Denmark has great economic conditions for robust entrepreneurial activities. It is the 18th startup ecosystem in the world, boasting many institutions, investment firms, and industry specialists nurturing new companies. Not to mention that Copenhagen is one of the global hubs of innovation.
We have already covered the most important VC funds operating in Denmark and now the time has come to examine the initiatives that fuel the entrepreneurial spirit in the country and provide young entrepreneurs with growth opportunities - accelerators and incubators.
So without further ado, let’s dig deeper into the startup ecosystem in Denmark!
Startup Wise Guys
The Startup Wise Guys accelerator program in Copenhagen is designed to help shape a sustainable world beyond the climate crisis. The program offers an intensive 5-month experience that is power-packed with the latest insights and tools for sustainability and business development. The program is a hybrid of onsite and online sessions, with 7-8 weeks onsite in Copenhagen and 14-15 weeks online. It is designed to coach early-stage teams on how to solve the largest challenges of our time and align sustainable solutions with the core of their business. Startups that can benefit from the program include impact-oriented companies, developing solutions in various verticals such as climatetech, agtech, biotech, edtech, fintech, retail services, consumertech, healthtech, wastetech etc. The program offers funding of up to €80K convertible investment (50K cash + 30K program) with a €250k follow-on possibility.
The SoundTech Accelerator Program
The SoundTech Accelerator Program is an opportunity for international startups in the sound industry to deep dive into sound-relevant business and technical issues. The program includes 3 in-person camps in Denmark, 1:1 coaching and mentoring from sound specialists, access to state-of-the-art test facilities, introductions to sound industry partners, and networking opportunities. The program will focus on topics such as shaping the business canvas for growth, nailing the essence of a startup's offer, finding and learning from first customers, expanding the team with the right skill sets, seeking funding and planning the next steps, and more. The program is developed by Sound Hub Denmark in partnership with Danish Creative Industries and offers support and guidance from renowned industry professionals and leading global key players in the sound industry.
The SoundTech Incubator
The SoundTech Incubator, run by Danish Sound Cluster and Sound Hub Denmark, is yet another program for early-stage startups, for which sound is the most important element of their solution. The program aims to boost the journey of startups from idea validation to initial market traction by providing hands-on support from specialists, access to world-class test facilities in Sound Hub Denmark, and critical competencies through workshops, training, and guided execution. The incubation program is tailored to startups at the very early stages of development. It includes tailored boot camps with in-depth workshops and facilitated networking, followed by specialist-supported execution between camps. The program runs for approximately 3-4 months, during which the participants can access first-class facilities and discuss with experts in the Sound Hub Denmark. After the incubation program, startups are invited to continue networking with the other startups in the program and be part of the sound tech startup communities in both the Danish Sound Cluster and Sound Hub Denmark.
Accelerace
Accelerace is a leading pre-seed accelerator that believes that talent is the key to success. They have a dedicated team of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate innovators who are committed to identifying and nurturing innovative ideas and talents. For these efforts, they have been recognized as one of the world's best accelerators. They run a few specialised programs, which include:
Beyond Beta:
Beyond Beta is a top-tier startup program in Denmark that helps startups prepare for rapid scaling through online pre-accelerator and industry-specific incubator and accelerator programs. It is run in partnership with the Danish Business Hubs, Danish Design Center, and 14 industry-specific clusters and is available to Denmark-based startups in the pre-seed stage with proof of concept.
Female Founders Incubator:
The Female Founders Incubator is a 4-month incubator program designed for first-time, Denmark-based female founders who want to transform innovative and scalable business ideas into high-growth potential startups.
Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship:
The Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship (NOME) is an elite mentoring program that facilitates long-term mentorship for selected startups from the life science sector. It is available to Nordic-based startups in biotech, medtech, diagnostics, healthcare, digital health and industrial biotech.
Futurebox
Futurebox is a leading deep tech incubator and accelerator in Denmark, creating a community of creators, innovators, engineers, investors, and serial entrepreneurs all building startups for future generations. The accelerator helps startups succeed by providing the necessary facilities and network, including strong mentors, business developers, tech advisors, and investors. Futurebox offers several accelerations programs to ambitious entrepreneurs and startups working with cutting-edge technology, including programs such as the Danish Tech Challenge, an intensive 4-month accelerator for innovative hardware startups, and the GreenUp Accelerator, Denmark’s most ambitious program for climate tech startups working with CO2 reduction.
The GoGrow Accelerazor Programme
The GoGrow Accelerator Programme is an initiative by the Copenhagen School of Entrepreneurship (CSE) that aims to support and develop the next generation of startups and founders. The programme is designed to provide participants with the tools, resources, and support they need to take their businesses to the next level. It includes leadership development bootcamps, personal coaching sessions, exclusive industry expert mentoring, access to free deep-skilled consultants, free office space in a vibrant community, finance support on metrics and numbers, exclusive investor events and networking, access to a network of alumni founders, and social events and a strong founder network. To be eligible for the programme, applicants, or someone at a C-level position in their startup must be a student or recent graduate (with a maximum of 1 year since graduation) in Denmark.
Founders
Founders is a company that was established in 2012 to build tech companies in a better and smarter way, all through a unique business model and one platform. They are specialized in co-founding and launching innovative companies and also run a fund, used to invest in their companies to help them scale. Founders is not a VC, incubator, or accelerator, but rather specializes in taking companies from zero to traction.
Rainmaking
Rainmaking is a global startup accelerator and venture fund that focuses on helping early-stage companies. They are represented by 35 nationalities in 10 offices on 4 continents, including the one in Copenhagen. They target specific sectors including FinTech, Net Zero, Transport, Trade & Transport Impact, Port City innovation Hub, Smart City, and InsurTech. These sectors are aligned with the company's mission to support innovation and growth in industries that have a positive impact on the environment and society. Rainmaking offers a variety of services to its portfolio companies, including mentorship, networking, and access to its network of industry experts and investors. The program has delivered over 100 innovation cycles and has a portfolio of successful exits.
The ITU Startup programme
The ITU Startup programme is an incubator for ITU students, providing resources, mentorship, and financial support to help create new technology startups at the IT University of Copenhagen. The programme offers a co-founder matchmaking service where students can fill out a signup form and be provided with a list of other students looking for co-founders, as well as networking events. Additionally, the programme offers a 3-month idea pipeline programme where students receive dedicated mentorship to improve their startup idea and gain customer validation. The 6-month incubation programme provides students with the resources needed to develop their businesses and products, and launch their startups. The mission of the programme is to empower student entrepreneurs and guide them through the startup journey.
STAIRWAYS
Stairways is an active Danish tech startup incubator that provides capital, experience, and expertise to budding tech startups. The team behind Stairways has a combined 45+ years of experience in scalable B2B sales and business, as well as software development. They have also built their startups from scratch, so they have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with incubated startups.
Game Hub Denmark
Game Hub Denmark is a non-profit organization that helps and supports computer game startups, to help founders build sustainable and successful game companies. They provide support and resources to startups who join Game Hub Denmark and build a national and international network with the game industry. They believe that incubation should meet startup- and company founders at eye level, and provide support for both first-time startup companies and more experienced game developers. Game Hub Denmark has a three-phase model for the incubation of computer game startups, which includes: Student startups, Incubation, and Growth companies. As a startup game company joining Game Hub Denmark, you will receive a range of services such as office space, mentoring from experienced game industry leaders, access to international game conferences and workshops, legal and financial consulting and social events. Game Hub Denmark is located in several Danish cities including Aalborg, Grenaa, and Viborg.
Copenhagen Fintech
Copenhagen Fintech is an accelerator targeted at early-stage fintech startups with ambitious goals. The program is designed to support entrepreneurs as they navigate the challenging process of building a new company. The first two weeks of the program is a sprint, where teams receive a comprehensive overview of their company and are onboarded into the community. Workshops on key topics are conducted with experts from the accelerator's network, including investors, professional venture builders, and experienced founders. The remaining time of the program is tailored to the specific needs of the team. Selected teams receive customized strategy and business development support, free office space at the Copenhagen Fintech Lab, and access to connect programs. Additionally, matchmaking with corporates, investors, advisors, and startups is provided to help teams establish valuable connections.
Scale Incubator
Scale Incubator is a Danish incubator that focuses on high-growth startups and sustainable companies. Founded by entrepreneurs, the incubator aims to create a community of early-stage startup founders, investors, and corporate venture teams in Aalborg. The selected companies can benefit from best-in-class resources, a skilled and dedicated workforce, and a supportive community for entrepreneurs. When it comes to the business side of incubation - they are offered comprehensive help in matters such as marketing, capital, back office, fundraising, and legal support. The key values of the incubator are ambitious founders, innovative products, high-growth potential, and disruptive business models. Scale Incubator's team is comprised of experts from each of the sectors they work in, and they offer portfolio insight to their network of investors, accelerators, and business angels.
Want to discover more accelerators and incubators from other countries? Check out the list below.
Top Accelerators and Incubators from:
- Round-up Of The Best Accelerators In The CEE Region
- Albania
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Estonia
- France
- Finland
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Western Balkans.
Related Posts:
Best Startup Accelerators And Incubators In The Western Balkans (by Katarzyna Groszkowska, Editor, Vestbee)
Best Startup Accelerators And Incubators In Greece (by Katarzyna Groszkowska, Editor, Vestbee)
Best Startup Accelerators And Incubators In Turkey (by Paweł Pliszka, Editor, Vestbee)
