Cosmos Trawl

What Cosmos Trawl does

Cosmos Trawl A/S is a Danish manufacturer of commercial fishing gear and aquaculture netting, headquartered in Hirtshals and operating five locations across Denmark (Hirtshals, Skagen, Hanstholm, Thyborøn, Strandby). Founded in 1989 through the merger of Hirtshals Trawl, IC Trawl, and Swan Net — with operating roots tracing to 1879 — the company is recognized as Denmark's largest and oldest net maker. Its product portfolio spans shrimp, groundfish, semi-pelagic, self-spreading, multi-rig, and purse seine trawls; sorting grids; T90 cod ends; and the proprietary DynIce rope family built on Dyneema SK60/SK75/SK78/SK90 ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibres, including DynIce Warps (six-layer, patent-pending), DynIce Data (copper-conductor rope), and DynIce Optical Data fibre optic cable. Patented Self-spreading Helix technology and an in-house flume tank at the North Sea Centre support product R&D. The company serves commercial fishing fleets and aquaculture operators in Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, South America, Asia, and formerly Russia's Far East.

Cosmos Trawl is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Icelandic-listed Hampidjan Group, a conglomerate of ~2,000 employees across 76 locations in 21 countries (2023). Hampidjan reported ~EUR 322 million in 2023 revenue and projected EUR 420–440 million by 2027, following its June 2023 Nasdaq Iceland IPO and acquisitions including Mørenot (2022) and FiiZK Protection AS (2023, ~80% Norwegian salmon lice skirt share). Revenue mechanics at Cosmos combine one-time bespoke product sales (custom-designed trawls, ropes, warps) with subscription-style Trawl Hotel storage, recurring wire/warp services, and on-call repair/pick-up/delivery. Go-to-market is sales-led through five Danish port-located sales managers handling direct enterprise relationships with vessel operators; trade shows (IceFish since 1984), annual flume tank sessions at the North Sea Centre in Hirtshals, and shipyard visits round out demand generation. Cosmos Trawl is also a participant in the Circular Fish Farming Nets (CFFN) project for 100% recycled nylon aquaculture netting, an Aquaculture Awards 2024 finalist.

Name

Cosmos Trawl

Legal name

Cosmos Trawl A/S

Website

https://cosmostrawl.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cosmos Trawl is a Danish manufacturer of commercial fishing gear and aquaculture netting — trawls, codends, sorting grids, and DynIce Dyneema-based ropes — serving fishing fleets and fish farms across Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, South America, and Asia, operating as a subsidiary of Iceland's Hampidjan Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Fishing Gear Manufacturing

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (33661), Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Commercial fishing gear
• Trawl manufacturing
• Fishing net design
• Aquaculture netting
• Dyneema rope technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Hirtshals

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fishing Gear Products: Sale of trawl systems (shrimp, groundfish, semi-pelagic, self-spreading, multi-rig), purse seines, sorting grids, T90 cod ends, DynIce ropes, DynIce warps, and fishing equipment stores (netting, twine, wire ropes, ironware, floats, buoys). Products are sold directly to commercial fishing companies and fish farms.
2. Trawl Hotel Storage Services: Indoor and outdoor storage of fishing gear in silos protected from sunlight, for periods when vessels do not need their equipment.
3. Wire & Warps Services: Sales of new warps and wires, installation, wire measurement and marking, splicing in all dimensions, wire clamping in 600-ton press, and turning of wires and warps.
4. Repair, Pick-up & Delivery Services: Repair of all kinds of fishing equipment in workshop and at quay site of vessel. Daily truck support for rigging of new or repaired trawls.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cosmos Trawl designs and manufactures custom commercial fishing gear — including shrimp trawls, groundfish trawls, semi-pelagic and self-spreading trawls, multi-rig systems, purse seines, sorting grids, and T90 cod ends — alongside Dyneema-based DynIce ropes, warps, and data cables for commercial fishing and other industries. The company also produces fish farm net cages and aquaculture systems, and provides rigging, fabrication, modification, repair, wire/warp services, and indoor/outdoor trawl hotel storage via its commercial net lofts in Hirtshals, Skagen, Hanstholm, Thyborøn, and Strandby.

Product overview

Cosmos Trawl is a fishing gear manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of trawl products and services. Core products include Shrimp Trawls, Groundfish Trawls, Multi Rig Systems, Semi Pelagic Trawls, Self-spreading Trawls, Purse Seines, Sorting Grids, and T90 Cod Ends. The company also manufactures specialized DynIce rope products (DynIce Ropes, DynIce Warps, DynIce Data) using Dyneema fibres for commercial fishing and other applications. Services include Trawl Hotel storage, Wire & Warps Tension, Wire & Warps Service, and Repair/Pick-up & Delivery. Products are designed individually according to customer requirements and manufactured in Denmark's largest net making facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shrimp Trawls Shrimp trawls designed for deep sea shrimp fishing, tested in flume tanks and at sea. Includes Standard Shrimp Trawl, Widebody Shrimp Trawl, Fladen Shrimp Trawl, and Grenadia Shrimp Trawl models. For commercial shrimp trawlers.
• Groundfish Trawls Extensive range of groundfish trawls for human consumption and industrial fisheries, targeting Whitefish, Flatfish, and Lobster. Includes Cosmos Combi Trawl, Cosmos 3000 Trawl, Cosmos Double Bosom Trawl, Danish Seine, and Lobster Trawl. For commercial fishing fleets.
• Multi-Rig Systems Multi-rig fishing systems developed over 20+ years, including twin rig, triple trawl, and quadrig (4 trawls in 5 wires) systems for increased bottom coverage and fishing efficiency. For demersal fisheries.
• Semi-Pelagic Trawls High opening bottom trawls with long manufacturing history. Includes Gloria Helix, Helix Hexagon, Cosmos Helix Multi-Mill, Cosmos Champ Bottom, and Fin-Flyder & Cosmos Combi models. For commercial fishing fleets.
• Self-spreading Trawls Trawls utilising Self-spreading Technology with Helix ropes arranged in specific patterns that automatically spread meshes, boost trawl volume, and improve catch efficiency while reducing maintenance. For commercial fishing fleets.
• Purse Seines Purse seines for herring, mackerel, and Capelin fisheries. Over 40 years of production experience combining craftsmanship with the latest technology for effective and durable fishing gear. For pelagic fishing operations.
• Sorting Grids Sorting grids made from stainless steel, plastic (HDPE), nylon, or PUR materials to reduce by-catch. Available for shrimp, Norway pout, Norway lobster, herring, and brown shrimp fisheries.
• T90 Cod End T90 cod ends with higher water flow and bigger opening that keep fish alive longer, ensuring better quality and higher prices. Designed for vessels from 375 hp to 10,000 hp targeting herring, Baltic herring, mackerel, and capelin.
• DynIce Ropes Advanced rope designs using Dyneema SK60/SK75/SK78/SK90 fibres. Includes DynIce 60, Standard 75, DynIce 75, DynIce 78, DynIce 90, DynIce DUX, Ultrabend 75, and Ultrabend 78 variants for commercial fishing, seismic, mooring, yachting, lifting, and military applications.
• DynIce Warps High-tech warps replacing steel warps in pelagic fisheries. Six-layer patent-pending design provides cross-sectional stability and axial stiffness, reducing weight, increasing trawl opening, improving handling, and reducing fuel consumption.
• DynIce Data Patent-pending fibre rope with a central copper conductor and dense copper screen for signal protection. Designed for scientific research requiring data transfer or tool control via winch drums and traction winches.
• Trawl Hotel Storage service for fishing gear with indoor and outdoor silo storage protected from sunlight. Accommodates smallest shrimp trawls to largest purse seines. For commercial fishing vessel operators.
• Wire & Warps Tension Vessel equipment service providing tension up to 8 tons for warps and wires up to 44mm diameter. For commercial fishing vessels.
• Wire & Warps Service

Quantifiable outcome

• DynIce Warps reduce weight, increase trawl opening, improve handling and reduce fuel consumption during trawling
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Grieg SeafoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Norwegian salmon farming company and key partner in the Circular Fish Farming Nets (CFFN) project, funded by the Norwegian Retailers Recycling Fund. Grieg Seafood will use full-sized aquaculture cages made from 100% recycled nylon at their sites for a full normal production cycle to test the recycled material's performance against virgin nylon.
• Akva GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Aquaculture equipment company and partner in the CFFN project alongside Hampidjan Group. Akva Group will produce a full-sized aquaculture cage from recycled nylon fibres and netting to demonstrate the recycled material's ability to match virgin nylon performance in real-world conditions.
• Thyborøn TrawldoorcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2023Thyborøn is a Danish trawl door manufacturer and key partner in Hampidjan's annual flume tank sessions in Hirtshals. They present the latest controllable trawl door technology (Type 32 and Type 42 Bluestream doors) at these events. Thyborøn doors are sold through Hampidjan Ísland as Icelandic agent. Their controllable doors feature lithium batteries, servomotor control, and can be adjusted from the wheelhouse during fishing operations.
• SimbergcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2023Simberg is the Icelandic agent for Simrad (Kongsberg) marine electronics, presenting echo sounders, trawl sensors and sonars at Hampidjan's flume tank sessions. They demonstrate products such as the Simrad ST-90 sonar and FM90 multi-beam sonar, as well as Simrad TV80 at industry events. Simberg co-organises the annual flume tank trip with Hampidjan.
• Karstensen ShipyardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Karstensen Shipyard in Skagen is a regular visited partner during Hampidjan's flume tank trips. The shipyard builds newbuild pelagic fishing vessels that are showcased to Hampidjan customers. Recent vessels visited include Isafold, Hákon (owned by Gjögur), Finnur Friði (owned by Varðin), and Ginneton.
• PlastixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Danish company that takes delivery of all Hampidjan's polyethylene trawl netting waste for recycling. Plastix cleans the used material, reduces it, and produces granules sold to manufacturers for new product production. Their recycled polyethylene is used by BMW in electric car trim and fittings.
• PolivektriscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Lithuanian company that recycles nylon from end-of-life fishing gear in cooperation with Norwegian company Nofir. Cleans and processes nylon waste into granules for Aquafil to produce Econyl regenerated nylon, used in BMW electric car floor mats and other products.
• AquafilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Slovakian company that practices depolymerization of end-of-life nylon, disassembling polyamide back into base oil to create new PA6 polymers. Partner in the Circular Fish Farming Nets (CFFN) project. Produces Econyl brand regenerated nylon from recycled fishing gear granules supplied by Polivektris and Nofir.
• NofirminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Norwegian company that works with Polivektris in Lithuania to recycle nylon from end-of-life fishing gear. Collects and supplies nylon waste for recycling into high-quality fibres used in aquaculture cage netting and BMW car components.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NET Systems Inc. US/Asian trawl manufacturer producing tuna purse seines, trawl nets, and marine netting for global commercial fishing fleets. Direct peer — international competitor with similar custom-design trawl manufacturing for groundfish, pelagic, and shrimp segments across multiple geographies.
• Mørenot: Norwegian fishing gear and aquaculture netting company acquired by Hampidjan Group in 2022. Direct peer — operates in substantially the same product categories (trawls, purse seines, aquaculture nets) and serves overlapping Scandinavian and North Atlantic customers within Hampidjan's portfolio.
• FiiZK Protection AS: Norwegian aquaculture protection company (~80% market share in salmon lice skirts in Norway; NOK 100M revenue; 18% EBITDA) acquired by Hampidjan Group in 2024. Direct peer — sister company within Hampidjan, supplying aquaculture protective equipment that complements Cosmos Trawl's aquaculture cage netting products.
• Egersund Trål AS: Norwegian trawl manufacturer producing shrimp trawls, bottom trawls, and pelagic gear for North Atlantic fishing fleets. Direct peer — competes with Cosmos Trawl in the same Scandinavian/North Atlantic fleet segment with similar custom design, manufacturing, and rigging service model.
• Thyborøn Trawldoor: Danish trawl door manufacturer producing controllable Type 32 and Type 42 Bluestream trawl doors with lithium-battery servomotor control. Direct peer — complementary gear supplier to fishing fleets that also buy Cosmos Trawl trawls; longstanding co-exhibitor at Hampidjan's flume tank sessions in Hirtshals.
• Vónin: Faroese fishing gear manufacturer (trawls, purse seines, ropes) operating as a sister company within Hampidjan Group. Direct peer — produces substantially the same product categories (pelagic trawls, codends, Dyneema ropes) for overlapping North Atlantic customer base. Won 2022 IceFish "Best Overall Supplier" award.

Broad incumbents

• Garware Technical Fibres Ltd: Indian-listed manufacturer of fishing nets, aquaculture nets, and synthetic ropes (nylon, polyester, UHMWPE) for commercial fishing and aquaculture. Broad incumbent — operates at much larger scale across multiple geographies in overlapping product categories (fishing nets, ropes, aquaculture cages), serving both commercial fisheries and shrimp/fish farms.
• Akva Group ASA: Norwegian listed aquaculture equipment and technology supplier (cages, feeding systems, sensors, software) serving global salmon farming industry. Broad incumbent — operates in the same aquaculture end market as Cosmos Trawl's net cages but with a much broader portfolio beyond netting; CFFN project partner.

Others

• Simrad (Kongsberg Maritime): Norwegian marine electronics brand (echo sounders, trawl sonars, sensors — including ST-90, FM90, TV80) owned by Kongsberg Gruppen. Ecosystem enabler — supplies complementary electronics integrated with Cosmos Trawl's trawl systems; co-presents at Hampidjan flume tank sessions through Icelandic agent Simberg.
• Furuno Electric Co. Ltd: Japanese marine electronics manufacturer (fish finders, sonars, navigation, satellite communications) for global commercial fishing fleets. Ecosystem enabler — provides the on-vessel sensor and monitoring systems that pair with Cosmos Trawl's trawl gear and DynIce Data/Optical Data cables; comparable only as a downstream technology adjuster in the data-driven fisheries stack.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Cosmos Trawl