DSD Explore

What DSD Explore does

DSD Explore AS is a Norwegian holding and operating company established in 2023 as the experiences and events investment vehicle of DSD AS (Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab), a family-owned conglomerate with roots dating back to 1855. The company is headquartered in Oslo at Pilestredet 27 and operates a national platform spanning five cities — Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, Stavanger, and Svolvær — with 100+ employees. Its portfolio includes Z Event (event agency with offices in Oslo, Trondheim, and Bergen), Y Story (communications agency for internal communication and employer branding), XXLofoten (nature-based experience operator in Lofoten), Norway Events (sports events and activity operator in Trondheim, also operating Munkholmen), Go Fjords (electric fjord bus tours from Stavanger), FjordEvents (RIB experiences in Stavanger/Lysefjorden), and Crazy Coyote (sailing and outdoor activities in Trondheim, merged into Norway Events in 2026).

DSD Explore functions as an active acquirer and developer of fragmented Norwegian experience businesses, applying a buy-and-build strategy in which founders typically retain minority stakes to preserve local anchoring and operational autonomy. The company serves three primary customer segments: enterprise/corporate clients seeking conferences, kickoffs, and team-building events (via Z Event and Y Story); individual tourists and groups seeking nature-based experiences such as RIB tours, kayaking, fishing, northern lights hunts, and fjord bus tours (via XXLofoten, Go Fjords, FjordEvents, Norway Events, Crazy Coyote); and Norwegian destinations seeking professional operators that contribute to year-round local employment. Revenue mechanics combine professional services fees (Z Event corporate events, Y Story communications work) with transaction- and booking-based fees from activity experiences; pricing is per-project or per-booking and is not publicly disclosed. The full portfolio holds Miljøfyrtårn sustainability certification as of February 2026.

The underlying technology is not explicitly disclosed. The CTO role, held by Kjetil Røed (formerly with visitnorway.com at Telenor and CTO of Maverix), owns group technology strategy and the digital platform that underpins portfolio booking sites (zevent.no, gofjords.com, ystory.no, xxlofoten.no, norwayevents.no, fjordevents.no). No AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology products are disclosed; technology is treated as enabling infrastructure rather than a core product. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales and competitive RFPs for corporate events, alongside direct-to-consumer booking for activity experiences. Marketing leverages owned channels, industry awards (Event Agency of the Year 2024, Best Conference 2025, Gullblyanten Brings DM-pris), and the CCO's prior role as CMO of Visit Norway to drive both corporate and international tourism demand.

Name

DSD Explore

Legal name

DSD Explore AS

Website

https://dsdexplore.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DSD Explore AS is a Norwegian holding company, established 2023 and majority-owned by DSD AS, that acquires and operates a national portfolio of experience-based travel and event businesses (Z Event, Y Story, XXLofoten, Norway Events, Go Fjords, FjordEvents) serving corporate clients, individual tourists, and Norwegian destinations across five cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experience-based Tourism Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (48711), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Adventure & Expedition Experiences (Custom Hikes, Safaris, Backcountry) (THAJALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polar & Remote-Destination Expedition Tour Operators (THAKADAM), Destination & Itinerary Management (DMC-Led Experiences, Excursions, VIP Access) (THAHANAE), Tours, Activities & Experiences Booking Platforms (BPAMAIAJ), Wildlife & Nature Interpretation Guides (Birding, Photography, Naturalist) (THAAALAE)

Keywords

• Experience-based tourism
• Corporate event services
• Nature-based activities
• Destination development
• Communications agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 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. Event Services (Z Event): Z Event delivers custom conferences, kickoffs, corporate trips, and DMC programs for international groups. Revenue comes from event planning, production, and execution fees for corporate clients. Z Event also operates as a national event agency with offices in Oslo, Trondheim, and Bergen.
2. Activity & Experience Services: Companies including XXLofoten (Svolvær), Go Fjords (Stavanger), Norway Events (Trondheim), FjordEvents (Stavanger), and Crazy Coyote sell nature-based experiences — RIB safaris, sea eagle tours, kayaking, fishing, northern lights, snowshoeing — to individual tourists, groups, and corporate clients. Revenue is transaction- and booking-based.
3. Communications Agency (Y Story): Y Story is a communications agency helping organizations with internal communication, employer branding, and brand work — charging professional service fees for consulting and campaign delivery.
4. Destination Development: DSD Explore develops destination platforms linking activity, events, travel, and communication into holistic scalable experiences. Go Fjords operates electric bus tours to Preikestolen and Kjerag, and Norway Events took over operations of Munkholmen as a new event and experience arena. Revenue from these comes via experience bookings and event hosting fees.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DSD Explore is an active investor and developer in experience-based travel and events in Norway. Through a portfolio of wholly-owned subsidiaries, it delivers corporate event services (Z Event), nature-based tourist activities such as RIB tours, kayaking and northern lights safaris (XXLofoten, Go Fjords, FjordEvents, Norway Events), sports events, and a communications agency for employer branding and internal communication (Y Story). The group consolidates a fragmented market under tight operational ownership to create leading destination platforms linking activity, event, travel, and communication.

Product overview

DSD Explore is an active investor and developer within experience-based travel and events in Norway. The company operates as a multi-brand portfolio rather than a single unified product. The portfolio includes Z Event (leading event agency with offices in Oslo, Trondheim and Bergen), Y Story (communication agency for internal communication and employer branding), XXLofoten (nature-based experiences in Lofoten), Norway Events (sports events and activities in Trondheim, operating Munkholmen), Go Fjords (emission-free fjord experiences from Stavanger), FjordEvents (RIB experiences in Lysefjorden/Stavanger), and Crazy Coyote (activity company in Trondheim merged into Norway Events). The company operates through tight operational ownership and targeted consolidation across Norway, with the goal of developing leading destination platforms connecting activity, event, travel and communication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Z Event One of Norway's leading and most award-winning event agencies providing customized conferences, kickoffs, corporate trips, and DMC programs for international groups wanting to experience Norway. Offices in Oslo, Trondheim and Bergen. Certified Miljøfyrtårn.
• Y Story Communications agency that transforms strategy into culture, helping large and complex organizations create genuine belonging through internal communication, employer branding, and brand work since 2017. Certified Miljøfyrtårn.
• XXLofoten Leading nature-based experience company in Lofoten since 2005, operating from Svolvær's quay. Offerings include RIB tours, sea eagle safaris to Trollfjorden, kayaking, fishing trips, northern lights hunts, and snowmobile tours. Serves individual travelers, groups, and businesses year-round. Certified Miljøfyrtårn.
• Norway Events Leading organizer of sports events, activities, and experiences in Midt-Norge with roots back to Crazy Coyote founded in 2006. Runs Toppidrettsveka and World Cup in cross-country skiing and combined. Operates Munkholmen as Midt-Norge's premier event and experience arena. Certified Miljøfyrtårn. DSD Explore is co-owner.
• Go Fjords Self-standing brand based in Stavanger offering day trips along Lysefjorden and transporting guests to and from Preikestolen and Kjerag using electric buses from Tide. Makes Norway's most famous natural attractions accessible collectively, emission-free and without noise pollution. Certified Miljøfyrtårn.
• FjordEvents Founded in 2006 as a family business, now market leader in RIB experiences in Stavanger and Lysefjorden with a fleet of nine modern RIB boats. Signature products include guided RIB tours into Lysefjorden past Preikestolen, Hengjanefossen, and hidden gems along the fjord wall. Teambuilding, kickoffs, celebrations, and group experiences for intimate groups to large corporate teams. Part of DSD Explore family since 2026.
• Munkholmen Historic 13-acre island in the middle of Trondheimsfjord with a thousand years of Norwegian history, including Viking burial site, monastery, fortress, and prison. Operated by Norway Events as Midt-Norge's premier event and experience arena with guided tours, corporate events, and dining experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8 acquisitions completed in approximately 3 years as a formal group
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGo Fjords was founded in 2017 by DSD in partnership with Tide, targeting the international tourist market in Norway. Go Fjords operates electric buses from Tide to transport guests to and from Preikestolen and Kjerag, making iconic Norwegian nature accessible sustainably — collectively, emission-free, and without noise pollution.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hurtigruten Group: Norway's flagship expedition and coastal cruise operator offering multi-day coastal itineraries and polar expeditions. Comparable as a broad Norwegian experience-travel platform serving inbound tourists with packaged nature-based products, though it operates at significantly larger scale via ships rather than activity-based operations.
• Strawberry: Largest Norwegian hospitality group (former Nordic Choice Hotels) operating a multi-brand portfolio of 200+ hotels, restaurants and spas across the Nordics. Comparable as a diversified Norwegian experience-services holding company pursuing brand-by-brand consolidation, though operating in hotels rather than tours/activities/events.

Direct peers

• Fjord Tours: Norway's leading packaged sightseeing and Norway-in-a-nutshell fjord tour operator selling activity bundles across multiple destinations. Directly comparable to DSD Explore's multi-destination tour/activity consolidation strategy and overlapping shared RfR through Norwegian inbound channels (noting DSD divested Fjord Travel Norway in 2026 as part of strategic refocusing).
• Brim Explorer: Bergen-based operator of silent, electric catamaran fjord cruises built around ESG-led tourism. Closely comparable to Go Fjords: electric-powered premium fjord access, sustainability positioning as primary brand attribute, and Norwegian inbound-tourist target segment.
• Rødne Fjord Cruise: Stavanger-based RIB and sightseeing fjord cruise operator serving Lysefjorden and Preikestolen corridors. Direct head-to-head competition with FjordEvents in the Stavanger RIB market and overlaps with Go Fjords on the same Lysefjorden sightseeing demand.
• Norrøna Hvitserk: Norway-based multi-day adventure and expedition tour operator offering guided trekking, summit expeditions and ski touring to remote Norwegian destinations. Comparable to XXLofoten and Norway Events on multi-day adventure packages in remote Norwegian geography with similar delivery model.
• North Adventures: Tromsø-based activity and safari operator offering northern lights hunts, dog sledding, fjord cruises and snowmobile experiences. Directly comparable to XXLofoten on northern-Norway nature-based activity operations and to Norway Events on winter sports event-experience overlap.
• Geiranger Fjord Services: Norwegian fjord-coast experience operator in the Geirangerfjord UNESCO region offering sightseeing boat tours and rib excursions. Comparable to FjordEvents and Go Fjords on fjord sightseeing/RIB activity delivery in iconic Norwegian heritage destinations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsd-explore

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries8 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 DSD Explore