What Kræftens Bekæmpelse does

Kræftens Bekæmpelse (Danish Cancer Society) is a Denmark-based non-profit organization founded in 1928 that operates the country's largest civil society cancer platform, addressing the full cancer continuum across research, prevention, and patient/relative support. The organization is funded almost entirely by the Danish public — 97% of income from individual donations, memberships, gifts, and inheritances, with only 3% from government — and operates with a distributed governance model involving nearly 400,000 members and 35,000+ volunteers across approximately 100 local associations.

Its service portfolio is delivered through a hybrid physical-digital ecosystem: 12 cancer counselling centres and 34 local counselling offerings across Denmark, the Kræftlinjen telephone hotline, an online counselling service, the Cancerforum digital community, the Sammenholdet mobile app, and the cancer.dk information portal providing expert-reviewed cancer knowledge. In 2025, these counselling channels handled approximately 110,000 contacts. The prevention programme addresses lifestyle risk factors (tobacco, diet, alcohol, sun exposure, overweight) and screening/HPV vaccination uptake. The research arm includes both grant-making to Danish hospitals and universities (141.8M DKK distributed through scientific committees in 2025) and the wholly-owned Danish Cancer Institute (DCI), a research facility with approximately 250 employees from 30 nationalities conducting epidemiological, translational, and basic cancer science research.

The business model is donation-led, supported by ancillary commercial revenue from 18 second-hand/recycling retail stores, a webshop (including own-brand sunscreen), and a portfolio of annual fundraising events (notably Knæk Cancer with TV 2 Danmark, which has funded 594 projects over 14 years, and Stafet for Livet). In 2025, total expenditure reached 799.6M DKK, of which 515.9M DKK went to research, 179.1M DKK to patient support, and 104.6M DKK to information/prevention. All counselling and support services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Name

Kræftens Bekæmpelse

Legal name

Kræftens Bekæmpelse

Website

https://cancer.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Denmark's largest non-profit cancer organization (founded 1928), funding cancer research, providing free nationwide counselling and prevention programmes to patients, relatives, and the public, supported by 400,000 members, 35,000 volunteers, and ~800M DKK in annual mission expenditure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Patient Support Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Cancer patient support
• Cancer research funding
• Cancer prevention education
• Nonprofit health services
• Cancer counseling helpline

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Donations and Memberships: The overwhelming majority of income (97%) comes from the public through individual donations, memberships, gifts, inheritances, and other forms of support. Only 3% of total resources come from government funding. The organization conducts nationwide fundraising campaigns including Knæk Cancer, relay events, and door-to-door collections.
2. Government Funding: Government funding accounts for only 3% of total resources, making the organization largely independent of political and economic interests.
3. Webshop Sales: The organization operates a webshop selling products such as sunscreen, with proceeds supporting the cancer cause.
4. Recycling Shops: 18 second-hand/recycling shops across Denmark generating revenue for the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kræftens Bekæmpelse (Danish Cancer Society) is Denmark's largest non-governmental cancer organization, founded in 1928, that funds and conducts cancer research, provides free nationwide patient and family support services (including a telephone helpline, online community, app, and 46 counselling locations), and runs cancer prevention programs. It operates its own research facility (Danish Cancer Institute) and funds cancer research projects across Danish universities and hospitals, while relying on individual donations, memberships, and volunteers for 97% of its funding.

Product overview

Kræftens Bekæmpelse (Danish Cancer Society) operates a comprehensive digital ecosystem centered around cancer.dk, which serves as the primary portal for cancer information, support, and services. The organization offers a multi-channel support system including Kræftlinjen (Cancer Hotline at 80 30 10 30), Cancerforum (online community), the Sammenholdet app, and a network of 12 physical cancer counselling centres plus 34 local offerings. The digital portfolio includes the POLLY research project on colorectal cancer prevention, prevention resources covering tobacco, diet, physical activity, sun exposure, HPV vaccination, and screening programs. Fundraising initiatives include Knæk Cancer (in partnership with TV 2) and Stafet for Livet. The organization runs the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI) for internal research and supports external cancer research nationwide. Educational resources include e-books on childhood cancer and the Aldrig den samme podcast series. A webshop sells sunscreen and other merchandise supporting the cancer cause.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Danish Cancer Institute (DCI): The organization's own research facility operating as a center for cancer research with approximately 250 employees from 30 different nationalities.
• Knæk Cancer
• Cancerforum
• Sammenholdet
• Kræftlinjen (Cancer Hotline)

Products and services

• cancer.dk (information portal)

Quantifiable outcome

• In 2025, the organisation had approximately 110,000 counselling contacts with patients, relatives, and professionals.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and flagship.

• Novo NordisknotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on the ARDAT project focused on improving technology for gene therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV). Partnership agreement period 2024-2025. Kræftens Bekæmpelse participates in research collaboration with Novo Nordisk where it is of particular significance for cancer patients or the cancer cause.
• Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration on the RRP project studying the incidence of RRP (recurrent respiratory papillomatosis) in children and adults caused by HPV and the effect of HPV vaccination. Partnership period 2022-2026.
• Danish Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme (Region Hovedstaden)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The POLLY research project is established in collaboration with the Danish Cancer Institute and the Colorectal Cancer Screening Programme in Region Hovedstaden. Other participating regions (North Jutland and Zealand) also play an important role in the project collaboration.
• TrygFondencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Joint partnership 'Røg- og nikotinfri Fremtid' (Smoke and Nicotine-free Future) co-created by Kræftens Bekæmpelse and TrygFonden. Goal: no children or young people smoking by 2030, and only 5% of adults smoking. More than 300 companies and organisations support this initiative.
• Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaboration on the VIP 3 dose ext. 2 study investigating whether HPV vaccination reduces the incidence of cervical cancer and related conditions in women. Partnership period 2015-2027.
• TV 2 DanmarkflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Annual Knæk Cancer fundraising campaign collaboration with TV 2. The partnership has raised funds for 594 projects over 14 years. TV 2's Rugaardsvej 25, 5100 Odense address is listed alongside Kræftens Bekæmpelse's address.
• Danish Hospitals and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKræftens Bekæmpelse supports cancer research at hospitals and universities throughout Denmark. In 2025, four research groups from the University of Copenhagen (working on epigenetics, cell communication, 3D genome folding, and advanced gene technologies) joined the Danish Cancer Institute.
• ISOBRO (Indsamlingsorganisationernes brancheorganisation)coreOthersKræftens Bekæmpelse is a member of ISOBRO, the Danish fundraising organisations' industry body. The organisation has adopted ISOBRO's fundraising ethical guidelines.
• Danske Patienter (Danish Patients)notableOthersAs a member of Danske Patienter, Kræftens Bekæmpelse follows the organisation's guidelines for cooperation with the pharmaceutical and medical device industry, and publishes all such collaborations transparently.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: Large national cancer nonprofit combining research funding, prevention, and patient support services. Highly comparable in mission and three-pillar model (research, prevention, patient services), but operates at much larger scale and in the US market.

Direct peers

• Cancer Research UK: The UK's leading cancer charity, combining public donations, research funding and operation of research institutes, prevention campaigns, and patient information/support. Closest direct analogue to Kræftens Bekæmpelse's integrated model in another single-country market.
• Deutsche Krebshilfe (German Cancer Aid): Germany's largest cancer nonprofit, primarily funding research projects and providing patient information. Highly comparable in mission (cancer research funding and patient support) and dependence on public donations, operating in a single national market.
• Cancerfonden (Swedish Cancer Society): Sweden's main cancer charity funding research and providing information/support to patients. Strong Scandinavian peer with a similar Nordic welfare-state context, comparable fundraising model, and equivalent research-and-support remit.
• Kreftforeningen (Norwegian Cancer Society): Norway's leading cancer charity combining research funding, prevention, and patient/relative support. Closely comparable in mission, Nordic welfare-state context, and integration of research and support functions.
• KWF Dutch Cancer Society: The Netherlands' largest cancer nonprofit, funding research, prevention, and patient support. Comparable in three-pillar model (research, prevention, support) and donation-led funding structure.
• Canadian Cancer Society: Canada's national cancer charity combining research funding, prevention, and patient support services. Comparable in integrated mission and donation-dependent model, though operating across a larger geography.

Emerging players

• World Cancer Research Fund International: Global nonprofit focused on cancer prevention research and policy. Overlaps with Kræftens Bekæmpelse's prevention pillar but is research/policy-focused rather than patient-support, and operates internationally rather than domestically.

Others

• Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond (Independent Research Fund Denmark): Danish public research-funding body that co-funds some Kræftens Bekæmpelse projects (e.g., POLLY). Comparable as a research funder operating in Denmark and a partial collaborator/competitor for cancer research grant allocation.
• TrygFonden: Major Danish foundation partnered with Kræftens Bekæmpelse on the Smoke- and Nicotine-free Future initiative. Comparable as a Danish grantmaking foundation with overlapping public-health mission and a potential ally or competitor for prevention funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cancer_dk
• Facebookfacebook.com/KraeftensBekaempelse

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Kræftens Bekæmpelse