What Ventilex does

Ventilex B.V., founded in 1965 and headquartered in Heerde, Netherlands, designs and manufactures industrial thermal-treatment equipment — primarily fluidized bed dryers, belt dryers, DryGenic air dehumidification systems, and HTST sterilizers — for the food, animal feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin/collagen-peptide, and meat-processing industries. The company's core technical platform centers on a proprietary fluid bed dryer with an exclusive mechanical shaking motion operating at -15°C to +600°C, complemented by the Ventura two-stage dryer with heat recovery and the DryGenic liquid-desiccant (DrySol) dehumidification system. Ventilex holds approximately two-thirds of the global premium gelatin drying market, with over 1,000 commissioned units across 80+ countries.

Ventilex generates revenue primarily through one-time equipment sales of custom-engineered drying installations designed after product testing at the company's Test Center in Heerde, supplemented by recurring lifecycle service contracts, spare parts, optimization consulting, and energy-savings assessments. The go-to-market model is enterprise field sales via direct technical sales engineers, supported by a Sales & Service office in Cincinnati (since 2001) serving North America and global on-site testing capabilities. Customers include large enterprises across multiple verticals — Nestlé, JBS, EDEKA, Sibelco, CPI, Indofood, Miratorg, Asia Cement, and Wilson Salt among others. Strategic partnerships with VetterTec (collagen-peptide lines), Solutherm (heat pump integration), Altop (DryGenic), TEWS (moisture sensing), ThermoSeed Global AB (seed sterilization), and DIL (food R&D) extend the company's reach into adjacent processing technologies and end markets.

The company remains privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or external funding rounds, operates with a team of 100+ professionals globally, and markets its economic value proposition primarily through documented energy savings (40-60% versus traditional drying, up to 60% on air handling, 30-year service life claims on DryGenic units) and a Test Center-enabled application engineering capability.

Name

Ventilex

Legal name

Ventilex B.V.

Website

https://ventilex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ventilex B.V. is a Dutch industrial drying equipment manufacturer, founded in 1965, serving food, feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin, and meat-processing customers across 80+ countries with proprietary fluid bed, belt dryer, and air dehumidification systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drying Equipment

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413), Air-Conditioning and Warm Air Heating Equipment and Commercial and Industrial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (333415), Ventilation, Heating, Air-Conditioning, and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing (3334), Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Industrial Process Furnaces & Ovens (3567)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Drying & Evaporation Equipment (Dryers, Evaporators, Crystallizers) (IMAHAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ventilation, Ducting & Air Distribution Equipment (IMAHAKAG), Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC), Ventilation System Installation & Repair (Bath/Kitchen Fans, ERV/HRV) (HSAOAIAF)

Keywords

• Industrial drying solutions
• Fluid bed drying
• Air dehumidification systems
• Steam sterilization equipment
• Thermal processing equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Heerde

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Drying Equipment Sales: Sale of customized industrial drying solutions including Fluid Bed Dryers, Belt Dryers, Air Dehumidifiers, and Sterilizers. Equipment is tailored to customer specifications based on product testing at the Test Center.
2. Lifecycle Service and Maintenance: Comprehensive service packages including inspection, maintenance, spare parts, certification, optimization, and training. Service contracts ensure extended warranty (24 months vs 12 months standard) and near-zero downtime.
3. Energy Savings Consulting: Free energy savings cost assessments and paid optimization services. Solutions include stock pile management, system optimization, equipment upgrades, and heat recovery systems.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ventilex designs, engineers, manufactures, and services industrial drying solutions, including fluid bed dryers, belt dryers, air dehumidifiers (DryGenic), and steam sterilizers, for food, feed, minerals, gelatin, and meat processing applications. Each installation is customized after product testing at the company's Test Center in Heerde, Netherlands. The company also provides lifecycle services including maintenance, spare parts, optimization, and training to over 1,000 installed units across 80+ countries.

Product overview

Ventilex is a global leader in industrial drying solutions offering a comprehensive portfolio of thermal treatment equipment. The core product lineup includes Fluid Bed Dryers, Belt Dryers, DryGenic® Air Dehumidifiers, and Sterilizers. These products share a common focus on energy efficiency, precise process control, and gentle handling of materials. The specialized Ventura® two-stage system provides highest efficiency for sand drying with up to 35% energy savings. Ventilex serves diverse markets including food, feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin, and meat processing. The company's Test Center in Heerde, Netherlands enables product testing and process optimization before equipment deployment. Lifecycle services support equipment throughout its operational life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fluid Bed Dryer Industrial fluidized bed dryer that uses upward-moving gas flow combined with a gentle mechanical shaking motion to achieve optimal heat transfer and uniform drying results. Operates at temperatures from -15°C to +600°C with gas speeds of 0.2 to 3 m/sec. Sold to enterprise customers in food, feed, minerals, chemical, and gelatin industries.
• Belt Dryer Continuous conveyor belt drying system that transports product on a perforated belt while hot air is pressed through the bed, generating uniform output and good product quality with optional heat recovery system. Used by enterprise customers in food, feed, gelatin, and mineral applications.
• DryGenic Air Dehumidifier Liquid desiccant-based dehumidification system that produces large volumes of cold, dry, clean, bacteria-free air using proprietary DrySol solution. Kills and removes up to 99.9% of airborne bacteria, viruses, and molds. Available with air volumes up to 120,000 m3/h and moisture removal up to 2,000 kg/h. Sold to meat processing, food, and other industrial facilities.
• Sterilizer (HTST Steam Sterilization)
• Ventura Two-Stage Fluid Bed Dryer Advanced two-stage drying system that integrates into a single fluid-bed setup, achieving up to 35% energy savings through recirculation of process air in the first stage with minimal refresh rate and heat recovery in the second stage. Products exit at stable 40°C. Primarily used for sand and mineral drying.
• Fluid Bed Roaster
• Lifecycle Service and Maintenance
• ThermoSeed Chemical-Free Seed Sterilization Chemical-free thermal disinfection technology for seeds using hot, humid air. Ventilex integrates ThermoSeed technology into custom-designed seed sterilization units capable of processing up to 25 ton/h. Provides 100% sustainable treatment with increased crop yield benefits. Sold to seed producers and agricultural processors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-60% energy savings on steam/gas/oil costs compared to traditional drying systems
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SoluthermcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Formal partnership following several years of joint innovation in thermal treatment solutions. Combined expertise enables energy-saving heat pumps that capture residual process heat and re-inject it into thermal treatment. Saves customers up to 10,000 Euro in heating costs per month with 3-5 year payback.
• VetterTeccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Formal partnership for gelatin and collagen-peptide production technology. Ventilex leads in gelatin belt dryers; VetterTec provides spray drying technologies. Joint capability enables end-to-end collagen-peptide production lines. Customers upgrading plants to produce collagen-peptide benefit from combined expertise.
• Altop KunststoftechniekcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Exclusive partnership for DryGenic air dehumidifying solutions. Altop provides plastic equipment construction expertise. Together established over 500 air dehumidification systems in 45 countries. Partnership focuses on innovating next generation DryGenic with emphasis on energy reduction.
• ThermoSeed Global ABcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2004Partnership since validation of first industrial scale prototype in 2004. ThermoSeed provides chemical-free seed sterilization technology using hot, humid air. Ventilex has developed and installed 10 custom designed seed sterilization units integrating ThermoSeed technology.
• TEWScoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with TEWS for moisture measurement technology. TEWS microwave moisture sensors integrated into Ventilex gelatin dryers for automatic control with accuracy up to +/- 0.5%. Partnership enables improved yield, energy savings, enhanced productivity, and rapid amortization period of less than one year.
• DIL (Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVentilex and DIL joined forces by expanding DIL technology center in Quakenbrück, Germany with Ventilex Fluid Bed Dryer technology. Provides complete research and food-grade pilot production infrastructure for development of healthy, sustainable-protein food products. IFS accredited facility for extruded protein products, encapsulated products, and cereal products.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GEA Group: Global industrial drying and separation equipment OEM (e.g., fluid bed, spray dryers) serving food, feed, dairy, chemicals and pharma — directly comparable to Ventilex's core fluid-bed and belt dryer franchises across overlapping end-markets.
• Andritz Group: Provides industrial drying and separation technologies (including fluid bed) for food, feed, chemicals and minerals, similar to Ventilex's verticals, with comparable customized, engineer-to-order equipment projects.
• Bühler Group: Major food and feed processing equipment manufacturer offering drying and thermal treatment solutions to grain, feed and food customers that overlap materially with Ventilex's food, feed and aquaculture drying customers.
• Glatt Group: Specialist in fluidized bed technology for drying, granulation and coating in pharmaceutical, food and chemical applications — competes with Ventilex in fluid bed process equipment for similar end-markets.
• Coperion: Supplies bulk material processing and thermal processing equipment including fluid bed dryers for chemicals, minerals, food and plastics — direct overlap with Ventilex's chemicals and minerals drying customers.
• Carrier Vibrating Equipment: Manufactures vibrating fluid bed dryers and coolers with shaking/vibration motion similar to Ventilex's proprietary shaking-motion fluid bed dryer, serving minerals, food, chemical and processing industries.
• Stalam: Italian manufacturer of industrial dryers (including belt and RF drying) for food, textile and chemical applications — comparable to Ventilex's belt dryer line and food/chemical customer base.
• Thaletec: Specializes in drying, sterilization and thermal treatment equipment (e.g., enameled process equipment for chemical and pharmaceutical) — overlapping sterilization process technology with Ventilex's HTST Sterilizer product family.
• Wenger: US-based manufacturer of thermal processing and drying equipment for food, pet food and aquafeed — directly comparable to Ventilex's animal feed and aquafeed drying applications with similar customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Pak: Large food and dairy processing solutions provider with drying capabilities embedded in broader processing lines. Less specialized in fluid bed drying than Ventilex but competes for the same enterprise food processing capex.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Ventilex