SCALEit

What SCALEit does

SCALEit is a privately held Danish growth initiative founded in 2011 that operates a curated bridge between Denmark and the Silicon Valley ecosystem, targeting Danish technology startups seeking global scaling. The company delivers a three-step program model: INSPIRE (a Denmark tour bringing Silicon Valley concepts to local companies), IGNITE (a one-week intensive Silicon Valley bootcamp with pitch feedback, mentor access, and investor introductions), and ACCELERATE (a 12-week program with three two-week Silicon Valley residencies and structured mentorship). In 2017, SCALEit extended the model with an Investor 2.0 program aimed at Nordic angel and seed investors.

The business is structured around cohort-based, application-vetted programs rather than a software product. Applications are submitted via Podio webforms and screened by an advisory board. Revenue is generated through per-program fees: approximately DKK 20,000 for Ignite (per startup, covering two participants), DKK 70,000 for Accelerate (per company), and USD 3,500 for the Investor program (per participant); Inspire events are free. Cumulative reach since founding includes 100+ participating Danish startups, 4,000–6,000 entrepreneurs touched, and 600+ company-participations across programs, with marquee alumni references including Spotify, Zendesk, Tradeshift, Planday, and The Eye Tribe.

SCALEit is institutionally powered by Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK), a Danish government initiative providing on-the-ground Silicon Valley presence, and by Yggdrasil.me, whose founder Søren Therkelsen is also co-founder of SCALEit. The senior team is small (four named individuals: Søren Therkelsen, Christian Vinther, Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, and Jakob Søderberg), and the company maintains offices in Copenhagen (Inspire events held at Founders House x Startup Village) and Silicon Valley (program delivery). There is no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no public revenue figure.

Name

SCALEit

Legal name

SCALEit

Website

https://scaleit.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SCALEit is a Danish growth initiative, founded in 2011, that bridges Danish technology startups with the Silicon Valley ecosystem through cohort-based bootcamps, accelerator residencies, and investor immersion programs. Revenue is generated through per-company program fees, with institutional backing from Innovation Center Denmark and Yggdrasil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Programs

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Startup acceleration programs
• Silicon valley immersion
• Danish tech mentorship
• Global scaling programs
• Investor education cohorts

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ignite Program Fees: One-week intensive Silicon Valley bootcamp program with pitch workshops, feedback sessions, seminars, networking events, and mentor access. Price per startup company, covering 2 participants.
2. Accelerate Program Fees: 12-week accelerator program with 3x2 weeks stay in Silicon Valley, external mentorship, workshops, conferences, and feedback sessions. DKK 70,000 per company.
3. Investor Program Fees: One-week investor immersion program in Silicon Valley coinciding with Angel Capital Association Summit. USD 3,500 per participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SCALEit runs a three-step Danish growth initiative (Inspire, Ignite, Accelerate) that bridges Denmark with Silicon Valley, offering bootcamps, mentorship, pitch workshops, and investor introductions for Danish technology startups. The programs include week-long intensive Silicon Valley immersions, a 12-week accelerator, and a dedicated Investor Program for Nordic angel and seed investors. SCALEit is powered by Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK) and Yggdrasil.

Product overview

SCALEit is a Danish growth initiative that bridges Denmark with Silicon Valley, offering a three-step model of programs: INSPIRE, IGNITE, and ACCELERATE. The company provides mentorship, workshops, and networking opportunities to help technology companies scale globally. SCALEit also offers a dedicated Investor Program for Nordic investors seeking to connect with Silicon Valley's investment ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SCALEit INSPIRE

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ Danish startups have scaled globally through SCALEit programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Innovation Center Denmark, Silicon ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCALEit is powered by Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK), a Danish government initiative. ICDK provides institutional backing, connects SCALEit with Danish entrepreneurial ecosystem, and operates from Silicon Valley. Christian Vinther serves as Innovation Advisor for both SCALEit and ICDK.
• YggdrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYggdrasil.me is a co-developer of SCALEit. Søren Therkelsen is Co-Founder of SCALEit and Founder of Yggdrasil. Alexander Hauerslev Jensen works at both SCALEit and Yggdrasil.
• Angel Capital AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ACA Summit 2017 - SCALEit Investor 2.0 program coincides with Angel Capital Association Summit featuring 700+ angel investors. Sharp program on early stage investing and M&A.
• I/O VenturesminorOthersPaul Bragiel, Partner at I/O Ventures, serves as SCALEit mentor providing Silicon Valley expertise
• Onset VenturesminorOthersShomit Ghose, Partner at Onset Ventures, serves as SCALEit mentor providing venture capital perspective
• Garage Technology VenturesminorOthersBill Reichert, Managing Director, and Bill Joos (former VP of Entrepreneur Development) provide mentorship. Top tier venture capital firm.
• Ooga LabsminorOthersJames Currier, CEO at Ooga Labs, serves as mentor providing expertise in growth and scaling
• BlackboxminorOthersFadi Bishara, Founder of Blackbox, serves as mentor providing startup ecosystem expertise
• StartupHouse & StartupBusminorOthersElias Bizannes, Founder of StartupHouse & StartupBus, serves as mentor
• Startup WeekendminorOthersFranck Nouyrigat, Co-Founder at Startup Weekend, serves as mentor
• Progression PartnersminorOthersJeff Snider at Progression Partners serves as mentor
• WilmerHaleminorOthersDaniel Zimmermann, Partner at WilmerHale (top-tier law firm), serves as mentor providing legal and term sheet expertise
• Explora InternationalminorOthersMichelle Messina, CEO at Explora International, serves as mentor
• ZendeskminorOthersAlexander Aghassipour (Chief Product Officer) and Mikkel Svane (CEO) serve as mentors. Success story of Danish company scaling through SV.
• AirbnbminorOthersGustaf Alströmer, Product Manager Growth at Airbnb, serves as mentor
• FacebookminorOthersJoaquin Quiñonero Candela, Director of Engineering at Facebook, serves as mentor
• OneLoginminorOthersThomas B. Pedersen, CEO and Co-founder at OneLogin, serves as mentor
• TradeshiftminorOthersMikkel Hippe Bruun, Co-Founder at Tradeshift (Danish fintech success), serves as mentor
• PodiominorOthersKasper Hulthin, Co-Founder at Podio (Danish SaaS success), serves as mentor
• YouNoodleminorOthersTorsten Kolind, Co-Founder & CEO at YouNoodle, serves as mentor
• Avenida USminorOthersHenrik Schultz, CEO & Partner at Avenida US, serves as mentor for Danish-American business setup
• LibratoneminorOthersSoren Louis Pedersen, Co-Founder at Libratone (Danish audio company), serves as mentor
• AppHarbourminorOthersMichael Friis, Co-Founder at AppHarbour (Danish cloud platform), serves as mentor
• Founders House x Startup VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCopenhagen-based co-working space hosting SCALEit Inspire events at Njalsgade 19, Copenhagen

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: The world's most prominent startup accelerator with thousands of alumni. While not Denmark-focused, YC represents the global benchmark SCALEit models itself after and competes against for top Danish founder mindshare.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network with mentorship-driven programs in multiple verticals and geographies. Comparable in offering structured cohort-based acceleration with mentor networks, but at vastly larger scale.
• 500 Startups (now Flagship Pioneering): Global accelerator and venture fund that has run programs in multiple geographies including Europe. Provides similar mentor-driven acceleration with international market access — comparable in structure to SCALEit's SV bridge.
• Plug and Play: Global innovation platform and accelerator based in Silicon Valley with corporate partnership programs. Comparable in connecting startups to corporate/enterprise customers and investors, though at much larger scale.

Others

• Innovation Center Denmark (ICDK): The Danish government's official innovation center in Silicon Valley that powers SCALEit. Functions as the parent/ecosystem relationship rather than a direct competitor, but represents the institutional framework SCALEit operates within.
• Danish Growth Fund (Vækstfonden): Danish state-owned growth investment fund that supports Danish SMEs and startups. Represents the broader Danish government-backed startup ecosystem that SCALEit operates within as a complementary, not competing, capital provider.

Direct peers

• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator with multiple verticals including a Nordics presence. Offers cohort-based programs with mentor networks — directly comparable to SCALEit's Accelerate program structure and target customer profile.
• Founders Factory: Venture studio and accelerator running cohort-based programs with corporate partnerships and mentor networks. Similar offering structure to SCALEit but operating at larger scale with more verticals.

Regional players

• Nordic Makers: Nordic-focused community and events organization supporting Nordic founders with US market access. Operates in adjacent space to SCALEit with similar target demographic but lighter-touch offering.
• Founders House: Copenhagen-based co-working space and startup community that hosts SCALEit's Inspire events. Operates as both a partner venue and adjacent community serving the same Danish founder demographic.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SCALEitUS
• YouTubevimeo.com/scaleit
• Facebookfacebook.com/scaleitus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sorenrt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SCALEit