Det Sociale Netværk

What Det Sociale Netværk does

Det Sociale Netværk is a Danish non-profit organization founded in 2009 by former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, operating under the headspace Danmark brand to promote mental health among psychologically vulnerable children, youth, and adults. Its core product, headspace, delivers free, anonymous walk-in counseling to youth aged 12-25 across 33+ Danish municipalities without requiring appointments or journal records, complemented by national chat, phone, and video counseling channels. The portfolio extends to headspace Family (free counseling for parents and relatives of struggling youth, launched September 2024), headspace plus (employment and education retention for young men aged 15-25), MindU, Peer-Partnerskabet (peer support with lived experience), and specialized initiatives addressing eating disorders (VærDig), relationship violence (Voldsom Kærlighed), and youth mental well-being through sports (Brug Bolden). The annual Psykiatritopmødet conference convenes 1,000+ stakeholders across politics, healthcare, and civil society.

The underlying technology stack is operational rather than proprietary: counseling delivery runs on Basechat (chat with 24-hour content retention for QA), the "Hey headspace" contact system (TypoConsult), and standard communication channels; back-office functions rely on Brevo (email), SurveyXact (data collection), Garuda (HR), S360 and Google Analytics (web analytics), and OnlineFundraising/Epay (payments). A key architectural principle is anonymity — phone numbers are not stored, and chat content is purged within 24 hours. The organization pairs with Region Hovedstadens Psykiatri for research and is re-accredited as a qualified counseling service.

Det Sociale Netværk is funded through a hybrid non-profit model: municipal co-financing for headspace centers, foundation grants (TrygFonden, The Obelske Familiefond, Østifterne), corporate sponsors (Sparekassen Sjælland-Fyn, Total, Roskilde Festival), individual donations, and 200 DKK/year memberships. All end-user services are free. The organization employs 11-50 staff across headquarters in Copenhagen and physical centers nationwide, with delivery heavily dependent on volunteers, peer partners, and municipal co-investment. Governance is led by a board chaired by Benedikte Kiær (Mayor of Helsingør), with Trine Hammershøy serving as Director of headspace.

Name

Det Sociale Netværk

Legal name

Det Sociale Netværk/headspace Danmark

Website

https://detsocialenetvaerk.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Det Sociale Netværk/headspace Danmark is a Danish non-profit operating free, anonymous youth mental health counseling for ages 12-25 across 33+ municipalities via walk-in centers, chat, phone, and video, supplemented by family counseling and peer support programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mental Health Counseling Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health Therapist Marketplaces (HLALALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Student Support Hotlines & Digital Wellbeing Tools (EDAJAIAL), Health & Support Communities (BPAMABAL)

Keywords

• Youth mental health services
• Anonymous counseling
• Mental health nonprofit
• Youth wellbeing programs
• Peer support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership costs 200 kr./year, providing supporters a way to contribute to the organization's mission for mentally vulnerable youth.
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individuals, supporters, and partners. The organization actively solicits donations through its website and events.
3. Municipal partnerships: Funding and operational support from Danish municipalities where headspace centers are established. Municipalities co-finance center operations as part of their social service offerings.
4. Foundation and corporate grants: Funding from foundations including TrygFonden, The Obelske Familiefond, Østifterne, and corporate partners like Sparekassen Sjælland-Fyn and Rotary Danmark.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Det Sociale Netværk operates headspace Danmark, providing free and anonymous mental health counseling to youth aged 12-25 across 33+ physical centers in Denmark, supplemented by national chat, video, and phone counseling channels. Its service portfolio also includes family counseling (headspace Family), youth advocacy (headspace Voices), employment support for young men (headspace plus), faith and wellbeing initiatives (MindU), peer support (Peer-Partnerskabet), career guidance (Hvad kan jeg blive), and the annual Psykiatritopmødet stakeholder conference.

Product overview

Det Sociale Netværk (headspace Danmark) is a Danish NGO founded by former Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen that operates a multi-product portfolio focused on promoting mental health among psychologically vulnerable children, youth, and adults. The core product is headspace, a free anonymous counseling service for ages 12-25 available through 33+ physical centers across Denmark plus chat, video, and phone counseling. headspace Family provides free family counseling for relatives of struggling youth. Supporting initiatives include headspace Voices (youth advocacy), headspace plus (employment support for young men 15-25), MindU (faith and mental well-being), Peer-Partnerskabet (peer support with lived experience), Hvad kan jeg blive (career guidance platform), and various specialized programs (VærDig for eating disorders, Voldsom Kærlighed for relationship violence, Brug Bolden through sports). The Psykiatritopmødet annual conference convenes mental health stakeholders. Services are delivered in partnerships with municipalities, civil society organizations, and private supporters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• headspace: Youth counseling initiative offering free and anonymous support to young people aged 12-25
• headspace Family
• headspace Voices
• headspace plus
• MindU
• VærDig
• Peer-Partnerskabet
• TrustU
• Hvad kan jeg blive

Products and services

• headspace Free and anonymous youth counseling service for young people aged 12-25 offering in-person, phone, video, and chat-based counseling without appointments or journals. Present in 33+ municipalities across Denmark with physical centers, online chat, video counseling, and telephone support.
• headspace Family Free and anonymous family counseling service offering support to parents and relatives of young people experiencing mental health challenges. Helps both youth and families handle mental health challenges together.
• headspace Voices Initiative addressing youth mental health by giving young people a platform to speak up about their problems rather than having them grow in silence.
• headspace plus Initiative specifically targeting young men aged 15-25 to help them retain or obtain employment and education. Addresses mental health challenges that lead to dropout from education and work. Implemented in Aalborg, Billund, Hvidovre, and Helsingør.
• MindU Initiative focusing on faith, thoughts, and mental well-being targeting confirmation-age youth. Creates openness about mental health and supports young people in taking care of their mental well-being.
• Peer-Partnerskabet Partnership initiative between Det Sociale Netværk and SIND focused on peer support for mentally vulnerable individuals. Peer partners with lived experience support others in their recovery journey.
• Hvad kan jeg blive Career guidance digital platform helping young people explore career possibilities and future paths. Available at hvadkanjegblive.dk.
• VærDig Eating disorder prevention and counseling initiative for ages 12-25 and their relatives. Provides guidance on body image, disordered eating, and supporting those struggling with food and body issues.
• Voldsom Kærlighed Initiative addressing violence in intimate relationships for ages 16-24. Helps youth navigate the challenges of relationships when love becomes jealousy, control, and violence.
• Brug Bolden Football-based initiative to increase mental well-being among boys aged 13-18 through sports clubs. Creates spaces for discussing challenges, difficult thoughts, and mental vulnerability.
• TrustU School collaboration initiative establishing divorce support groups for students in grades 6-9. Helps children discuss thoughts and feelings arising from parental divorce.
• Psykiatritopmødet Annual psychiatry conference organized by Det Sociale Netværk bringing together stakeholders to discuss mental health policy and practice. Features debates, presentations, and professional disagreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Researchers from Region Hovedstadens Psykiatri have demonstrated that youth counseling in headspace increases youth wellbeing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Femern A/SsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company of the Femern Belt construction project collaborating on job learning initiatives for vulnerable youth, providing employment opportunities and workplace experience.
• Brøndby IF and Jan Bech AndersensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club Brøndby IF and businessman Jan Bech Andersen partnered with Det Sociale Netværk and Brøndby Municipality to establish headspace Brøndby, supporting youth mental health through local engagement.
• Brøndby MunicipalitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal government co-financing headspace center operations as part of local social service offerings for residents.
• Holbæk MunicipalitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership for headspace Holbæk providing counseling services to local youth aged 12-25.
• Halsnæs MunicipalitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partnership enabling headspace Halsnæs center operations, providing youth counseling services in the municipality.
• Sex & SamfundsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSexual health organization collaborating on the 'Voldsom Kærlighed' (Violent Love) initiative addressing relationship violence among youth aged 16-24.
• Dialog mod VoldsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDomestic violence intervention organization partnering on 'Voldsom Kærlighed' initiative providing counseling and psychological services for youth experiencing relationship violence.
• Region SyddanmarksupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional government collaborated on Face It project addressing substance abuse challenges among youth, now integrated into headspace services.
• Odense MunicipalitysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal partner for Face It project addressing substance abuse among youth, now served through headspace centers.
• Copenhagen Municipality Social ServicessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipal social services department partnered on 'Kom Trygt Ud' initiative supporting citizens experiencing loneliness and isolation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Psykiatrifonden: The Danish Mental Health Fund — a large, established Danish foundation working broadly across mental health advocacy, fundraising, and awareness. Overlaps with Det Sociale Netværk's advocacy and event activity (e.g., conferences) but covers all ages and mental health conditions rather than specializing in youth access points.
• Børns Vilkår: Danish children's welfare umbrella operating the national BørneTelefonen hotline among other services. A larger, established operator in adjacent youth-counseling territory; overlaps with the 12-25 segment and the free anonymous support proposition.

Direct peers

• headspace Australia (National Youth Mental Health Foundation): The originating headspace organization that licensed/franchised the headspace Danmark model. Operates youth mental health centers across Australia with free or low-cost counseling for ages 12-25; directly comparable service portfolio, target age band, and center-based delivery.
• Ventilen: Danish NGO offering anonymous one-to-one listening support for youth aged 15-25 experiencing loneliness or exclusion. Comparable target demographic, free/anonymous service ethos, and reliance on volunteers and partnerships — a tight peer within Det Sociale Netværk's core offering.
• Crisis Text Line: International non-profit providing free, anonymous text-based crisis support for young people. Shares the anonymity-first digital channel architecture (chat/Basechat) and 24/7 youth support philosophy that headspace Danmark operationalizes locally.
• TUBA Denmark: Danish NGO providing free counseling for young people aged 14-24 growing up in homes with alcohol or drug abuse. Same age band, free counseling model, and Danish operating geography make this a tightly relevant peer with a narrower problem focus.
• Jigsaw (National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland): Irish youth mental health organization providing free, confidential support to 12-25 year olds via physical hubs and digital channels. Closely mirrors the headspace Denmark operating model in a comparable small-country context.
• headspace UK: UK affiliate of the global headspace movement supporting young people's mental health; shares brand, target demographic (12-25), and mission framing with headspace Danmark, operating as a smaller peer under the same conceptual umbrella.

Regional players

• Ungdommens Røde Kors (Danish Red Cross Youth): Danish branch of Red Cross Youth running peer-support activities, settlement programs, and youth welfare initiatives. Adjacent in target demographic and free-support ethos, with overlapping youth-focused community programming in Denmark.

Others

• Dialog mod Vold: Danish organization specializing in domestic violence intervention; existing partner on Det Sociale Netværk's Voldsom Kærlighed initiative. Operates a related but more specialized service line within the same Danish mental health/welfare ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/headspacedanmark
• Instagraminstagram.com/headspacedk
• Xx.com/dsnetvaerk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Det Sociale Netværk