Home → Blog → Resources → A trip down memory lane with Peter Sjösten – Fifteen years of building Polygiene
Polygiene has always been about making everyday products better. By helping clothes, footwear and other textiles stay fresh, the brand gives people the freedom to wear more, wash less and enjoy their products for longer.
While much of the industry once communicated in technical terms, Polygiene chose a different path. The ambition was to become a recognizable ingredient brand, a name that tells consumers their product comes with a useful added benefit.
Peter Sjösten has been part of that journey for more than fifteen years. Here, he looks back on the people, partnerships and moments that helped turn a five-person Swedish company into a global brand.
When I joined Polygiene in August 2010, I was one of just five people. It was a very different company from the one you see today, but what we lacked in size, we made up for in ambition.
It’s funny to think about now, when every region has its own manager, but back then our agents were our main route to market, and I was responsible for all of them. I had a truly global role!
Those early years involved a lot of work and travel, but they were also great fun. Japan quickly became an important market, so I spent plenty of time there. Many of the connections I made became the foundation for partnerships that continued to grow over the years.
As the company expanded, we divided the markets between our small team, and I continued working with partners outside the Americas. It was exciting, but not always easy. We were working towards profitability while trying to establish exactly who we were as a brand.
I still have an incredible number of old Polygiene logos and branding ideas saved on my computer. They’re like a visual history of the company finding its identity.
From the beginning, we wanted Polygiene to be more than a name hidden behind the scenes. We wanted it to be a brand people could recognize and trust, a sign that a garment or product offered something extra. The message was simple: stay fresh, feel comfortable and enjoy your products for longer.
Eventually, the investors made it clear that it was make-or-break time. We had to prove Polygiene could stand on its own two feet.
The ISPO trade show in Munich in 2012 became a defining moment. Money was tight, and four of us shared a rather dingy hotel room near the train station. It wasn’t glamorous, but we made a real impact.
By 2013, we were working with Adidas. Patagonia, Arc’teryx and several major Swedish outdoor brands followed. These partnerships showed that leading brands believed in what we were building and that consumers valued products designed to stay fresh and be used for longer.
It gave us the confidence and resources to expand, hire new colleagues and build a more international organization.
In 2015, Polygiene became publicly listed. It gave the business greater credibility and opened new doors, but it also meant our internal organization needed to mature quickly. In 2017, we restructured our 16-person team to prepare for the next chapter.
Our international ambitions continued to grow, supported by Business Sweden and Swedish ambassadors in key markets. For me, this global side of Polygiene has always been especially rewarding. I’ve experienced different cultures, built friendships around the world and seen how the same simple benefits connect with people everywhere.
As Polygiene matured, we explored new ways to help products remain fresh and enjoyable for longer. Polygiene OdorCrunch joined our offer in 2018, the same year we decided to focus fully on textiles.
When OdorCrunch received the Sustainability Prize in 2019, it felt like wonderful recognition for the whole team. Around the same time, we established Polygiene Shanghai and Polygiene Hong Kong, bringing us closer to partners in one of the world’s most influential markets.
Then came the pandemic. Like everyone else, we had to respond to a completely new reality. In April 2020, we introduced Polygiene ViralOff at extraordinary speed.
That period was intense, with days filled by meetings, calls and decisions. But there was also a real sense of purpose. We saw an opportunity to contribute, and the entire team came together to make it happen.
It was exhausting, exhilarating and unlike anything I had experienced before. The positive response showed how much trust Polygiene had built over the years.
The following years brought new people, knowledge and possibilities into the business. Polygiene acquired Addmaster in 2021 and SteriTouch in 2022, while continuing to develop benefits that make products better to own and use.
In 2024, Polygiene and Addmaster were given clearer individual identities, allowing each brand to focus on what it does best. Polygiene StayCool followed in 2025, with an updated Polygiene OdorCrunch2.0 arriving in early 2026.
It has been a whirlwind. But through every change, the purpose has remained the same: to offer useful, easy-to-understand benefits that help people get more from the products they use every day.
When I look back over my fifteen years with Polygiene, it isn’t one product launch, trade show or business milestone that stands out most. It’s the people.
I’ve had the privilege of working with fantastic colleagues, trusted partners and some of the world’s leading brands. Together, we have built something that the five of us working at Polygiene in 2010 could hardly have imagined.
There have been demanding periods and unexpected turns, but also memorable trips, lasting friendships and many moments when we knew the hard work had been worthwhile.
As Polygiene celebrates its 20th anniversary, I’m incredibly proud to have shared so much of the journey. The company may look very different today, but the energy, ambition and belief in making everyday products better are still there.
It has been an unforgettable fifteen years and I’m excited to see where we go next.
