What Davvi Girji does

Davvi Girji AS is a Sami-language publishing house established in 1990 and headquartered in Karasjok, Norway, operating as a private limited company with 13 employees. The company publishes books in Northern, Lule, and South Sami as well as other languages, with a primary focus on educational learning materials that align with the Norwegian national curriculum (Fagfornyelsen 2020) and the Sami-specific ML20S curriculum. Its core educational products span multiple grade levels, including #giellaspáiddar 1-3 for upper secondary Sami-first-language students, Gággi 1-4 and Ábas 1-3 for primary and lower secondary Sami-second-language students, and Musihkka 1-4 for Sami music education. The company also publishes children's literature, young adult novels, poetry, and reference works such as the North Sami-Finnish Dictionary and the Sámi sátnevádjasat proverb app.

Davvi Girji distributes its content through a multi-format model: print books via its own online store (shop.davvi.no) and authorized distributors, digital editions via the BrettBoka school licensing portal, web resources via MinKunnskap (kunnskap.no), audiobooks via eBok.no, and mobile applications on Google Play and Apple App Store. Beyond publishing, the company generates revenue from professional services including Norwegian-Sami translation, subtitling for broadcast media, and graphic design. Subtitling services have operated since 2001 and serve clients such as NRK, TV 2, Datatilsynet, and Nordnorsk Filmsenter. The company is an authorized Level 1 scientific publishing channel recognized by NSD, enabling academic authors to earn publication points through Davvi Girji.

The business model combines one-time book sales (print and digital licensing) with fee-for-service translation and subtitling revenue, and the company is privately held with no disclosed external investors or parent company. Marketing is conducted through the corporate website, Facebook, Instagram, newsletter, and participation in literary festivals and Sami cultural events. Davvi Girji has won the Nordic Council's children and youth literature prize twice (2017, 2021) and received four additional nominations between 2019 and 2026.

Name

Davvi Girji

Legal name

Davvi Girji AS

Website

https://davvi.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Davvi Girji AS is a 13-employee Sami-language publishing house founded in 1990 in Karasjok, Norway, producing educational materials, children's and adult literature, and reference works across Northern, Lule, and South Sami, while offering translation and subtitling services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Book Publishing Services

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

World Languages & Bilingual/ESL (K–12) Materials (EDAGAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Language Learning & Bilingual/ESL Trade (EDAGAIAG), Territory & Language Rights (International, Dubbing/Subtitling) (MPADALAH), Localization, Translation & Cultural Adaptation for Learning Content (EDAGAKAK), Translation, Language Accessibility & Reading Support Tools (e.g., TTS, Captions, Immersive Reader) (EDAFAOAL)

Keywords

• Sami language publishing
• Educational learning materials
• Sami translation services
• Sami subtitling services
• Multilingual book publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Karasjok

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of Sami language books including children's books, educational materials, fiction, non-fiction, and digital books through online store and distributors
2. Translation Services: Professional translation services from Norwegian to Northern Sami and vice versa, with specialization in educational terminology and curriculum content
3. Subtitling Services: Subtitling services since 2001 for various programs, films, documentaries, news broadcasts, and religious content
4. Graphic Services: Graphic design and publishing services supporting the company's publishing activities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Davvi Girji AS is a Sami language publishing house that produces and sells educational learning materials, children's and adult literature, dictionaries, and mobile applications in Sami dialects (Northern, Lule, and South Sami) in print, digital, and web formats. In addition to publishing, the company provides professional translation services (Norwegian to/from Sami) and subtitling services for television, film, and other media content, serving schools, broadcasters, government agencies, and general readers.

Product overview

Davvi Girji is a Sami-language publishing house established in 1990, offering print books, digital books, and web resources as three complementary formats. The core product portfolio centers on educational learning material series (#giellaspáiddar 1-3 for grades Vg1-Vg3, Gággi 1-4 for grades 1-4, Ábas 1-3 for grades 8-10, and Musihkka 1-4 for music education), all available across print, BrettBoka digital, and MinKunnskap web platforms. The company also publishes children's and young adult literature (picture books, novels, poetry), general fiction and non-fiction, reference works including the North Sami-Finnish Dictionary and the Sámi sátnevádjasat proverb app, and specialized apps such as Fraseologismer (idioms) and Reálafágatearpmat (science terminology). Language services including translation (Norwegian–Sami) and subtitling are offered as professional services. The company is an authorized scientific publishing channel (NSD level 1).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sámi sátnevádjasat: Sámi language proverb application containing approximately 1,750 proverbs with explanations, searchable and available on mobile platforms.

Products and services

• #giellaspáiddar 1–3 Educational Series Learning material series for students in lower secondary (grades 8-10) and upper secondary (Vg1-Vg3) with North Sami as first language, following Fagfornyelsen 2020 curriculum. Each volume available in print, digital via BrettBoka, and web resource via MinKunnskap.
• Gággi 1–4 Educational Series Learning material series for grades 1-4 (primary school) for students with Sami as second language (Sami 2), including reading texts, vocabulary, and oral exercises. Available in print and digital via BrettBoka.
• Ábas 1–3 Educational Series Learning material series for grades 8-10 for students with North Sami as second language (Sami 2), structured in chapters with learning objectives, texts, and exercises. Available in print and digital via BrettBoka.
• Šuvva 1–2 Educational Series Learning material series for grades 8-9 (lower secondary) for students with Sami as first language, following curriculum ML20S. Šuvva 1 targets grade 8; Šuvva 2 targets grade 9. Available in print and digital via BrettBoka.
• Musihkka 1–4 Music Education Series Music education series for grades 1-4 primary school in Sami language, covering Sami traditional music, joik, instruments, and music history. Includes web resource and workbook.
• Sámi sátnevádjasat Mobile Application Mobile application providing searchable access to approximately 1,750 Sami proverbs (sátnevádjasat) with explanations of old and contemporary usage. Available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• Davvisámi-suoma sátnegirji (North Sami-Finnish Dictionary) North Sami-Finnish dictionary with approximately 52,800 headwords, expanded version of Pekka Sammallahti's 1989 dictionary, published by Davvi Girji.
• Fraseologismer App (Sami Idioms) Mobile application containing approximately 1,100 Sami idioms (fraseologismer) with Norwegian translations, based on classical Sami literature sources including Konrad Nielsen's dictionaries.
• Reálafágatearpmat Science Terminology App Mobile application with science and math terminology in both Sami and Norwegian, designed to promote Sami as a subject language in education. Available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• Language Translation Services (Norwegian–Sami) Professional translation services between Norwegian and North Sami (and vice versa) with specialization in educational, legal, and specialized terminology. Services offered to organizations requiring document translation, with pricing based on scope, discipline, difficulty, language combinations, file format and delivery time, and volume discounts for larger projects.
• Subtitling Services (Teksting) Subtitling services in Norwegian-North Sami and North Sami-Norwegian language pairs with extensive experience since 2001. Clients include NRK, TV 2, Datatilsynet, Nordnorsk Filmsenter, and other media and government organizations.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BrettBokacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDigital distribution partner for Davvi Girji's educational books. Schools purchase licenses through BrettBoka portal to access digital Sami language learning materials.
• MinKunnskap (kunnskap.no)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWeb resource distribution partner for supplementary educational materials. Provides additional texts, exercises, and teacher resources for educational series.
• NSD (Norsk Senter for Forskningsdata)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSD maintains the registry of authorized publication channels. Davvi Girji is classified at Level 1, allowing academic staff to publish and receive publishing points.
• Sámi Allaskuvla (Sami University of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Duodji Reader publication with professors Gunvor Guttorm and Harald Gaski contributing to the collection of essays on Sami traditional crafts.
• Norwegian CraftsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Duodji Reader publication on Sami traditional crafts and duodji, a collaborative scholarly work on indigenous craftsmanship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Høyskoleforlaget (Cappelen Damm Akademisk): Norwegian academic and educational publisher operating in the Level 1 authorized publication channel registry. Comparable as another Level 1-recognized Norwegian academic publisher with overlapping scientific publishing point eligibility for university authors.
• Translated: Large-scale translation and localization services provider combining professional linguists with AI-enabled workflows. Comparable as a subtitling and translation services competitor targeting enterprise and media clients, though at much larger scale and across many more language pairs.
• Gyldendal Norsk Forlag: Major Norwegian trade and educational publisher with a long literary history and significant K-12 presence. Comparable as a Norwegian publisher with overlapping literary prize nominations and educational contracts, but with a much broader catalog and distribution.
• Aschehoug: One of Norway's largest publishing groups with both trade and educational divisions. Comparable as a Norwegian educational publisher competing for Sami and minority-language curriculum contracts, though with a much broader and more diversified portfolio.
• Cappelen Damm: Norway's largest general trade and educational publisher with a broad K-12 textbook portfolio. Comparable as a Norwegian publisher competing for the same school textbook budgets and curriculum mandates, but operating at much greater scale across all subjects and languages.

Direct peers

• ČálliidLágádus: Sámi writers' association and publisher based in Norway that publishes Sami-language literary works across multiple Sami dialects. Directly comparable as another established Sami-language publishing house competing for Sami authors, readers, and literary prizes in the same niche.
• Theytus Books: Long-standing Canadian Indigenous publishing house producing educational and literary titles for First Nations communities. Comparable as a niche indigenous-language publisher with educational catalog and cultural preservation mission.
• Orkana Forlag: Regional Norwegian publisher with a notable Sami and multilingual northern-Norway catalog, including fiction and children's books. Comparable as a Norwegian publisher with overlapping Sami-language titles and similar northern Norway distribution footprint.
• Idut forlag: Norwegian Sami-language publisher producing books in Northern and Lule Sami for children and adults. Direct peer operating in the same indigenous-language publishing category with overlapping author pool, audience, and distribution channels.
• Inhabit Media: Canadian Inuit-owned publisher specializing in Inuktitut and English-language books, including children's literature and educational materials for indigenous communities. Directly comparable business model of indigenous-language publishing with curriculum-aligned educational content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/davvigirji
• Facebookfacebook.com/davvi.no
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/davvi-girji

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Davvi Girji