Dansk Søredningsselskab

What Dansk Søredningsselskab does

Dansk Søredningsselskab (DSRS) is a Danish voluntary, non-profit sea rescue organization founded in 2004 that provides free 24/7/365 rescue assistance to recreational boaters across Denmark's inner waters. DSRS operates 14 strategically placed rescue stations staffed by more than 400 trained volunteers, with each station responsible for a defined geographic coverage area (e.g., Kerteminde, Struer, København, Assens-Lillebælt, Lynæs, Helsingør). The organization bridges a documented gap between the Danish Coast Guard's limited inner-waters presence and the need for rapid local response for non-life-threatening maritime incidents such as engine failure, grounding, fuel shortages, and equipment damage. DSRS is the only volunteer sea rescue organization covering Denmark's inner waters without public funding, and its service is free regardless of membership status.

DSRS's product and technology stack centers on the Søassistancen mobile application (iOS/Android), which enables one-touch distress calls, automatic GPS coordinate sharing with the nearest station, and offline-capable operation at sea. Complementary apps include Sejlsikkert Alarm and Sejlsikkert (maritime safety). The organization has begun deploying innovative rescue equipment such as the U Safe drone-controlled rescue buoy at its Kerteminde/Bregn\u00f8r station, enabling water rescues without putting volunteers in harm's way. Member-facing infrastructure includes the Mit DSRS member portal, an internal Crewbase volunteer management system, an online webshop for merchandise, and a public Logbog (rescue log) documenting every operation. Distribution extends through a Nordic mutual rescue network with SSRS (Sweden), Norwegian Sea Rescue Society, Meripelastus (Finland), and Sj\u00f6 R\u00e4ddningen (\u00c5land).

DSRS is funded primarily through 600 DKK annual memberships (covering all boats owned by a member), individual donations (including SMS donations and MobilePay), corporate and association sponsorships, webshop sales of merchandise, and partnerships with eight Danish blue sports organizations representing over 300,000 members who jointly lobby the Danish government for public funding. Memberships are sold online at dsrs.dk with Betalingsservice, MobilePay, and credit card options. The organization was acquitted in a lawsuit filed by Tryg Forsikring regarding a 2022 rescue operation, and recently launched the \"\u00c5rets S\u00f8redning\" (Rescue of the Year) award in 2025. DSRS coordinates with JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) and the Danish Navy as an integrated part of Denmark's total emergency response system.

Name

Dansk Søredningsselskab

Legal name

Dansk Søredningsselskab

Website

https://dsrs.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DSRS is a Danish voluntary sea rescue non-profit founded in 2004, operating 14 stations across Danish inner waters with 400+ trained volunteers. It delivers free 24/7 rescue assistance to recreational boaters, funded by 600 DKK annual memberships, donations, and sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Rescue Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAHAIAA

Emergency Towage & Rescue (Disabled Vessel Assistance)

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Marine Salvage, Wreck Removal & Emergency Response

SECONDARYIMAJANAB

Emergency Towage & Rescue (Refloating, Grounding Response)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Marine & Shipbuilding/Marine Salvage Services

SECONDARYHLAJAGAJ

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Response & EMS Coordination

Keywords

• Volunteer sea rescue
• Maritime assistance services
• Recreational boating safety
• Emergency response network
• Membership-based rescue

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsingør

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees provide the primary funding for DSRS operations. Membership costs 600 DKK per calendar year and grants access to mutual rescue coverage across Nordic partner organizations. Membership supports station operations, volunteer training, and equipment maintenance.
2. Donations: Individual donations, including SMS donations (SØHELT 100/200/KAFFE) and MobilePay contributions, fund equipment, fuel, pumps, and towing gear. Tax deductions are available for donations with CPR number submission.
3. Webshop Sales: DSRS operates a member webshop selling merchandise such as flags, stickers, and year badges. Proceeds support organizational operations.
4. Corporate and Association Sponsorship: Companies and associations can support DSRS financially. DSRS is also seeking public funding support following advocacy from 8+ sports organizations representing over 300,000 members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Dansk Søredningsselskab (DSRS) is a volunteer sea rescue organization operating 14 stations across Denmark's inner waters, providing free 24/7 emergency assistance to all boaters regardless of membership. The organization runs a fleet of rescue boats and the Søassistancen mobile app for one-touch distress alerting with automatic GPS sharing, supplemented by the Sejlsikkert Alarm and Sejlsikkert safety apps. Members fund operations through 600 DKK annual subscriptions and receive reciprocal coverage across Nordic partner organizations.

Product overview

Dansk Søredningsselskab (DSRS) is a voluntary sea rescue organization offering maritime assistance services primarily through its network of rescue stations across Danish waters. The core offering consists of the Søassistancen mobile app (iOS/Android) for boaters to request emergency assistance, supplemented by the Sejlsikkert Alarm and Sejlsikkert safety apps. Members access services through the Mit DSRS portal and webshop. DSRS operates rescue boats from 14 stations, with Rescue Freja, Rescue Loke, Rescue Heimdal, and Rescue Brage being notable vessels. Additional services include free safety lectures (booked via 'Book en søhelt'), volunteer programs, and membership subscriptions at 600 DKK/year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Søassistancen: Mobile application for requesting sea rescue assistance with automatic position sharing
• Sejlsikkert Alarm
• Sejlsikkert

Products and services

• Søassistancen Mobile App
• Sejlsikkert Alarm App
• Sejlsikkert App
• Mit DSRS Member Portal
• DSRS Webshop
• U Safe Drone-Controlled Rescue Ring
• Logbog (Rescue Log)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 rescue operations per year across Denmark's inner waters, with 610 in 2026 (as of data date) and a record 1,035 in 2025.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Swedish Sea Rescue Society (Svenska Sjöräddningssällskapet / SSRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025SSRS donated a rescue boat to DSRS. DSRS covered the cost of two new engines. The organizations regularly train together and cooperate during cross-border rescues. Cooperation is mutual, with SSRS also contacting DSRS for assistance in Danish waters.
• Norwegian Sea Rescue Society (Redningsselskapet / RS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic mutual rescue agreement enables DSRS members to receive assistance from RS in Norway under the same terms as Norwegian members, and vice versa.
• Finnish Sea Rescue Society (Meripelastus)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic mutual rescue agreement enables DSRS members to receive assistance from Meripelastus in Finland under the same terms as Finnish members.
• Åland Sea Rescue (Sjö Räddningen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic mutual rescue agreement provides DSRS members with reciprocal coverage in the Åland Islands.
• Blue Sports Organizations Coalition (8 Danish organizations)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerEight Danish blue sports organizations (Dansk Sejlunion, Danske Tursejlere, Surf & SUP Danmark, Dansk Kano- og Kajakforbund, Triatlon Danmark, Svøm Danmark, Dansk Vandski- og Wakeboard Forbund, Dansk Forening for Rosport) representing over 300,000 members have collectively lobbied the Danish government for public funding of DSRS, citing its vital role in recreational water safety.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): The UK's most established volunteer sea rescue charity, operating 238 lifeboat stations with a paid crew plus volunteer model and a substantial donation/membership funding base. RNLI is the gold-standard comparable to DSRS in terms of mission and operating model, though at vastly larger scale and with significantly more paid operational infrastructure.
• Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (Redningsselskapet / RS): Norway's principal volunteer sea rescue organization, also bound to DSRS via Nordic mutual rescue agreement. RS operates a much larger fleet (~1,400 volunteers, 50+ boats), making it a scaled-up version of the same volunteer sea rescue model DSRS operates. Highly comparable in mission, funding model (memberships/donations), and operational structure.
• Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger (DGzRS): Germany's voluntary sea rescue organization operating across the North Sea and Baltic. Like DSRS it runs rescue stations with trained crews, though DGzRS operates primarily with paid crews funded by donations — a useful comparison point for the volunteer-vs-paid crew debate and for Baltic region operational practices adjacent to Danish waters.
• Finnish Sea Rescue Society (Meripelastusseura): Finland's volunteer sea rescue organization and a mutual Nordic rescue partner of DSRS. Operates the same membership-funded, volunteer-crew rescue station model across Finnish waters, with reciprocal coverage extending to DSRS members.
• Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS / Svenska Sjöräddningssällskapet): The closest direct peer — a Swedish voluntary sea rescue organization founded in 1907, operating a fleet of rescue boats with volunteer crews, and a partner in DSRS's Nordic mutual rescue network. SSRS actively cooperates with DSRS, including donating a rescue boat in 2025, and operates under the same community-funded model covering Swedish waters.

Emerging players

• Sea-Watch: German non-profit maritime rescue organization focused on Mediterranean migrant rescue using volunteer crews and donated vessels. Comparable in the volunteer-funded, mission-driven sea rescue archetype, though focused on a different use case (humanitarian migrant rescue vs. recreational boating SAR).

Others

• Tryg Forsikring: Major Nordic insurance company that litigated against DSRS over a 2022 rescue operation (DSRS was acquitted). Not a direct competitor but an institutional counterparty whose relationship dynamics directly affect DSRS's legal risk profile and potential future B2B partnerships (e.g., insurance-linked membership offers).
• Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Denmark (JRCC Denmark): The government entity that coordinates maritime SAR in Denmark and dispatches DSRS as a primary responder in inner waters. Not a peer in the commercial sense, but the closest operational counterparty — JRCC integration is central to DSRS's mission and would be the natural institutional anchor if public funding materializes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dansk-s%C3%B8redningsselskab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Dansk Søredningsselskab