Co-Raad VU

What Co-Raad VU does

Co-Raad VU is an independent student association (vereniging) founded in 1991 that serves as the official representative body for medical master students at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The organization operates from Amsterdam, Netherlands, and is governed by a rotating board of 9 student members serving 6-month terms, supported by 6 staff. Its core offering is a lifetime membership priced at €5 (excluding transaction costs) that provides medical co-assistants access to educational workshops, career orientation events, mental health resources, and a feedback channel to the VU Faculty of Medicine.

The organization's product surface includes structured workshops and masterclasses (e.g., Intoxicaties, Antibiotica, Radiologie, Labwaarden), the annual Speeddate de Specialist career networking event, the Jan Heijlman Prize for best clinical supervisors, and a Co-pakket containing physical student essentials. The technology layer is minimal and non-proprietary, consisting of a website (co-raad.nl) with iDEAL payment integration for membership and event ticketing, plus social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and a 6-weekly email newsletter.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: a nominal one-time membership fee, corporate sponsorships (Van Lanschot Kempen as main sponsor, plus Me-doc, Compendium Geneeskunde, and the Instituut voor onderwijs en opleiden), and third-party advertising. Total revenue is undisclosed and almost certainly under six figures. The organization has no funding rounds, no parent company, and is not a technology enterprise; it functions as a stable, institutionally-embedded student advocacy and community platform.

Name

Co-Raad VU

Legal name

Co-Raad VU

Website

https://co-raad.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Co-Raad VU is the independent student association representing medical master students at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, offering a €5 lifetime membership with educational workshops, career orientation events, and faculty advocacy since 1991.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Association Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Model United Nations (MUN) (EDAMAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms (EDAIACAF)

Keywords

• Student advocacy services
• Medical education representation
• Student council services
• Career orientation events
• Educational workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: One-time membership fee of €5 for students, valid until graduation. Some sources mention €5.30 including transaction costs.
2. Sponsorships: Financial support from Van Lanschot Kempen (main sponsor), Me-Doc, and Compendium Geneeskunde. Additional support from Instituut voor onderwijs en opleiden (IOO).
3. Third-party advertising: Revenue generated through third-party advertisements placed on the Co-Raad VU platform to fund events and workshops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Co-Raad VU is a student association (vereniging) that sells a one-time €5 lifetime membership to medical master students at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Membership grants access to educational masterclasses, career orientation events such as Speeddate de Specialist, social activities, and the Jan Heijlmanprijs award, with the organization acting as the formal liaison between students and the VU Faculty of Medicine.

Product overview

Co-Raad VU is a student representative organization for medical co-assistants at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. It offers a unified membership program that provides access to educational workshops (masterclasses on topics like antibiotics, radiology, lab values), career orientation events (Speeddate de Specialist, Jan Heijlmanprijs), and resources including the Co-pakket. The organization acts as a bridge between medical students and the Faculty of Medicine, organizing both social events and academic support activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Co-Raad VU Membership A one-time €5 lifetime membership for medical co-assistants at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, providing access to events, workshops, masterclasses, career orientation activities, the Co-pakket, and regular newsletters. Valid until graduation.
• Co-pakket (Co-package) A physical package of medical student essentials available to Co-Raad VU members, including clogs (klompen), reflex hammer, lamp, and tuning fork, to support clinical rotations.
• Workshops and Masterclasses Educational workshops and masterclasses covering clinical topics such as intoxications, antibiotics, radiology, lab values, and clinical reasoning, supplementing the regular medical curriculum for VU medical master students.
• Speeddate de Specialist An annual career orientation event where medical master students can meet and network with medical specialists from various fields to learn about different specialty career paths.
• Jan Heijlmanprijs An annual award organized by Co-Raad VU recognizing the best clinical rotation supervisors, clinical training locations, and contributors to medical education support at VU Amsterdam / VUmc.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Jan Heijlman Prize recognizing best supervisors and clinical training locations

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Compendium GeneeskundecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing medical textbooks and pocket guides. Offers 5% discount to Co-Raad VU members on all products. Specializes in visual medical education materials covering all 35 medical disciplines.
• MFVU (Medische Faculteitsvereniging VU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical Faculty Association of VU Amsterdam. Co-organizes major events including Speeddate de Specialist. Works together on student initiatives and educational activities.
• KNMG (Koninklijke Maatschappij ter Bevordering van de Geneeskunst)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch Medical Association. Collaborates on events such as PubQuiz organization and professional development initiatives.
• De Groene Co-RaadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Dutch medical student organizations including Co-Raad VU, focused on sustainability education in healthcare.
• CO₂-assistentminorOthersStudent initiative for climate change education in medical training. Started in Utrecht, seeking expansion to other cities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• IFMSA-NL: Netherlands branch of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations. Operates in the same medical-student-organization niche as Co-Raad but at an international, federation scale, representing Dutch medical students on global health and education topics.
• KNMG (Koninklijke Maatschappij ter bevordering der Geneeskunst): The Royal Dutch Medical Association is the national professional body for Dutch physicians. Comparable as a medical membership/advocacy organization, though at a national and professional (rather than student-only) level, and an existing Co-Raad partner on PubQuiz and professional development.

Direct peers

• KNMG Studentenplatform: The student section of KNMG. Directly comparable as a medical student representative body offering career orientation, advocacy, and professional development programming for Dutch medical students in parallel to Co-Raad's local VU-level mandate.
• MFVU (Medische Faculteitsvereniging VU): VU Amsterdam's medical faculty association, co-organizing Speeddate de Specialist with Co-Raad. Directly comparable as a student-led medical organization serving VU Amsterdam medical students with overlapping membership and event programming.
• Studentenraad Amsterdam UMC (locatie AMC): Student council for medical master students at the AMC location of Amsterdam UMC. The most direct structural peer to Co-Raad VU, performing an equivalent student representation role at the merged university's other campus post-2018 VUmc/AMC merger.

Others

• NVMO (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Medisch Onderwijs): Dutch Association for Medical Education focuses on the quality and development of medical training in the Netherlands. Comparable in the medical education space where Co-Raad operates as a student-side stakeholder, though NVMO represents educators rather than students.

Regional players

• LUMC Studentenraad: Medical student council at Leiden University Medical Center. Comparable role as faculty-level student representation body serving Dutch medical master students, though at a different university and geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coraad.vumc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/co-raad-vu
• Instagraminstagram.com/coraad_vu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Co-Raad VU