Copenhagen Subsea
Redefining subsea solutions with innovative, reliable, and durable thrusters
designed for the toughest underwater environments.
Innovative
Ambitious
Uncompromising
Reliable
Innovation
to the core
At Copenhagen Subsea, we believe in creating solutions that redefine what’s possible underwater. Born from a challenge to build a fully electric hull-cleaning robot, our journey began with a realization: no existing thruster could meet the demands of harsh underwater environments.
“We found out the hard way that there was no thruster that could meet our requirements,” says CTO Henrik Neuschäfer Larsen. But instead of compromising, we saw an opportunity to innovate.
By embracing the revolutionary rim-driven thruster concept, we developed a solution that operates silently, efficiently, and with unmatched durability. “Our thrusters have no oil or air inside, and therefore we can go very deep and run for thousands of hours without wearing out”, explains Henrik.
Today, our thrusters are trusted globally, from deep-sea research to offshore energy projects. “We don’t compete on price. But when it comes to reliability, we are the ones to go to,” says co-founder Jens Peter Bredholdt.
Copenhagen Subsea was founded on a simple idea: only the ultimate solution is good enough. And that’s the standard we continue to deliver every day.
Our journey
The Story of Copenhagen Subsea
We've achieved a lot since early 2000, and we know there's more on the horizon.
Here are the key events that have got us to where we are.
2000s
A Vision is Born
In the early 2000s, Henrik Neuschäfer Larsen and Jens Peter Bredholdt laid the foundation for Copenhagen Subsea while running the consultancy Kapacitet. Tasked with developing an environmentally friendly hull-cleaning robot, they identified a gap in the market for reliable, high-performance electric thrusters.
2008
The Challenge of Reliability
While working on their hull-cleaning robot, Henrik and Jens faced an insurmountable challenge: existing electric thrusters couldn’t handle the harsh underwater conditions. After five hours of operation, even the "best" thrusters failed. This realization marked the start of a journey to create a revolutionary solution.
2010
The Turning Point
The introduction of Jens Stephensen brought new expertise in hydrodynamics and ship design. Together, the three pioneers explored the rim-driven thruster concept, a design that eliminated the vulnerabilities of conventional thrusters. This was the breakthrough moment where they realized they could transform the sea from an adversary to an ally.
2012
Making the Sea a Helper
With its motor embedded around the rim and no central shaft, the rim-driven thruster design promised reliability, durability, and efficiency.
This innovation allowed for smooth operation, less entanglement, and unparalleled performance under extreme conditions.
2014
The Founding of Copenhagen Subsea
Armed with the belief that only the best was good enough, Henrik, Jens Peter, and Jens officially founded Copenhagen Subsea.
Their mission was clear: to create the most robust, reliable, and environmentally friendly subsea thrusters on the market.
2017
A Global Impact
Copenhagen Subsea’s electric thrusters proved their worth globally, operating silently at depths of up to 3 kilometers and running for over 4,000 hours nonstop.
The thrusters became the go-to solution for industries demanding reliability, from offshore energy to deep-sea research.
2020
11,000 Mattresses and Counting
One of Copenhagen Subsea’s key milestones was helping a customer install 11,000 concrete mattresses underwater using their thrusters.
The thrusters demonstrated unmatched performance, running 4,000+ hours without breakdowns, a testament to their durability and reliability.
Today
Shaping the future
Copenhagen Subsea remains driven by a commitment to perfection. With a reputation for unmatched reliability and silent operation, the company serves industries where quality is paramount, including Offshore Energy and Oil & Gas. The founders continue to refine their solutions while preparing for the next big step in the journey.