Van Zelst Automaten

What Van Zelst Automaten does

Van Zelst Automaten B.V. is a Dutch family-owned B2B vending solutions provider headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, founded in 1975 by Henk and Francien van Zelst. The company supplies professional coffee machines and adjacent beverage and food vending equipment to businesses across the Netherlands through three branches (Eindhoven, Sassenheim, Assen) and an e-commerce storefront at zelst.nl. Its portfolio spans bean-to-cup espresso machines, instant coffee machines, Cafitesse liquid concentrate machines, fresh brew machines, filter coffee machines, pad/capsule machines, soup machines, beverage and snack vending machines, and water coolers, sourced primarily from third-party OEMs such as Douwe Egberts, Nescafé, Bravilor, Crane, and Rombouts. The company operates the private label Melange d'Or and the Wonder Beans sub-brand, both with sustainability certifications (UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, organic), and offers a locally roasted specialty coffee (Sidamo Ethiopia) through a roasting partnership with Wasven.

The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time sales of professional coffee machines (entry-level to premium fresh-milk models), monthly subscription rentals that bundle the machine with maintenance and service, and recurring consumables revenue across coffee beans, instant coffee, Cafitesse, freshbrew, filter coffee, tea, milk, sugar, cocoa, soup, cookies, disposables, and cleaning supplies. Customers range from startups to multinationals, with named enterprise references including Scania and the social enterprise Cure. Van Zelst emphasizes a single-point-of-contact value proposition, family-business heritage, 365-day own technical service, and certifications around sustainability and social responsibility (including a workplace integration partnership with Ergon). The company has 51-100 employees, no external investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding or M&A activity.

Name

Van Zelst Automaten

Legal name

Van Zelst Automaten B.V.

Website

https://zelst.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Van Zelst Automaten is a Dutch family-owned B2B vending solutions provider, founded in 1975, supplying professional coffee machines, vending machines, and consumables to businesses across the Netherlands through three branches and an e-commerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Coffee and Vending Equipment

akta.pro primary industry

Coffee, Espresso & Tea Appliances Retail (CRACADAC)

Keywords

• Professional coffee machines
• Vending machine supplier
• Office coffee solutions
• Coffee ingredients wholesale
• Water cooler vending

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coffee Machine Sales: Sale of professional coffee machines including espresso bean machines, instant/vriesdroog machines, Cafitesse machines, freshbrew machines, filter coffee machines, and pads/capsule machines. Machines range from entry-level (hundreds of euros) to premium models (thousands of euros) with fresh milk capability.
2. Coffee Machine Rental: Rental/hire of coffee machines with various contract forms including monthly payments that cover maintenance and service. This provides recurring revenue and locks in customers for the duration of contracts.
3. Coffee Ingredients and Supplies: Sale of coffee ingredients including espresso beans, instant coffee, Cafitesse coffee, freshbrew coffee, filter coffee, coffee cups/pads. Also supplies milk, sugar, cocoa, tea, soup, cookies, cleaning products, and other coffee corner essentials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Van Zelst Automaten sells and rents professional coffee machines (bean-to-cup, instant, Cafitesse, freshbrew, filter, pad/capsule) along with beverage and snack vending machines, water coolers, and soup automats to Dutch businesses. They bundle these machines with coffee ingredients, consumables, installation, and 365-day technical service, offering both one-time purchase and recurring rental contracts across their three-branch nationwide network.

Product overview

Van Zelst Automaten is a Dutch B2B coffee and beverage solutions provider founded in 1975, offering a comprehensive portfolio of professional coffee machines and related products for businesses across the Netherlands. Their product range consists of multiple coffee machine categories: bean-to-cup espresso machines (Melange d'Or, Douwe Egberts, Nescafé, Wonder Beans, Bravilor/Sego, Sagitta/Etna brands), instant/vriesdroog coffee machines (Nescafé Amazone, Alegria, Fido, Sileo, Lio; Bravilor Bolero; Douwe Egberts Omni, Pico, Bravo; Crane Cali), Cafitesse liquid concentrate machines (Douwe Egberts Cafitesse Omni, Excellence, Quantum), fresh brew machines (Crane Icon Gold, Crane Cali Single), filter coffee machines (Bravilor B series, Matic, TH, THa, Mondo, Novo), and pad/capsule machines (Rombouts Nova Quatro, Via Nova II). Beyond coffee machines, they supply diverse beverage equipment including soup automaten (Cup-a-Soup), beverage vending machines (CCE, Vendo), snack vending machines, water coolers (Culligan, Polaris, Kalix), and a complete range of consumables including private label Melange d'Or coffee (espresso beans, instant, filter, freshbrew varieties), tea, soup, milk/creamers, sugar, cocoa, biscuits, and cleaning supplies. They also offer Food and Non-Food product categories for hospitality businesses. The company operates from three locations (Eindhoven, Sassenheim, Assen) and provides installation, maintenance, and technical service 365 days per year, with both purchase and rental options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Melange d'Or: Private label coffee brand offered by Van Zelst, including espresso beans, instant coffee, freshbrew, filter coffee, and single origin varieties.
• Wonder Beans

Products and services

• Melange d'Or G100 Espresso Bean-to-cup espresso machine that grinds beans fresh for each cup, designed for offices of 25-50 users with adjustable strength settings.
• Melange d'Or G300 Espresso High-capacity bean-to-cup espresso machine for larger offices with fully automatic operation and freshly ground coffee per cup.
• Melange d'Or W100 MasterBrew 2 Bean to Cup Advanced bean-to-cup machine with MasterBrew technology for professional-grade extraction and flavor in office environments.
• Melange d'Or W100 MasterBrew Bean to Cup Premium bean-to-cup espresso machine combining automation with barista-quality coffee via MasterBrew technology.
• Sagitta Milkbase Connected Noble Bronze Connected espresso machine with integrated milk functionality supporting up to 100 users and dispensing coffee in approximately 30 seconds per cup.
• Melange d'Or Bolero 43 Fast instant coffee machine dispensing beverages in just 3 seconds, designed for up to 50 users in busy office environments.
• Nescafé Amazone Turbo 2 - 400 V Professional instant coffee machine dispensing cups in about 12 seconds, suited to high-volume commercial environments.
• Nescafé Alegria High Capacity 2.0 COLD 230 V High-capacity instant coffee machine with cold beverage capability, dispensing coffee in 7 seconds per cup.
• Nescafé Alegria Vista II 7" - 3Aa Touchscreen-equipped instant coffee machine with a 7-inch display offering intuitive operation and multiple beverage options.
• Bravilor TH Filter Coffee Brewer Bravilor filter coffee brewer producing traditional filtered coffee with efficient batch brewing for office environments.
• Douwe Egberts Omni Double Espresso Premium espresso machine for up to 25 users, dispensing espresso in approximately 34 seconds with professional brewing quality.
• Douwe Egberts Cafitesse Omni Liquid coffee concentrate machine dispensing beverages in 15 seconds using Bag-in-Box coffee concentrate for consistent quality and minimal maintenance.
• Douwe Egberts Cafitesse Quantum 100 Touch Touchscreen Cafitesse machine dispensing coffee in 3 seconds per cup or 23 seconds per pot, featuring fully automatic operation with minimal maintenance.
• Douwe Egberts Cafitesse Quantum 200 Touch High-capacity touchscreen Cafitesse machine delivering rapid coffee service leveraging liquid concentrate technology.
• Crane Cali Single Instant Compact instant coffee machine dispensing coffee in approximately 10 seconds, suitable for smaller office environments.
• Crane Cali Single Instant COLD Instant coffee machine with cold water capability for chilled beverage options, providing versatility in beverage preparation.
• Bravilor Sprso Espresso machine requiring 30-45 seconds per cup, offering traditional espresso preparation for quality-focused environments.
• Nescafé Fido 230V - 2 cannisters Two-canister instant coffee machine dispensing coffee in approximately 14 seconds, providing flexibility with multiple ingredient options.
• Nescafé Sileo 3 cannisters Koud Water Three-canister instant machine with cold water option, offering expanded beverage variety including cold drinks.
• Nescafé Sileo 5 cannisters Koud Water Five-canister instant coffee machine with cold water capability, providing maximum beverage variety for diverse user preferences.
• Melange d'Or Private Label Coffee Range Van Zelst's private label Melange d'Or coffee range offering espresso beans, instant coffee, Cafitesse, freshbrew, and filter coffee with UTZ, Rainforest Alliance, and organic certification options.
• Cup-a-Soup Automaat Tabletop 3.0 Tabletop soup vending machine that dispenses warm soup via single-button operation, supporting more than 100 users in offices or venues.
• CCE Large Vendor RV550/9 PET Large-capacity PET bottle beverage vending machine with coin system, designed for high-volume locations.
• CCE Medium Glass G-Drink 6 Medium-sized glass bottle vending machine with coin system offering Coca-Cola branded beverages.
• CCE Small Vendor VDI100/5 Compact can vending machine with coin system, suitable for smaller locations with moderate beverage demand.
• Vendo C48 Drink C48 beverage vending machine available in both can and PET configurations for flexible beverage dispensing.
• Vendo Global Drink 9 Design Design-focused beverage vending machine offering 9 product selections for diverse drink options with modern aesthetics.
• Vendo Global Snack 8 Design Design-oriented snack vending machine with 8 product compartments, combining modern appearance with reliable vending functionality.
• Fles Waterkoeler CB Core Culligan Bottled water cooler using the Culligan bottle system, providing chilled water for office hydration needs.
• Leidingwaterkoeler Business Polaris Tafelmodel Tabletop plumbed water cooler connected directly to the water supply, offering continuous chilled water without bottle refills.
• Leidingwaterkoeler Kalix Staand Freestanding plumbed water cooler with higher capacity for larger office environments.
• Rombouts Nova Quatro Pad-based coffee machine offering espresso experience with quick dispensing and diverse pad options.
• Rombouts Via Nova II Pad coffee machine dispensing coffee in approximately 20 seconds, combining speed with espresso-quality results.
• Crane Icon Gold B2C Premium fresh brew machine with touchscreen interface, supporting more than 100 users and dispensing coffee in 40 seconds with fresh-ground quality.
• Crane Cali Single Freshbrew Single fresh brew coffee machine offering home-brewed quality coffee, dispensing in approximately 25 seconds per cup.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wasven (Eindhoven)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWasven is a local partner that specially roasts the Melange D'Or Sidamo Ethiopia coffee for Van Zelst. This partnership supports local products and services while providing Van Zelst with a unique, locally roasted specialty coffee option. It exemplifies Van Zelst's commitment to local sourcing and reducing environmental impact.
• ErgonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVan Zelst collaborates with Ergon to offer workplace opportunities to people who have a disadvantage in the labor market. This supports Van Zelst's social entrepreneurship goals and contributes to more inclusion in society. Working with Ergon is part of Van Zelst's broader commitment to corporate social responsibility.
• CurecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCure is highlighted as a key customer relationship where sustainability and social entrepreneurship come together perfectly. Van Zelst is proud to have Cure as a customer and this partnership is featured on their website as exemplary of their values. Cure represents Van Zelst's commitment to serving socially conscious organizations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Animo: Netherlands-based manufacturer of professional coffee and hot-water equipment for offices and hospitality. Comparable to Van Zelst as a Dutch specialist in workplace coffee equipment that competes for both equipment sales and service contracts.
• Bravilor Bonamat: Dutch manufacturer of professional coffee and hot-beverage equipment (filter, instant, bean-to-cup). Directly comparable as a Netherlands-based coffee-machine specialist whose machines Van Zelst resells and which competes for the same office and horeca accounts.
• Maas International: Dutch vending and coffee solutions company offering automated beverage and snack machines with service to offices and public locations. Comparable to Van Zelst in the vending and workplace beverage space with overlapping product categories (coffee, vending, water).
• CoffeeFresh: Dutch B2B coffee specialist supplying office coffee machines, beans and service to companies across the Netherlands. Highly comparable to Van Zelst as a same-country, same-segment, sales-led coffee solutions provider of similar scale.

Broad incumbents

• Franke Coffee Systems: Swiss manufacturer of professional bean-to-cup coffee machines and a major B2B coffee systems supplier across Europe. Comparable to Van Zelst as a larger incumbent targeting the same office, hotel and foodservice coffee segment with full machine and ingredient programs.
• Nestlé Professional: Nestlé's B2B beverage solutions division selling Nescafé and complementary brands directly to foodservice and workplace accounts. Comparable to Van Zelst because Nescafé machines are core to Van Zelst's assortment and Nestlé Pro competes for the same end customers.
• Selecta Group: Pan-European operator of unattended self-service coffee, snack and food vending for workplaces and public spaces. Comparable to Van Zelst as a much larger incumbent providing combined coffee machine + ingredient + service contracts across multiple European markets.
• Crane Merchandising Systems: Global manufacturer of vending and payment systems including the Crane beverage machines Van Zelst resells (Crane Cali, Crane Icon). Comparable as an OEM whose products sit in Van Zelst's portfolio and which also sells through B2B channels in Europe.
• JDE Professional (Douwe Egberts Professional): Professional B2B arm of JDE Peet's, selling Douwe Egberts coffee machines and ingredients directly to offices. Comparable to Van Zelst as the manufacturer of Van Zelst's key brand partner and a direct competitor in Dutch workplace coffee.
• Lavazza Professional: B2B coffee solutions division of Lavazza offering bean-to-cup machines, capsules and service to offices and HoReCa across Europe. Comparable to Van Zelst as a large multi-country operator targeting the same workplace-coffee segment with full machine-plus-service bundles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zelstautomaten
• Facebookfacebook.com/vanzelstautomaten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/van-zelst-automaten

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Van Zelst Automaten