Faktor5 - eenzaamheid experts

What Faktor5 - eenzaamheid experts does

Faktor5 is a Dutch sole proprietorship (eenmanszaak) operating as a niche training and knowledge institute focused on chronic loneliness. Founded in 2004 by Jeannette Rijks and transferred to Josja Biessen in January 2025, the company trains and certifies healthcare, welfare, and municipal professionals through a portfolio of blended learning programs anchored on its proprietary 'Creatief Leven' (Creative Living) methodology — an evidence-based intervention combining neuroscience-informed brain activation, psycho-education, and structured social interaction. The methodology was recognized in the Movisie Databank effectieve sociale interventies in 2022 as 'well-scientifically-substantiated.' The business also operates a consumer self-help version of the course and a 'Creatief Leven – Voor Jou' sub-brand that routes end-users to certified practitioners.

The product set comprises a year-long Registerplein-accredited Eenzaamheidspecialist program (full professional certification), a Coach Eenzaamheid program for individual coaching, an Adviseur/Voorlichter program for policy and advisory roles (priced at €1,100), and the recently added WIKADO Cursusleider training (€3,490). A consumer-facing Cursus Creatief Leven Online is sold directly at €69.50, with free proeflessen and sneak peeks as lead generation. In-company training is delivered to municipalities and welfare organizations. Distribution is multi-channel: the Faktor5 Academie e-commerce platform for self-serve enrollment, direct sales by phone and email for enterprise contracts, monthly free webinars as top-of-funnel lead generation, and the eenzaamheidspecialisten.nl referral network of certified specialists across the Netherlands.

The business is bootstrapped and operates with approximately 6 staff supplemented by contracted 'externe helden' (freelancers). It holds CRKBO registration, NOBTRA trainer certification, Registerplein accreditation, and Movisie recognition. Revenue is generated entirely through training fees, course sales, and in-company contracts — there is no venture capital, no recurring SaaS subscription, and no disclosed revenue figure. Geographic scope is limited to the Netherlands, and the company's competitive position rests on the scientific recognition of its methodology, formal accreditations, and a growing certified practitioner network rather than on technology differentiation.

Name

Faktor5 - eenzaamheid experts

Legal name

Josja Biessen

Website

https://faktor5.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Faktor5 is a Dutch training institute that certifies healthcare, welfare, and municipal professionals to address chronic loneliness using its Movisie-recognized Creatief Leven methodology, offering blended certification programs, in-company training, and consumer self-help courses in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Education in Social Welfare

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

Keywords

• Loneliness training programs
• Social intervention methodology
• Professional coaching certification
• Blended learning courses
• Loneliness specialist education

Headquarters

HQ city

Ransdaal

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Programs: Revenue from comprehensive blended training programs including Eenzaamheidspecialist (specialist), Coach Eenzaamheid (coach), and Adviseur/Voorlichter (advisor) programs. Programs are accredited and certified.
2. Online Course Sales: Direct sales of online courses through the Faktor5 Academy e-commerce platform. Courses include Creatief Leven online (€69.50) and specialized training programs (€1,100-€3,490).
3. In-Company Training: Customized training programs delivered at client organizations with tailored knowledge and competencies for specific organizational needs.
4. WIKADO Training Program: New training program for WIKADO course leadership, priced at €3,490.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Faktor5 delivers accredited blended training programs that certify professionals to address chronic loneliness using the recognized "Creatief Leven" methodology. The portfolio includes a year-long Specialist program, Coach and Advisor training, and a self-paced online course for individuals, supported by in-company training, free webinars, and a network directory of certified specialists.

Product overview

Faktor5 is a Dutch training and knowledge institute specializing in loneliness, offering a portfolio of blended professional education programs and an online learning platform (Academie). The core product is the 'Opleiding Eenzaamheidspecialist' (Loneliness Specialist Training), a Registerplein-accredited year-long program that trains professionals to address chronic loneliness using the scientifically grounded 'Creatief Leven' methodology. Complementary programs include 'Opleiding Coach Eenzaamheid' (for individual coaching) and 'Opleiding Adviseur/Voorlichter' (for policy and advisory roles). The company also offers the 'Cursus Creatief Leven Online' directly to individuals, in-company training for organizations, free monthly webinars, and maintains a network directory (eenzaamheidspecialisten.nl) of certified specialists. All offerings are grounded in neuroscience research on how chronic loneliness affects the brain and employ brain activation techniques, psycho-education, and social interaction to create change.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Faktor5 Academie: Online learning platform for Faktor5 courses and training programs
• Creatief Leven
• Eenzaamheidspecialisten.nl

Products and services

• Opleiding Eenzaamheidspecialist (Loneliness Specialist Training) Blended year-long professional training program for individual practitioners (social workers, counselors, coaches) seeking certification as a loneliness specialist. Graduates become certified to deliver the Creatief Leven course and are accredited by Registerplein.
• Opleiding Coach Eenzaamheid (Loneliness Coach Training) Blended training program for individual coaches and client guides who want to specialize in one-on-one guidance for clients experiencing loneliness, using Creatief Leven-based development-oriented communication techniques.
• Opleiding Adviseur/Voorlichter Eenzaamheid (Advisor/Communicator Training) Blended training program for professionals who want to diagnose loneliness, advise on it, and make appropriate referrals. Targeted at policy advisors and professionals who want to disseminate loneliness knowledge within their organization or constituency.
• Opleiding Cursusleider WIKADO (WIKADO Course Leader Training) Training program that certifies graduates to serve as course leaders for WIKADO, a specific Faktor5 program offering.
• Cursus Creatief Leven Online (Creative Living Online Course) Self-paced online course delivering the Creatief Leven methodology directly to individual consumers experiencing chronic loneliness. Combines psycho-education, brain activation, and social interaction; Movisie-recognized as evidence-based.
• Incompany Trainingen (In-Company Training) Bespoke in-company training program for municipalities, welfare organizations, and healthcare institutions, delivering customized knowledge and competencies on recognizing and addressing loneliness for the client's staff or coalition.

Quantifiable outcome

• People can be helped to change their lives in eight weeks so they no longer need to feel lonely
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ISBW: Dutch training institute focused on business and management development with recognized certification programs. Comparable to Faktor5 as another Dutch post-HBO professional training provider selling accreditation-bearing, paid programs to working professionals.
• Schouten & Nelissen: Major Dutch training and coaching institute offering accredited learning programs for individuals and organizations. Comparable to Faktor5 because it sells individual coaching certifications, in-company training, and lifelong-learning content in adjacent human-development categories.
• NCOI Groep: Largest Dutch provider of accredited professional training and post-HBO programs across management, healthcare, and social domains. Competes broadly for the same Dutch professional upskilling budget as Faktor5, including welfare and coaching tracks.
• LOI (NHA Group): Long-established Dutch distance-learning provider with an online academy and a wide catalog of professional certification tracks. Closely comparable business model to Faktor5 Academie: self-serve online enrollment, blended learning, and multiple price tiers.

Direct peers

• NSPOH (Netherlands School of Public & Occupational Health): Provider of accredited post-graduate professional training for public-health, occupational-health, and social-work practitioners in the Netherlands. Comparable because it sells the same kind of accredited specialization programs to Dutch welfare and healthcare professionals that Faktor5 targets.
• RINO Zuid: Dutch post-HO training institute that delivers accredited professional development for mental-health and welfare practitioners, with strong roots in southern Netherlands. Comparable to Faktor5 in regional reach (Limburg-adjacent) and specialized welfare/behavioral-health curriculum.
• Spring instituut: Dutch training institute that certifies coaches, counselors, and personal-development professionals with blended learning and accredited programs. Most directly comparable to Faktor5's Coach Eenzaamheid and Adviseur tracks in both curriculum structure and target buyer.

Others

• Coalitie Erbij: National Dutch coalition against loneliness that brings municipalities, welfare organizations, and citizens together around anti-loneliness initiatives. Overlaps with Faktor5 in buyer base but is a coalition/convening body rather than a training provider, so an ecosystem peer rather than a competitor.
• Movisie: Dutch knowledge institute for the social domain that maintains the database of effective social interventions in which Creatief Leven is listed. Functions as an enabler/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; Faktor5's recognition depends on this platform.

Regional players

• Zuyd Hogeschool: Dutch university of applied sciences based in Maastricht/Heerlen, Limburg, with applied social sciences and healthcare programs that train many of the same welfare professionals Faktor5 serves. Regional adjacency to Faktor5's HQ and direct competition for the same Dutch welfare-talent pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faktor5

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Faktor5 - eenzaamheid experts