What Ventilex does

Ventilex, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Heerde, Netherlands, designs and manufactures industrial drying and processing equipment built around proprietary shaking fluidized bed technology. Its portfolio spans fluidized bed dryers, belt dryers, the patented DryGenic air-dehumidification systems, DrySol dehumidifiers, sterilizers (including the long-standing ThermoSeed line for seed treatment), and an in-house Test Center used for customer-specific process validation.

The company serves industrial processors across food, animal feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin and collagen, and meat/bone meal, with quoted reach across 80+ countries, 1,000+ installed drying units globally, 500+ DryGenic facilities in 45 countries, and an estimated 60% share of the premium gelatin drying market. Named customers span large multinationals across diverse verticals, including Nestlé, JBS, Asia Cement, EDEKA, Sibelco, CPI, and Indofood.

Ventilex operates a project-based equipment sales model: customized drying systems are engineered to client specifications, supported by a global after-sales service network and partnerships with complementary technology providers such as TEWS (moisture control), VetterTec (gelatin/collagen), Solutherm (heat-pump energy recovery), Altop Kunststofftechniek (DryGenic co-development), and DIL (food research). Revenue mechanics combine one-off capital equipment sales, retrofits and upgrades, spare parts, and long-tail service contracts tied to the multi-decade operating life of installed assets.

Name

Ventilex

Legal name

Ventilex B.V.

Website

https://ventilex.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ventilex is a Dutch industrial OEM, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Heerde, that designs shaking fluidized bed dryers, belt dryers, DryGenic air-dehumidifiers, and sterilizers for food, feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin, and meat processors across 80+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drying Equipment

NAICS

Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585), Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Heat Transfer Equipment (Heat Exchangers, Boilers, Condensers) (IMAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

HVAC & Industrial Ventilation (Chillers, AHUs, Exhaust, Filtration) (EUAEAFAE)

Keywords

• Industrial drying equipment
• Fluid bed dryer
• Air dehumidification systems
• Steam sterilization equipment
• Mineral processing dryers

Headquarters

HQ city

Heerde

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Industrial Drying Equipment Sales: Sale of customized fluid bed dryers, belt dryers, air dehumidifiers, and sterilizers as capital equipment to industrial manufacturers across food, feed, minerals, chemicals, and gelatin markets.
2. Spare Parts and Components: Supply of critical spare parts stocked on-site or delivered for repairs. Includes refurbishment of components that have reached life expectancy.
3. Service, Maintenance, and Optimization: Lifecycle service including inspection, maintenance, optimization reports, operator training, certification, and maintenance contracts. Professional service saves 5-10% of operational costs for customers.
4. Test Center and Process Optimization Services: Product testing and process optimization services at the Ventilex Test Center in Heerde, the Netherlands, or at customer sites. Tests product properties, defines optimal drying conditions, and simulates entire drying processes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ventilex engineers, manufactures, and services customized industrial drying, cooling, sterilization, and air-dehumidification equipment. Its core products are a proprietary shaking fluid bed dryer, a conveyor belt dryer, the DryGenic air dehumidifier (using the proprietary DrySol liquid desiccant), the Ventura two-stage fluid bed dryer, and continuous HTST steam sterilizers, supported by a Heerde-based Test Center for trial runs and a global lifecycle service team.

Product overview

Ventilex offers a portfolio of industrial thermal treatment solutions centered on four core product lines: Fluid Bed Dryer (the primary shaking fluidized bed dryer for granular materials across food, feed, minerals, and chemicals), Belt Dryer (conveyor-based drying for uniform output), DryGenic® Air Dehumidifier (liquid desiccant-based humidity control and air sterilization), and Sterilizer (HTST steam sterilization). These core products are supplemented by specialized sub-brands including the Ventura® two-stage fluid bed dryer for energy-efficient sand and mineral drying, the DryGenic NXT energy-saving module, and the Fluid Bed Roaster for coffee. Ventilex also provides a Test Center for product trials and a Life Cycle Service program covering inspection, maintenance, optimization, and training. The product portfolio serves food, feed, minerals, chemicals, gelatin, and meat processing markets across 80+ countries with over 1,000 installed units.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DryGenic: Proprietary air dehumidification system using liquid desiccant technology for humidity control and elimination of airborne pathogens in food and meat processing facilities.
• DryGenic NXT
• Ventura
• DrySol
• ThermoSeed

Products and services

• Fluid Bed Dryer Continuous shaking fluidized bed dryer for drying and cooling granular materials across food, feed, minerals, chemicals, and gelatin, operating from -15°C to +600°C with gas speeds of 0.2–3 m/sec and gentle reciprocating motion that keeps g-forces to about 1G to minimize product degradation.
• Belt Dryer Industrial conveyor belt dryer that transports product on a belt while hot air is pressed through the bed for uniform drying, used for food, gelatin, and chemicals where consistent output moisture and gentle handling are required.
• DryGenic Air Dehumidifier Air dehumidification system using the proprietary DrySol liquid desiccant to deliver cold, dry, bacteria-free air at up to 120,000 m³/h and 2,000 kg/h moisture removal, eliminating up to 99.9% of airborne bacteria, viruses, and molds (ISO-11290). Deployed in meat processing, cold storage, and food facilities across 500+ installations in 45 countries.
• Sterilizer (Continuous Steam Sterilizer) Continuous steam sterilizer using high-temperature short-time (HTST) processing for chemical-free decontamination of spices, herbs, nuts, and seeds, with automated PLC recipe management and tight temperature and pressure control.
• Pasteurizer Steam-based thermal pasteurization system for food products, providing microbiological control as part of Ventilex's industrial drying solutions lineup.
• Ventura Two-Stage Fluid Bed Dryer Two-stage fluid bed drying system integrated into a single fluid-bed setup, recirculating process air in the first stage to achieve high dew points for heat recovery in the second stage, delivering up to 35% lower energy consumption compared to traditional drying systems and a consistent 40°C product exit temperature (used in sand, salt, and mineral drying).
• Gelatin Belt Dryer Belt dryer specifically engineered for gelatin and collagen-peptide drying, with Ventilex holding over 60% global market share in premium gelatin and supporting end-to-end production lines via the VetterTec partnership and TEWS sensor integration (±0.5% moisture accuracy).
• DryGenic NXT Next-generation energy-saving regeneration module for the DryGenic air dehumidifier, designed as an upgrade to the standard DryGenic system to further reduce energy use and operating costs.
• Test Center (Product Testing and Process Optimization Services) Product testing and process optimization service at the Ventilex Test Center in Heerde, the Netherlands (or on customer sites), with batch fluid bed dryers (12 cm diameter), 3-meter continuous test units, belt dryer, air dehumidifier, batch pasteurizer/sterilizer, and DryGenic Air Dryer/decontamination system up to 5,000 kg/h, enabling full-scale trials up to 6 tons of product per hour.
• Life Cycle Service Comprehensive aftermarket service package for Ventilex equipment covering inspection, maintenance, spare parts management, refurbishment of components reaching life expectancy, certification, data-log-based optimization, and operator training, with 20+ service professionals deployed globally; stated to reduce operational costs by 5–10% and unplanned downtime from 5–10% to nearly zero.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings: 30-40% with Ventura two-stage system
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ThermoSeed Global ABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Partnership since validation of first industrial scale prototype in 2004. Ventilex manufactures and installs custom-designed seed sterilization units integrating ThermoSeed chemical-free thermal disinfection technology. Developed and installed 10 units for cereals, vegetable crop seeds, rice, and soybeans. Ventilex also provides DryGenic Air Dehumidifiers and energy-saving heat pumps (with Solutherm) to complement the seed treatment lines.
• SoluthermcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership following several years of joint innovation in thermal treatment solutions. Combined expertise enables energy-saving solutions tailored to each customer's needs. Developed cutting-edge heat pumps that capture residual process heat and re-inject it into thermal treatment processes, saving customers up to €10,000 per month in heating costs with a 3-5 year payback period. Joint innovation continues to bring more smart heat reusage techniques to market.
• VetterTeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership following several years of joint development in gelatin and collagen-peptide production technology. Combines Ventilex's world-leading gelatin belt dryers with VetterTec's high-end spray drying technologies for end-to-end collagen-peptide production lines. Joint development of production technology and combined commercial operations to serve the gelatin and collagen-peptide markets worldwide.
• Altop KunststoftechniekcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership following multiple years of joint development in DryGenic air dehumidifying solutions. Altop provides complete technical solutions in plastic equipment construction. Together established over 500 air dehumidification installations in 45 countries. Partnership extends beyond production to co-innovate next-generation DryGenic with focus on energy reduction.
• DIL (Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint forces to expand the DIL technology center in Quakenbrück, Germany with Ventilex Fluid Bed Drying Technology. Provides complete research, test, and production infrastructure for developing healthy, sustainable-protein food products. DIL operates IFS-accredited food-grade pilot plant. Ventilex enables gentle drying of granular foods including textured vegetable proteins, encapsulated and agglomerated food ingredients, cereals, and snack products.
• TEWScoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership to integrate TEWS microwave moisture sensors into Ventilex gelatin dryers for automatic control. TEWS is world market leader in industrial microwave moisture and density measurement (50 years). Installed in buffer silo post-grinding and pneumatic transport, the sensor enables accuracy up to ±0.5% with predictive capabilities. Benefits include improved yield, energy savings, enhanced productivity, and amortization period of less than one year.
• Lantmännen BioAgriminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership in bringing ThermoSeed chemical-free rice seed treatment technology to the Italian market. Lantmännen BioAgri developed the proven treatment process; Ventilex supplies the thermal processing equipment. Installation at SIS processes ~11 t/h of rice seed.

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Andritz AG: Austrian industrial equipment group with significant drying and thermal process equipment serving food, feed, chemicals and minerals. Direct overlap with Ventilex on industrial fluid bed and belt drying systems at larger scale.
• GEA Group: German industrial conglomerate with a large separation and drying technology portfolio (spray dryers, fluid bed dryers) serving food, dairy, chemicals and pharma. Overlaps directly with Ventilex in fluid bed drying for food and feed but operates across a much broader capital equipment portfolio.
• Metso Corporation: Finnish mineral processing and aggregates equipment major with drying and thermal processing solutions for the minerals market — directly overlapping with Ventilex's largest installed base segment (nearly 50% of units in minerals).
• CPM (California Pellet Mill / Roskamp): US-based process equipment manufacturer serving feed, food, oilseed and biomass with drying, grinding and pelleting equipment. Comparable to Ventilex in feed and minerals drying applications, especially in North America.

Direct peers

• Atlas Stord: Norwegian manufacturer of fishmeal and feed dryers, particularly relevant to Ventilex's feed, fish feed and aquafeed vertical. Direct competitor in DDGS and protein meal drying.
• Stela Laxhuber GmbH: German specialist in belt dryers and low-temperature drying technology for food, feed and biomass. Comparable in belt dryer segment to Ventilex, particularly in feed applications such as DDGS and aquafeed.
• Bühler Group: Swiss food and feed processing equipment manufacturer including drying, extrusion and sterilization solutions. Directly comparable to Ventilex in food, feed and aquafeed drying and a likely competitor for marquee customers like Nestlé and feed producers.
• Carrier Vibrating Equipment: US-based manufacturer of vibratory fluid bed dryers, coolers and calciners for chemicals, minerals, food and foundry applications. Most direct technological alternative to Ventilex's shaking fluid bed — uses vibration rather than shaking to fluidize product.
• Heinen Drying: German manufacturer of industrial drying and conditioning systems for food, feed and chemicals. Direct peer in fluid bed and belt dryers serving similar European mid-market industrial customers.

Emerging players

• BHS-Sonthofen: German specialty mechanical and thermal processing equipment maker with drying and filtration solutions for chemicals, minerals and recycling applications. Emerging overlap with Ventilex in chemicals and minerals drying and in newer recycling adjacencies such as tyre/rubber processing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventilex

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Ventilex