Private company

BRIO

Logo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Swedish toy company

Brio (stylized BRIO) is a wooden toy company founded in Sweden. The company was founded in the small town of Boalt, Scania, Götaland in 1884 by basket maker Ivar Bengtsson. For a long time the company was based in Osby, Scania, in southern Sweden.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1884Founded1
  • Industrygame industry1
  • HeadquartersMalmö1
  • Websitebrio-toys.com
  • Legal formaktiebolag1

Brio (stylized BRIO) is a wooden toy company founded in Sweden. The company was founded in the small town of Boalt, Scania, Götaland in 1884 by basket maker Ivar Bengtsson. For a long time the company was based in Osby, Scania, in southern Sweden. In 1908 Ivar's three sons took the company over and gave it the name "BRIO", which is an acronym for: BRöderna ('the brothers') Ivarsson (in) Osby. In 2006 BRIO moved its headquarters to Malmö, Scania. It is best known for its wooden toy trains, sold in Europe since 1958.2

Corporate structure

BRIO sits at the top of its group. 2 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • BRIO Malmö
    • Playmix Subsidiary · Sweden

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

In 1983, BRIO acquired the Swedish game manufacturer Alga, originally founded as a subsidiary of Pressbyrån in 1917.

Plantoys of Thailand had a joint venture with BRIO in 2001-2002, being present in the Brio catalogs of the time. In 2004, the Swedish investment company Proventus became the major shareholder of Brio with more than 40% of the votes. In the same year BRIO of Sweden moved most of its production to three factories in Guangdong Province, China.

The "Financial Statement January–December 2008" presented on 17 February 2009 speaks of financial problems concerning the company's liquidity. On the 11 March 2009 the company stated "BRIO financially reconstructed—shareholders' equity strengthened by more than SEK 300 million".

BRIO was acquired by the Ravensburger Group on January 8, 2015.

From Wikipedia’s article on Brio (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • toy
  • toy train
  • wooden toy train

Listed on Wikidata.1

BRIO is best known for its wooden toy trains, sold in Europe since 1958. Most are non-motorized and suitable for younger children. The cars connect with magnets and are easy to manipulate; in recent years, the range has been extended with battery powered, remote control, and 'intelligent track'-driven engines. From 1996 to 2001, BRIO licensed Thomas & Friends wooden trains in some parts of Europe, while Learning Curve held the license in the United States. Many competitors, such as Whittle Shortline, make products that are compatible with BRIO.

BRIO also sells BRIO-Mec construction kits. Long, thin wooden slats with evenly spaced holes are connected together with various fasteners made of colorful plastic. Young children can build sturdy and elaborate constructions.

BRIO also sold Theodore Tugboat toys. Released were the tugboats, the Dispatcher, Benjamin Bridge, Chester the Container Ship, and Barrington and Bonavista barges. These toys were discontinued in 2000, a year before the show was cancelled.

During the 1960s BRIO manufactured dollhouses and dollhouse furniture. Some of this furniture is highly sought after by collectors as it comprises miniature replicas of items by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen. Pieces include the 'egg' chair, the 'series 7' chair, and the 'swan' couch.

Read the full text

Additionally, the Alga subsidiary was one of five companies who at one time produced the physical skill game Crossbows and Catapults.

From Wikipedia’s article on Brio (company), shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

Subsidiaries

  • Playmix

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1884Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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