Ferentes B.v.

What Ferentes B.v. does

Ferentes B.V. is a Dutch private limited company founded in 2005 by Bram van der Laan that provides professionally trained coffin carriers (dragers) for funerals and cremations across the Netherlands. The company's core service dispatches teams of six or eight student carriers — drawn from a pool of roughly 350 active students, most active in sports or student associations — under an experienced hoofddrager (head carrier) to deliver shoulder carries, mobile bier (rijdende baar) handling, and in/out carrying at cremations. Add-on modules extend the offering to funeral assistants (uitvaartassistent), funeral carriage (loopkoets), forerunners (voorloper), workshops and webinars for funeral professionals, a clothing line spanning formal black to casual, and a pro bono Liefdedragers service for families in financial hardship.

Underlying the service is a proprietary carrying protocol (draagprotocol) refined over 20 years that standardizes choreography, ergonomics, music timing, stair navigation, grave setting, and rope descent across all branches. Delivery runs through eight regional offices (Utrecht HQ, Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, Wageningen, Nijmegen, Enschede, Zwolle) using company-owned vehicles, with a login-free online CRM (crm.ferentes.info) for booking and a fixed 48-hour advance-notice protocol that levies surcharges for same-day, late-cancellation, and Sunday/holiday (150%) work. Revenue is generated primarily through unit-based pricing per carrier team, with distance, clothing style, and timing surcharges; a small office staff of six handles planning and administration.

Name

Ferentes B.v.

Legal name

Ferentes B.V.

Website

https://ferentes.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ferentes B.V. is a Dutch professional carrier service founded in 2005 that dispatches trained student teams to carry coffins at funerals and cremations across the Netherlands, selling primarily to funeral directors through eight regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Carrier Services: Ferentes earns revenue by providing trained carrier teams (dragers) for funeral services. Funeral directors (uitvaartbegeleiders) book carriers through a 48-hour advance request system. Pricing is based on number of carriers, type of service (shoulder-carry vs mobile bier), day of week (weekend/holiday rate of 150%), and distance/travel. The company also offers add-on services including funeral assistants (uitvaartassistenten), guides (voorlopers), mobile carriages (loopkoets), and workshop/webinar training for funeral professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ferentes provides professionally trained student carrier (dragers) teams for funerals and cremations across the Netherlands, performing shoulder-carrying, mobile bier carrying, and cremation in/out carrying under a standardized 20-year-old carrying protocol. Services are delivered by 6- or 8-carrier teams led by a hoofddrager, with complementary offerings including funeral assistants (uitvaartassistenten), forerunners (voorlopers), mobile carriages (loopkoets), varied clothing options (formal, casual, ladies' teams), and educational workshops and webinars for funeral professionals.

Product overview

Ferentes B.v. is a Dutch professional carrier service for funerals and cremations. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture with the core Dragers (Carriers) service supplemented by add-on modules including Uitvaartassistent (Funeral Assistant), Loopkoets (Funeral Carriage), Voorloper (Forerunner), Workshop and Webinar training programs, Kledingwijzer (Clothing Guide), Liefdedragers (Charity Carriers), and Impressie (Photo/Video Gallery). Services are delivered through eight regional locations across the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Delft, Enschede, Leiden, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Wageningen, and Zwolle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dragers (Professional Carriers) Trained student carriers who carry coffins at funerals and cremations under a proprietary carrying protocol. Teams consist of six or eight carriers led by an experienced hoofddrager (head carrier) and provide shoulder-carrying, mobile bier, and cremation in/out carrying with ceremonial choreography timed to music. Targeted at funeral directors (uitvaartbegeleiders) in the Netherlands.
• Uitvaartassistent (Funeral Assistant) Experienced assistants who support funeral directors before, during, and after services. Tasks include receiving guests, managing large numbers of attendees, setting up venues, and coordinating with carriers at large or unusual funeral locations. Sold to funeral directors as a complement to the carrier service.
• Loopkoets (Funeral Carriage / Mobile Bier) Elegant wheeled bier for funeral processions with an open design that keeps the deceased close to family. Large wheels handle sand, gravel, and slopes. Serves as an alternative to a hearse for longer distances.
• Voorloper (Forerunner) Experienced forerunner who guides the funeral procession to the grave. Tasks include route-checking, receiving the procession, assisting at the grave, and ensuring the proper descent of the coffin. Sold to funeral directors as an addition to the carrier service.
• Workshop 'De Kunst van het Dragen' (The Art of Carrying) Practical workshop teaching funeral directors how to guide families in carrying, cooperate with professional carriers, and experience shoulder-carrying themselves. Awards 9 PE points (category 3). Held at Begraafplaats Kovelswade, Utrecht, priced at 65.99 euros.
• Webinars for Funeral Professionals Online knowledge-sharing sessions for funeral professionals held in evening hours on topics such as Catholic funeral rituals and practical tips, drawing on Ferentes' 20 years of experience and inviting industry experts. Sold to funeral directors seeking continuing education.
• Liefdedragers (Charity Carriers) Pro bono carrying services for families in financial hardship, continuing the 19th-century Dutch tradition of charity carriers. Includes annual fundraising events (e.g., KWF Singelloop) supporting disease research. Free at point of use; funded internally by Ferentes.
• Kledingwijzer (Clothing Guide Service) Clothing options for carriers offered as a bookable service variant: formal black suit with black tie, grey suits, and casual outfits, with ladies' and mixed-gender teams and accessories including hats, gloves, and colored ties. Selected by funeral directors at booking to match the ceremony's tone.
• Cremation Carrying (Dragen bij Crematies) Specialized in-carrying and out-carrying at crematoria offered at a reduced rate compared with full burial services, reflecting the shorter presence required (max 60 minutes). Listed across 20 named crematoriums in the Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maximum carrying weight of 150kg with 6 carriers; 8 carriers for loads >150kg; 4-carrier mobile bier for loads <100kg
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Alderstafel Uitvaartverzorging: Alderstafel is a Dutch funeral home chain concentrated in specific regions. Comparable because it is part of the same Dutch funeral services ecosystem and its funeral director clients are a customer cohort that Ferentes also serves as carriers.

Emerging players

• Uitvaart.nl: Uitvaart.nl is an online Dutch platform that helps consumers arrange funerals and compare funeral services providers. Comparable because it competes for the attention and wallet of the same end-customer (families and funeral directors) in the Dutch funeral services funnel.

Direct peers

• Monuta: Monuta is one of the largest Dutch funeral services organizations, offering funeral insurance, funeral homes, and post-death services. Comparable because it serves the same Dutch funeral director buyer base and competes for share-of-wallet on funeral arrangements, even though its services are broader (insurance + homes) versus Ferentes' specialized carrier offering.
• Coöperatie DELA: DELA is a major Dutch funeral cooperative, now also owning Yarden, providing insurance, funeral homes, and care services. Comparable because it competes in the same Dutch death-care market and is a likely counterparty for funeral directors who also book Ferentes' carriers.
• PC Hooft Uitvaartverzekering: PC Hooft is a long-standing Dutch funeral services and insurance provider operating nationally. Comparable because it sits in the same Dutch death-care value chain and shares the funeral director channel, even if it does not specialize in ceremonial carrying.
• Memora Uitvaartzorg: Memora is a Dutch funeral services chain offering funeral homes and support services in the Netherlands. Comparable because it provides funeral services to families and competes indirectly for the same end-customer spend allocated to professional funeral support.

Others

• BGNU (Branchevereniging Gecertificeerde Nederlandse Uitvaartondernemingen): BGNU is the industry association for certified Dutch funeral businesses. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that influences funeral director behavior and standards, indirectly shaping demand for Ferentes' carrier services.
• Uitvaart Infotheek: Uitvaart Infotheek is a Dutch consumer information site on funeral costs and providers, listed as a 'link partner' by Ferentes. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that helps Dutch families compare and procure funeral services, overlapping in audience reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ferentesbv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Ferentes B.v.