the ds company

What the ds company does

The DS Company ApS is a privately held Danish technology company founded in 2023 and headquartered at the AI Innovation House in Vejle, Denmark. It designs, engineers, and manufactures the DS One, a weatherproof, battery-powered digital sidewalk sign intended to replace traditional paper A-boards outside retail and hospitality locations. The hardware is paired with The DS Company Cloud Content Management System (CMS), a proprietary cloud platform that lets operators update content, run multiple campaigns, and manage fleets of devices from a central dashboard, with optional 4G mobile connectivity for sites without fixed Wi-Fi.

The company monetizes through hardware unit sales of the DS One and a recurring CMS subscription listed at €39.99 per month, with an iOS companion app (DS One Battery App) extending battery and device management to mobile operators. Customers include Samsung, MediaMarkt, Oakley, EssilorLuxottica, MediaMarkt, Harald Nyborg, Husqvarna, Matas, Profil Optik, Kaufmann, Grohe, DK Company, and Cheil, spanning retail, eyewear, beauty, garden/power equipment, and agency use cases. Go-to-market is led by a global network of authorized value-added resellers supplemented by direct website sales, with lead generation anchored on five major European trade shows (ISE Barcelona, EuroCIS Düsseldorf, Retail Technology Show London, BiblioCon Hamburg, Horecava Amsterdam). The firm is founder-led (Nick ten Berge, Founder and R&D Manager), has 1-10 employees, has not disclosed external funding, and was nominated for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Vejle 2026.

Name

the ds company

Legal name

The DS Company ApS

Website

https://theds.company

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The DS Company designs and manufactures the DS One, a weatherproof battery-powered digital sidewalk sign with cloud CMS, and sells it to retailers and hospitality chains via a global authorized reseller network, supplemented by direct sales and a €39.99/month CMS subscription.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Outdoor Signage Hardware

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Demand-Side Platforms (DSP) (BPAMALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Battery Management Systems (BMS) & Battery Electronics (IMAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Digital signage hardware
• Outdoor retail displays
• Cloud content management
• Digital sidewalk signs
• Battery powered signage

Headquarters

HQ city

Vejle

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. DS One Hardware Sales: Sale of the DS One digital sidewalk sign hardware units. The product is designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house in Europe.
2. Cloud CMS Subscription: Monthly subscription model for access to The DS Company Cloud Content Management System, providing content management capabilities for the digital sidewalk signs. Pricing at €39.99 per month as indicated on the Dutch website.
3. Advertising Space Monetization: The DS One enables businesses to sell advertising space on their digital sidewalk signs, creating an additional revenue stream for customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The DS Company designs, engineers, and manufactures the DS One — a weatherproof, battery-powered digital sidewalk sign that replaces traditional paper A-boards for outdoor retail use — and pairs it with a proprietary cloud-based Content Management System (CMS) that lets businesses remotely update content, manage campaigns, and control multiple devices. The system offers up to 20+ hours of battery life, optional 4G connectivity, and customizable branding, with an iOS DS One Battery App for device management. The product is produced in-house in Europe and distributed through a global network of authorized value-added partners.

Product overview

The DS Company offers a unified product portfolio centered on the DS One digital sidewalk sign combined with its proprietary Cloud Content Management System. The DS One is the core hardware product—a weatherproof, battery-powered digital display for outdoor retail use—while the Cloud CMS provides centralized content management and control. A companion mobile app (DS One Battery App) extends functionality for battery management on iOS devices. Optional 4G connectivity enables deployment flexibility independent of WiFi networks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DS One: The flagship digital sidewalk sign product featuring cloud-based CMS control, weatherproof design, up to 20+ hours battery operation, and optional 4G mobile connectivity.

Products and services

• DS One Digital Sidewalk Sign A weatherproof, battery-powered (20+ hours) outdoor digital display designed to replace traditional paper A-boards for retail stores; supports customizable branding, optional 4G connectivity, and is engineered and manufactured in-house in Europe.
• The DS Company Cloud Content Management System (CMS) Proprietary cloud-based platform for remote control and management of DS One sidewalk signs, enabling centralized updates, multi-campaign management, data-driven content, and multi-location control of sidewalk messaging.
• DS One Battery App iOS mobile application providing battery management and device control for the DS One digital sidewalk sign, available on the Apple App Store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 20+ hours of battery operation on a single charge

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Authorized Value-Added PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of authorized partners who represent The DS Company's digital sidewalk sign solutions. Partners receive comprehensive product training, marketing support, co-branding opportunities, and priority access to new innovations. The company is actively expanding this network worldwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• BrightSign: BrightSign is a leading maker of digital signage media players and signage-grade hardware/software solutions for retail and DOOH. The DS Company competes in a closely adjacent niche of all-in-one battery-powered outdoor signage combined with cloud content management.
• ScreenCloud: ScreenCloud is a cloud-based digital signage SaaS platform used by retailers and enterprises to power in-store displays. Its CMS-led software model mirrors The DS Company's Cloud CMS approach and competes for the same content-management wallet.
• Yodeck: Yodeck provides cloud-managed digital signage solutions targeting small businesses and retail chains. It competes with The DS Company on the simplicity and remote-management angle of running screens across multiple locations.
• IAdea: IAdea manufactures digital signage media players and all-in-one displays used in retail and DOOH. The DS Company's DS One competes in a similar hardware-plus-cloud-management category, particularly for retail deployments.
• Mvix: Mvix provides cloud-based digital signage hardware and software for retail, hospitality, and enterprise. Its combination of signage hardware and a CMS platform is closely comparable to The DS Company's offering.

Broad incumbents

• STRATACACHE: STRATACACHE is a large-scale digital signage, retail media, and DOOH solutions provider with a much broader portfolio. It overlaps with The DS Company in outdoor digital signage for retailers but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• Broadsign: Broadsign is a DOOH advertising platform that powers programmatic out-of-home media. It overlaps with the advertising-monetization angle of The DS Company while serving a much larger and more established DOOH network base.
• Scala: Scala is a long-standing digital signage software and solutions provider for retail, QSR, and enterprise. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping cloud CMS and retail signage capabilities but a much wider product footprint than The DS Company.
• Samsung (MagicInfo / Pro Display): Samsung's commercial displays combined with MagicInfo CMS software form an integrated digital signage solution for retailers. Ironically listed as a DS Company customer, Samsung also competes directly with full-stack in-store signage offerings.

Emerging players

• Kitcast: Kitcast is a smaller digital signage platform focusing on Apple TV- and iOS-based screens for retail and SMBs. It overlaps with The DS Company on the cloud-CMS-for-displays axis but serves a different deployment footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thedscompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_ds_company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 the ds company