RÆSON

Name

RÆSON

Legal name

RÆSON Medier

Website

https://raeson.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Political Journalism and Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM), Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Political journalism
• Current affairs publishing
• International affairs analysis
• History magazine publishing
• Live event programming

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Annual subscriptions providing access to print magazine (4 issues/year) and all digital content. Priced at 250 kr/year (general public) and 200 kr/year (students/pensioners). Also sells separate ÆRA magazine subscriptions.
2. Print and Book Sales: Sale of individual print magazine issues and published books through webshop and retail/newsstands. RÆSON has published numerous books including 'Verdens Magter' (6th edition 2025), 'Mellemøsten i Krig', 'Kina og verden', and others.
3. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for events including lectures, conferences, festivals, and debates. Events range from free (library talks) to paid (Vidensfestival 2027 tickets, conference packages). Subscriber discounts available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RÆSON publishes a quarterly print magazine and continuously updated website with independent, expert-written analysis of Danish and international politics. The portfolio extends to the ÆRA history magazine (launched 2021), a book publishing imprint (RÆSONs Forlag), multiple podcast series (Geopol, Krisecast, Ugen med RÆSON), the annual Vidensfestival event, and a live lecture series, all funded by reader subscriptions, book sales, and event tickets.

Product overview

RÆSON is a completely independent, non-profit Danish magazine about Danish and international politics. The offering consists of a unified portfolio centered on the core RÆSON Magazine (print, 4x/year) and the RÆSON Website (daily online articles), supported by RÆSONs Forlag (publishing house producing books like 'Verdens Magter'), the ÆRA history magazine (2x/year), multiple podcast series (Geopol, Krisecast, Ugen med RÆSON), the annual Vidensfestival event, RÆSON Live events series, and educational subscription services. The products share a unified focus on political and geopolitical analysis, expert commentary, and in-depth journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vidensfestival: Annual knowledge festival featuring lectures, debates, and presentations on current affairs and politics
• Geopol
• Krisecast
• ÆRA

Products and services

• RÆSON Magazine Subscription Annual subscription providing four quarterly print issues delivered by post before publication date and full digital access to all online content including archived articles on raeson.dk. Priced at 250 DKK/year for the general public and 200 DKK/year for students and pensioners. Includes member benefits such as free access to select events and discounts on books and selected events.
• ÆRA History Magazine Subscription Separate history magazine subscription covering history, culture, and cultural history with contributions from Denmark's leading historians, art historians, and archaeologists. Published twice yearly with annual subscription priced at 299 DKK (249 DKK for students and pensioners).
• RÆSONs Forlag (RÆSON Publishing Books) Publishing house producing books on politics, international affairs, and current events including titles like 'Verdens Magter' (6th edition 2025), 'Mellemøsten i Krig' (Middle East at War), 'Kina og verden' (China and the World), 'Latinamerika Nu', 'Verden på flugt', 'Olie og Vand', and many others. Sold through the webshop and Danish retailers.
• Vidensfestival (Knowledge Festival) Annual knowledge festival held at Imperial Bio in Copenhagen, featuring lectures, debates, and presentations on current affairs and politics. Tickets available with subscriber discounts of 50% or more. Held annually since 2012 with consistent sellouts demonstrating strong demand.
• RÆSON Live Events (Lectures and Conferences) Series of live events including lectures, panel discussions, and conferences held throughout Denmark featuring politicians, experts, and cultural personalities. Includes 'Tirsdage i Theatret' with Den Gamle By in Aarhus, 'Folket og Magten' conference with Rødding Højskole, Grundlovsdag at Testrup Højskole, and public lectures at libraries and Folkeuniversitetet locations nationwide.
• RÆSON in Education (Institutional Subscriptions) Educational subscription service providing tailored packages for educational institutions, including student and teacher access, printed magazine class sets, institutional web access, and custom arrangements for teaching social studies (samfundsfag) and political science courses at Danish universities, gymnasiums, and folk high schools.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Den Gamle By (The Old Town)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on 'Tirsdage i Theatret' (Tuesdays at the Theatre) series held at Den Gamle By in Aarhus. The partnership includes regular lectures and talks as part of the museum's cultural program, with RÆSON branding and co-promotion.
• Rødding HøjskolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual conference 'Folket og Magten' (People and Power) organized with Rødding Folk High School. Event has been held annually since 2017, typically selling out each year. Partnership includes planning, programming, and co-hosting.
• Testrup HøjskolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Grundlovsdag (Constitution Day) event held at Testrup Folk High School near Aarhus. Event has been sold out annually since inception. Partnership for lecture series and educational events.
• Askov HøjskoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on educational events and lectures. RÆSON organizes events at the folk high school as part of its educational outreach program.
• VartovcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVenue partner for RÆSON events in Copenhagen. Vartov (Farvergade 27A) serves as the headquarters location and hosts RÆSON's regular events and lectures including the 'Vejen til valget' series.
• Imperial Bio / ImperialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue for the annual Vidensfestival, held annually in Copenhagen. The festival typically sells out on Imperial's premises, with the 2026 edition sold out at record speed.
• ÆRA (History Magazine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÆRA is RÆSON's history magazine, launched March 2021. Published twice yearly, it received 6 hearts from Politiken. The two publications share branding, subscriber base, and occasionally cross-promote events. ÆRA is available at historiemagasinet.dk.
• Various Danish LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with libraries including Gentofte Bibliotek, Københavns Hovedbibliotek, and others for public lectures and events. Libraries serve as venues with free or low-cost admission.
• Folkeuniversitetet (Folk Universities)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration for lectures and educational events at Folkeuniversitetet locations in Esbjerg, Kolding, Odense, Aalborg, and Vrå. RÆSON contributors serve as speakers.
• Historiske Dage (Historical Days)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual history festival in Copenhagen where ÆRA and RÆSON maintain a presence with content and promotion. Takes place in March.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Politiken: Denmark's largest broadsheet newspaper and a regular reviewer of RÆSON's output. Competes for the same political analysis audience at much larger scale, but with a broader general-interest scope rather than RÆSON's specialist policy/geopolitics focus.
• Jyllands-Posten: Major Danish broadsheet with significant political analysis coverage. Competes for the same political commentary reader base at much greater scale; one of the mainstream outlets RÆSON positions against as an independent alternative.
• The Atlantic: US political, cultural, and ideas magazine also cited as a RÆSON analogue. Comparable mix of long-form political analysis and cultural commentary, but at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Politico Europe: European political journalism outlet covering EU and national politics across member states. Comparable focus on policy and political analysis, with subscription and event business models that parallel RÆSON's monetization mix.

Direct peers

• Foreign Policy Magazine: US-based magazine explicitly cited as RÆSON's international analogue. Comparable positioning around international affairs, foreign policy analysis, and expert-driven commentary for engaged readers — the most direct international format peer.
• Information (Danish newspaper): Denmark's flagship independent left-leaning daily newspaper. Closest direct peer to RÆSON — both position around independent, expert-driven political analysis rather than commercial neutrality, and compete for the same politically engaged Danish readers.
• Mandag Morgen: Danish think tank-turned-media outlet focused on policy analysis, societal trends, and long-form political commentary. Comparable subscriber-base positioning with educated professionals and policy audiences, similar independent editorial ethos.
• Weekendavisen: Danish weekly print publication covering politics, culture, and literature. Highly comparable to RÆSON's weekly/quarterly magazine format with emphasis on long-form analysis, cultural commentary, and a politically engaged readership.
• Zetland: Danish digital-first subscription media company built around long-form member-supported journalism. Closely comparable business model (paid subscription, no ads, expert-driven analysis) targeting similar Danish educated readership.

Regional players

• Det Norske Magasinet / Minerva: Norwegian independent magazine on politics, ideas, and culture — a Nordic regional peer. Comparable editorial mission, nonprofit-style positioning, and format mix of long-form analysis and book publishing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/raesondk
• Facebookfacebook.com/raesondk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/r-son

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 RÆSON