Timbro

What Timbro does

Timbro is a Swedish non-profit think tank (tankesmedja) founded in 1978 and headquartered at Kungsgatan 60, Stockholm. It operates under the mission of "Fria marknader, personlig frihet och öppna samhällen" (Free markets, personal freedom and open societies), producing market-liberal policy research and analysis on the Swedish and European economy, labor markets, welfare, and environment. The organization serves policymakers, academics, journalists, and the informed Swedish public through a portfolio of four integrated offerings: its core think tank activity (reports and policy analysis), the Timbro Förlaget publishing house (books and reports), the Smedjan online debate platform (commentary on society, economics, climate, and European affairs), and the Reformakademin educational program (a multi-weekend lecture series in Stockholm on taxation, housing, climate, and the labor market).

The organization does not generate revenue from a traditional product or service model. As a non-profit, it is funded through private donations, foundations, and grants (specific sources and amounts are not disclosed). Its distribution stack includes a publishing arm selling books and reports, a free debate platform (Smedjan), email newsletters, an active YouTube channel, social media presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), and in-person events including the Reformakademin lectures and conference speaker bookings ("Boka en talare"). Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range, with named leadership including Chief Economist Fredrik Kopsch. No patents, proprietary technology platforms, APIs, AI/ML systems, or software products exist; the organization's core "technology" is human-driven policy research, writing, and editorial production.

Customer-facing surface is diffuse and not transactional. Timbro's value accrues primarily through influencing Swedish and European policy discourse rather than through discrete paid customers; no enterprise contracts, named logos, or pricing model are disclosed. Geographic focus is domestic Sweden with adjacent European affairs coverage, and revenue figures, funder identities, and budget size are not publicly reported.

Name

Timbro

Legal name

Timbro

Website

https://timbro.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Timbro is a Swedish non-profit think tank founded in 1978 in Stockholm that produces market-liberal policy research, books, and debate content on economics, labor markets, welfare, and European affairs, serving policymakers, academics, journalists, and the informed public via its publishing arm, Smedjan debate platform, and Reformakademin educational program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Timbro is a Swedish free-market think tank that conducts and publishes policy research, analysis, and commentary on Swedish and European economics, labor markets, welfare, and environmental policy. It operates three core channels: a publishing house (Timbro Förlag) producing reports and books, an online opinion and debate platform (Smedjan), and a lecture-based educational program (Reformakademin).

Product overview

Timbro is a Swedish free-market think tank offering a unified portfolio of intellectual products and educational services. The core offering consists of policy research and publications (Timbro Förlag) distributed through its online debate platform (Smedjan) and its educational arm (Reformakademin). The products collectively advance market-liberal perspectives on Swedish and European politics, economics, labor markets, welfare, and environmental policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Timbro Förlaget: Publishing arm of Timbro think tank, producing books and reports on policy topics
• Smedjan
• Reformakademin

Products and services

• Smedjan An online magazine and debate platform publishing articles on society, economics, ideas, and current affairs from a market-liberal perspective. Targeted at policy-interested individuals, journalists, and academics in Sweden.
• Timbro Förlag (Publishing House) A publishing house producing policy reports and books on political and economic topics, including titles such as 'Bygg som en cowboy', 'Miljöhandbok för högern', 'Hejdå Statens Järnvägar', 'Att blanda bostäder', 'Federalism för tillväxt', and 'Den kontraproduktiva arbetarrörelsen'. Available for purchase or download in PDF format.
• Reformakademin An elite lecture-based educational program consisting of five lecture weekends in Stockholm covering topics such as tax systems, housing markets, climate policy, and the Swedish labor market model. Targeted at individuals interested in substantive policy content beyond partisan spin.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: Major US libertarian/free-market think tank. Comparable as a globally recognized market-liberal policy research organization producing books, reports, and online commentary, though at much larger scale and with broader ideological scope than Timbro.
• Bruegel: Leading European economic policy think tank based in Brussels. Comparable to Timbro in producing European economic policy analysis and reports, though operating at significantly larger scale with broader institutional backing.
• CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies): Brussels-based European policy think tank. Comparable to Timbro's European affairs research and publishing activity, though with much larger institutional scale and broader policy coverage.
• ECIPE (European Centre for International Political Economy): Brussels-based European policy think tank focused on international economic policy. Comparable to Timbro's EU-focused research output such as 'Federalism för tillväxt', though operating at a larger European scale.

Direct peers

• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA): UK free-market think tank. Directly comparable as a market-liberal policy research organization producing publications, opinion content, and educational programs in a national context, paralleling Timbro's role in Sweden.
• Katalys: Swedish think tank focused on progressive economic policy. Directly comparable as a Swedish policy research organization with publishing activity, though ideologically opposed to Timbro's market-liberal orientation.
• Adam Smith Institute: UK free-market think tank. A direct peer as a market-liberal policy organization producing reports and commentary on economic policy, offering a closely comparable model to Timbro's research and publishing operations.
• Arena Idé: Swedish progressive think tank based in Stockholm. A direct peer as a Swedish tankesmedja producing ideologically-framed policy research and publications, positioned on the political left opposite to Timbro.
• SNS (Studieförbundet Näringsliv och Samhälle): Swedish research organization focused on business and policy issues. Directly comparable as a Stockholm-based Swedish think tank producing economic and policy research, though ideologically more centrist/corporate than Timbro's market-liberal stance.

Others

• Timbro Ltd: A separate Latvian forestry company sharing the Timbro name. Included only to note the naming overlap that could create confusion; not a comparable peer as it operates in an entirely different industry (wood/forestry).

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/timbro
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC82147IiyB86j6RXkH3ImVg
• Facebookfacebook.com/tankesmedjantimbro
• Instagraminstagram.com/tankesmedjan_timbro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/timbro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Timbro