Stifinder
Stifinder A/S is a Danish leadership development company, founded in 1994, that delivers an intensive residential three-module programme for executives and specialists at DKK 132,000+VAT per participant, and has trained leaders from over 900 companies across approximately 20 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersAarhus, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Stifinder does
Stifinder A/S is a privately held Danish leadership development company founded in 1994 by Lasse Zäll and headquartered in Aarhus, with a second office in Copenhagen. The company designs and delivers an intensive residential three-module programme (Stifinderprogrammet) covering Stifinderstrategien, High Performance Teams, and Autentisk ledelse, aimed at executives, department and team leaders, and specialist professionals. Its methodology is framed as 'transformative learning' and draws on the founder's experience as mental coach for Olympic and world-championship canoeists in the 1980s and 1990s, combined with insights from facilitators such as Marc Drouin (Native American tradition) and Mikkel Schjøtz (former special forces). Cohort delivery alternates across venues in Silkeborg, Kolding, Juelsminde, and Horsens in Denmark and at Mossbylund in southern Sweden.
The core commercial product is the three-module Stifinder Programme, priced at DKK 132,000+VAT per participant and invoiced 90 days before Module 1, with multi-year invoicing available. Revenue is supplemented by open workshops such as 'The Art of Transformation' (DKK 16,000+VAT for a two-day residential), Master Classes for programme alumni (3-5 day condensed courses including 'The Portal'), bespoke corporate Stifinder programmes, one-on-one coaching with Lasse Zäll, and a webshop selling branded books and Haglöfs outdoor apparel. Free online information meetings hosted by the founder function as the primary mid-funnel conversion mechanism, and the go-to-market motion is sales-led and direct, including calendar-based self-enrollment for individual cohorts and direct enterprise negotiation for custom corporate engagements.
Over thirty years the company reports having trained leaders from more than 900 companies and organisations across approximately 20 countries. Named Danish enterprise clients include LEGO, Jyske Bank, Grundfos, Novo Nordisk, Andel (formerly SEAS-NVE, with over 100 graduates on staff), Novozymes, Egetæpper, Covestro, NNE, COOP Trading, Vestas, Ørsted, and the Danish public healthcare system. Operating scale remains small with 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, no M&A activity, and no expansion of the digital/AI layer beyond a standard content, calendar, and e-commerce website.
Stifinder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stifinder
- Legal name
- Stifinder A/S
- Website
- https://stifinder.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Stifinder A/S is a Danish leadership development company, founded in 1994, that delivers an intensive residential three-module programme for executives and specialists at DKK 132,000+VAT per participant, and has trained leaders from over 900 companies across approximately 20 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stifinder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Leadership Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA), Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness) (EDAAAKAI)
Keywords
Where Stifinder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aarhus
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
Stifinder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Stifinder Programme Enrollment: Intensive 3-module leadership development program with full enrollment including accommodation and meals. Total price per participant is DKK 132,000 + VAT.
- Workshop and Master Class Revenue: Open 2-day workshops like 'The Art of Transformation' priced at DKK 16,000 + VAT, and Master Classes for program alumni offering condensed 3-5 day courses.
- E-commerce Product Sales: Webshop sales including books (Stifinderen, The Pathfinder, Circle of Life, Frisat), Stifindercases, apparel (Haglöfs jackets and fleeces), and digital products (PDF folder about the program).
- Custom Corporate Programs: Tailor-made Stifinder leadership development programmes and strategy seminars developed for individual corporate clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Stifinder Programme - Full Enrollment |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Individual Module Payment |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Art of Transformation Workshop |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Books and Merchandise |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Info Meeting |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Stifinder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stifinder A/S designs and delivers an intensive, residential three-module leadership development program (Stifinderprogrammet) for executives, managers, and specialists, grounded in a proprietary transformative learning methodology. The core program is supported by ongoing coaching services, alumni Master Classes, shorter open workshops (e.g., "The Art of Transformation"), tailor-made corporate leadership programs and strategy seminars, and a small webshop of branded books and apparel.
Product overview
Stifinder is a leadership development company founded in 1994, offering a unified three-module program (Stifinderprogrammet) called 'Stifinderstrategien,' 'High Performance Teams,' and 'Autentisk ledelse.' The core program is complemented by Master Classes for graduates, individual coaching services, and workshops such as 'The Art of Transformation.' The company also operates an e-commerce shop selling related books (The Pathfinder, Circle of Life, Stifindercases, Frisat, Stifinderen), apparel (Haglöfs jackets and fleeces), and informational materials. Additional offerings include online info meetings, strategy workshops, and events throughout Denmark and internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Stifinderprogrammet: The core leadership development program consisting of three modules: Module 1 (Stifinderstrategien), Module 2 (High Performance Teams), and Module 3 (Autentisk ledelse).
- Master Class
Products and services
- Stifinderprogrammet (the Stifinder Programme) An intensive, residential, three-module leadership development program for executives, managers, and specialists, grounded in transformative learning and pricing at DKK 132,000 + VAT per participant including accommodation and meals. Module 1 (Stifinderstrategien) introduces the Stifinder toolkit and produces a personal action plan; Module 2 (High Performance Teams) applies tools under complex conditions and develops high-performance teams; Module 3 (Autentisk ledelse) addresses change processes and leadership behavior, including psychological and mental limitations.
- Master Class Advanced condensed courses of 3-5 days for Stifinder Programme graduates, exploring leadership potential, goals, and relationships, including events such as 'The Portal' workshops.
- The Art of Transformation Workshop A two-day workshop teaching participants to create sustainable and meaningful change, navigate complexity, and strengthen personal leadership; priced at DKK 16,000 + VAT including 2-day workshop, accommodation, and meals.
- Coaching Services One-on-one coaching sessions delivered by founder Lasse Zäll and other Stifinder coaches for personal and professional development.
- Tailor-made Corporate Leadership Development Programs and Strategy Seminars Bespoke corporate leadership development programmes and strategy seminars, developed and delivered for individual corporate clients using the Stifinder methodology.
- The Pathfinder (book) A book by Lasse Zäll on leadership and personal development philosophy, available in the Stifinder webshop.
- Circle of Life (book) A book by Marc Drouin drawing on Native American wisdom to address modern life challenges, available in the Stifinder shop.
- Stifindercases (book) A collection of honest and original stories about leadership, documenting experiences from Stifinder program participants.
- Frisat (book) A book by Solveig Kolstad about change and the world, exploring how to view challenges as development opportunities.
- Stifinderen (book/audiobook) Core book related to the Stifinder program philosophy, available as both printed book and audiobook.
- Haglöfs Jacket Outdoor Haglöfs jackets for men and women sold through the Stifinder webshop as branded merchandise.
- Haglöfs Fleece Haglöfs fleece garments for men and women sold through the Stifinder webshop as branded merchandise.
Quantifiable outcome
- Participants develop ability to create high performance teams and achieve ambitious goals in both professional and personal life
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Stifinder
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stifinder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Stifinder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stifinder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Right Management (ManpowerGroup): Global talent and career development firm offering leadership development, coaching, and outplacement within the ManpowerGroup portfolio. Comparable to Stifinder in the leadership development and coaching category, but with a much broader talent suite and global delivery.
- Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): US-based global leader in executive leadership development offering open-enrolment programmes, custom programmes, and coaching. Comparable to Stifinder in targeting senior executives with transformative residential-style leadership experiences, but at much larger scale.
- FranklinCovey: Global leadership and management development firm offering workshops, coaching, and content (e.g., The 7 Habits) to enterprises worldwide. Directly comparable to Stifinder in delivering premium, methodology-driven leadership programmes to large corporate buyers, but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established global leadership, sales, and communication training franchise with courses targeted at managers and executives. Comparable to Stifinder in delivering premium in-person leadership courses to professionals, but with a much larger licensee network and broader curriculum.
- Ken Blanchard Companies: Leadership training and consulting firm built around founder-anchored methodologies (Situational Leadership, SLII). Comparable to Stifinder in monetizing a single creator-led leadership framework across enterprise training and licensing, but with broader global distribution.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): Global leadership development firm specializing in selection, assessment, and leadership training for enterprises. Comparable to Stifinder in serving large corporate leadership development needs, but with a stronger assessment/analytics and global delivery footprint.
Direct peers
- Potentiel (formerly Muusmann): Danish executive search and leadership advisory firm. Comparable to Stifinder as a Denmark-based premium provider of executive/leadership services to large Danish enterprises, though more focused on search, board advisory, and assessment than cohort-based programmes.
- Mannaz: Danish/Nordic leadership development and consulting firm offering leadership programmes, project management training, and consulting to enterprises. Closest geographic and segment peer to Stifinder, serving the same Nordic enterprise buyer with similar in-person, premium-priced leadership development.
- BTS Group AB: Swedish-headquartered global leadership development and sales transformation consulting firm with Nordic roots. Comparable to Stifinder as a Nordic-origin premium enterprise leadership development provider, though BTS operates at significantly larger scale and with a heavier consulting/simulation mix.
Regional players
- Integrata (Capgemini Invent): German-headquartered corporate training and leadership development provider now part of Capgemini Invent. Comparable to Stifinder in delivering premium leadership training to enterprise buyers, but operating primarily in the DACH market rather than Scandinavia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Stifinder social profiles
Digital presenceStifinder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stifinder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Stifinder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stifinder 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 Stifinder
What does Stifinder do?
Stifinder A/S designs and delivers an intensive, residential three-module leadership development program (Stifinderprogrammet) for executives, managers, and specialists, grounded in a proprietary transformative learning methodology. The core program is supported by ongoing coaching services, alumni Master Classes, shorter open workshops (e.g., "The Art of Transformation"), tailor-made corporate leadership programs and strategy seminars, and a small webshop of branded books and apparel.
Is Stifinder a public or private company?
Stifinder is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Stifinder founded?
Stifinder was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Stifinder based?
Stifinder is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Stifinder make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Stifinder Programme Enrollment is the primary driver. The others are workshop and Master Class Revenue, E-commerce Product Sales and custom Corporate Programs.
Who are Stifinder's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Right Management (ManpowerGroup), Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), FranklinCovey, Dale Carnegie Training, Ken Blanchard Companies and DDI (Development Dimensions International). Direct peers are Potentiel (formerly Muusmann), Mannaz and BTS Group AB. Integrata (Capgemini Invent) is listed as a regional player.
Does Stifinder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stifinder.
What industry is Stifinder in?
Stifinder's product category is Leadership Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAA, Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development, with a secondary code of BPACANAA, Corporate & Leadership Development. Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 8200.