Breaking Denmark’s Invisible Social Walls: The Story Behind BuddyUp Social
When The Copenhagen Post recently featured our co-founder, Tania Maj Vanimal Roden, the headline struck a chord: “The returning Dane who created an app for making friends in Denmark.”
Her experience, however, is not unique. Returning to Denmark after years abroad, Tania expected to find it easy to reconnect and make new friends. She spoke the language, knew the culture, and already had roots here. But she ran into something many internationals and even Danes themselves know too well: the invisible social walls of Denmark.
Why is it so hard to make friends in one of the world’s happiest countries?
Denmark consistently ranks among the happiest nations on earth. Social trust is high, communities are safe, and people enjoy a good work–life balance. On paper, it sounds like the perfect environment for friendship.
But there’s a paradox. Studies and personal stories alike show that loneliness is on the rise, particularly among young adults, expats, and even locals who move to a new city or stage of life.
Part of the reason lies in Denmark’s social culture:
Closed circles – Danes tend to form deep, long-term friendships early in life and hold onto them. This creates stability, but it also makes entering new groups difficult.
Politeness and privacy – People value not imposing on others, which sometimes translates into fewer casual invitations.
Reliance on established networks – Social life often revolves around colleagues, school friends, or family, leaving little space for newcomers.
This cultural pattern has its strengths — strong bonds, trust, and reliability — but it also creates challenges for those trying to build new connections.
A personal frustration, a broader need
Tania’s story illustrates a wider issue. Even with insider knowledge of Denmark, she felt how hard it was to break into new social circles. Multiply that by the thousands of internationals, students, professionals, and Danes who move within the country every year, and you see a clear demand for new ways to connect.
And it’s not just newcomers who feel it. Life transitions — moving to a different city, changing jobs, becoming a parent, or going through a breakup — can all leave people needing to rebuild their social networks from scratch.
The question becomes: where do you go when you want to meet new people, not just professionally, but personally?
What Denmark gets right — and what it doesn’t
Denmark does many things exceptionally well. Trust levels are among the highest in the world. Friendships, once established, are often lifelong. Social safety nets mean people don’t depend on superficial connections to “get by.”
But the flipside is that it’s harder to form new friendships as an adult. In many cultures, casual chats with strangers or spontaneous invitations are the norm; in Denmark, they can feel unusual. For those outside the established circles, this can create a sense of isolation.
That’s where BuddyUp Social steps in.
From idea to action: creating BuddyUp Social
BuddyUp Social was born out of Tania’s frustration but quickly grew into a vision shared with co-founder Graham Findlay. Together, they wanted to lower the barriers to friendship in Denmark by making it simple, natural, and interest-based.
The app connects people not through endless swiping or abstract profiles but through shared experiences. Want to find someone to join you for a ceramics class, a football game, or a cultural event? BuddyUp makes it easy to create or join activities that match your interests.
It’s not about replacing deep friendships. It’s about making that first step less intimidating — helping people get from “I’d like to meet someone” to “I actually had a great time with new friends this weekend.”
Building a culture of connection
The Copenhagen Post article put a spotlight on one story, but it speaks to a much larger cultural shift. More people are openly acknowledging that friendship in adulthood takes effort. Loneliness, once considered a taboo subject, is being discussed more — and solutions are needed.
BuddyUp Social isn’t trying to change Danish culture. Instead, it’s offering a bridge. A tool that respects the value of meaningful, long-term relationships while giving people the chance to create new ones — whether they’re internationals discovering Denmark, returning Danes re-settling, or locals simply looking to expand their circles.
Join the movement
What started as one person’s frustration has turned into a broader mission: to make socialising in Denmark easier, warmer, and more accessible.
If you’ve ever felt the invisible walls, you’re not alone. And you don’t have to face them alone. BuddyUp Social is here to help you find the people, activities, and moments that make Denmark feel like home.
👉 Download BuddyUp Social today and take the first step toward your next friendship.