Takomo, the Finland-based direct-to-consumer golf brand, is announcing the acquisition of another Finnish golf company, Otso Golf, Ltd.
In an announcement released yesterday, Takomo says it is acquiring Otso Golf’s proprietary low-torque design, technology and business operations. What’s more, Otso founder and CEO Miika Farin is joining Takomo as its new Senior Product Designer.
So why the “sort of?”
It’s complicated, but the acquisition represents a massive step forward for Takomo. Let’s dive in.
Takomo Golf + Otso = One step closer to full-bag
Takomo was founded in 2020 in Tuku, Finland by CEO Sebastian Haapahovi. It quickly gained traction as a maverick DTC brand offering sub-$500 iron sets. Takomo has earned a growing legion of fans and has expanded its offerings to include wedges and this year’s Ignis D1 driver.
The addition of Otso Golf’s low-torque putter technology is the logical next step in the brand’s growth plans.
“This acquisition represents a natural evolution of our mission to provide technologically advanced, beautifully designed equipment that golfers can actually afford,” said Haapahovi in a press statement. “As we continue our rapid growth, adding Otso’s innovative low-torque putters and design capabilities to our lineup allows us to deliver world-class Finnish craftsmanship and the putter technology golfers everywhere are asking for.”
The plan moving forward is for Farin to lead the development of a new, multi-model line of low-torque putters for Takomo. There’s no firm launch date set. All Takomo is saying is that it will be “in 2026.”
Why the “sort of?”
The reason we say Takomo Golf “sort of” acquired Otso is that Otso, on its website, says what Takomo is saying: that Takomo has acquired the putter design and technology, and that Farin will be joining Takomo.
It also says that Otso Golf will “continue on its own independent path, with new ideas already taking shape.”
If we can interpret, Takomo bought the technology and low-torque design, along with Farin and his know-how. Otso itself will continue as an independent entity.
In the big picture, that’s probably nothing more than semantics, but it is interesting.
Earlier this year, Otso released its first small-batch, low-torque putter, called the D1. It’s a compact mid-mallet CNC-milled from stainless steel. Interestingly, it’s also heel shafted with a single-bend shaft.
Interviewed last July by the Finnish golf website Golfpiste, Farin said he went heel-shafted for one simple reason. He liked the looks better.
“Center shaft hosel is not a natural model for me,” he told Golfpiste. “The same result can be achieved when the shaft points to the center of gravity of the blade.”
Based on the imagery we found on Instagram, Otso has created a low-torque putter that, to our eyes, anyway, looks pretty good. At the very least, it’s a lot less hinky-looking than most of the low-torque/zero-torque models already in the market.
What this means for Takomo Golf
Last summer, Takomo told MyGolfSpy its ultimate goal is to become a full-bag company. This acquisition is a giant step in that direction.
“We’re just now starting to get our feet into proprietary R&D, doing our own thing and inventing something new,” Takomo Golf Chief Marketing Officer Sean McCullum told us at the time. “That’s our future, and it’s something we hope to achieve here in the next year.”
It’s easy (and in many cases, not inaccurate) to dismiss lower-priced DTC brands as simply “open mold sellers.” Takomo will tell you it doesn’t have an army of engineers on staff, but it does have an internal design team that does the initial designs and creates the cosmetics. They’ll then work with their manufacturer in Taiwan on materials, face designs and other performance-related issues.
What, if anything, that evolution will mean to consumer pricing going forward is an open question. We’ll learn more once Takomo launches its new putter line, as well as any other 2026 product launches that may be in the works.
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