KIMO International

What KIMO International does

KIMO International is a non-profit association, founded on 22 August 1990 in Esbjerg, Denmark (by Aberdeenshire Council, Shetland Islands Council, Esbjerg, and Vågsøy), that operates as an international network of 80+ coastal local government member municipalities across nine European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom), collectively representing more than seven million citizens. Its mission is to prevent pollution and to protect, preserve, and enhance the seas and coastal waters of the North-East Atlantic and Baltic regions.

The organization runs member-driven programmes rather than commercial products, with four flagship initiatives: Fishing for Litter (fishermen retrieving marine litter, returning 558 tonnes to Dutch ports in 2019), Net Cuttings (reducing fishing gear waste), Pitch In (broader marine litter action), and Power Bio (bioenergy in Denmark). It also publishes research and guidance such as the 'Haunted Sea' report and 'Six Steps for Municipalities to Tackle Ghost Gear'. The organization is not a technology company: there is no proprietary software stack, API, or app; its 'core_technology' field is explicitly Not applicable.

KIMO operates a subscription-fee membership model in which municipalities pay dues; it supplements dues with project grants. Distribution is via direct municipal membership and five national networks (Denmark, Netherlands/Belgium, Norway, Sweden, UK). Revenue mechanics, pricing tiers, and a disclosed budget are not publicly available. Operations are delivered by an 11-person Secretariat currently hosted by Aalborg Municipality (Denmark) since January 2025, after relocating from Shetland Islands Council. The association holds observer/influencer status at OSPAR, HELCOM, and the IMO, and has secured marquee policy wins including the MARPOL paraffin amendment (effective January 2021), the first regional OSPAR ban on scrubber-water discharges (Vigo ministerial), and stricter IMO scrubber guidelines.

Name

KIMO International

Legal name

KIMO International

Website

https://kimointernational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KIMO International is a non-profit association of 80+ coastal municipalities across nine European countries, founded in 1990, that advocates for marine environmental protection in the North-East Atlantic and Baltic regions through collective policy influence, knowledge exchange, and member-driven programmes such as Fishing for Litter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Environmental Advocacy Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), National Security and International Affairs (928), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

Keywords

• Marine environmental advocacy
• Municipal network governance
• Coastal pollution prevention
• Ghost gear initiatives
• Ocean policy representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Nørresundby

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: KIMO International operates as a network of local government members. Municipalities pay membership fees to participate in the network, access knowledge exchange, and benefit from collective advocacy on marine environmental policy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

KIMO International is a non-profit membership network of more than 80 local government municipalities across nine European countries that collaborate to protect, preserve, and enhance the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic and Baltic regions. Its core offering is a membership-based advocacy and knowledge-exchange service for coastal municipalities, combined with coordinated projects such as Fishing for Litter, Net Cuttings, Power Bio, and Pitch In that address marine litter, ghost gear, shipping pollution, and hazardous waste. KIMO represents the collective voice of its members at international policy forums including OSPAR, HELCOM, IMO, and the EU.

Product overview

KIMO International is a network organization of local governments (not a technology product company). It operates member-driven environmental initiatives and projects focused on marine protection, including: Fishing for Litter (fishermen removing marine litter), Net Cuttings (reducing fishing gear waste), Pitch In (general marine litter initiatives), and Power Bio (bioenergy project in Denmark). The organization also produces research reports, guidelines, and policy recommendations for member municipalities. These are programs and initiatives rather than commercial software products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 41 tonnes of ghost gear removed from Limfjord through member Aalborg Municipality
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and major.

• HELCOMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026KIMO International and HELCOM (Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission) launched a strategic partnership campaign to help recreational fishers prevent lost fishing gear in the Baltic Sea region. The campaign provides practical guidance and marking techniques for anglers, pot fishers, and gillnet fishers.
• Swedish Agency for Marine and Water ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Partnered with KIMO International and HELCOM on the Baltic Sea gear marking campaign for recreational fishers, providing national regulatory support and expertise.
• South East Technological University (SETU)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026SETU signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KIMO International to collaborate on protecting the marine environment, combining academic research with practical environmental advocacy.
• Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIMO is a member of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative and has helped promote 'Six Steps for Municipalities to Tackle Ghost Gear' as guidance for local authorities.
• Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water ManagementmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted an international webinar on ghost nets in 2022, reviewing current knowledge on sources of stranded nets in the North Atlantic and promoting best-practice guidelines.
• Limfjords CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAalborg Municipality is a member of both the Limfjords Council and KIMO, illustrating how local initiatives can form part of a broader network. Over 41 tonnes of ghost gear removed from Limfjord.
• FidranotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIMO and Fidra jointly published guidelines to reduce microplastics leakage from artificial turf pitches, working with Gothenburg Municipality on best practice examples.
• Swedish Agency for Marine and Water ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKIMO is working with HELCOM and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management to develop reports, information materials, and best practice guides for recreational fishers to encourage gear marking.
• Gothenburg MunicipalitynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted KIMO International Board meeting in May 2026, providing study tours on microplastics (Kviberg football fields) and eelgrass protection (Maritime Museum and Aquarium).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: C40 is a much larger global network of major cities addressing climate change. While it dwarfs KIMO in scale and budget, it shares the city-network-advocacy model and overlaps thematically in marine-adjacent issues (shipping emissions, port-side pollution) addressed by KIMO.
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy: The Global Covenant of Mayors is the largest international alliance of city-level climate leaders, with over 13,000 signatories. Comparable to KIMO in mobilizing local government collective climate/environmental action, but at a vastly larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Direct peers

• Under2 Coalition: The Under2 Coalition is a global alliance of sub-national governments (states, regions, provinces) committed to deep decarbonization. Like KIMO, it provides a collective voice for sub-national authorities at international climate forums (UNFCCC, COP), making the membership-driven sub-national advocacy model directly comparable.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: ICLEI is a global network of local and regional governments committed to urban sustainability. It is the most direct peer to KIMO: same membership model (cities/municipalities paying dues), same advocacy structure (observer at UN climate processes), and same mission of giving local governments a collective voice at international forums, just oriented around broader sustainability rather than marine protection specifically.
• CoastNet: CoastNet is a UK-based forum for coastal stakeholders including local authorities, researchers, and NGOs focused on integrated coastal management. Its narrower coastal-management focus and stakeholder-network structure make it a thematic peer to KIMO, particularly for the UK member network.
• Eurocities: Eurocities is a network of major European cities that collaborates on policy and influences EU decision-making. Comparable to KIMO in member-funded advocacy structure and European municipal focus, though it operates at a larger city-scale rather than coastal-environmental focus.
• Climate Alliance: Climate Alliance is a European network of municipalities and regional governments focused on climate protection, with over 1,700 members. Like KIMO, it operates as a municipal membership association that advocates at EU and international levels and shares knowledge across members, making it a close structural analog despite a climate-versus-marine thematic difference.
• Union of Baltic Cities: The Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) is a network of cities around the Baltic Sea Region promoting sustainable development and cooperation. Its geographic overlap with KIMO's Baltic member municipalities and shared focus on marine-adjacent issues makes it a particularly relevant regional peer.
• Energy Cities:

Regional players

• MedCities: MedCities is a network of Mediterranean cities and local governments focused on sustainable urban development. It mirrors KIMO's municipal-network model but operates in a different sea region, making it a regional analog rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KIMOInt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCf71YdKIDcd9nlgFNVtVHNQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/kimointl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kimo-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 KIMO International