Stichting Gezond Verstand

What Stichting Gezond Verstand does

Stichting Gezond Verstand is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting zonder winstoogmerk) that publishes Gezond Verstand Magazine, a bi-weekly independent journalism outlet founded in September 2020 by Karel van Wolferen, who serves as editor-in-chief (Hoofdredacteur). The publication targets Dutch-speaking readers in the Netherlands who perceive mainstream media coverage of geopolitics (Russia, Ukraine, US, EU), COVID-19 policy, Dutch and EU domestic affairs, health topics, and media criticism as censored or distorted; it positions itself as "not an opinion magazine," focused on verifiable facts and underreported stories. Operating entity Gezond Verstand Media BV is registered in Weesp, Netherlands (Gouwzeestraat 13, 1382 KD), where monthly Founder borrels are also held.

The core product is the bi-weekly print magazine, supported by PDF and online access, podcasts/audio, and video presentations distributed via YouTube, Rumble, SoundCloud, and Spotify. The technology stack is a standard WordPress publishing site with WooCommerce handling subscription, single-issue, and merchandise transactions; no proprietary platform, APIs, SDKs, or AI capabilities are disclosed. Content is gated behind a tiered subscription model (trial €24/3 months, digital-only ~€60/year, quarterly €27, annual print+digital €90, Founder €136/year with events). Distribution combines direct e-commerce on gezondverstand.eu, more than 800 physical bookstore and newsstand points across the Netherlands, and a broad social presence (Telegram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram).

The revenue model mixes recurring subscriptions, single-issue sales (€4-€4.95), merchandise (clothing, bags, books, water bottles, storage folders at €5-€42.50 with pre-filled annual folders at €90), and donations; donation dependence reflects the foundation's non-profit status. Since founding, the publication has built an archive of 126+ issues and 2400+ articles, with active bi-weekly production continuing into Issue 142 (July 2026). Customer base is B2C and broadly distributed across individual Dutch subscribers and Founder members, with no enterprise customers or institutional revenue streams identified in the source material.

Name

Stichting Gezond Verstand

Legal name

Gezond Verstand Media BV

Website

https://gezondverstand.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gezond Verstand is a Dutch non-profit foundation that publishes a bi-weekly independent print and digital magazine offering alternative analyses of geopolitics, EU/Dutch policy, and health topics to Dutch-speaking readers, funded by tiered subscriptions, donations, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent journalism and alternative news publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Alternative journalism publishing
• Independent news magazine
• Print and digital subscriptions
• Dutch alternative media
• Nonprofit news foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Weesp

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print and Digital Subscriptions: Annual and quarterly print+digital subscriptions (paper magazine delivered bi-weekly plus PDF access) and digital-only subscriptions (PDF + online access). This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Single Issue Sales: Sale of individual print and PDF issues at retail and webshop price points.
3. Merchandise and Accessories: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing (caps, headbands, winter hats), tote bags, water bottles, cartoon books, and storage folders (opbergmappen).
4. Donations: The organization is a non-profit foundation (Stichting zonder winstoogmerk) that relies on donations to support independent journalism.
5. Founder Membership: Premium tier subscription at €136/year including access to network events and borrels in Weesp, in addition to standard subscription benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stichting Gezond Verstand publishes Gezond Verstand Magazine, a bi-weekly independent Dutch journalism publication covering geopolitics, COVID-19 policy, EU and Dutch domestic affairs, health, and media criticism. Its commercial offer consists of multi-tier print and digital subscriptions, single print/PDF issue sales, branded merchandise, storage folders, and a premium Founder membership that bundles networking events in Weesp. The foundation is donation-supported and not-for-profit.

Product overview

Gezond Verstand operates as a biweekly independent Dutch journalism magazine published by Stichting Gezond Verstand, founded in September 2020. The company offers a multi-tier subscription model centered on the core Gezond Verstand Magazine product (print and digital), supplemented by a Founder premium tier with exclusive events. Individual issues are sold both digitally (PDF) and in print at 800+ retail locations. The product portfolio extends to merchandise (clothing, accessories, books) and storage solutions for collectors. Digital content includes free articles, podcasts, video presentations, and a subscription newsletter. The publication focuses on geopolitical analysis, critical media coverage, and alternative viewpoints on Dutch and European affairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Subscription (Print + Digital) Annual subscription at €90/year providing 24 bi-weekly print issues delivered by mail plus full online and PDF access to all current and prior issues of Gezond Verstand Magazine, for Dutch-speaking individual subscribers.
• Digital-Only Subscription Annual digital subscription at €78/year (or €60/year, equivalent to €5.50/month) granting online and PDF access to all 24 bi-weekly issues, for readers who do not require physical delivery.
• Quarterly Subscription (Print + Digital) Quarterly subscription at €27 per quarter providing 6 bi-weekly issues in print plus digital access, offered as a low-commitment entry point for new subscribers.
• Founder Membership Premium annual membership at €136/year bundling the standard annual subscription with access to monthly founder events and borrels in Weesp, networking with writers, and a 15% discount on merchandise.
• Trial Subscription Trial subscription at €24 for three months (6 print + digital issues), including access to all prior issues and member forum, designed to convert new readers to paid subscribers.
• Single Issues (Print and PDF) Individual magazine issues available in print (€4.00–€4.95 depending on edition number) and PDF formats, sold through the webshop and 800+ Dutch bookstores and newsstands.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including cartoon books (€42.50), tote bags (€5.00), baseball caps (€20.00), winter hats (€17.50), headbands (€22.50), and water bottles (€15.00), sold through the webshop.
• Storage Folders (Opbergmappen) Sturdy decorative storage folders for collecting magazine issues, sold empty (€23.50) or pre-filled with all issues from a given volume/year (€90.00, with 15% discount for Founders).

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nine For News: Dutch online alternative news outlet covering geopolitics, health, and EU affairs from a critical perspective. Competes for the same Dutch alternative-media audience via digital content, social media, and a paid community/newsletter model.
• Café Weltschmerz: Dutch alternative media platform featuring interviews, analysis, and live programming; Karel van Wolferen was previously involved with this platform before founding Gezond Verstand, so it shares both audience and editorial lineage.
• De Andere Krant: Dutch weekly alternative news magazine with similar positioning to mainstream Dutch papers, sold via subscription and at newsagents in the Netherlands. Directly competes for the same Dutch-speaking readers seeking alternative news and analysis.

Broad incumbents

• Vrij Nederland: Long-running Dutch opinion/news weekly magazine with print and digital subscriptions. Comparable as a Dutch-language opinion/currents-affairs magazine subscriber business, though positioned across the political spectrum from Gezond Verstand.
• De Volkskrant: Major Dutch quality daily with digital subscriptions and podcasts. Comparable on subscription/news model and Dutch audience, although operating mainstream and at much larger scale in a different format (daily vs. bi-weekly).
• HP/De Tijd: Dutch weekly news and opinion magazine covering politics, economics, and culture. Directly comparable as a bi-weekly/weekly Dutch-language opinion magazine with print-plus-digital subscriptions and a premium tier.
• Elsevier Weekblad: Established Dutch weekly news and opinion magazine sold in print and via digital subscription. Comparable in product format (weekly news/opinion magazine in Dutch) and subscription/revenue model, even though its editorial stance is mainstream.

Emerging players

• The Post Online: Dutch online opinion/news outlet active in alternative and right-of-center commentary. Overlaps with Gezond Verstand's Dutch alternative-news positioning and digital subscription/community model, but is purely digital and not a print magazine.
• Tichys Einblick: German alternative/right-of-center opinion news outlet with online articles, podcast, and premium community. Comparable as a German-language alternative-media subscription/community business targeting readers skeptical of mainstream coverage.
• Compact Magazin: German alternative news magazine sold by subscription and at retail with strong opinion positioning. Closely comparable product/business model (print magazine + subscription + alternative editorial line) outside the Dutch market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_GezondVerstand
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/stichtinggezondverstand
• Facebookfacebook.com/StichtingGezondVerstand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-gezond-verstand
• Instagraminstagram.com/gezondverstand.eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Stichting Gezond Verstand