What Validate Consult does

Validate Consult ApS is a Danish private consulting firm founded in 2019 by Anders Graabæk and headquartered in Stege, Denmark. The firm provides structured entrepreneurial development services built on lean startup methodology, organized around three pillars: business model design, market validation, and agile development. Core offerings include a 13-week staged entrepreneur workshop, acceleration program design and delivery for ecosystem partners, and a multi-step pitch training program with online learning portal access, templates, and 1:1 coaching. The firm explicitly avoids vertical specialization in order to advise entrepreneurs across industries on finding their business model.

The customer base spans two principal segments: ecosystem organizations (accelerators, hubs, universities, capital funds) for whom Validate designs and delivers cohort-based program curricula, and individual entrepreneurs seeking direct coaching, pitch training, and market validation advisory. Notable ecosystem partners include Sound Hub Denmark (Sound Tech Accelerator, serving 7 global audio/sound scaleups), the United Nations Development Programme (SDG Accelerator, serving 7 Danish maritime companies), DTU Skylab, Den Sociale Kapitalfond, Impact Danmark, and Danish Creative Industries. Named client outcomes include Bold Drinks (Denmark's 2nd largest iced coffee brand, 750,000 DKK raised on Løvens Hule), Crate It (1,000,000 DKK from White Box), and Snackback Studios (1,000,000 DKK plus DCI GO 2022 prize of 150,000 DKK).

Revenue is generated entirely through professional services — consulting engagements, workshop facilitation, accelerator curriculum delivery, and pitch training program fees — with no publicly disclosed pricing. The firm operates with a small core team (Anders Graabæk as Founder/CEO, Azadeh as Project Manager/Communications Lead, Frederik as Student Worker/In-house Tech) and supplements its services with the 'Becoming Bold' podcast, an online learning portal, and a downloadable profile brochure for content-led demand generation. Validate Consult is privately held with no external funding or parent company.

Name

Validate Consult

Legal name

Validate Consult Aps

Website

https://validateconsult.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Validate Consult ApS is a Danish founder-led consulting firm, founded 2019, that delivers lean startup workshops, accelerator program design, market validation, and pitch training to entrepreneurs and Danish ecosystem organizations including Sound Hub Denmark and UNDP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Startup consulting services
• Pitch training programs
• Market validation advisory
• Lean startup methodology
• Entrepreneurship coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Stege

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: Validate Consult generates revenue by providing consulting services to companies, organizations, and investors on lean startup, market validation, and innovation. Services include 1:1 coaching and direct consulting with entrepreneurs. The company also designs and delivers entrepreneurial programs and workshops for ecosystem partners.
2. Pitch Training Programs: Structured pitch training programs for startups, including direct 1-1 pitch coaching, online learning portal access, pitch deck templates, case studies, and investor due diligence planning. Billed as a multi-step program including startup meeting, online preparation, pitch training sessions, and follow-up.
3. Entrepreneurial Program Design and Delivery: Design, development, and execution of entrepreneurial acceleration programs for ecosystem organizations such as FN's SDG Accelerator, Impact Danmark, Sound Tech Accelerator, DTU Skylab, and Den Sociale Kapitalfond. Programs cover workshops, customer discovery, lean methodology training, and startup engagement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Validate Consult ApS provides consulting services for entrepreneurs and innovators built on lean startup methodology. The firm offers a 13-week staged Workshop program, Acceleration program design and delivery for ecosystem partners, Pitch Training with 1-on-1 coaching, Market Validation consulting, and 1:1 Sparring. Services are delivered through direct consulting, in-person workshops, structured acceleration programs for accelerators/universities/capital funds, and an online learning portal supporting the pitch training program.

Product overview

Validate Consult is a consulting firm for entrepreneurs and innovators, not a software product company. The company offers a portfolio of consulting services centered on lean startup methodology, consisting of three core pillars: business model design, market validation, and agile development. The main service offerings include a 13-week structured Workshop program designed for entrepreneurs at different development stages, Acceleration programs for lean startup methodology, and Pitch Training with 1-on-1 coaching, online learning modules, and investor preparation tools. Additional services include topic-specific Workshops (From Idea to Action, Customer Segmentation, Value Creation and Pricing), Market Validation consulting, and 1:1 Sparring coaching. The company also produces the 'Becoming Bold' podcast as a case-based educational resource. All services are delivered through direct consulting, program design for ecosystem partners, and workshop facilitation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 13-Week Workshop Program (13-ugers forløb) A 13-week structured program designed specifically for entrepreneurs at their current development stage, progressing from startup/chaos phase through go-to-market to scaling. Built on lean startup methodology.
• Acceleration Program Design & Delivery Design, development, and execution of entrepreneurship acceleration programs for ecosystem organizations. Programs use lean startup methodology and have been delivered for UN's SDG Accelerator, Impact Danmark, and Sound Tech Accelerator.
• Pitch Training Program (Pitch Træning) Structured pitch training program that helps entrepreneurs prepare investor presentations and secure funding. Delivered as a multi-step engagement: initial meeting, online learning portal preparation, 1-on-1 pitch coaching sessions (2 x 1 hour), and follow-up session covering investor strategy and due diligence. Developed from experience with over 100 startups annually.
• Topic-Specific Workshops Individual workshop sessions on targeted entrepreneurship topics for cohorts within accelerator programs and ecosystem events. Popular topics include 'From Idea to Action', 'Customer Segmentation', and 'Value Creation and Pricing'.
• Market Validation Consulting (Markedsvalidering) Consulting service helping entrepreneurs validate their business models and market assumptions through systematic customer discovery techniques and lean startup methodology.
• 1:1 Sparring (One-on-One Coaching) Individual coaching sessions providing personalized support for entrepreneurs on their journey from idea to execution. Covers lean startup methodology, business model design, market validation, and ongoing advisory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Denmark's 2nd largest iced coffee brand (Bold Drinks) grown from a failed L.A. Coffee concept under Validate's advisory
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sound Hub Denmark / Sound Tech AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidate serves as program partner for Sound Tech Accelerator, the world's leading accelerator for audio/sound technology startups. Validate designed and delivers the curriculum for 7 global scaleups in the program. Sound Hub Denmark was named Forbes' Nordic Best Startup Hub 2024. Validate provides workshops on customer discovery, lean methodology, and validation.
• FN / UNDP SDG AcceleratorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidate partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the SDG Accelerator program in Denmark, helping 7 Danish maritime companies rethink their business models and kickstart green innovation aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Impact Danmark / Impact StartUpcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidate partnered with Impact Danmark on the Impact StartUp accelerator program. Anders Graabæk delivered teaching on pitch training and Business Model Canvas as part of the program's curriculum for social entrepreneurs.
• DTU SkylabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidate delivered a full-day workshop on Customer & Value Creation for DTU students at DTU Skylab. Anders took the learning objectives and turned them into a super engaging and eye-opening workshop, with positive feedback from Accelerator Program Leader Camilla Nørgaard Jensen.
• Den Sociale KapitalfondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidate partnered with Den Sociale Kapitalfond on their Impact StartUp accelerator. Anders Graabæk delivered pitch training and Business Model Canvas workshops. Business Development Manager Helle Bergstrøm noted Anders' super good performance, making material understandable, vivid, and highly relevant.
• Danish Creative Industries (DCI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough Danish Creative Industries, Validate helped matchmake Crate It with White Box (which invested 1,000,000 DKK). Validate also facilitated participation in DCI GO 2022 pitch competition where Snackback Studios won.
• Roskilde FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoskilde Festival is listed as a partner/client logo on Validate's website, indicating collaboration or advisory engagement within the Danish cultural/innovation ecosystem.
• B&OminorGTM or Marketing PartnerB&O (Bang & Olufsen) is listed as a partner/client logo on Validate's website, indicating engagement within the Danish innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Strategyzer: The originator of the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Design methodologies that Validate Consult explicitly uses and in which founder Anders Graabæk is certified. Strategyzer operates globally with courses, software, and consulting — a broader incumbent in the same methodology space.
• Leanstack: Provider of the Continuous Innovation Framework in which Anders Graabæk is certified. Leanstack helps teams apply lean startup methodologies to corporate innovation, operating more broadly than Validate's entrepreneur-focused practice.
• Startupbootcamp: Global accelerator network running industry-specific cohorts with partner organizations (similar to Validate's role in Sound Tech Accelerator). Comparable in the accelerator program design and delivery model, though at much larger scale.
• Seedstars: Global accelerator and competition platform focused on emerging markets and early-stage startups. Comparable to Validate's pitch training and accelerator delivery, but operating at significantly larger scale and geographic breadth.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global peer-to-peer network of entrepreneurs providing learning, mentorship, and community programs. Comparable to Validate's coaching and pitch training for ambitious founders, though framed as long-term peer learning rather than methodology transfer.
• SCORE: US-based nonprofit providing free mentoring, workshops, and training to small business owners and entrepreneurs. Comparable to Validate's workshop and 1:1 coaching model, though operating at vastly larger scale and via volunteers.

Direct peers

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed startup accelerator and training program that combines cohort-based education with mentorship and structured programs. Highly comparable to Validate's 13-week workshops and acceleration design for early-stage entrepreneurs.
• The Family: European education and support platform for early-stage entrepreneurs, providing structured programs, mentorship, and community. Directly comparable to Validate's combined education, mentorship, and ecosystem-partner delivery model.

Regional players

• Rainmaking: Copenhagen-based startup ecosystem builder running accelerators, corporate innovation programs, and venture studios. Overlaps with Validate's accelerator design and corporate innovation work, primarily in the Nordic region.
• Accelerace: Nordic accelerator that invests in and supports early-stage startups through cohort programs. Directly comparable to Validate's cohort-based delivery model in accelerator contexts, focused on the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/validate-consult
• Instagraminstagram.com/validate_consult?igsh=MWE2ZnZ0cmlkeTZiMw==

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Validate Consult