What CEPOS does

CEPOS is an independent Danish think tank founded in 2004 and headquartered in Copenhagen that promotes a policy agenda centered on individual freedom, private initiative, lower taxes, and limited government. The organization produces research, policy analysis, and public debate content across economics, taxation, welfare, climate, education, and public finance, distributing all material freely through its website cepos.dk. CEPOS's core products include in-depth Analyser (889 publications), opinion Debat articles (950), and the ABCepos educational statistics library (275 entries) designed for high school use; a Kommune Benchmark interactive tool for municipal efficiency analysis using proprietary methodologies (Kommunepotentiale, Undervisningseffekt); two podcasts (Bag Om Nyhederne and Jes & Friheden); and structured educational programs (CEPOS Akademi for university students, Minerva-netværket for young professional women, and gymnasium outreach).

CEPOS operates a nonprofit funding model supported by donations from private individuals and businesses, with a recurring monthly donation tier of 100 kr. The organization supplements donated income with project-based grants — notably Project 3% supported by Kraks Fond and Novo Nordisk Fonden. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on content marketing through the website, podcasts on Spotify and YouTube, email newsletter, earned media, and in-person seminars at its Copenhagen headquarters. Primary audiences are Danish policymakers, media, and the general public, with secondary audiences including university students and young professional women engaged through dedicated programs. The competitive position is reinforced by an established media footprint, an accumulated content archive, and a credentialed expert panel.

The organization is privately held, has no parent company, and discloses no revenue, financial statements, or ownership structure. CEPOS competes in a domestic Danish market and is described in its own materials as an "independent bourgeois-liberal" think tank without party affiliation. The legal entity type is not explicitly stated in available sources, though the operating profile is consistent with a Danish forening (association) or fond (foundation) structure.

Name

CEPOS

Legal name

CEPOS

Website

https://cepos.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEPOS is an independent Danish think tank that produces and freely distributes policy research, analyses, podcasts, and educational programs on economics, taxation, welfare, and public finance, serving policymakers, media, and the Danish public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Support: CEPOS accepts financial support from private individuals and businesses. The website mentions a monthly donation option of 100 kr. as a support tier. The organization positions itself as an independent think tank supported by private contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEPOS is an independent Danish bourgeois-liberal think tank that produces policy research and analysis on economics, taxation, welfare, climate, and public finance. The organization publishes in-depth analyses, debate articles, ABCepos statistics, podcasts, and operates educational programs including CEPOS Akademi and Minerva-netværket. It also offers an interactive Kommune Benchmark tool for municipal efficiency analysis.

Product overview

CEPOS is an independent Danish conservative-liberal think tank that offers a portfolio of educational programs, research publications, and analytical content. The core offerings include CEPOS Akademi (semester courses for university students), Minerva-netværket (networking for young women professionals), Gymnasier (high school programs), and ABCepos (educational fact sheets). Research output is delivered through Analyser (in-depth analysis publications) and Debat (opinion platform). Media offerings include two podcasts: Bag Om Nyhederne and Jes & Friheden. Additionally, Kommune Benchmark provides interactive municipal efficiency analytics. The organization publishes 889 analyses, 950 debate articles, and 275 ABCepos educational entries, with educational activities spanning academies, networks, and high school programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bag Om Nyhederne: A weekly podcast where CEPOS expert panel discusses the most important current agendas in the media, focusing on overlooked or misunderstood angles, and concludes with 'Ugens Lyspunkt' (Point of the Week) and 'Ugens Skævert' (Blunder of the Week).
• Jes & Friheden
• CEPOS Uddannelse
• ABCepos
• CEPOS Akademi
• Minerva-netværket

Products and services

• Analyser (Analyses) In-depth research publications (889 analyses) covering Danish economic, social, and political topics including employment, distribution, climate, taxes, welfare, and growth, freely accessible to the public.
• Debat (Debate) Platform with 950 debate articles and opinion pieces by CEPOS researchers and external contributors on topics including employment, climate, taxes, welfare, and democracy.
• ABCepos

Quantifiable outcome

• Analysis shows Danish municipalities could save 5.7-8.4 billion DKK on leadership and administration by matching productivity of best comparable municipalities
• +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

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA): UK-based free-market think tank founded in 1955, one of the intellectual progenitors of Thatcher-era economic policy. Highly comparable ideological positioning to CEPOS and operates a similar model of policy research, publishing, and educational outreach, though with broader UK/EU coverage.
• Fraser Institute: Canadian libertarian think tank focused on free markets, limited government, and individual liberty. Closely aligned with CEPOS on ideology and methodology, produces policy analyses, educational materials, and media commentary, but operates at significantly larger scale with international research network.
• Cato Institute: Largest US libertarian think tank, producing policy research on economics, civil liberties, and limited government. Shares CEPOS's foundational ideology and research methodology, but operates at significantly greater scale with a global footprint, substantial endowment, and broader issue coverage.
• American Enterprise Institute: US centre-right think tank conducting policy research on economics, foreign policy, and domestic issues. Shares CEPOS's research-driven approach to influencing policy debates, though with significantly greater scale, broader issue coverage, and direct engagement with US federal policymaking.
• Heritage Foundation: Largest US conservative think tank with substantial endowment and direct policy influence. Shares the policy research and advocacy model with CEPOS, but operates with significantly greater resources, a broader conservative (rather than specifically libertarian) agenda, and direct engagement with US federal policymaking.
• Centre for Policy Studies: UK centre-right think tank founded by Margaret Thatcher and Keith Joseph. Comparable in ideological positioning (centre-right economic policy) and research methodology (policy analyses, public debate) to CEPOS, but with broader UK policy scope and longer-established political networks.

Direct peers

• Timbro: Swedish libertarian/free-market think tank founded in 1978. Most directly comparable to CEPOS as a Nordic bourgeois-liberal policy research organization operating in a similar welfare-state context, producing analyses, debate articles, and commentary on taxation, welfare reform, and economic freedom.
• Kraka: Danish independent economic think tank producing macroeconomic analysis, policy research, and benchmarking studies. Operates in the same Danish policy research space as CEPOS with similar distribution channels (analyses, debate contributions, media commentary), though with a less explicitly ideological framing.
• CEVEA: Danish progressive think tank affiliated with the trade union movement. Direct competitor in the Danish think tank space, operating with similar methodology (policy research, public debate, educational outreach) but from an opposite ideological position, making it the closest left-leaning counterpart to CEPOS in the same market.

Regional players

• Civita: Norwegian liberal-conservative think tank founded in 2013. Highly comparable to CEPOS in ideology, scale, and methodology (policy research, public debate, educational programs), but operates primarily in the Norwegian market rather than competing directly in Denmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CEPOS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLTOiPfXv5minK8du8FwrvFSwOYxlNCy5-
• Facebookfacebook.com/cepos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cepos
• Instagraminstagram.com/ceposdk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 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 CEPOS