Db (company)

Db, founded in 2012, (also known as Db Journey,^[1] DB Equipment AS^[2]) is a travel gear company,^[3][4] headquartered in Oslo, Norway.^[5][6]

What originally started with a ski bag expanded into a wider lineup of backpacks, suitcases and purpose designed luggage for sports gear such as skis, snowboards, bicycles and surfboards.^[5] Db is independently owned and operated from its headquarters located in Oslo, Norway where the company employs 60 people.^[1]

Db (formally known as Douchebags)^[7][8] was founded in 2012 by Truls Brataas^[9][10] and Jon Olsson^[11][12] with the goal of redefining travel gear.

The concept for Db Journey originated in 2009 when Truls Brataas and Jon Olsson met while surfing in Hoddevik, Norway.^[11] Recognising a gap in the market for high-quality travel gear tailored to action sports, the duo launched Db's first product, the Snowroller, in 2012.^{[13][6][14][15]}

It gained immediate recognition for its innovative design, winning awards such as the ISPO Award in 2014.^{[11][6][16][17]} The same year alpine ski legend Aksel Lund Svindal invests into the company.^[18]

Over the following years, the company expanded its product line to include photography and travel equipment, while maintaining a focus on functionality and innovation.^[19][20][21]

In 2021 Db entered the surf market with a product designed together with professional surfers Jordy Smith and Sage Erickson.^[22][23] This marked an expansion into new markets and further solidified the brand's reputation for creating purpose-built, high-performance travel solutions.^[24] The same year Jordy Smith also invests in Db.^[25]

In 2024, Db expanded into the skateboarding market with the launch of a 65L skate duffel, tailored to meet the needs of urban and action sports enthusiasts.^[26][27][28] Later that year, Db secured a minority investment from LVMH’s Luxury Venture Fund, aimed at accelerating the company’s global growth and scaling its operations.^[29][30]

Expansion and Rebrand to Db

The products were especially originally primarily popular in Scandinavian countries It also helped that the word douchebag didn’t have the same connotation with Norwegians and Swedes as it did with native English speakers, who liked the bags but not the name.

As Douchebags grew from side-project to a global brand, the name became the elephant in the room, and communications increasingly used the shortened version of “Db” instead of the full name, Douchebags. As the company wanted to reach more people, particularly in native English speaking countries like the United States, UK and Australia, they’d have to change the name.

Bringing in house the brains behind the Leica camera design team they added hard cases into the mix

Db has received numerous accolades for its product design and sustainability efforts, including:

• ISPO Award (2014) for the Snowroller.^[11]
• International Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year award (2018) to founder Truls Brataas.^[31]
• Red Dot Design Award (2022) for the Ramverk Pro Luggage.^[21]
• B Corporation Certification (2023) for meeting rigorous environmental and social standards.^[32]

In 2017, Db introduced the Limited Jon Olsson CamoCollection.^[34]

In 2021, Discoverberry Bundle for Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo was launched.^[35]