and Finland. Many roles in the production facilities don’t require specific educational backgrounds, so the company has focused on recruiting people based on drive and curiosity—resulting in several inspiring career journeys within the company.
Henrik believes one of the key reasons for Inrego’s success is surrounding yourself with colleagues who constantly exceed expectations and find solutions in a pioneering industry:
“Entrepreneurs are often seen as heroes, but I’d argue that the true heroes are the intrapreneurs—the ones whose internal drive makes things evolve and succeed,” Henrik reflects before continuing:
“Over the years, the perspective has shifted from ‘what’s good for business is good for society’ to ‘what’s good for society is good for business.’ Being part of that journey has been incredible.”
He raises his coffee cup and takes the final sip before concluding:
“At the same time, our biggest challenge is still ahead of us: transforming global IT consumption into something economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. This is just the beginning.”
Join the journey!
