Diabetes Liga

What Diabetes Liga does

Diabetes Liga vzw is a Belgian non-profit patient organization founded in 1941 and headquartered in Gent, Belgium, supporting people with diabetes and those at risk across the Flanders region. The organization operates a multi-channel service ecosystem including the diabetes.be website, a webshop (shop.diabetes.be), a bimonthly Diabetes Info magazine, e-learning modules, a free Diabetes Infolijn telephone helpline (0800 96 333), and 16 local chapters (plaatselijke afdelingen). It serves four primary segments: persons with diabetes, healthcare professionals, people at risk of Type 2 diabetes, and pregnant women with gestational diabetes, reaching a stated network of 13,500+ members and 30,000+ sympathizers.

The technology portfolio centers on the Koolhydraatteller (KHAPP) carbohydrate counting app, launched in March 2024 in collaboration with UCLL and UZ Leuven, available on iOS and Android, with a Belgian food database, barcode scanning, and meal/insulin logging. Pre-existing digital infrastructure includes the main website, dedicated webshop, e-learning modules, and newsletters. The organization operates prevention programs commissioned by the Flemish government, notably HALT2Diabetes (Type 2 prevention) and Zoet Zwanger (gestational diabetes, with multilingual materials in Dutch, Turkish, Arabic, French, and English). Sub-brands include Diakids, DiaBuddy peer support, Jong & Diabetes, and HALT2Diabetes.

Diabetes Liga's revenue is not publicly disclosed and is composed of membership fees (annual subscriptions), donations and fundraising (governed by Ethische Fondsenwerving vzw code), webshop sales of publications and merchandise, and corporate partnerships and sponsorships. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on membership recruitment, local chapter events, healthcare professional referrals, and digital content marketing across four distinct newsletters. The organization employs approximately 45 staff and operates exclusively within Flanders, Belgium.

Name

Diabetes Liga

Legal name

Diabetes Liga vzw

Website

https://diabetes.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Diabetes Liga vzw is a Belgian non-profit patient organization, founded in 1941 and headquartered in Gent, serving people with diabetes, healthcare professionals, and at-risk individuals across Flanders through membership services, a carbohydrate counting app, prevention programs, and a 16-chapter community network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Patient Advocacy and Diabetes Support Services

NAICS

Diet and Weight Reducing Centers (812191)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Diabetes (General) (HLAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Diabetes Digital Therapeutics & Dose Decision Support (Bolus Calculators) (HLAHAHAJ), Chronic Condition Management & Remote Monitoring (e.g., diabetes, HTN) (HLALADAD), Diabetes Education & Insulin Management (Home-Based) (HSABACAJ)

Keywords

• Diabetes patient support
• Health information services
• Peer support networks
• Diabetes prevention programs
• Patient advocacy organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to member benefits including the Diabetes Info magazine, activities at reduced rates, DiaBuddy peer support, and exclusive access to projects and tools.
2. Donations and fundraising: Charitable donations from supporters, governed by Ethische Fondsenwerving vzw code. Funds initiatives and projects contributing to better life with diabetes and prevention of type 2 diabetes.
3. Webshop product sales: Sale of publications (cookbooks, brochures), merchandise, and promotional materials through the Diabetes Liga webshop. Includes the 'Lekker koken met diabetes' cookbook at €25 for members and €30 for non-members.
4. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: Companies can sponsor events and publications, offer products/services to members, or organize corporate actions in collaboration with Diabetes Liga.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Diabetes Liga vzw is a Belgian non-profit patient organization that provides information, peer support, and prevention services for people with diabetes and those at risk in Flanders. Core offerings include a membership program with the bimonthly Diabetes Info magazine, the Koolhydraatteller carbohydrate counting mobile app, the Diabetes Infolijn telephone helpline, the DiaBuddy peer support service, e-learning modules, and government-commissioned prevention programs (HALT2Diabetes, Zoet Zwanger).

Product overview

Diabetes Liga operates as a non-profit organization (vzw) providing a comprehensive ecosystem of services for persons with diabetes and those at risk. The core digital offerings include the main website (www.diabetes.be), the Koolhydraatteller mobile app for carbohydrate counting, and an e-commerce webshop. Support services encompass the Diabetes Infolijn telephone helpline, DiaBuddy peer matching, and e-learning modules. Prevention programs include HALT2Diabetes (type 2 diabetes prevention) and Zoet Zwanger (gestational diabetes prevention). Publications include the bimonthly Diabetes Info magazine, the 'Lekker koken met diabetes' cookbook with 200 recipes, and educational brochures. The organization publishes four newsletters targeting members, healthcare professionals, prevention audiences, and donors. The portfolio functions as an integrated support system rather than a unified platform with connected modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Diakids: Sub-brand for families with children who have diabetes
• DiaBuddy
• Zoet Zwanger
• HALT2Diabetes
• Jong & Diabetes
• Koolhydraatteller (KHAPP)

Products and services

• Koolhydraatteller (KHAPP) Carbohydrate Counting App A Belgian carbohydrate counting mobile app for people with diabetes that helps estimate carbohydrate amounts per meal to determine insulin dosage. Features a food database based on Belgian nutritional data (Nubel), barcode scanning, food diary, exercise and insulin registration, and reports for healthcare providers. Available for iOS and Android.
• DiaBuddy Peer Support Program A peer support matching service connecting people with diabetes with trained volunteers who have personal experience with diabetes. Exclusive to members of Diabetes Liga.
• Diabetes Info Magazine A bimonthly membership magazine providing information, news, and recipes for persons with diabetes and their families.
• Lekker koken met diabetes Cookbook A cookbook containing 200 healthy recipes suitable for persons with diabetes, with nutritional information including carbohydrate content in grams and carbohydrate portions. Priced at €25 for members and €30 for non-members.
• E-learning Modules Online learning modules for the general public and healthcare professionals covering diabetes management, nutrition, and prevention topics.
• Diabetes Infolijn (Information Line) A free telephone helpline (0800 96 333) providing information and support for questions about diabetes, available Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9am-4pm.
• Diabetes Liga Webshop Online shop selling diabetes-related publications, cookbooks, merchandise, and informational materials, with member discounts available.
• HALT2Diabetes Prevention Program A Flemish-government-commissioned prevention program for type 2 diabetes in Flanders, including risk testing via www.gezondheidskompas.be, group sessions on healthy nutrition, and materials for healthcare professionals.
• Zoet Zwanger Program A prevention and support program for gestational diabetes, providing information, education, and follow-up for pregnant women at risk, with materials available in Dutch, Turkish, Arabic, French, and English.
• Newsletter Suite Four newsletters covering different audiences: Diabetes Community (biweekly for persons with diabetes), Diabetes Update (monthly for healthcare professionals), Gezond & Actief Leven (quarterly for prevention), and Hart voor Diabetes (fundraising initiatives).

Quantifiable outcome

• 600,000 people affected by diabetes in Flanders reached through information and prevention programs

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UCLL (UC Leuven-Limburg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2024UCLL is a university of applied sciences with 16,000 students and 1,750 employees across 8 campuses in Limburg and Flemish Brabant. Their R&E Expertisecentrum Health Innovation collaborated with Diabetes Liga and UZ Leuven to develop the Koolhydraatteller (carbohydrate counter) app for persons with diabetes. UCLL contributes research expertise and educational perspective to diabetes management tools.
• UZ Leuven (University Hospital Leuven)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2024UZ Leuven is the largest university hospital in Belgium, with over 10,000 passionate employees providing specialized care and innovative treatments. They partnered with Diabetes Liga and UCLL to develop the Koolhydraatteller app, contributing clinical expertise and healthcare provider perspective for diabetes management.
• Ethische Fondsenwerving vzwminorOthersDiabetes Liga is a member of Ethische Fondsenwerving vzw, adhering to ethical fundraising standards in Belgium.
• Michaël Sels (Chef)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMichaël Sels, a Belgian chef, collaborated with Diabetes Liga on the 'Een Week Gezonder' (One Week Healthier) initiative, a food challenge aimed at motivating Flemish people to eat healthier. More than 7,000 Flemish people participated in the second edition in June 2024.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Diabetes Federation (IDF): Global umbrella organization for national diabetes associations, including Belgian member associations. A meta-incumbent that coordinates similar information, advocacy, and guideline dissemination functions at worldwide scale.
• American Diabetes Association: The largest US diabetes non-profit, operating as a broad incumbent serving the same mission (research, education, advocacy, awareness) across a much larger geography. Comparable in scope and service mix as a benchmark for scale.

Emerging players

• JDRF (Breakthrough T1D): Global Type 1 diabetes focused research and advocacy organization. Comparable in mission around Type 1 diabetes but with a stronger research-funding orientation, less directly focused on day-to-day member information services.
• mySugr (Roche Diabetes Care): Digital diabetes management app acquired by Roche, offering carbohydrate counting, logging, and coaching. Directly comparable to the Koolhydraatteller app in functionality but with far greater international reach and commercial backing.

Regional players

• Société Française du Diabète (SFD): French national diabetes scientific society. While more clinically focused than Diabetes Liga, it is a peer francophone-based counterpart that could compete for digital diabetes content and education in adjacent markets.
• Association du Diabète (Belgium francophone): The Wallonia-Brussels francophone diabetes patient association. A direct counterpart serving the Belgian population that Diabetes Liga does not currently reach, representing both complementarity and competitive threat.

Direct peers

• Diabetes UK: The leading UK diabetes charity providing information, peer support, research funding, and advocacy. Closely comparable in mission, membership model, and service mix (information lines, publications, peer community, digital tools).
• Diabetes Vereniging Nederland (DVN): The Dutch national diabetes patient association, structurally comparable to Diabetes Liga as a membership-based non-profit offering peer support, education, advocacy, and digital tools for people with diabetes in the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCsWdMCIi6z3fu9kjaTg_HQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/diabetesligavzw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diabetes-liga
• Instagraminstagram.com/diabetes_liga

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Diabetes Liga