Thomas was born in Jutland and grew up near Copenhagen. Immersed in Danish design, he developed an appreciation of form and function, quality and durability from an early age.

A precocious entrepreneur, fascinated by craftsmanship and technology, Thomas was a teenager when he set up his first business: importing handmade turntables from the UK.

Thomas went on to study engineering, but uninspired, left the course after two years. He entered the shipping industry and worked for Maersk for many years, travelling widely from bases in Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Manila and Johannesburg.

Forever in search of a way to combine his passions with work, Thomas left to start and run a wine business. He was soon supplying wine to most of Copenhagen’s Michelin-starred restaurants.

In 2007, the idea for Æsir was formed. Thomas read an article which questioned why the handset market was so devoid of exciting design. He decided to address the void, and found the perfect partners in designer-entrepreneur Jens Martin Skibsted and former Maersk colleague Mathias Rajani.

It was through Jens Martin that Thomas met Yves Béhar, the designer of Æsir’s debut phone.

“There are two kinds of designers that really excite me,” says Thomas. “Those who, in line with Danish principles, refine things and make them more beautiful, and those who really challenge the way we do things. I’m hoping Æsir embodies both.”