Media group Mediahuis has announced plans to acquire DGN Groep (DGN). This company's successful online platforms, including ZorgKiezer, EnergieKiezer, and DeGoedkoopsteNotaris, offer consumers independent advice when comparing healthcare and health insurance, energy suppliers, and notaries.
With this strategic move, Mediahuis is strengthening its position in the online comparison market and emphasizing its mission to support consumers in making informed financial choices.
As a leading player in the Dutch comparison market, with more than 25 years of experience, DGN helps more than four million consumers each year to compare and make the best financial choices. The company has built a solid reputation for providing expert and reliable advice through its successful platforms:
ZorgKiezer: helps consumers choose suitable health insurance at the most favorable terms.
DeGoedkoopsteNotaris: supports consumers in comparing and finding the most affordable notary in their region.
EnergieKiezer: provides users with independent advice on choosing an energy supplier that best suits their wishes and needs, and will soon also advise on the purchase of heat pumps and home batteries.
Started in the dot.com era, above a student disco in Utrecht, 25 years later DGN has a team of 35 employees and offices on Herengracht in Amsterdam. The platforms have grown to become the most important comparison sites for financial products and services, with around 20 percent of new health insurance policies in the Netherlands being taken out via ZorgKiezer last year. This planned acquisition marks the start of a new phase of growth for DGN, which will benefit both consumers and business partners.
Peter Ruys, founder of DGN: "I look back with pride on the past twenty-five years, during which I, together with a fantastic team, have been able to build DGN Group into a leading player in the comparison market. What once started as a short adventure – literally between pizza boxes – has brought us 25 years later to a dedicated team on Herengracht in Amsterdam. The company and the team are ready for the next phase of growth, and I am convinced that we will go through it successfully under the strong wings of Mediahuis."
Strategic growth for Mediahuis
For Mediahuis, this planned acquisition marks an important milestone. It expands the group's presence in the comparison market, following the earlier successful acquisition of Ireland's Switcher.ie, a leading platform for price comparisons in the areas of energy, broadband, loans, and mortgages.
Xavier van Leeuwe, CEO of Mediahuis Marketplaces: “The people and brands at DGN are nothing short of impressive. We see this planned acquisition not only as an important and promising first step in the Dutch comparison market, but also as a unique opportunity to grow together. This offers us the opportunity to further expand our services and provide even better support to DGN's customers and partners.”
AFM approval
The acquisition is subject to approval by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). Once approved, the platforms will continue to operate with the same focus on expertise and reliability that consumers and business partners have come to expect. Peter Ruys, founder of DGN, will remain associated with Mediahuis as an advisor.
For more information, please contact:
DGN Group: Peter Ruys | Director-Founder | [email protected] | +31 6 5355 5857
Mediahuis Group: An Steylemans | Head of Mediahuis Group Communications [email protected] | +32 473 55 71 48
About DGN Group
DGN Group was founded in 2000 with the aim of helping consumers choose the best financial products and services. The group launched DeGoedkoopsteNotaris, one of the first comparison sites in the Netherlands. In the years that followed, the group expanded its portfolio with platforms that helped consumers compare healthcare, energy, banks, mortgages, insurance, lawyers, dentists, and hospitals in terms of price and quality. In 2005, DGN launched ZorgKiezer, the first independent healthcare comparison site, in response to the announced introduction of the new healthcare system. ZorgKiezer played an important role in the transition from the health insurance fund and also contributed to the transparency of hospital quality and rates. In 2023, EnergieKiezer was introduced in response to the energy crisis, when there was a lot of uncertainty and confusion among consumers about the level of energy and gas prices.
About Mediahuis
Mediahuis is one of the leading media groups in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia. As a publisher, Mediahuis believes unconditionally in independent journalism and strong, relevant media that make a positive contribution to people and society. Based on this vision, Mediahuis continuously invests in its strong brands, both in print and digital. With around 4,500 employees, Mediahuis generates annual revenues of more than €1.2 billion. Since its foundation in 2013, Mediahuis has built up a highly diversified portfolio of news media and digital brands. Mediahuis' national and regional news titles provide 10 million readers with news every day, both online and in print. In addition to these news brands, Mediahuis also operates a number of important digital marketplaces in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Ireland, mainly in the real estate, labor, automotive, and price comparison markets.
