Rethink Advisory
Rethink Advisory is a Copenhagen-based boutique strategy advisory firm serving public authorities, industrial actors, and institutional investors on defence, energy, security, and complex societal challenges, with a six-service practice led by senior partners holding PhDs and former Danish Armed Forces experience.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCopenhagen, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rethink Advisory does
Rethink Advisory is a Danish boutique strategy advisory firm (registered as an ApS) co-founded by Stine Arensbach and Peter Dahl Thruelsen, headquartered in Copenhagen with approximately five employees. The firm focuses on defence, energy, security, and complex societal challenges, serving three primary client segments: public authorities, industrial actors, and institutional investors/funds. Its service portfolio comprises six discrete lines: organisational transformation, designing out wicked problems, business development, understanding defence, selling to defence, and investing in defence, indicating a deliberate verticalisation around the defence ecosystem and its adjacent capital flows.
The firm's value proposition rests on senior-advisor expertise rather than technology products. The team includes PhD-level analysts and former Danish Armed Forces executives with 25+ years of cross-sector experience, supported by relationships across Danish Defence, NATO, UN, and Stanford networks. There are no proprietary software products, platforms, or AI models; the offering is professional services delivered through project and retainer engagements. A recently built AI governance capability, anchored by senior advisor Iben Yde, extends the firm into responsible AI and autonomous weapons policy advisory.
The business model is a traditional professional services model with high day-rate billings from senior staff. No funding rounds have been disclosed and the firm operates as an independent, founder-led ApS. Geographic positioning extends across the Nordics (Denmark, Norway, Sweden) and selected international engagements via US diplomatic networks, though the home market remains Denmark.
Rethink Advisory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rethink Advisory
- Legal name
- Rethink Advisory ApS
- Website
- https://rethinkadvisory.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Rethink Advisory is a Copenhagen-based boutique strategy advisory firm serving public authorities, industrial actors, and institutional investors on defence, energy, security, and complex societal challenges, with a six-service practice led by senior partners holding PhDs and former Danish Armed Forces experience.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rethink Advisory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro industry
- Organization Design & Change Management ConsultingBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management ConsultingChange Management & Transformation ConsultingBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Human Capital & Organizational ConsultingTurnaround, Restructuring & Crisis Management ConsultingBusiness & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting
Keywords
Where Rethink Advisory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Copenhagen
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rethink Advisory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Advisory and Consulting Services: The firm generates revenue through senior advisory engagements, consulting projects, and strategic counsel delivered to public authorities and industrial actors. Services include organizational transformation, defence consulting, business development, and investment advisory. Revenue is derived from professional service engagements, likely structured as project-based or retainer arrangements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Rethink Advisory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rethink Advisory is a Danish strategy and advisory consulting firm that helps public authorities and industrial actors navigate complex challenges in defence, energy, security, and broader societal issues. The firm provides specialized consulting services spanning organizational transformation, business development support, and advisory for entering and operating within the defence market. Its work targets complex, cross-sector problems ("wicked problems") where traditional consultancies typically underdeliver.
Product overview
Rethink Advisory is a strategy and advisory firm offering a portfolio of six consulting services focused on defence, energy, security, and complex societal challenges. The services include Organizational transformation, Designing out wicked problems, Business development, Understanding defence, Selling to defence, and Investing in defence. The firm helps public authorities and industrial actors strengthen their position and make strategic choices — from early design to hands-on implementation — bringing together military operational experience, strategic foresight, and senior advisory skills built on decades of leadership in Danish Defence, consultancy, and academia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Organizational Transformation
- Designing Out Wicked Problems
- Business Development
- Understanding Defence
- Selling to Defence
- Investing in Defence
Companies that use Rethink Advisory
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rethink Advisory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rethink Advisory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Rethink Advisory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bain & Company: Global management consulting firm with Aerospace, Defense & Government sector capability. Comparable to Rethink Advisory as a transformation and strategy advisor to public authorities and industrial actors, but operating at vastly greater scale.
- McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting giant with a Public Sector and Aerospace & Defence practice serving governments and defence primes worldwide. A broader incumbent to Rethink Advisory, operating at scale on strategy, transformation and procurement support, but lacking Rethink's Danish-defence insider focus.
- Roland Berger: European-headquartered strategy consultancy with strong Aerospace & Defence practice across continental Europe. Comparable to Rethink Advisory as a senior advisory firm serving European public authorities and defence industrial actors on transformation and procurement.
- Deloitte (Nordic Public Sector & Defence): Big Four advisory firm with Danish/Nordic public-sector consulting and growing defence advisory work. Overlaps with Rethink Advisory's public-authority transformation and business development mandate but at significantly larger scale.
- Boston Consulting Group: Global management consulting firm with a Government and Aerospace, Defense & Space practice serving public authorities and industrial clients. A broader incumbent compared with Rethink Advisory's niche Nordic defence focus.
- Accenture Defence & Public Sector: Global consultancy with a dedicated Defence & Public Sector practice spanning strategy, transformation and technology for governments and defence primes. A broad incumbent alternative to Rethink Advisory's boutique Nordic defence offering.
- KPMG Advisory (Nordic Defence & Public Sector): Big Four advisory firm with Nordic public-sector and defence practices serving Danish and Nordic government clients. Comparable to Rethink Advisory as an advisor to public authorities, but operating at much larger scale and broader scope.
Direct peers
- PA Consulting: UK-headquartered consulting firm with a dedicated defence and public-sector practice serving governments and defence primes. Comparable to Rethink Advisory in combining transformation, procurement, and defence-sector advisory across European public authorities and industrial clients.
Regional players
- Terma: Danish-headquartered aerospace and defence industrial company operating across Nordic and allied markets. Adjacent to Rethink Advisory as a Danish defence ecosystem participant, though industrial rather than advisory; serves as both potential client and ecosystem peer.
- Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies: Denmark-based futures and strategic foresight research consultancy serving public and private clients on complex societal challenges. Comparable to Rethink Advisory in combining senior advisory credentials with applied research and a Copenhagen base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Rethink Advisory social profiles
Digital presenceRethink Advisory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rethink Advisory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Rethink Advisory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rethink Advisory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rethink Advisory
What does Rethink Advisory do?
Rethink Advisory is a Danish strategy and advisory consulting firm that helps public authorities and industrial actors navigate complex challenges in defence, energy, security, and broader societal issues. The firm provides specialized consulting services spanning organizational transformation, business development support, and advisory for entering and operating within the defence market. Its work targets complex, cross-sector problems ("wicked problems") where traditional consultancies typically underdeliver.
Is Rethink Advisory a public or private company?
Rethink Advisory is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rethink Advisory founded?
Rethink Advisory was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Rethink Advisory based?
Rethink Advisory is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Rethink Advisory make money?
One revenue line is on record: advisory and Consulting Services.
Who are Rethink Advisory's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, Roland Berger, Deloitte (Nordic Public Sector & Defence), Boston Consulting Group, Accenture Defence & Public Sector and KPMG Advisory (Nordic Defence & Public Sector). PA Consulting is listed as a direct peer. Regional players are Terma and Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies.
Does Rethink Advisory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rethink Advisory.
What industry is Rethink Advisory in?
Rethink Advisory's product category is Management Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHACAD, Organization Design & Change Management Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAGAC, Change Management & Transformation Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.