Danwatch

What Danwatch does

Danwatch (legal entity: Fonden Danwatch) is a Danish nonprofit investigative-journalism foundation founded in 2007 and headquartered at Brofogedvej 8 in Copenhagen. Its mission is to investigate how Danish companies and other powerful actors affect people, the environment, and the climate worldwide, documenting violations of laws, conventions, and ethical guidelines. The organization's audience consists primarily of Danish and international readers interested in corporate accountability, human rights, environmental harm, and financial misconduct, served through a free-access model underwritten by reader donations via its 'Støt os' support page.

Its core product is the danwatch.dk platform, which delivers long-form investigative articles, video reports, and podcasts alongside a portfolio of themed newsletters (Afrika-Brevet, Money Money Money, Velkommen til Madinah, and Østersøen). Editorial leadership is provided by Editor-in-Chief Thomas Gösta Svensson and Director/responsible Editor-in-Chief Jesper Nymark, with Pressenævnet (Danish Press Council) registration attesting to adherence to Danish press-ethics standards.

The business model is donation-funded: Danwatch provides all journalism free of charge to consumers and covers its operating costs through reader contributions, supplemented operationally by co-publishing and distribution partnerships with major international outlets including the Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Deutsche Welle, NRK, DR, TV2, and Information, as well as investigative networks such as European Investigative Collaborations, Dossier Center, Lighthouse Reports, Reporter Brasil, DeSmog, and Daraj. Distribution occurs through the website, podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music), email newsletters, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), and an anonymous tip-submission system for sources.

Name

Danwatch

Legal name

Fonden Danwatch

Website

https://danwatch.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Danwatch is a Danish nonprofit investigative-journalism foundation that publishes long-form investigations into how Danish companies and other powerful actors affect people, the environment, and the climate worldwide, distributed via its website, podcasts, and international media partners, and funded by reader donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: Danwatch receives financial support from readers and supporters through their 'Support us' (Støt os) program. They describe themselves as an independent investigative media outlet.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Danwatch (legally Fonden Danwatch) is a Danish nonprofit investigative journalism organization that produces in-depth reporting on how Danish companies and other powerful actors affect people, the environment, and the climate worldwide. Its core offering consists of long-form investigative articles, thematic newsletters (e.g., Afrika-Brevet, Money Money Money, Velkommen til Madinah, Østersøen), and podcasts (e.g., Syd for Sahara) distributed through its website, podcast platforms, and partner media outlets.

Product overview

Danwatch operates as an investigative journalism platform offering long-form investigations, thematic newsletters (Afrika-Brev, Money Money Money, Velkommen til Madinah, Østersøen), and podcasts distributed across multiple channels. The core offering is investigative content covering climate, investment, food systems, textiles, and human rights topics, with subscriptions and audio content as supplementary products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undersøgelser (Investigative Reports)
• Thematic Newsletters (Nyhedsbreve)
• Podcasts (Lyd)
• Danwatch Website (danwatch.dk)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• InformationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish daily newspaper and media partner for Danwatch investigations. Listed as a collaborative media partner on Danwatch website.
• DagbladetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish newspaper listed as a media partner for Danwatch investigative journalism.
• TV2 DenmarkcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor Danish television network partnering with Danwatch on investigations.
• Danmarks Radio (DR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish public broadcaster and media partner for Danwatch investigations.
• Financial TimesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational financial newspaper partnering with Danwatch on investigative stories, including shadow fleet investigations.
• BloombergmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal financial news service collaborating with Danwatch on investigative journalism.
• The GuardianmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK-based international newspaper partnering with Danwatch on investigations.
• Der SpiegelmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman news magazine collaborating with Danwatch on investigative stories.
• Deutsche WellemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman international broadcaster that collaborated with Danwatch on lithium extraction investigations, publishing in multiple languages.
• NRKcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNorwegian public broadcaster partnering with Danwatch on Nordic investigative journalism.
• European Investigative Collaborations (EIC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of European investigative journalists that Danwatch participates in for cross-border investigations.
• Lighthouse ReportscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInvestigative journalism organization listed as a media partner for Danwatch investigations.
• Reporter BrasilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrazilian investigative journalism organization collaborating with Danwatch on international investigations.
• DarajcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerArab media organization partnering with Danwatch on investigative journalism.
• DeSmogcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental investigative journalism organization collaborating with Danwatch on climate-related investigations.
• Ekstra BladetcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish tabloid newspaper listed as a media partner for Danwatch investigations.
• PolitikencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish quality newspaper listed as a media partner.
• Dossier CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestigative center that collaborated with Danwatch on the Shadow Fleet Mercenaries investigation alongside 13 international media outlets.
• RakkerpakminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish podcast production company that Danwatch collaborates with to create audio content.
• RADIO4minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanish radio station that Danwatch works with to create podcast content.
• TV2 (collaboration)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanwatch collaborated with TV2 and Operation X on the solar energy investigation examining potential connections to forced labor in Xinjiang.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CORRECTIV: German nonprofit investigative newsroom producing cross-border investigations and data-driven accountability reporting, comparable in structure and mission to Danwatch.
• DeSmog: Investigative journalism outlet focused on climate, energy, and corporate accountability, with thematic overlap to Danwatch's climate/finance and environmental investigations. Listed as a Danwatch partner.
• IrpiMedia: Italian investigative journalism outlet covering organized crime, corruption, and corporate accountability, with a similar nonprofit newsroom model and topic overlap. Listed as a Danwatch partner via IRPIMedia logo.
• Bellingcat: Open-source investigative journalism organization covering conflict, crime, and corruption through OSINT and cross-border collaboration, mirroring Danwatch's accountability and methodology profile.
• International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ): Global network coordinating cross-border investigative projects (Panama Papers, etc.), highly comparable to Danwatch's cross-border accountability journalism mission.
• Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP): Global investigative journalism network focused on organized crime and corruption with a multi-country newsroom model directly analogous to Danwatch's collaborative approach.
• Lighthouse Reports: Cross-border investigative journalism nonprofit producing long-form accountability investigations across Europe, with a similar partnership-driven model to Danwatch. Listed as an active media partner.
• Reporter Brasil: Brazilian investigative journalism organization focused on supply-chain accountability and human rights, listed as a Danwatch partner on cross-border investigations.

Regional players

• EUobserver: European-focused independent investigative outlet covering EU policy and accountability, with geographic and topical overlap to Danwatch's European investigative focus.

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: Larger US-based nonprofit investigative newsroom with a donation-funded model and award-winning accountability journalism, providing a scaled benchmark for Danwatch's growth trajectory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DanWatchDK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/danwatch2007
• Facebookfacebook.com/danwatchmedia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/danwatch
• Instagraminstagram.com/wordpress-1312887-6306493.cloudwaysapps.com

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Danwatch