Following a successful round of community funding in 2024, which generated one million euros from 800 investors, Mud Jeans aims to begin a new chapter that’s focused on a leaner business model and healthy, profitable growth.
Through the equity crowdfunding and fintech platform Eyevestor, the Dutch denim brand has launched a new bond offering that gives investors an immediate return rather than requiring them to wait years for a payout. Investors can choose from four plans and receive a 60 percent return on their investment in the form of Mud Jeans shopping credit.
A 250-euro investment receives 150 euros in credit. A 500-euro investment receives 300 euros. A 1,000-euro investment receives 600 euros in credit—or the equivalent of a new pair of jeans every year for four years. An investment of 2,500 euros receives 1,500 in credit, or the full return for four years. Investments more than 2,500 euros can receive a custom proposal.
Mud Jeans’ goal is to raise 300,000 euros (about $343,000). The funds raised during this round will go toward strengthening working capital and inventory management, expanding premium product positioning, commercial growth in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the DACH region and strengthening the financial foundation and optimizing the capital structure.
Mud Jeans launched in 2012 with the goal to extend the lifespan of jeans through repair, resuse and recycling. The brand generated buzz for its pioneering “Lease a Jeans” subscription program and made headway in scaling the production of jeans made with post-consumer recycled cotton.
However, the business model was complex, costly and suffered from too many initiatives at once. Its emphasis on rapid growth, coupled with a singular sustainability message, ultimately failed to resonate with a broader consumer audience. Now the brand is reframing its focus on “better denim” as the product promise.
Over the past few years, Mud said it has “invested purposefully” in its foundation by refreshing its assortment with better fits, launching an international website, developing stronger brand identity and further expansion of its retail channels across multiple countries. While these steps have improved the brand’s position in the market, Mud said revenue growth has missed its targets and the market remains challenging.
“That reality calls for more focus, lower costs, and growth that is not just bigger, but healthier,” the brand stated.
Mud Jeans appointed Dion Vijgeboom CEO earlier this year. Vijgeboom has been part of the company since 2015 and has served as COO in recent years. Under his leadership, the organization has been simplified, and costs have been structurally reduced. Mud reports that the first quarter of 2026 “closed positively,” including the bottom line.
The brand also discontinued the “Lease a Jeans” program after learning that most customers prefer to buy their jeans directly. All current lease agreements will continue as normal until the end of their lease period, with the final leases ending in June 2027.
“We’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. So now we’re doing less, but better. And you can see it: in the jeans, in the organization, and in the numbers,” Vijgeboom said.
