IT University of Copenhagen

What IT University of Copenhagen does

IT University of Copenhagen (ITU) is a Danish public university established in 1999 and headquartered at Rued Langgaards Vej 7, Copenhagen, operating under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (CVR 29057753). It is Denmark's only university dedicated exclusively to information technology, offering 4 bachelor's programs (Global Business Informatics, Digital Design and Interactive Technologies, Software Development, Data Science), 8 master's programs (Digital Innovation & Management, Digital Design, Software Design, Data Science, Computer Science, Games, Business Analytics & AI, Advanced Software Engineering), an executive Master in IT Management, and continuing education via ITU INSPIRE, short courses, and ITU Summer University. As of the latest disclosure, ITU enrolls 2,941 students (41% female) and runs 102 ongoing research projects across seven dedicated research centers covering Digital Play, Climate IT, Computing Education Research, Digital Welfare, Public IT, IT Program Management, and Information Security and Trust.

The university's research portfolio spans fundamental algorithms, AI, data science, cybersecurity, post-quantum cryptography, digital welfare, climate IT, and digital design. ITU has secured competitive external funding from Novo Nordisk Fonden (approximately DKK 18.25 million across multiple Data Science Investigator grants and Rohingya mHealth), Velux Fonden (DKK 5.7 million for digital care research), DDSA (prestigious postdoc fellowship), and EU Horizon Europe (XTREME mixed reality consortium led by Sami S. Brandt). Faculty outputs include senior roles in top-tier venues such as ICALP (Professor Thore Husfeldt as steering committee chair) and alumni achievements (Tiimo, Apple App of the Year 2025).

The business model is fundamentally state-funded: tuition is free for EU/EEA citizens with the institution receiving direct government appropriations under Danish higher-education law. Revenue diversification comes from competitive research grants (Novo Nordisk Fonden, Velux Fonden, DDSA, EU Horizon Europe, NordForsk, Inge Lehmann-programmet), industry partnership fees, employer branding services via IT Match Making, and continuing education programs targeting working professionals. The institution is registered as a Danish public limited company structure but is not publicly traded. Distribution occurs through the national Optagelse.dk admissions portal for bachelor's, direct admissions for master's and continuing education, international exchange programs, and industry employer partnership channels.

Name

IT University of Copenhagen

Legal name

IT-Universitetet i København

Website

https://itu.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IT University of Copenhagen is Denmark's state-funded specialized IT university, established in 1999, offering bachelor's, master's, and continuing education programs in software, data science, AI, cybersecurity, and digital design to ~2,941 students, supported by government appropriations and competitive research grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Information Technology)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB), IT Risk Management (ITRM) (HDADAIAD)

Keywords

• Higher education
• IT research university
• Computer science degrees
• Continuing professional education
• Cybersecurity research

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

IT University of Copenhagen is a public Danish university delivering specialized higher education and research in information technology. It offers 4 bachelor's programs, 8 master's programs, an executive master in IT leadership, a PhD school, and continuing education courses (short courses, single courses, ITU INSPIRE, ITU Summer University). The institution also conducts research through seven specialized centers covering AI, cybersecurity, digital design, climate IT, games, public IT, and welfare technology.

Product overview

IT University of Copenhagen is a Danish higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and research activities in information technology. The university's offerings include 4 bachelor's degree programs (Global Business Informatics, Digital Design og Interaktive Teknologier, Softwareudvikling, Data Science) and 8 master's degree programs (Digital Innovation & Management, Digital Design og Interaktive Teknologier, Softwaredesign, Data Science, Datalogi, Spil, Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Software Engineering). Executive education includes Master i it-ledelse, Masterkurser, Korte kurser, Enkeltfag, and ITU INSPIRE programs. Research is conducted through 7 specialized centers: Center for Digital Play, Center for Climate IT, Center for Computing Education Research, Center for Digital Velfærd, Forskningscenter for Offentlig IT, Danish Institute for IT Program Management, and Centre for Information Security and Trust. The university also operates a PhD School and produces media content including the TECH-AWAY podcast. Flagship strategic initiatives focus on AI and Digital Transformation, and Security, Sovereignty and Resilience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Digital Play: Research center focused on digital play and gaming research
• Center for Climate IT
• Center for Computing Education Research
• Center for Digital Welfare
• Forskningscenter for Offentlig IT
• Danish Institute for IT Program Management
• Centre for Information Security and Trust
• ITU INSPIRE
• ITU Business Development
• ITU NextGen

Products and services

• BSc in Global Business Informatics Bachelor's degree program combining IT knowledge with global business understanding, preparing graduates for digital transformation roles in international organizations. Targets high school graduates seeking undergraduate IT education.
• BSc in Digital Design og Interaktive Teknologier (Digital Design and Interactive Technologies) Bachelor's degree focusing on the intersection of design and interactive technologies, covering HCI, UX, and digital experience creation. Targets high school graduates.
• BSc in Softwareudvikling (Software Development) Bachelor's degree in software development covering programming, system architecture, and software engineering principles. Targets high school graduates.
• BSc in Data Science Bachelor's degree in data science covering statistical analysis, machine learning, and data-driven decision making. Targets high school graduates.
• MSc in Data Science Master's degree covering advanced data science methodologies, machine learning, and large-scale data analysis. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Datalogi (Computer Science) Master's degree in computer science covering theoretical foundations, algorithms, and advanced computing topics. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Softwaredesign (Software Design) Master's degree focused on advanced software design principles, architecture patterns, and software engineering practices. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Digital Innovation & Management Master's program combining digital innovation strategies with management principles for leading digital transformation initiatives. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Digital Design og Interaktive Teknologier (Digital Design and Interactive Technologies) Master's degree in digital design covering human-computer interaction, interactive technologies, and design methodologies. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Spil (Games) Master's degree in game development and game research covering game design, development, and analysis. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Business Analytics & Artificial Intelligence Master's degree combining business analytics with AI methodologies for data-driven organizational decision making. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• MSc in Advanced Software Engineering Master's degree focused on advanced software engineering practices, methodologies, and large-scale system development. Targets bachelor's graduates.
• Master i it-ledelse (Master in IT Management) Executive master's program for professionals seeking to develop leadership capabilities in IT management and digital strategy. Targets working professionals.
• ITU INSPIRE Continuing education and professional development programs designed for working professionals seeking to upgrade IT skills. Targets working professionals.
• ITU Summer University Intensive summer programs offering selected courses to visiting and ITU students during the summer term. Targets current and visiting students.
• Masterkurser (Master Courses) Individual master-level courses for continuing education and professional development in IT topics. Targets working professionals.
• Korte kurser (Short Courses) Brief intensive courses for targeted skill development in specific IT and technology areas. Targets working professionals.
• Enkeltfag (Individual Courses) Single course enrollments allowing professionals to access specific academic content without full program commitment. Targets working professionals.
• Ph.d.-skolen (PhD School) Doctoral education program offering PhD positions, courses, defenses, and research training for aspiring researchers. Targets master's graduates pursuing research careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• DDSA fellowship secured for algorithmic research in temporal data mining
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability17 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danish Data Science Academy (DDSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026DDSA awarded prestigious postdoc fellowship to Sampson Wong under supervision of Professor Eva Rotenberg, funding fundamental algorithms research for temporal data mining. Fellowship amount DKK 1,365,000 covers two years of research. Only six postdoc fellowships awarded nationally each year.
• XTREME Project Consortium (14 partners)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2024Horizon Europe-funded project led by ITU's Sami S. Brandt developing mixed reality technology for cultural experiences. Consortium includes MUNCH museum Oslo, Finnish National Opera and Ballet, and 11 other partners across Europe. Project focuses on immersive virtual cultural experiences.
• Friendship (Bangladesh NGO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2019Research collaboration to develop technologies improving healthcare access for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh camps. Novo Nordisk Fonden provided DKK 750,000 funding for Rohingya mHealth project developing digital screening tools and mobile applications.
• Novo Nordisk, IBM, Deloitte, ETHOS LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate and academic partners sponsoring Datathon for Diabetes event at ITU, bringing together students from multiple Danish universities for data analysis competition on diabetes research.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• ETH Zurich: Premier European technical university with world-leading computer science and AI departments; competes with ITU for top research talent, EU funding, and international reputation.
• EPFL: Swiss technical university with internationally top-ranked CS, AI, and cybersecurity programs; a comparable research-intensive technical university competing for talent and EU grants.
• Aarhus University: Major Danish research university with a computer science department; broader portfolio than ITU but competes for the same Danish students, faculty, and research grants.
• TU Delft: Dutch technical university with applied computer science and AI research, a similar size-and-mission peer operating in the broader European technical-university ecosystem.

Regional players

• KTH Royal Institute of Technology: Sweden's leading technical university with strong CS, AI, and cybersecurity programs — comparable in scope to ITU but operating in the Nordic rather than Danish market.
• Chalmers University of Technology: Swedish technical university with computer science and AI research, a Nordic comparable to ITU in mission and structure though operating across the Øresund border.
• University of Amsterdam / VU Amsterdam: Major Dutch universities with strong computer science and AI research; competitors for EU research funding and a comparable European research-university model.

Direct peers

• Technical University of Denmark (DTU): Denmark's largest technical university, offering engineering and computer science degrees that overlap directly with ITU's IT and AI programs and compete for the same domestic student pool.
• University of Copenhagen (KU) – Department of Computer Science: Denmark's largest university, with a major computer science and data science presence that competes directly with ITU for undergraduate and graduate IT students.
• Aalborg University (AAU): Danish university known for its problem-based learning model and strong computer science / data science programs, directly competing with ITU for IT talent and research funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHltQkEaLxwloqDVsVmfwUw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ITUniversitetet
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/it-university-of-copenhagen
• Instagraminstagram.com/itucph
• Xx.com/ITUkbh

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 IT University of Copenhagen