Epidemic Group names Blenda Labs founder Erik Wahlberg as CEO
Erik Wahlberg will become chief executive of Epidemic Group, the parent company of Epidemic Sound, on 1 October 2026.
The company announced the appointment on 23 September 2026. Wahlberg succeeds Sara Börsvik, who has led the group on an interim basis since March, according to Music Business Worldwide.
Börsvik will move into a joint role as chief operating officer and chief financial officer. That change takes effect on the same date as Wahlberg’s start.
Börsvik became interim CEO on 11 March 2026. She stepped up from the finance chief post after co-founder Oscar Höglund left the chief executive role and joined the board.
Wahlberg arrives from inside the organisation. He is the founder and chief executive of Blenda Labs, a Stockholm-based video production technology company.
Epidemic Group acquired Blenda Labs in July 2026. The deal was announced on 3 July 2026 without disclosing financial terms.
Blenda Labs makes animation and video for rights holders using AI-native workflows, systems built around artificial intelligence from the start. Its partners include CoStudios and Storytel.
Before Blenda Labs, Wahlberg spent seven years as co-founder and chief executive of Frever, a mobile app for making 3D video. Frever’s backers included Sony Music and EQT Ventures.
His earlier career was in television. He served as chief creative officer and Nordic chief executive of MTG Studios at Modern Times Group, and previously held roles at Jarowskij and Strix Television.
Epidemic Group said it returned to profitable growth in the first half of 2026 after an investment year in 2025. Hjalmar Winbladh is co-founder and chair of the group.
What makes this stand out is the path to the top job. Wahlberg joined the group only months ago through an acquisition, then moved straight into the chief executive post as the interim leadership handed over.
