SmokeFree

What SmokeFree does

SmokeFree BV, founded in 1996 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands, is a Dutch smoking cessation coaching organization that delivers individual and group-based programs to help smokers and vapers quit. The company is part of Verdi Groep (since 2020), a holding focused on sustainable employability and vitality in the Dutch labor market, and operates 11-50 employees with a nationwide coach network. Its core service is personal telephone coaching delivered by certified SMR-behandelaren (smoking cessation practitioners) registered in the Dutch national quality register, structured around a 7-session, 3-month program and bundled with nicotine replacement aids (patches, gum, lozenges) and prescription medication support. The platform is augmented by the SmokeFree Community, which provides one year of access to an interactive online community with peer support, e-learning modules, and an e-book, plus digital touchpoints including a motivational self-assessment (Motivatietest), a dedicated Vapefree sub-brand for e-cigarette cessation, and the annual Stoptober group campaign.

The company's products and underlying technology are human-coaching-centric rather than technology-centric: a multi-channel delivery layer (phone, online, in-person) is overlaid with a community/e-learning ecosystem, supported by web-based intake forms and direct-to-insurer billing integration with the Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) system. Product breadth spans the B2C individual coaching program, the B2B Rookvrij Bedrijf corporate wellness offering with a 5-step organizational roadmap, on-site and online workshops and group trainings, the Vapefree vape-cessation program, and annual Stoptober campaign participation.

SmokeFree monetizes through two primary revenue streams. The dominant stream is direct reimbursement from Dutch health insurers for individual coaching cycles (one reimbursement per insured person per calendar year, with no client cost and no deductible usage), effectively a recurring annual-reimbursement revenue model. The secondary stream is professional services revenue from corporate clients purchasing multi-year workplace wellness contracts (5-step roadmap, workshops, group trainings, policy support), with individual employee coaching separately billable through the health insurance system. Distribution is direct via website contact forms (callback within 24-48 hours), phone outreach, and on-site workplace delivery, with marketing driven by content marketing, organic social, referrals from employers and word-of-mouth, and the seasonal Stoptober campaign.

Name

SmokeFree

Legal name

SmokeFree BV

Website

https://smokefree.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SmokeFree BV is a Dutch smoking and vaping cessation coaching organization, founded in 1996 and part of Verdi Groep, that delivers certified SMR-behandelaar coaching, an online community, and corporate wellness programs reimbursed through Dutch basic health insurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smoking Cessation Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifestyle & Habit Change Coaching (HSADAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavior Change & Motivational Coaching (HSADAGAF), Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical) (HSADAGAH), General Health Coaching (HSADAGAA)

Keywords

• Smoking cessation services
• Tobacco cessation coaching
• Workplace wellness programs
• Nicotine addiction treatment
• Health coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeuwarden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Health Insurance Reimbursement: Individual coaching services are reimbursed directly through basic Dutch health insurance (basisverzekering). SmokeFree claims reimbursement from insurers without charging the client or using their deductible. One reimbursement per calendar year per insured person. This covers the full coaching program including aids like patches and gum.
2. B2B Corporate Wellness Programs: Companies pay for workplace smoking cessation programs including 5-step roadmap development, workshops, group trainings, and policy support. Employers can refer employees to individual coaching which is separately reimbursed through health insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SmokeFree provides personal telephone coaching by certified SMR-behandelaren (smoking cessation therapists), combining 7 sessions over 3 months with year-long access to an online support community, e-learning modules, e-book, and quit aids (patches, gum, prescription medication). For organizations, the company offers a 5-step Rookvrij Bedrijf (Smoke-free Company) roadmap including policy support, workshops, and group trainings delivered on-site or online. All individual coaching is fully reimbursed through Dutch basic health insurance (basisverzekering) with no cost or deductible to the client.

Product overview

SmokeFree is a quit smoking coaching organization offering a multi-module service centered on personal telephone coaching by certified SMR-behandelaren. The core offering combines individual coaching with the SmokeFree Community (providing e-learning, peer support, and one-year access), supplemented by quit aids (nicotine replacement products and prescription medications), the Vapefree program for e-cigarette cessation, the Rookvrij Bedrijf corporate wellness program with its 5-step roadmap, and Workshops & Groepstrainingen for group-based support. Additional touchpoints include the Motivatietest for motivation assessment and the Stoptober campaign for seasonal group challenges. All services are fully reimbursed through Dutch basic health insurance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Coaching Individual telephone coaching by certified SMR-behandelaren (smoking cessation therapists) providing 7 sessions over 3 months, personalized stop plans, e-learning, e-book, online community access, and aids (patches, gum, prescription medication). Fully reimbursed through Dutch basic health insurance.
• Vapefree Specialized coaching program for stopping e-cigarette (vape) use, addressing both nicotine addiction and behavioral habits associated with vaping. Targeted at Dutch individuals seeking to quit vaping.
• Rookvrij Bedrijf (Smoke-free Company) Corporate wellness program guiding organizations through a 5-step roadmap to become smoke-free, including policy development, workshops, group trainings, and individual coaching referrals for employees. Targeted at Dutch companies and organizations.
• Workshops & Groepstrainingen Interactive workshops and group training programs for organizations, companies, healthcare institutions, and individuals, including awareness and motivation workshops (1.5-2 hours) and intensive group quit programs with 3 group sessions plus 4 individual coaching sessions and aftercare.
• Hulpmiddelen (Quit Aids) Smoking cessation aids including nicotine patches, nicotine gum, lozenges, and prescription medications such as Zyban (bupropion), Nortrilen (nortriptyline), and Champix (varenicline) to reduce physical withdrawal symptoms. Included as part of the reimbursed coaching program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3x higher success rate when quitting with coaching support vs without assistance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Verdi GroepcoreOthersSmokeFree is part of Verdi Groep, an organization focused on sustainable employability and vitality in Dutch working life. Verdi Groep bundles various specialists in health, prevention, and guidance, providing SmokeFree with organizational strength while maintaining personal, involved service.
• TIGRAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization contributing to smoke-free generation initiatives in Netherlands
• Nederland RookvrijminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the smoke-free Netherlands initiative, working toward a smoke-free generation
• RookvrijegeneratieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization dedicated to creating a smoke-free generation, aligned with SmokeFree's mission

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• MindCotine: Digital therapeutics-style smoking-cessation program using VR and behavioral coaching. Targets the same quit-smoking population with a tech-led alternative to traditional coaching providers like SmokeFree.

Direct peers

• Pelago (formerly Quit Genius): Digital substance-use and tobacco-cessation platform sold to employers and health plans. Competes with SmokeFree's B2B Rookvrij Bedrijf offering and increasingly with insurer-led cessation pathways in Europe.
• SineFuma: Dutch provider of smoking-cessation coaching and workplace programs, often reimbursed via the same Dutch basic health insurance. Direct competitor to SmokeFree across both individual coaching and B2B smoke-free employer offerings.
• Allen Carr's Easyway: Global method-based smoking-cessation program delivered through seminars, in-person sessions, and digital channels. Competes with SmokeFree for the same motivated-quitter customer in the Netherlands and internationally.
• Kwit: Dutch digital smoking-cessation app combining gamification, tracking, and community support. A direct alternative channel for Dutch smokers, increasingly positioned alongside or against reimbursed human coaching like SmokeFree's.

Others

• Nicorette (Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health / Kenvue): Leading OTC nicotine-replacement therapy brand (patches, gum, lozenges). Adjacent to SmokeFree because NRT aids are bundled into SmokeFree's coaching program but compete with coaching in the self-help quit journey.
• Champix / varenicline manufacturers (e.g., Pfizer generics): Prescription smoking-cessation pharmacotherapy that SmokeFree dispenses as part of its Hulpmiddelen bundle. Not a direct coaching competitor, but a complementary and partially substitutable cessation modality for the same end user.

Broad incumbents

• Trimbos-instituut: Dutch national knowledge institute for mental health and addiction, involved in setting SMR quality standards and producing smoking-cessation research. A broader incumbent whose guidelines and tools shape the competitive context SmokeFree operates in.
• Jellinek (onderdeel van Arkin): Major Dutch addiction-care provider offering smoking-cessation treatment as part of a broader addiction and mental-health portfolio. Competes with SmokeFree for insurer contracts and at the severe-end of the nicotine-dependency spectrum.

Regional players

• NHS Stop Smoking Services (UK): Publicly funded UK smoking-cessation service combining local coaching, NRT, and behavioral support. Comparable operating model to SmokeFree's reimbursed coaching approach but delivered as a public service in the UK rather than a private Dutch provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smokefreecoaching

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 SmokeFree