Toomler
Comedytrain (formerly Toomler) is a privately held Dutch comedy impresariaat and live venue in Amsterdam, managing a roster of 60+ comedians and hosting regular stand-up shows, open-mic auditions, and corporate bookings through its Westergas venue and a network of theater impresariates.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Toomler does
Comedytrain Impresariaat B.V., formerly operating as Toomler, is a privately held Dutch entertainment company founded in 1995 and headquartered at the Westergas cultural complex in Amsterdam. The company operates as both a live stand-up comedy venue and a comedian management impresariaat, hosting regular shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings plus specialty programming such as weekly Open Podium auditions, the monthly Sunday afternoon program 'De Onvoltooide Zondagmiddag,' the improv show 'Het Hoogste Woord,' and Friday Night Live music events. Its core business is the curation, development, and booking of Dutch comedy talent, with a roster exceeding 60 comedians including nationally recognized figures such as Theo Maassen, Dolf Jansen, Najib Amhali, Peter Pannekoek, and Youp van 't Hek.
The revenue model combines four streams: ticket sales (priced at €7-10 for specialty shows), on-site food and beverage sales at the venue's restaurant, comedian booking commissions for private and corporate events, and venue rental for private hire. Talent is distributed both directly through the venue's box office and website and indirectly through a network of five theater impresariates (Bunker Theaterzaken, Breijwerk, De Keet BV, Theaterbureau De Mannen, PuuRee) that handle larger theatrical productions. The company maintains no proprietary technology platform; its competitive position rests on a decades-long talent pipeline, recurring weekly programming, and continuous media presence through comedian columns in national newspapers (Volkskrant, Trouw) and appearances on Dutch public broadcasting (NPO, NTR).
Customer segments are diversified across general entertainment consumers attending shows, corporate and event organizers booking comedians for private functions, and theater impresariates procuring talent for larger productions. The Open Podium program serves as the primary talent acquisition funnel, while awards such as the Cameretten Jury Prize (2013), Poelifinario (2011), and Funx Power Award (2026) provide ongoing industry validation. The company operates with a small staff of 9 employees, indicating that the comedians themselves function largely as independent contractors rather than salaried headcount.
Toomler firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Toomler
- Legal name
- Comedytrain Impresariaat B.V.
- Website
- https://toomler.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Comedytrain (formerly Toomler) is a privately held Dutch comedy impresariaat and live venue in Amsterdam, managing a roster of 60+ comedians and hosting regular stand-up shows, open-mic auditions, and corporate bookings through its Westergas venue and a network of theater impresariates.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Toomler industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Comedy Entertainment
- NAICS
- Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues) (MPAGAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Comedy Club & Showcase Nights (MPAGACAE)
Keywords
Where Toomler is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Toomler business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket sales: Revenue from selling tickets to comedy shows at the venue, with regular programming Thursday through Saturday evenings and special events.
- Food and beverage: On-site food and beverage sales including a dinner menu, as the venue is located at Westergas with dining facilities.
- Comedian bookings and management: Management of affiliated comedians who are booked for private events, corporate functions, and theater performances. Commission from these bookings.
- Venue rental: The venue is available for private hire and events, including corporate bookings and private parties (though roasts and private events like birthdays are explicitly not offered).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Open Podium audition tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | De Onvoltooide Zondagmiddag tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Het Hoogste Woord tickets |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Friday Night Live admission |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Comedian booking fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Toomler product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Toomler (operating as Comedytrain) is a stand-up comedy venue and comedian impresariaat based at the Westergas cultural complex in Amsterdam. The company operates a comedy club hosting regular Thursday–Saturday evening shows, manages a collective of over 60 Dutch comedians for bookings at private and corporate events, rents its venue for hire, and runs an Open Podium talent discovery program. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, food and beverage, comedian booking commissions, and venue rental.
Product overview
Comedytrain (formerly Toomler) is a comedy collective and venue offering stand-up comedy performances and talent management services. The core offering consists of regular comedy shows at their Amsterdam venue featuring both established and emerging comedians. Additional services include comedian bookings for private and corporate events, venue rental, and talent discovery through the Open Podium program. The collective manages a roster of comedians and facilitates bookings through various theater impresariaten.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Comedytrain Shows Regular stand-up comedy performances at the Comedytrain venue at Westergas in Amsterdam, featuring the collective's comedians and held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
- Comedian Bookings Booking and management service placing affiliated comedians at corporate events, private functions, and theater performances across the Netherlands, delivered via the Comedytrain impresariaat office.
- Venue Rental Rental of the Comedytrain venue at Pazzanistraat 1, Amsterdam, for private and corporate events, including the full bar and hospitality setup.
- Open Podium Weekly open-mic night held every Thursday at the Comedytrain venue, allowing aspiring comedians to audition for membership in the collective.
- Line-up Shows Showcase-format performances featuring multiple comedians from the collective, hosted by an MC and combining established and emerging talent.
Quantifiable outcome
- 293+ pages of news archives spanning over a decade of continuous operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Toomler
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Toomler technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Toomler partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)minorComedytrain partnered with IDFA to present Stand-Up Documentary, a selection of documentaries about humor and stand-up comedy during the festival. The venue hosted screenings followed by Late Night Talkshows featuring Comedytrain comedians. The partnership ran November 22-24, 2013.
- Bunker TheaterzakencoreTheater impresariaat that manages several Comedytrain comedians for theatrical productions and bookings. Part of the broader network of impresariates distributing Comedytrain talent.
- BreijwerkcoreTheater impresariaat managing several Comedytrain comedians for theatrical bookings and productions.
- De Keet BVcoreTheater impresariauat managing Comedytrain comedians for theatrical productions and bookings.
- Theaterbureau De MannencoreTheater impresariaat managing Comedytrain comedians for theatrical bookings and productions.
- PuuReecoreTheater impresariaat managing Comedytrain comedians for theatrical bookings and productions.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Toomler competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Comedy Store (London): Iconic London stand-up comedy club operating multiple nightly shows with a bar. Direct peer because of the venue-plus-roster operating model (managing and booking comedian talent for shows), adult evening entertainment positioning, and club-style comedy delivery.
- Boom Chicago: Amsterdam-based comedy venue and show production company offering regular live shows and improv comedy. Direct peer due to same-city operating geography, live comedy venue model, dinner-drink-show integration, and comparable scale and target audience of comedy-curious adults in Amsterdam.
- Gotham Comedy Club: New York City stand-up comedy club featuring nightly shows with a curated roster of comedians and full bar/dining service. Direct peer due to similar intimate-club live comedy programming, food and beverage integration, and roster-based business model.
- Helium Comedy Club: US comedy club chain with multiple locations featuring national touring headliners and rising comedians, plus food and beverage service. Direct peer because of multi-market live comedy venue model, food-and-show integration, and talent development approach analogous to Comedytrain's Open Podium.
- Laugh Factory: Long-running US comedy club chain with locations in Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas, known for showcasing both established and emerging stand-up talent. Direct peer because of similar club-style venue operation, regular nightly programming, and platform for launching new comedy talent.
- Caroline's on Broadway: Iconic New York comedy club and Broadway venue featuring headline stand-up acts with full dining. Direct peer because of comparable show programming, comedy talent curation, and dinner-plus-show format that aligns with Comedytrain's Westergas restaurant-and-show offering.
- Yuk Yuk's: Canada's largest stand-up comedy chain with multiple club locations, a talent development program, and comedian booking services. Direct peer due to combined venue operations, talent management, and multi-city comedy distribution model that closely mirrors Comedytrain's impresariaat-plus-venue structure.
Regional players
- Comedy Club Haug: Germany's best-known stand-up comedy club chain with locations across German cities, offering regular live shows and a roster of German-speaking comedians. Regional peer because it operates an equivalent venue-plus-talent model in a neighboring market rather than directly competing in Amsterdam.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Toomler social profiles
Digital presenceToomler financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Toomler leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Toomler funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Toomler 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 Toomler
What does Toomler do?
Toomler (operating as Comedytrain) is a stand-up comedy venue and comedian impresariaat based at the Westergas cultural complex in Amsterdam. The company operates a comedy club hosting regular Thursday–Saturday evening shows, manages a collective of over 60 Dutch comedians for bookings at private and corporate events, rents its venue for hire, and runs an Open Podium talent discovery program. Revenue is generated from ticket sales, food and beverage, comedian booking commissions, and venue rental.
Is Toomler a public or private company?
Toomler is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Toomler founded?
Toomler was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Toomler based?
Toomler is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Toomler make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are food and beverage, comedian bookings and management and venue rental.
Who are Toomler's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Comedy Store (London), Boom Chicago, Gotham Comedy Club, Helium Comedy Club, Laugh Factory, Caroline's on Broadway and Yuk Yuk's. Comedy Club Haug is listed as a regional player.
Does Toomler have an API?
No public API is recorded for Toomler.
What industry is Toomler in?
Toomler's product category is Live Comedy Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAIAH, Comedy Clubs (Nightlife Venues), with a secondary code of MPAGACAE, Comedy Club & Showcase Nights. Its NAICS code is 71131 and its SIC code is 7900.