1881 Group

1881 Group is Norway’s leading provider of digital presence and directory services via the internet, phone, SMS and mobile applications. 1881 is a true “superbrand” in the Norwegian market with 1.6 million unique users and more than 140 years of history.

Kistefos first invested in 1881 in 2007, and the company has been an important holding ever since, paying dividends for 20 consecutive years. Over that period, both the market and the underlying technology changed fundamentally. 1881 adapted successfully throughout, building and divesting several successful businesses along the way.

On 29 June 2026, Kistefos announced the sale of 1881 to Fonecta Group Oy, the leading provider of digital presence and marketing services for businesses in the Nordic region. Fonecta is owned by a fund managed by the Finnish private equity firm Sponsor Capital. 1881 adds approximately 23,000 B2B subscribers and around 170,000 paying app subscribers to Fonecta Group — a highly complementary fit with Fonecta Group’s existing Finnish and Swedish operations.

Kistefos’ ownership of 1881 generated a 17.8x multiple of money (MoM) and an IRR in excess of 200%.