Hands Off
Hands Off is a Dutch plant-based chocolate company producing vegan chocolate bars, bites, and cookies using sunflower seed powder instead of dairy. It serves sustainability-conscious Dutch consumers through major supermarket chains and its own e-commerce webshop under The Chocolate Impact Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersHilversum, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hands Off does
Hands Off is a Dutch plant-based chocolate company founded in 2013 in Hilversum, Netherlands, operating as a brand within The Chocolate Impact Group alongside CLARO and Chocolatemakers. The company manufactures and sells vegan chocolate bars, snack bites, cookies, and gift packages, having fully transitioned from its original mixed assortment to a 100% plant-based lineup in 2023 and rebranding from "Hands Off My Chocolate" to "Hands Off." Its core technology centers on replacing cow's milk with sunflower seed powder to create creamy plant-based chocolate, while its proprietary "ChoViva" ingredient — a cocoa-free chocolate substitute made from fermented sunflower seeds used in Soft Core fillings — is reported to emit up to 80% less CO2e than conventional milk chocolate. CarbonCloud-verified lifecycle assessments back environmental claims, and cocoa is sourced exclusively from Rainforest Alliance certified cooperatives in Ghana and Ivory Coast, with GPS-traced farm boundaries intended to prevent deforestation.
The company generates revenue through two primary channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via its own webshop (www.hands-off.com), which ships across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and Hungary; and wholesale distribution through major Dutch supermarket chains including Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Plus, Picnic, Vomar, Dekamarkt, Spar, Coop, Hoogvliet, Dirk van den Broek, Poiesz, Sligro, and AH to GO, plus specialty retailer Odin. A B2B business account program serves resellers and corporate gifting customers with wholesale pricing. Individual products retail at €2.99–€4.99 per bar (€3.99 bites, €11.25–€29.50 bundles), with free domestic shipping above €50 and free B2B shipping above €250 across NL/BE/DE.
Customer segments center on sustainability-conscious Dutch consumers reached via mainstream retail, supplemented by B2B resellers and Veganuary/plant-based diet adopters. The company holds B Corp certification (December 2023), Rainforest Alliance certification for its cocoa supply chain, and V-Label certification for vegan integrity. Operations are concentrated in the Netherlands, with the chocolate factory in Amsterdam, a warehouse at Radarweg 32A, and the legal headquarters in Hilversum. Distribution remains almost entirely Netherlands-focused at retail despite the e-commerce shipping footprint, and the company operates with a small team of fewer than 10 employees led by CEO Kitty Smeeten.
Hands Off firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hands Off
- Legal name
- Hands Off B.V.
- Website
- https://hands-off.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hands Off is a Dutch plant-based chocolate company producing vegan chocolate bars, bites, and cookies using sunflower seed powder instead of dairy. It serves sustainability-conscious Dutch consumers through major supermarket chains and its own e-commerce webshop under The Chocolate Impact Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hands Off industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plant-based chocolate
- NAICS
- Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars) (CRADABAG)
Keywords
Where Hands Off is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hilversum
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hands Off business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales (B2C): Hands Off sells directly to consumers through its own webshop (www.hands-off.com), offering individual bars, bundles, cookies, and bites with prices ranging from €2.99 to €12.49. Orders are shipped via PostNL (letterbox) and DPD (parcels), with free shipping in the Netherlands from €50. This is a primary revenue stream alongside retail distribution.
- Wholesale / Retail Distribution (B2B): Hands Off distributes its products through major Dutch supermarket chains (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Plus, Picnic, Vomar, Dekamarkt, Spar, Coop, Hoogvliet, Dirk van den Broek, Poiesz, Sligro) and B2B business accounts for resellers, with free shipping for B2B orders in NL/BE/DE from €250. The company also mentions B2B sales for companies wanting to sell or distribute their chocolate.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual chocolate bars — €2.99 to €4.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bites — €3.99 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bundles and gift boxes — €11.25 to €29.50 |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer shipping — Netherlands from €4.95 (temporarily), €7.30 standard |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | B2B business account pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Hands Off product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hands Off manufactures and sells plant-based chocolate bars, snack bites, cookies and gift packages made with sunflower seed powder instead of cow's milk and, in selected fillings, ChoViva cocoa-free chocolate. Products are sold directly to consumers via the own webshop at hands-off.com, through major Dutch supermarket chains (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Plus, Picnic, Spar and others), and through a B2B business account program for resellers and corporate gifting. All products are vegan, B Corp certified and Rainforest Alliance certified, with CO2e footprints verified by CarbonCloud at 40-80% below conventional milk chocolate.
Product overview
Hands Off is a Dutch plant-based chocolate company offering a portfolio of chocolate bars, snack bites, and cookies. The core products include plant-based chocolate bars (Seriously Dark, Caramel Seasalt, and specialty flavors), the Chunky line featuring bars with large crunchy chunks, and the Soft Core line of filled chocolate bars with various cream/soft fillings. The product range also includes snack bites (Peanut and Almond), cookies (Choco Chip, Double Choc, Oaty with reduced sugar), and various gift/variety packages. All products are certified vegan, Rainforest Alliance certified for cocoa sourcing, and B Corp certified. The company positions itself on sustainability with 40-54% lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional milk chocolate.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Caramel Seasalt Plant-based chocolate bar with salted caramel pieces and hazelnut praline filling. Made with sunflower seed powder instead of milk, emitting 40%+ less CO2 than conventional milk chocolate. Sold individually and through Dutch retail.
- Seriously Dark 85% Plant-based dark chocolate bar with 85% cocoa content and only 12% sugar. Rainforest Alliance certified.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40%+ less CO2e than conventional milk chocolate (verified by CarbonCloud)
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Hands Off
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Hands Off technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Hands Off partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CarbonCloudcoreHands Off uses CarbonCloud to calculate and verify the CO2e climate footprint of all products using science-based lifecycle assessments. CarbonCloud provides a public Climate Hub where Hands Off's product footprints are published and compared against industry benchmarks. This partnership underpins the company's core sustainability marketing claims.
- Rainforest AlliancecoreHands Off sources all cocoa through Rainforest Alliance certified cooperatives in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Rainforest Alliance provides farmer training, deforestation monitoring via GPS mapping, and sustainability certification. The partnership covers combating deforestation, improving farmer livelihoods, and eliminating child labor.
- Cocoa Horizons InsideminorEarlier cocoa sourcing partner (prior to Rainforest Alliance partnership) providing traceability and premium pricing for farmers. Cocoa Horizons requires 5 years of no-deforestation history, GPS mapping of farms, and farmer training. Boers receive premium prices and learn sustainable farming practices.
- PostNLminorPostNL handles letterbox package shipments for Hands Off's direct-to-consumer e-commerce orders in the Netherlands. Orders placed before 14:00 are shipped same day.
- DPDminorDPD handles parcel shipments for Hands Off's direct-to-consumer e-commerce orders. Used for larger packages that don't fit in letterbox slots.
- The Chocolate Impact GroupcoreHands Off is one of three brands within The Chocolate Impact Group, alongside CLARO and Chocolatemakers. The parent company operates a chocolate factory on solar energy, directly trades with cocoa farmers, and restores one square meter of cocoa farmland per bar sold. Job postings reference working for The Chocolate Impact Group.
- Nationale Week Zonder Vlees en Zuivel (Week Without Meat and Dairy)minorHands Off My Chocolate was a proud partner of the National Week Without Meat and Dairy (March 2023), a major annual awareness campaign promoting plant-based eating in the Netherlands.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hands Off competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chocolatemakers: Sibling brand within The Chocolate Impact Group, producing bean-to-bar chocolate from the same Amsterdam factory. Direct comparable on supply chain, retail channels, and group-level brand strategy.
- Booja-Booja: UK-based organic, dairy-free, soya-free chocolate and truffle brand. Comparable as a small-batch organic plant-based chocolate specialist in the European market.
- Tony's Chocolonely: Dutch mission-driven chocolate brand focused on slave-free cocoa and ethical sourcing. Directly comparable to Hands Off as a Dutch-based, purpose-led chocolate company selling through mainstream retail with sustainability at the core of its proposition.
- CLARO: Third brand under The Chocolate Impact Group alongside Hands Off and Chocolatemakers. Direct comparable on shared factory, distribution, and Dutch retail positioning.
- Pascha Chocolate: Dedicated vegan chocolate brand selling allergen-free, plant-based chocolate bars globally. Direct comparable as a specialist plant-based chocolate maker targeting health- and ethics-conscious consumers.
- Alter Eco: Fair-trade, organic, carbon-neutral chocolate brand with a strong climate-claim proposition. Closely comparable to Hands Off on combining organic/vegan positioning with quantified carbon-footprint marketing.
- Hu Kitchen: US-based pioneer of vegan / paleo chocolate bars with a strong sustainability and clean-ingredient positioning. Closest international comparable on plant-based chocolate-as-category proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Nestlé: Largest global packaged-foods company with growing plant-based chocolate offerings (e.g. through Wunderhorn and other sub-brands). Relevant as the deep-pocketed incumbent most likely to compete on price and shelf in the plant-based chocolate aisle.
- Lindt & Sprüngli: Global premium chocolate incumbent that has launched plant-based and vegan ranges. Comparable as the type of large incumbent Hands Off must compete with on shelf space, pricing, and brand familiarity in mainstream retail.
Peers
- Endangered Species Chocolate: US-based ethical chocolate brand donating to species conservation, with vegan SKUs and Rainforest Alliance cocoa. Comparable on purpose-driven branding and certified sustainable sourcing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hands Off social profiles
Digital presenceHands Off compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Hands Off financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hands Off leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Hands Off funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hands Off M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hands Off
What does Hands Off do?
Hands Off manufactures and sells plant-based chocolate bars, snack bites, cookies and gift packages made with sunflower seed powder instead of cow's milk and, in selected fillings, ChoViva cocoa-free chocolate. Products are sold directly to consumers via the own webshop at hands-off.com, through major Dutch supermarket chains (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Plus, Picnic, Spar and others), and through a B2B business account program for resellers and corporate gifting. All products are vegan, B Corp certified and Rainforest Alliance certified, with CO2e footprints verified by CarbonCloud at 40-80% below conventional milk chocolate.
Is Hands Off a public or private company?
Hands Off is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hands Off founded?
Hands Off was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hands Off based?
Hands Off is headquartered in Hilversum, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Hands Off make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales (B2C) is the primary driver. The others are wholesale / Retail Distribution (B2B).
Who are Hands Off's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chocolatemakers, Booja-Booja, Tony's Chocolonely, CLARO, Pascha Chocolate, Alter Eco and Hu Kitchen. Broad incumbents are Nestlé and Lindt & Sprüngli. Endangered Species Chocolate is listed as a peer.
Does Hands Off have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hands Off.
What industry is Hands Off in?
Hands Off's product category is Plant-based chocolate. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADABAG, Snack Bars (Granola, Protein, Cereal Bars). Its NAICS code is 31135 and its SIC code is 2000.