CBS International Business Club

What CBS International Business Club does

CBS International Business Club is a private, membership-based professional networking organization affiliated with Copenhagen Business School (CBS), founded in 1975 under the name "Udenrigshandelsklubben" (Foreign Trade Club) and currently registered in Denmark under CVR 35582312. Headquartered at Solbjerg Plads 3, Frederiksberg, the club serves CBS alumni and Danish business professionals by curating access to a curated network of 100+ members and a calendar of more than ten exclusive events per year, featuring speakers such as government ministers (e.g., Lars Aagaard, Simon Kollerup), CEOs of major Danish and international firms (Vestas, Microsoft Denmark, McDonald's Denmark, DSV), ambassadors (e.g., the Indian Ambassador to Denmark), and successful entrepreneurs. Events are held across a small set of recurring venues including CBS campus auditoria, Scandic Falkoner, and Hellerup Sejlklub.

The organization does not operate any proprietary technology. Its digital footprint consists of a WordPress-based website (ibccbs.dk) used for event listings, member registration, and organizational information, supplemented by LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram profiles for community engagement and event promotion. The club's product is fundamentally an in-person experience — high-touch networking and access to senior business and policy leaders — rather than a software or technology product. No patents, AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or third-party integrations are disclosed.

The business model is a straightforward recurring subscription: members pay an annual fee of 500 DKK for full access to all club events. Distribution is direct via website registration, with member acquisition driven by word-of-mouth within the Danish business community and the institutional credibility of CBS. The organization is self-sustaining through membership fees with no disclosed external funding, investors, or revenue diversification, and is governed by an 11-person Executive Board led by President Jakob Borkelmann and Vice President Michael Sandfort.

Name

CBS International Business Club

Legal name

CBS International Business Club

Website

https://ibccbs.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CBS International Business Club is a Danish membership-based professional networking organization affiliated with Copenhagen Business School, founded in 1975, serving CBS alumni and Danish business professionals through exclusive speaker-led events for an annual fee of 500 DKK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking / Business Club Membership

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Professional networking club
• Business club membership
• Executive networking events
• Alumni business network
• Membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederiksberg

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: The club generates revenue through annual membership fees. Members pay 500.00 kr per year for full access to all club events. The membership is described as giving access to all events hosted by CBS International Business Club. No other revenue streams are disclosed in the available sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CBS International Business Club is a membership-based professional networking organization affiliated with Copenhagen Business School, offering annual memberships that grant access to exclusive events featuring prominent speakers including ministers, CEOs, ambassadors, and successful entrepreneurs. Founded in 1975, the club serves over 100 members through more than 10 curated business events per year.

Product overview

CBS International Business Club is a professional networking organization founded in 1975 and affiliated with Copenhagen Business School. The club offers annual membership that provides access to exclusive networking events featuring prominent speakers including ministers, executives, entrepreneurs, and academic leaders. The organization does not offer distinct technology products or software services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Membership

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cand. Merc. FIR Alumni NetworkminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 September 2026Cand. Merc. FIR Alumni Network headed by André Thormann is co-hosting the Thomas Plenborg / DSV event with CBS International Business Club. This partnership aims to facilitate better networking opportunities at member meetings by combining the two networks. The collaboration is intended to attract a larger audience than usual for this specific event.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Copenhagen Business School Alumni Network: The official CBS alumni association. Directly comparable as a university-affiliated business alumni organization serving the same pool of CBS graduates in Denmark.
• INSEAD Alumni Association: One of the most active global business school alumni networks. Directly comparable model — a business school alumni association organizing exclusive events with senior executives and faculty for paying members.
• London Business School Alumni Network: LBS's alumni community organizes exclusive speaker events, networking dinners, and regional chapters for graduates worldwide. Closely mirrors the CBS IBC format at a larger and more international scale.

Broad incumbents

• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global membership community for founders and entrepreneurs. Similar event-led, member-paid model focused on peer learning and high-caliber speaker access.
• Young Presidents' Organization (YPO): Global peer-to-peer membership organization for senior executives. Comparable as a curated, exclusive business networking club relying on high-profile speakers and events for member value, though operating at much greater scale and price point.
• Dansk Erhverv (Danish Chamber of Commerce): Denmark's largest business and trade association representing member companies. Comparable as a Danish membership organization providing networking, policy advocacy, and member events, though at company-rather than-individual membership scale.

Emerging players

• Nordic Female Founders: Nordic networking organization co-founded by Mia Wagner (a recent CBS IBC speaker) for women founders and executives. Comparable speaker-event format aimed at a curated professional network in the Nordic market.

Regional players

• Rotary International (Denmark chapters): Long-standing professional and civic networking organization with Danish chapters. Comparable as a dues-funded membership club hosting regular speaker-led events for professional members.
• Helsinki Business Hub / Aalto Alumni Network: Comparable Nordic business school alumni community organizing paid exclusive events with business leaders. Mirrors the CBS IBC value proposition for a peer Finnish business school alumni base.
• DIK (Danish Association of Architects and Engineers) Alumni Networks: IDA organizes alumni and professional networking events in Denmark for technically educated professionals. Comparable Danish-membership-organization model providing paid access to speaker-led events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ibccbs.dk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ibccbs
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibccbs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 CBS International Business Club