Verba

What Verba does

Verba (legally L. Verbakel B.V.) is a third-generation, family-owned Dutch manufacturer of specialized pig farming equipment, founded in 1971 by former pig farmer Bert Verbakel in Sint-Oedenrode, North Brabant, Netherlands. The company produces over 100 different types of pig feeders, drinkers, floor heating elements, and piglet covers — the largest pig feeder assortment by SKU count that the company itself claims worldwide — serving commercial pig farmers across all production stages (farrowing, piglet rearing, finishing, and sow housing), and operating today with roughly 33 employees out of a single in-house Dutch production facility.

The product line rests on proprietary mechanical features refined over five decades: the VERBA doseerklep dosing flap mechanism on ZB-series sow feeders, anti-morsranden (anti-spill edges) that materially reduce feed waste, integrated RVS 304 drink-nipple systems, and the M-series wet-feed basin (brijbak) invented in the early 1980s by the founder. Recent additions include the KZB Family Feeder for free-farrowing systems (developed jointly with farmer Jarno Brummelhuis from 2014, with over 10,000 units sold since launch), the WELL-NEST Biggencabine piglet cover (developed through the Pro-Dromi research project with Wageningen University), the 35 mm underfloor water-heating system with rubber top layer, the SW-serie Krulstaarten tail-friendly dry feeder, and the sensor-controlled Multifeeder handling both dry and liquid feeds. Manufacturing is fully in-house in the Netherlands using CNC bending and punching, supported by 1,150 solar panels; products are marketed primarily in RVS 304 stainless steel with up to 7-year warranties and have been independently validated (Drowaco/Bigro "best in test" with ~10% higher growth versus lowest-scoring feeder; the 2001 Hillsborough Agricultural Research Institute study identifying Verba feeders as best in class on feed conversion ratio).

Verba's commercial model is hybrid dealer-and-direct. Roughly 85% of revenue is generated internationally across 100+ countries; European sales are routed through stall/farm equipment dealers (stalinrichters) that bundle feeders into complete barn fit-out packages, while non-European sales are handled through Verba's own international sales offices covering the Far East, Oceania, Africa, and the Americas. Pricing for primary equipment is quote-based; smaller accessories (RVS mounting brackets, hinges, adjustment knobs, floor anchors) are sold at fixed unit prices (€1.65–€4.56) through the company's own webshop. The customer base is fragmented across SMB and mid-sized commercial pig farmers in many jurisdictions, with no enterprise anchor accounts disclosed and revenue visibility limited by the dealer-led channel. The company was founded in 1971, transitioned from steel/Eternit to plastic brijbakken in the late 1970s–early 1980s, launched its first computer-controlled Variomix feeder in 1996, and recently refreshed its leadership (October 2025) while remaining fully family-owned with no external funding.

Name

Verba

Legal name

L. Verbakel B.V.

Website

https://verba.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Verba (L. Verbakel B.V.) is a Dutch third-generation family-owned manufacturer of pig farming equipment, producing 100+ types of feeders, drinkers, floor heating elements, and piglet covers in its Sint-Oedenrode facility. Founded in 1971, it serves commercial pig farmers across 100+ countries via European dealers and overseas sales offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sint-Oedenrode

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pig feeding equipment sales: Core revenue from manufacturing and selling over 100 different types of pig feeders (dry feeders, wet feed basins, sow feeders, piglet feeders), floor heating elements, piglet covers/cabins, drinkers, and accessories. Products are sold with multi-year warranties (up to 7 years), indicating a focus on durable equipment sales. 85% of revenue generated internationally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verba designs, manufactures and sells pig farming equipment, including over 100 different types of feeders (dry feeders, wet feed basins, sow feeders, piglet feeders), floor heating elements, piglet covers/cabins, drinkers, and related accessories. All products are produced in-house at the company's factory in Sint-Oedenrode, Netherlands, using stainless steel (RVS 304) and 100% recycled plastics, and sold primarily to pig farmers across Europe and internationally.

Product overview

VERBA is a manufacturer of durable pig farming equipment, producing over 100 different types of feeders, drinkers, floor heating elements, and piglet covers entirely in its Dutch factory in Sint-Oedenrode. The product portfolio is organized around the pig life cycle: WELL-NEST Biggencabine/Biggenkap and Pigletfeeder/K-serie for farrowing pens; Drowaco, FA Plateau, and KZB Family Feeder for piglet stages; M/MU-series, SW, SL, SM, Drowaco, and Multifeeder dry and mash feeders for finishing pigs; ZB-serie and Variomix for sows and group housing. Supporting accessories include drinkers, mounting hardware, boot cleaners, and heating plates. The company serves international markets through regional dealer networks and local websites across over 15 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WELL-NEST: Piglet cabin and piglet cover product line designed to create a microclimate for newborn piglets in farrowing rooms, produced as part of the Pro-Dromi project.
• KZB / VERBA Family Feeder
• Multifeeder
• Drowaco
• Pigletfeeder / K-serie
• ZB-serie
• SM-serie / SL-serie
• SW-serie (Krulstaarten)
• M & MU Series
• Variomix

Products and services

• Drinkers (Drankbakken) RVS pig drinkers in single and duo configurations for piglets, finishing pigs, and sows, made from RVS 304 with Lübing drink nipples and circulation piping included.
• Verba Verwarmingsplaten (Heating Plates / Underfloor Heating Elements) 35mm thick water-heated floor heating elements for farrowing pens and weaned piglets, with rubber anti-slip top layer, oxygen-tight heating hoses, and energy consumption of 130 Watt/m². Produced entirely in-house.
• WELL-NEST Biggencabine en Biggenkap (Piglet Cover and Cabin) Piglet covers and cabins for creating a microclimate in farrowing pens, available in transparent UV-resistant or black HDPE variants with RVS frame, developed in collaboration with Wageningen University as part of the Pro-Dromi project.
• Pigletfeeder / K-serie Droogvoerbak (Dry Feeders for Farrowing Pens) Dry feeders for piglets in farrowing pens, including the Pigletfeeder (installable in partition walls with transparent hopper) and the K-series (K150, K250, K350, K450) for piglets weighing 5–20 kg, plus the Mewaco model with 18-liter hopper and integrated drinker.
• FA Plateau Voerbak (Plateau Feeders for Piglets) Plateau feeders for piglets featuring a heavy RVS plateau where piglets retrieve feed and combine with water to produce a wet mash; available in single and double configurations with 1–8 feeding places for piglets weighing 10–35 kg.
• Drowaco Biggen (Drowaco Piglet Feeders) Robust dry feeders with integrated drinkers featuring RVS Verba drink nipples fully separated from the feed compartment for optimal water-to-feed ratio and feed conversion, available in single and double configurations with 1–5 feeding places.
• ZB-serie (Sow Feeders) Flipper/pendulum feeders for sows in group housing, designed for ad-lib feeding of 10–12 sows with a VERBA-developed dose valve for calm eating behavior, including ZB and ZBC models and a lowered variant for gilt housing.
• Multifeeder Dual-purpose feeder that delivers both dry feed (pellet, crumb, or meal) and liquid feed such as whey, with sensor-controlled liquid feed delivery via a feed tube and sensor clamp on the Speedfeeder platform.
• Variomix (Computer-Controlled Feeders) Computer-controlled feed dispensers for finishing pigs and piglets, delivering multiple daily small portions of liquid feed automatically to save floor space compared to long troughs; includes V-series dry feed, VMV/VMB-series mash feed, and fully computer-controlled variants.
• M & MU Series (Mash Feeders) Original mash feeders for finishing pigs and piglets, invented by Bert Verbakel in the early 1980s. The M-series handles pellet, crumb, and meal feed with an RVS drink nipple for producing wet mash; the MU-series is specifically for meal feed.
• SW-serie KR Krulstaarten Droogvoerbak (Tail-Friendly Dry Feeders) Dry feeders for finishing pigs with extra-wide 35 cm feeding slots to accommodate pigs with long (uncut) tails, designed for future EU welfare requirements; available in single and double configurations with 1–4 feeding places for pigs weighing 20–120 kg.
• KZB VERBA Family Feeder (Free-Farrowing Pen Family Feeder) Family feeder for free-farrowing pens where sow and piglets eat from the same lowered trough; piglets begin eating alongside the sow from 4–5 days of age, reducing weaning dip and enabling piglets to be pre-adapted to solid feed. Full RVS 304 construction with integrated water connection.
• Laarzen- en schoenreinigers (Boot and Shoe Cleaners) Boot and shoe cleaning stations for pig farm hygiene, made from recycled plastic with heavy-duty nylon brushes; includes boot washers with 5 brushes and optional disinfectant injector, shoe cleaners with 1–3 brushes, and hygiene benches.
• Montagehoeken en Roosterankers (Mounting Brackets and Floor Anchors) RVS mounting brackets (1.5mm and 2mm thick, left and right models) and RVS floor anchors (M10, 50–150mm lengths) for securing pig feeders to slatted floors, including all necessary fastening hardware.
• Nevendiensten en -producten (Advisory and Document Services) Supporting services including advisory consultations, FAQs, and downloadable product sheets and leaflets for VERBA's pig farming equipment, complemented by an advice request form (adviesaanvraag) for consulting on product selection.

Quantifiable outcome

• Drowaco and Bigro feeders tested 'best in test' by independent German testing body — nearly 10% higher total growth per piglet after 50 days compared to lowest-scoring feeder. With average 30 animals per test, that is 60 kg more growth result in 50 days.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WUR (Wageningen University & Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Verba participates in research projects with WUR on pig welfare and housing systems, including the WUR/VKON roadshow on free-farrowing housing systems. Verba also contributed to the Pro-Dromi project led by WUR, which resulted in the WELL-NEST Biggencabine product. WUR and VKON co-organize roadshows featuring Verba products to educate pig farmers.
• VKON (Varkens Innovatie Centrum Oost-Nederland)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024VKON co-organizes with WUR the 'Roadshow Winst van een goed ingericht activiteitsgebied voor varkens' (Knowledge on Demand project) on free-farrowing housing, featuring Verba products and customer farms.
• Schothorst Feed Research (SFR)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SFR researcher Anouschka Middelkoop presents on free-farrowing systems and the benefits of family feeding systems at WUR/VKON roadshows, referencing studies on early feeding behaviour and feed conversion in piglets.
• Fokbedrijf Brummelhuis (Jarno Brummelhuis)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Collaboration beginning in 2014 to develop the KZB VERBA Family Feeder for free-farrowing farrowing rooms. Brummelhuis is Topigs Norsvin subfokker (pig breeding multiplier) and first customer to fully equip free-farrowing rooms with Family Feeder. The collaboration produced the product now sold across Europe.
• VIC Sterksel (formerly)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerba maintains longstanding relationships with VIC Sterksel (pig research station), producing piglet nests based on the Pro-Dromi principle. VIC helps with international name recognition, while Verba contributes to pig farming sector development.
• Coppens WesterhovenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoppens Westerhoven is a dealer that installs Verba products, including a practical installation example at Niels van Engelen farm showcased on Verba's website.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACO Funki: Danish manufacturer of pig farming equipment including feeders, penning, and ventilation. Competes directly with Verba in European pig feeding solutions and serves a similar customer base of sow and finishing pig farmers.
• Rotecna: Spanish manufacturer specializing in pig farming equipment (feeders, drinkers, penning, slats). Competes with Verba in European pig equipment markets, particularly in southern Europe and Latin America.
• Egebjerg: Danish pig equipment manufacturer producing feeders, penning, and slatted floors. A direct European competitor to Verba with comparable product breadth in pig feeding and housing.
• Hölscher + Leuschner: German manufacturer of pig and poultry feeding/drinking equipment, including wet feed systems directly comparable to Verba's M-series brijbakken. Strong overlap in central European dealer channels.

Emerging players

• Skiold: Danish agricultural company with pig housing and feeding equipment as one of its core segments. Comparable to Verba in European pig farming equipment, with broader farm-to-feed milling scope.
• Fancom (part of CTB): Dutch livestock technology company specializing in climate control and feeding automation for pig and poultry houses. Adjacent to Verba's feeders via computer-controlled feeding systems like Variomix.

Broad incumbents

• PigTek (CTB Inc.): US-based pig equipment group under CTB (Berkshire Hathaway), offering feeders, penning, and ventilation globally. Operates as a broader incumbent with a pig feeding product line comparable to Verba's.
• Big Dutchman: Global market leader in pig and poultry housing equipment, offering complete turnkey systems including feeding, climate control, and ventilation. Significant overlap with Verba in pig feeding equipment but operates at vastly larger scale and broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Hog Slat: US-based manufacturer of hog production equipment including feeders, flooring, and ventilation. Comparable product category to Verba but primarily serving North American markets.
• Vissing Agro: Danish pig equipment manufacturer focused on dry and wet feeding systems. Comparable to Verba's feeder portfolio but primarily serving Northern European markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=szfirFH95R4
• Facebookfacebook.com/lverbakelbv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/l-verbakel-bv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Verba