HopeNow - Empowering Trafficked People

What HopeNow - Empowering Trafficked People does

HopeNow is a Danish non-profit association (forening) established in 2007 in Frederiksberg, Denmark, that combats human trafficking through a victim-centred, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive model. Co-founded by trauma therapist Michele Mildwater and Anne Brandt Christensen, the organisation conducts trust-based social outreach on streets, in prisons, asylum centres, detention centres and deportation centres, and operates a 24/7 telephone hotline (+45 2616 1012). Its core services are direct, human-delivered: long-term trauma therapy, counselling, legal aid referrals, identification interviews (Form 1A) for official victim recognition, practical support (food, medicine, clothing, transport), and assistance with repatriation and reintegration. Over its lifetime HopeNow has screened more than 12,000 individuals and supported more than 3,000 victims.

HopeNow monetises through four streams: (i) annual individual memberships at 300 DKK and organisational memberships at 3,000 DKK that bundle discounted lectures, expert interviews and teaching resources; (ii) pay-as-you-go lectures at 1,000 DKK per hour and workshops at 3,000 DKK for 3-4 hours, delivered in Danish or English; (iii) public grants (the organisation is allotted 1.6% of Denmark's National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking 2022-2025 budget, channelled through the Department of Gender Equality and Center Mod Menneskehandel); and (iv) private donations and project-based grants from CISU, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and charitable funds. Customers split into three segments: (a) trafficked and presumed trafficked persons (primary, free of charge); (b) educational institutions purchasing lectures, workshops and memberships; and (c) Danish, EU and UN bodies engaging HopeNow for expert consultation and policy input.

The organisation is volunteer-led with approximately two paid employees, operates without proprietary technology, and is formally part of Denmark's anti-trafficking infrastructure as an official partner under the National Action Plan (2011, renewed 2022-2025 and 2026-2029). Strategic alliances include La Strada International, EU Civil Society Platform, GRETA, UNODC, OSCE, Reden International, AmiAmi, the Danish Red Cross Health Clinic, Gadejuristen, Idia Renaissance (Nigeria), HAART (Kenya, 2014-2018), and Fundación Solidaridad Amaranta (2026). HopeNow holds no patents; its only award on record is the 2014 European Crime Prevention Award from EUCPN.

Name

HopeNow - Empowering Trafficked People

Legal name

HopeNow

Website

https://hopenow.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HopeNow is a Danish non-profit, founded in 2007, that combats human trafficking through trauma-informed outreach, a 24/7 hotline, counselling, legal referrals and educational lectures, serving trafficked persons, schools, and government bodies in Denmark.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Anti-Trafficking Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN), Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)

Keywords

• Anti-trafficking outreach
• Trauma-informed counseling
• Human trafficking prevention
• Victim support services
• Survivor advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederiksberg

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: HopeNow generates revenue through annual individual memberships (300 DKK/year) and organisational memberships (3,000 DKK/year). Membership provides access to discounted lectures, workshops, expert interviews, and teaching resources.
2. Lectures and workshops: HopeNow charges 1,000 DKK for 1-hour lectures and 3,000 DKK for 3-4 hour workshops. Members receive a 30% discount. These are booked directly via email.
3. Public grants and private donations: HopeNow is a non-profit that relies on public grants (1.6% of the national yearly budget for the Action Plan 2022-2025), private grants from charitable funds, and individual donor contributions. Government funding comes via the Department of Gender Equality and the Center Against Human Trafficking.
4. International project funding: HopeNow has received funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CISU for international projects, such as the HAART Kenya partnership (2014-2018).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HopeNow is a Danish non-profit organization that provides trauma-informed outreach, counseling, and legal aid directly to trafficked people in Denmark and abroad. It also delivers paid educational lectures, workshops, and awareness programs to schools, universities, and organizations, and runs membership programs for individuals and institutions.

Product overview

HopeNow is a Danish non-profit organization (established 2007) dedicated to combating human trafficking through a victim-centred, trauma-informed approach. The organization offers a portfolio of services centered on social outreach work, harm-reduction, and empowerment of trafficked people. Core services include a 24/7 hotline, trauma-informed counseling, trust-based outreach (in streets, prisons, asylum centres), and legal aid referrals. HopeNow also provides educational offerings through memberships (individual and organizational), lectures, workshops, and art performances. The organization maintains educational resources including case studies, blog series on trafficking basics, and multilingual brochures. HopeNow participates in ongoing and completed projects including domestic outreach programs and international initiatives in Kenya. All services focus on empowering trafficked individuals and raising awareness about human trafficking across Denmark and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24/7 Hotline Support
• Trust-Based Outreach Work
• Trauma-Informed Counseling
• Legal Aid and Advocacy
• Annual Membership for Individuals
• Annual Membership for Organisations
• Educational Lectures
• Educational Workshops
• Art Performances

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 individuals screened and more than 3,000 victims supported since establishment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Fundación Solidaridad AmarantaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026HopeNow announced a collaboration with Fundación Solidaridad Amaranta to strengthen cross-border support for victims of human trafficking.
• HAART (Kenya)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014HopeNow developed and ran two projects in Kenya (2014-2018) in partnership with Kenyan NGO HAART, funded by CISU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Projects focused on awareness programmes in schools, villages, and slum areas to prevent exploitation and trafficking of Kenyans to Europe. HAART produced a toolkit as part of the programme.
• La Strada InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow holds membership in La Strada International, a European NGO platform with 25 member organisations focused on human trafficking. Through this platform, HopeNow participates in knowledge-sharing, trend analysis, and policy advocacy at the European level.
• Center Mod Menneskehandel (CMM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow collaborates closely with CMM (Center Against Human Trafficking) as a partner under the Danish National Action Plan. CMM conducts official identification of trafficked persons, and HopeNow submits data and contributes to reports including GRETA and TIP reports.
• Reden InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow cooperates nationally with Reden International, a Danish NGO providing shelter and support for trafficked women. HopeNow refers identified victims to Reden International's crisis centre.
• AmiAmicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow collaborates with AmiAmi, a Danish organisation supporting trafficked individuals, as part of the national network of anti-trafficking partners under the Danish Action Plan.
• Danish Red Cross Health Clinic CopenhagenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow refers trafficked individuals who are undocumented migrants to the Danish Red Cross Health Clinic for medical care and support services.
• The EU Civil Society Platform (CSP) to Combat Human TraffickingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2018, HopeNow has been invited twice yearly as an elected expert to the EU Civil Society Platform to Combat Human Trafficking in Brussels. This provides access to EU-level policy discussions and international best practices.
• Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow actively contributes to the GRETA report on human trafficking in Denmark, providing expert insights and data from frontline work with trafficked persons.
• UNODCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow has provided expert statements to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), contributing to international efforts to combat human trafficking.
• OSCEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow participates in OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) networks and initiatives related to human trafficking.
• ECPAT InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow maintains connections with ECPAT International, a global network focused on ending child sexual exploitation.
• Safe HorizonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow has established connections with Safe Horizon, an international organisation supporting victims of trafficking and violence.
• European Crime Prevention NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN) awarded HopeNow the European Crime Prevention Award in 2014 for setting legal precedents and preventive work against human trafficking.
• Danish Doc ProductionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow collaborates with Danish Doc Production and filmmaker Anja Dalhoff to create documentaries on human trafficking, raising public awareness through film.
• GadejuristenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow partners with Gadejuristen (The Street Lawyer), a Danish organisation providing legal aid to vulnerable individuals.
• Idia RenaissanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHopeNow maintains regular contact with Idia Renaissance, a Nigerian partner organisation, to support the reintegration of trafficked persons returning to Nigeria and prevent re-trafficking.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• HAART Kenya: Kenyan NGO that partnered with HopeNow from 2014-2018 on trafficking awareness programmes. Direct peer in delivering community-level anti-trafficking awareness and victim-support services in East Africa.
• Center Mod Menneskehandel (CMM): Denmark's official Center Against Human Trafficking, also a partner under the Danish National Action Plan. Closest direct peer as HopeNow submits identification data to CMM and both conduct official victim identification and outreach to trafficked persons in Denmark.
• AmiAmi: Danish organisation supporting trafficked individuals, identified by HopeNow as a national-network partner under the Danish Action Plan. Direct peer in outreach and victim-support services in Denmark.
• Gadejuristen: Danish 'street lawyer' organisation providing legal aid to vulnerable individuals, including those affected by trafficking. Comparable in delivering street-level legal and social support to marginalised populations in Denmark.
• Reden International: Danish NGO operating shelters and crisis centres for women in prostitution and trafficked women. HopeNow refers identified victims to Reden International, making it a closely linked operational peer in the Danish anti-trafficking service ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• ECPAT International: Global network focused on ending child sexual exploitation and trafficking. HopeNow maintains connections with ECPAT; comparable as a broader, established anti-trafficking and child-protection advocacy and policy organisation.
• Safe Horizon: Large US-based victim-services organisation supporting survivors of trafficking and violence. Comparable in providing holistic counselling, legal aid, and outreach services, but at significantly larger scale and US footprint.
• La Strada International: European NGO platform of 25 member organisations combating human trafficking. HopeNow is a member; comparable as a coordinating/advocacy umbrella spanning multiple national anti-trafficking NGOs across Europe.
• International Justice Mission: Large global anti-trafficking organisation operating rescue, restoration and justice programmes. Comparable in mission and victim-centred methodology, but operates at multi-country scale with much larger resources.

Emerging players

• Idia Renaissance: Nigerian organisation focused on reintegration of trafficking survivors and prevention of re-trafficking. HopeNow refers Nigerian returnees to Idia Renaissance; closely comparable in West-African survivor support and diaspora-linked anti-trafficking work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hopenow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about HopeNow - Empowering Trafficked People