Danish Ship Finance
Danish Ship Finance is a Copenhagen-based, specialized ship-financing institution founded in 1961 that lends to Danish and international shipowners, with a DKK 23.6 billion loan book across 500+ vessels and zero non-performing loans, now operating as a subsidiary of Magellan Capital Holdings PLC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Danish Ship Finance does
Danish Ship Finance (Danmarks Skibskredit A/S) is a Copenhagen-based, specialized ship-financing institution founded in 1961 that lends to "reputable" Danish and international shipowners across vessel types including tankers, container ships, and bulk carriers. The firm operates from a single headquarters at Langebrogade 5, Copenhagen, with a team of 85 specialists whose expertise spans shipping finance, shipping research, marine insurance, and marine surveillance — capabilities that are combined into an integrated underwriting and loan-servicing platform rather than siloed products. As of 2025 the loan book stood at DKK 23.6 billion (approximately USD 4 billion) supporting 500+ vessels cumulatively since inception, with zero non-performing loans disclosed.
The business model is a relationship-driven, B2B direct lending model: ship financing is quoted and structured on a per-asset basis, pricing is bespoke, contracts are multi-year, and the go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting shipowners globally from Copenhagen. Complementary revenue lines — Shipping Market Reviews, Sustainability Reporting (including Poseidon Principles alignment), and marine insurance/surveillance support services — are tightly coupled to the core lending franchise and largely serve as risk-management and relationship-deepening tools. In 2025 the company was acquired by Magellan Capital Holdings PLC and is now a wholly-owned subsidiary reporting under a new CEO (Kristian Skovmand) and Chief Commercial Officer (Christian Moxon), with a stated mandate to drive commercial growth under the new parent.
Danish Ship Finance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Danish Ship Finance
- Legal name
- Danmarks Skibskredit A/S
- Website
- https://shipfinance.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Danish Ship Finance is a Copenhagen-based, specialized ship-financing institution founded in 1961 that lends to Danish and international shipowners, with a DKK 23.6 billion loan book across 500+ vessels and zero non-performing loans, now operating as a subsidiary of Magellan Capital Holdings PLC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Danish Ship Finance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Lending
- SIC
- Mortgage Bankers & Loan Correspondents (6162)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Boat Finance (FSAKADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ocean Marine Insurance (Hull, Cargo & Freight) (FSAJAHAA)
Keywords
Where Danish Ship Finance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Danish Ship Finance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Loan Interest Income: Danish Ship Finance generates revenue through interest income on its loan book. The company reported a loan book of DKK 23.6 billion with zero non-performing loans, demonstrating strong asset quality and reliable interest income streams.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom loan financing for shipowners |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Danish Ship Finance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Danish Ship Finance (Danmarks Skibskredit A/S) is a dedicated provider of financing to reputable shipowners, offering lending and loan products to Danish and international shipping companies. The firm operates with a loan book of approximately DKK 23.6 billion (USD 4 billion) supporting over 500 vessels and reports zero non-performing loans. It complements its core lending with shipping research, marine insurance, and marine surveillance capabilities.
Product overview
Danish Ship Finance operates as a unified shipping finance platform offering core loan financing services alongside complementary research and reporting capabilities. The primary offering consists of ship financing to reputable shipowners with a USD 4 billion loan book supporting over 500 vessels, complemented by shipping market research services and sustainability reporting tools including Poseidon Principles compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ship Financing Services Core lending and loan products providing capital to reputable Danish and international shipowners for vessel acquisition and fleet operations, supported by a loan book of USD 4 billion covering 500+ vessels.
- Shipping Market Reviews Regular shipping market analysis and research publications providing data-driven insights into shipping industry trends, vessel values, and maritime market conditions.
- Sustainability Reporting Sustainability and ESG reporting services aligned with the Poseidon Principles, including environmental impact tracking and disclosure for shipping operations.
- Marine Insurance Support Marine insurance expertise integrated with shipping finance operations, providing comprehensive risk and insurance solutions to shipowners.
- Marine Surveillance Marine surveillance capabilities used to monitor and assess vessel-related risks as part of loan portfolio management for shipowners.
Quantifiable outcome
- Loan book of DKK 23.6 billion with zero non-performing loans
Companies that use Danish Ship Finance
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Danish Ship Finance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Danish Ship Finance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Danish Ship Finance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DVB Bank (BNP Paribas Shipping): Historically Europe's most prominent specialized ship-finance lender, now embedded inside BNP Paribas. Directly comparable as a relationship-driven, vessel-secured lending franchise serving international shipowners.
- Hamburg Commercial Bank (formerly HSH Nordbank): Successor to HSH Nordbank, one of the largest German ship financiers historically. Comparable as a Northern European specialized lender focused on shipping and aviation with a long-tenor secured-loan book.
- KfW IPEX-Bank: German state-backed export and ship-financing bank with deep maritime lending relationships. Directly comparable as a long-tenor, asset-backed lender serving European shipping clients.
- NIBC Bank: Dutch challenger bank with a long-standing ship finance and asset-based lending franchise. Comparable as a mid-sized Northern European specialist lender competing for similar owner relationships.
Broad incumbents
- Société Générale (Shipping Finance): Global universal bank with one of the largest dedicated ship-finance franchises out of Paris. Overlaps with Danish Ship Finance on international shipowner lending but as part of a much broader balance sheet and product set.
- BNP Paribas: Global universal bank with major shipping exposure including the integrated DVB franchise. Competes for the same reputable shipowner clients but ships is only one slice of a diversified wholesale bank.
- DNB Bank: Norwegian universal bank with one of the largest dedicated shipping, offshore, and logistics finance units globally. Most direct large-bank competitor in the Nordic shipping ecosystem.
- ABN AMRO: Dutch universal bank with a long-standing shipping and offshore lending franchise. Comparable as a large European balance-sheet provider to international shipowners.
- Crédit Agricole CIB (Shipping): French corporate and investment bank with a substantial ship-finance franchise. Competes in the same international shipowner lending space from a broader universal banking base.
Emerging players
- Ocean Yield: Norwegian-listed ship-owning and leasing company providing sale-and-leaseback and finance solutions to shipowners. Adjacent comparable as an alternative source of vessel financing competing for the same owner relationships.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Danish Ship Finance social profiles
Digital presenceDanish Ship Finance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Danish Ship Finance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Danish Ship Finance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Danish Ship Finance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Danish Ship Finance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Danish Ship Finance
What does Danish Ship Finance do?
Danish Ship Finance (Danmarks Skibskredit A/S) is a dedicated provider of financing to reputable shipowners, offering lending and loan products to Danish and international shipping companies. The firm operates with a loan book of approximately DKK 23.6 billion (USD 4 billion) supporting over 500 vessels and reports zero non-performing loans. It complements its core lending with shipping research, marine insurance, and marine surveillance capabilities.
Is Danish Ship Finance a public or private company?
Danish Ship Finance is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Danish Ship Finance founded?
Danish Ship Finance was founded in 1961. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Danish Ship Finance based?
Danish Ship Finance is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Danish Ship Finance make money?
One revenue line is on record: loan Interest Income.
Who are Danish Ship Finance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DVB Bank (BNP Paribas Shipping), Hamburg Commercial Bank (formerly HSH Nordbank), KfW IPEX-Bank and NIBC Bank. Broad incumbents are Société Générale (Shipping Finance), BNP Paribas, DNB Bank, ABN AMRO and Crédit Agricole CIB (Shipping). Ocean Yield is listed as an emerging player.
Does Danish Ship Finance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Danish Ship Finance.
What industry is Danish Ship Finance in?
Danish Ship Finance's product category is Maritime Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKADAH, Marine & Boat Finance, with a secondary code of FSAJAHAA, Ocean Marine Insurance (Hull, Cargo & Freight). Its SIC code is 6162.