Hersenstichting

What Hersenstichting does

Hersenstichting is a Dutch charitable foundation (stichting) headquartered in The Hague, founded in 1989 and operating with 101–250 employees. Its mission is to fund research and provide information and practical tools to prevent, slow, and cure brain disorders. The foundation serves the roughly four million people in the Netherlands living with brain conditions, alongside their caregivers and the broader Dutch public seeking brain-health guidance.

The foundation operates a portfolio of programmes anchored by the Ommetje walking app — the #1 walking app in the Netherlands with 1.7 million downloads and 175 million logged walks — which uses GPS tracking, gamification (XP, levels, medals, badges), and social features (teams, Samen-om, levels competition) to drive daily walking behaviour. Supporting tools include the HersenCoach programme, SlaapCheck sleep questionnaire, SlaapChallenge, and the De Hoofdpersonen podcast. Targeted programmes serve specific populations: The Class provides year-long coaching for 18–30 year-olds with non-congenital brain injury; Breintalent is an annual day for adolescents with NAH; the Sunset Walk is a flagship annual fundraising event; and the Van der Sar Sport- en Beweegsubsidie (€10,000–€15,000 per project) funds inclusive sport programmes. A 2021 merger absorbed the Edwin van der Sar Foundation, bringing The Class and the sport subsidy into the foundation.

Hersenstichting's revenue model is donation-driven, drawing on approximately 152,000 individual donors (one-time and monthly recurring), three national lottery partnerships (Nationale Postcode Loterij, VriendenLoterij, Nederlandse Loterij — each allocating a minimum of 40% of ticket proceeds to good causes), event fundraising (Sunset Walk, annual collecte), legacies, webshop sales, and corporate engagement. In 2024, the foundation deployed €17.1 million across research, projects, and innovation. Distribution runs through owned digital properties (website, app stores, donation portal), physical channels (door-to-door via Direct Result, postal Hersenmagazine, events), and lottery channels. The foundation holds CBF Erkenning, ANBI status, and DDN certification, reinforcing its regulatory legitimacy and donor trust.

Name

Hersenstichting

Legal name

Hersenstichting

Website

https://hersenstichting.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hersenstichting is a Dutch charitable foundation that funds brain-disorder research and provides practical tools, information, and programmes — including the Ommetje walking app and The Class reintegration programme — for the four million people in the Netherlands affected by brain conditions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Brain Health Foundation

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA)

Keywords

• Brain health research
• Charitable foundation
• Walking app
• Brain disease awareness
• Donor fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations & Memberships: Hersenstichting relies primarily on private donations from ~152,000 donors. Revenue is generated through one-time and recurring (monthly) donations via the website, direct mail, and door-to-door fundraising conducted by Direct Result. Donors receive the Hersenmagazine and e-newsletters.
2. Lottery Partnerships: Hersenstichting receives annual contributions from three Dutch lotteries: Nationale Postcode Loterij (minimum 40% of lot price to ~146 charities), VriendenLoterij (minimum 40% to ~57 cultural partners and ~3,500 good causes), and Nederlandse Loterij (via Aanwending Loterijgelden Nederland). In 2018, the Nederlandse Loterij contribution was €360,000.
3. Event Fundraising (Sunset Walk, Collecte): The annual Sunset Walk (2026: €175,489 raised; 1,664 participants across Noordwijk and Sallandse Heuvelrug) mobilises thousands of walkers raising money through pledges and sponsorship. The annual door-to-door collecte also generates significant revenue.
4. Webshop Product Sales: The webshop sells educational publications (brochures, folders, cards) — most free or low-cost (€1.50–€5.00) — and premium items including the 'Het Geheim van je Brein' puzzle book (€18.75), 'Voed je brein' cookbook (€29.95), and the PrikkelPlan workbook (€5.00). Revenue from these items funds the mission.
5. The Class & Sport/Beweegsubsidie: The Class participatietraject for young adults with NAH is offered free of charge to participants, funded by subsidies and grants. The Van der Sar Sport- en Beweegsubsidie (€10,000–€15,000 per project; €3,250 per duofiets) is awarded to organisations expanding inclusive sport and movement programmes.
6. Large Gifts & Legacies (Nalatenschap): The organisation receives large one-time gifts from individual philanthropists and bequests (legacies), which are solicited through dedicated pages, the 'Mijn nalatenschapsdossier' tool, and direct relationship management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hersenstichting is a Dutch charitable foundation that funds brain-health research, raises public awareness of brain conditions, and provides practical tools and programmes to support people with brain disorders. Its core offerings include the free Ommetje gamified walking app, The Class reintegration programme for young adults with acquired brain injury, the annual Sunset Walk fundraising event, sleep and brain-health self-assessment tools (SleepCheck, SlaapChallenge, HersenCoach), educational publications via its webshop, and ambassador-led awareness campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 175 million ommetjes walked since Ommetje launch, making it the #1 walking app in the Netherlands with 1.7 million downloads.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability3 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Direct ResultcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDirect Result is the door-to-door fundraising agency conducting donor recruitment for Hersenstichting. Their teams wear branded workwear with the Hersenstichting logo and carry identification badges. All fundraisers are DDDN-certified and registered in a national database. Fundraising occurs on weekdays 09:00–21:00 and Saturdays 10:00–20:00.
• Collected WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollected Works (including Solo Stories) is a theatre and media production company that co-developed the 'De Hoofdpersonen' podcast series with Hersenstichting and Annemiek Lely. The podcast is produced by Collected Works, which develops theatre and media productions with social themes.
• Annemiek LelycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnemiek Lely is both an ambassador and co-producer of the De Hoofdpersonen podcast series. She also hosts the Hersenstichting podcast series as its voice since 2020, conducting interviews with experienced experts, scientists, and relatives.
• Edwin van der Sar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Edwin van der Sar Foundation, which supports people with brain injury through sport and movement initiatives, merged into Hersenstichting on 1 January 2021. Its activities — including The Class participatietraject and the Van der Sar Sport- en Beweegsubsidie — continue under Hersenstichting. Edwin and Annemarie van der Sar serve as ambassadors.
• VanRaamcoreOthersVanRaam is the manufacturer of duofiets (tandem bikes) subsidised through the Van der Sar Sport- en Beweegsubsidie. Orders are placed via VanRaam dealers (or local dealers) with the bike delivered in the Hersenstichting purple colour. Total bike cost: €9,735.44 incl. VAT; subsidy: €3,250.
• Provinciale Sportorganisaties (Provincial Sports Organisations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor project subsidy applications, Hersenstichting requests endorsement from provincial sports organisations (provinciale sportorganisaties). They validate that the applicant organisation is active within the relevant sport/welfare domain.
• FietsmaatjesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFietsmaatjes is cited as an example of an existing duofiets organisation model that duofiets subsidy applicants can adopt for the sustainable organisation and use of subsidised tandem bikes.
• Cycling Without Age Nederland / Fietsen Alle JarenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCycling Without Age Nederland (Fietsen Alle Jaren) is cited as an example of an existing duofiets organisation model that duofiets subsidy applicants can adopt for the sustainable organisation and use of subsidised tandem bikes.
• Nationaal Plan HoofdzakencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHersenstichting participates in the Nationaal Plan Hoofdzaken, a national initiative bringing together stakeholders to improve brain health outcomes in the Netherlands.
• Gezonde GeneratieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHersenstichting partners with the Gezonde Generatie initiative, focused on promoting healthy habits among children and young people in the Netherlands.
• BRAINSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHersenstichting participates in the BRAINS collaboration, a Dutch brain research and innovation initiative.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hersenletsel.nl: Dutch patient association for non-congenital brain injury (NAH) survivors and families. Overlaps heavily with Hersenstichting's NAH-focused programming (Breintalent, The Class) and serves the same target population.
• Longfonds: Dutch Lung Foundation - another large Dutch health charity with lottery partnerships, donor programmes, research funding, and awareness campaigns. Comparable scale and GDN-member operating posture.
• Alzheimer Nederland: Dutch voluntary health organization focused on dementia and Alzheimer's. Closest in mission (brain/disease-specific fundraising, research funding, patient support) and operating model (CBF/ANBI status, lottery funding, donor programmes) in the Netherlands.
• KWF Kankerbestrijding: Dutch Cancer Society - large Dutch voluntary health organization funding cancer research, awareness, and patient support. Comparable in donor base size, lottery income, CBF recognition, and public campaigning mechanics.
• Parkinson Vereniging: Dutch Parkinson's patient association funding research, providing information, and advocating for patients. Directly comparable disease-specific neurology charity model in the Netherlands.
• Hartstichting: Dutch Heart Foundation - major Dutch health charity raising funds for cardiovascular research, awareness, and patient support. Highly comparable in scale, fundraising mechanics (lottery partners, door-to-door collecte, ambassadors), and nonprofit status.
• MS Research Foundation: Dutch foundation raising funds for multiple sclerosis research. Comparable research-grant-making health nonprofit operating in the Dutch neurology space alongside Hersenstichting.
• Nationale Vereniging ReumaZorg (ReumaNederland): Dutch musculoskeletal disease charity funding research and supporting patients. Comparable Dutch voluntary-health-organization operating model, fundraising mix, and donor-program mechanics.
• EpilepsieNL: Dutch organization for people with epilepsy and their families, funding research and providing support. Comparable brain-conditions charity with similar funding, awareness, and patient-support programmes.

Regional players

• Stroke Association (UK): UK-based stroke charity providing research, patient support, and awareness. Comparable brain-condition health nonprofit model but operating in a different geography, with overlapping mission around stroke research and rehab.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hersenstichting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hersenstichting