Scandinavia Standard

What Scandinavia Standard does

Scandinavia Standard is an English-language online lifestyle media publication founded in 2013 in Copenhagen by Freya McOmish (Creative Director) and Rebecca Thandi Norman (Editor-in-Chief), both immigrants to Denmark. Operating under the legal entity Standard Studios ApS and published by Brown Brothers Media, the company produces editorial content across Scandinavian travel, design, fashion, food, interiors, arts, music, architecture, and culture, reaching approximately 160,000 monthly unique visitors across all five Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland) and a global audience of scandiphiles, travelers, and immigrants.

The core product is the WordPress-based website scandinaviastandard.com, supplemented by the Butik No.9 monthly email newsletter, a broad social media footprint (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Flipboard, Spotify, Twitter, RSS), and an editorial series portfolio (Scandi Six, Ladies Who Launch, Artist Spotlight, Live from, and others). The discontinued nsvel mobile app (launched 2018) once served travelers across the five Nordic capitals. The Scandi Suggests module curates Scandinavian brand product recommendations, while Standard Studios handles external paid creative projects. The underlying technology stack is commodity publishing infrastructure (self-hosted WordPress, Cloudflare, GA4, Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts) with no proprietary systems.

Revenue is generated through three streams: affiliate commissions on product recommendations (fashion, design, beauty, lifestyle), sponsored and collaborative content with selected brand partners, and Standard Studios' professional services for content creation, photography, film, events, and product collaborations. Content is free to access; no subscription paywall or direct consumer pricing exists. The company has 11-50 employees including founders, a Managing Editor, and a network of freelance contributors, with no disclosed external institutional funding.

Name

Scandinavia Standard

Legal name

Standard Studios ApS

Website

https://scandinaviastandard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Scandinavia Standard is an English-language Scandinavian lifestyle media publication, founded in 2013 in Copenhagen, covering travel, design, fashion, food, and culture across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Finland for locals, immigrants, travelers, and global scandiphiles, monetized via affiliate links, sponsored content, and creative services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Affiliate Marketing: The company earns commissions through affiliate links when readers purchase products recommended in editorial content. Affiliate links are disclosed in articles and do not influence recommendations. Revenue comes from commissions on fashion, design, beauty, and lifestyle products.
2. Sponsored and Collaborative Content: The company works with selected brand partners on sponsored articles, photos, films, events, and product collaborations. Sponsored posts are clearly labeled and sponsors do not approve or edit independent editorial content.
3. Standard Studios (External Projects): Standard Studios brand handles external creative projects including content creation, photography, film production, events, and product collaborations with partners and collaborators.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Scandinavia Standard is an English-language online editorial media publication covering Scandinavian travel, design, culture, fashion, food, interiors, and lifestyle for approximately 160,000 monthly unique visitors. The core offering is free-access editorial content (articles, guides, original series) distributed via its website, newsletter, and social channels, monetized through affiliate referral links, sponsored brand content, and the Standard Studios production arm for external creative projects.

Product overview

Scandinavia Standard operates as an English-language lifestyle media publication and platform covering Scandinavian travel, design, culture, fashion, food, interiors, arts, music, and architecture. The core offering is the Scandinavia Standard Website (scandinaviastandard.com), an editorial media site publishing articles, guides, and original series to approximately 160,000 monthly unique visitors. Supporting products include the nsvel mobile app (launched 2018) for travellers visiting Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik, and Helsinki; the Standard Studios professional services arm for branded content collaborations and events; the Scandi Suggests affiliate product recommendation module featuring curated Scandinavian brands; and a suite of original editorial series (Scandi Six, Ladies Who Launch, Artist Spotlight, Live from, and others). The company also offers a newsletter subscription service. Revenue is generated through affiliate links, sponsored content, and partnership collaborations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Standard Studios: External projects and collaborations arm of Scandinavia Standard.

Products and services

• Scandinavia Standard Website English-language online editorial media publication covering Scandinavian travel, design, culture, fashion, food, interiors, lifestyle, health & beauty, arts, architecture, and music; published across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Finland. Free to access and monetized via affiliate links and sponsored content.
• nsvel App Mobile travel companion app covering Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Reykjavik, and Helsinki, providing travelers with curated information and event listings for Scandinavian capitals.
• Standard Studios External creative projects arm offering content creation (articles, photography, film production), events, and product collaborations with selected brand partners and collaborators.
• Scandi Suggests Curated product recommendation module featuring Scandinavian brands across fashion, design, interiors, beauty, food, books, and gifts, with affiliate links to retailers such as AIAYU, 66°NORTH, TEKLA x BIRKENSTOCK, and Little Liffner.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• MediavinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMediavine is the programmatic advertising partner that manages third-party interest-based advertising on the Scandinavia Standard website. They collect data including IP address, operating system, device type, browser type, email (hashed), and usage data for personalized advertising. The partnership enables revenue generation through ad placements.
• Google (Analytics 4, Fonts)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Analytics 4 tracks website traffic and user behavior. Google Fonts provides typeface visualization for the website. Both services are integral to website operations.
• CloudflarecoreTechnology or IntegrationCloudflare provides traffic optimization and distribution services, filtering communications between the website and users' browsers while enabling analytical data collection.
• WordPresscoreTechnology or IntegrationThe website is built and run via WordPress self-hosted CMS, providing the core content management infrastructure.
• Brown Brothers MediacoreOthersScandinavia Standard is published by Brown Brothers Media, which maintains network-wide editorial standards across its publications. Brown Brothers Media is the parent company providing operational and editorial oversight.
• Brand Partners (selected)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerThe company works with selected brands and collaborators on sponsored content, photos, films, events, and product collaborations. Sponsors do not approve or edit editorial content. Revenue generated through affiliate links when readers purchase recommended products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Monocle: Premium lifestyle publication covering design, culture, fashion, and travel with a global, design-forward audience. Comparable as a curated English-language lifestyle brand monetizing through editorial and branded content, though at a significantly larger scale.
• The Local: English-language digital news publication covering life in European countries including Sweden and the Nordics, targeted at expats and internationals. Directly comparable on the expatriate/immigrant English-language news model for the Nordic region.
• Cereal Magazine: Independent lifestyle magazine covering design, travel, fashion, and food with a minimalist aesthetic aligned to Scandinavian sensibilities. Comparable niche, design-led lifestyle positioning and small-team independent publishing model.
• Kinfolk: Independent lifestyle magazine and content brand covering design, interiors, food, and culture with a slow-living, Nordic-adjacent aesthetic. Comparable niche lifestyle publishing model targeting similar design-conscious audience.
• Suitcase Magazine: Independent travel and culture print-and-digital magazine covering design-led destinations, food, and creative culture. Comparable independent lifestyle/travel publishing model with editorial-led monetization.

Broad incumbents

• Lonely Planet: Global travel guide media brand covering destinations worldwide including the Nordics, with substantially larger scale. Overlaps in travel editorial and destination content but operates at much broader geographic scope.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Major global travel and lifestyle publication covering Scandinavia among many regions. Competes for the same affluent travel and lifestyle audience and the same brand-partner sponsorship dollars, but at vastly larger scale.
• Highsnobiety: Global digital lifestyle publication covering fashion, design, culture, and travel with an urban, design-savvy audience. Comparable in editorial-led monetization and content categories, but at significantly larger audience scale.
• Wallpaper*: Global design and lifestyle magazine covering design, architecture, fashion, travel, and culture, including significant Nordic coverage. Comparable in design-led lifestyle content categories and brand-partner monetization, though at larger scale.

Others

• Visit Denmark: Official Danish national tourism organization producing English-language content promoting travel to Denmark. Related as a destination-marketing and English-language Scandinavian travel content producer, though non-commercial and government-affiliated.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ScandiStandard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/scandinaviastandard
• Facebookfacebook.com/scandinaviastandard
• Instagraminstagram.com/scandinaviastandard
• Pinterestpinterest.dk/scandistandard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scandinavia-standard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Scandinavia Standard