Jacob Sørensen Severin (27 October 1691 – 21 March 1753) was a Danish merchant who held a trade monopoly on Greenland from 1733 to 1749.
The failure of the Bergen Greenland Company (Det Bergen Grønlandske Compagnie) operated by Hans Egede and of the royal colony in Greenland established by Claus Paarss allowed Severin to convince the new King Christian VI and his council to grant his company a full monopoly over trade with the Greenland settlements, a right King Frederick IV had previously withheld for fear of antagonizing merchants of the Dutch Republic.
Severin received the right to fly the Danebrog in 1738 and successfully repulsed the Dutch in 1738 and 1739, seizing four of their ships while losing only one of his own.
[4] Jacobshavn (modern Ilulissat) was named for him, and Poul Egede called him his dearest friend.
Owing to his friendship with the missionary Paul Egede; however, Severin remained connected to the Greenland mission work throughout his life.