We are Virtuoos

A family business that grew into a start-up

I was born into a family that is passionate about quality and innovation. Many of our products are developed by the Medisan laboratory in Heerenveen. This company, founded by my father in 1988, specialises in producing medications, medical devices and dietary supplements. As a child, I spent a lot of time in the factory where I learned the ropes. So I know exactly what the production process is like, from the formulation of recipes to packaging.

How Virtuoos came into being

After completing a degree in Commercial Economics and Business Development at the University of Groningen, I decided to combine my knowledge with the subject I was passionate about. At parties, people would often ask: ‘Do dietary supplements actually work?’ I wanted to demonstrate that they do, if they are formulated the right way. That’s why I founded Virtuoos.

How we began to supply Olympians

High-performance sport is about ambition and innovation, which are also two driving forces for Virtuoos. That led us to NOC*NSF. Although our initial conversations did not immediately result in collaboration, things changed eight months before the 2012 London Olympics. NOC*NSF needed eight supplements that were either not available in the right formulation at the time  or did not come with the right quality guarantee. We were asked to develop these supplements and deliver them as white-label products. After the Olympics, these supplements were the first that we released under our own brand.

‘I established Virtuoos 13 years ago. It started out as a project on behalf of NOC*NSF [the Dutch Olympic Committee], but has since grown into a household name in high-performance sport.’

Jelmer Jeen Haanstra
Founder

Quality, co-creation and guidance

Everything we do is based on our core values: quality, co-creation and guidance. We only work with the very best resources and branded ingredients, and we develop our products in association with medical teams, nutrition experts and elite athletes. Together we develop effective products that are then produced at the Medisan laboratory, which has gained extensive experience of dietary supplements in the last 30+ years. As a result, we can produce supplements that meet the most stringent standards and have proven to be effective.

High-performance sport is in our DNA

Today, high-performance sport is a fundamental component of our identity. High-performance sport allows us to stay innovative and push ourselves to make the most of ourselves and our products. We work with several elite athletes and high-performance teams, including track and field athlete Lieke Klaver, gravel cyclist Ivar Slik and the Alpecin-Premier Tech cycling team. The innovative recipes we develop for elite athletes also allow us to help other athletes, regardless of their competitive level. Whether they are elite athletes, ambitious amateurs or recreational athletes, our goal is to help them perform to the best of their ability.

More than just products

Virtuoos believes that dietary supplements are part of the larger picture. We therefore like to share our knowledge through webinars, articles, newsletters and personalised guidance. Consequently, we are not just a supplier of supplements, but a reliable knowledge partner in matters relating to sport and nutrition.

Virtuoos has one single purpose: to help athletes perform to the best of their ability.

Jelmer Jeen Haanstra
Founder

Our online growth

Initially, we mostly worked with external partners. However, over the years we have become a leading online platform. The online market has grown significantly in recent years. Our goal for the next few years is to grow even further in this market and strengthen our position as a reliable supplier of dietary supplements and sports nutrition.

Collaboration with professional cyclists

One of our key focus areas is cycling. For many years, we have worked with various cycling teams, such as Alpecin-Premier Tech, Lotto-Intermarché, Unibet Rose Rockets and SD Worx-Protime. In addition, we are proud to serve as an ambassador to Tour de France Femmes champion Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Unbound Gravel 2022 winner Ivar Slik.

Personalised guidance

If you have any questions about dietary supplements, sport or nutrition, check out our website, where you will find a lot of useful information that will help you meet your goals. You can also take our quick supplement test (2 minutes, free of charge), which will give you a personalised recommendation on which supplement(s) to take.

The team

At Virtuoos, we work with a small and dedicated team. Together, Danique, Marcel, and I make up the core team behind Virtuoos.

Danique Aardema

Combining work and elite sports? For Danique, it’s second nature. During the day she works at Virtuoos, while in the evenings and weekends you’ll find her on the volleyball court. Danique plays at the highest level in the Dutch Eredivisie for CRAFT Sudosa DS 1 (Sudosa-Desto).

Do you have a question for Virtuoos? There’s a good chance you’ll end up speaking with Danique. She enjoys thinking along with you and is always happy to help you quickly and personally. With her cheerful energy, she makes sure every customer feels well taken care of. Besides customer support, she manages relationships with our Virtuozen and elite sports teams, and is constantly working on building new partnerships with athletes and teams.

Behind the scenes, Danique is just as indispensable. Everything you see on our social channels, from posts to stories, is created by her. With her creativity, she keeps you up to date with the latest sports news, practical sports tips, and inspiring ideas surrounding our products.

Danique is driven, enthusiastic, and social. She always adds a positive and personal touch to everything she does. She also brings a critical perspective and enjoys thinking from new angles, something we highly value at Virtuoos.

She personally uses Virtuoos products every day as part of her routine. Her favorites? Multi Health Support Gold, Magnesium Gold, Zinc Gold, Creatine Gold, and Whey Classic Gold – Vanilla for smoothies and delicious baking recipes.

Marcel Wiersma

Marcel loves a challenge. What started on the football field eventually evolved into cycling and running. Every year brings a new goal on the calendar, from La Marmotte Alps and the Maratona dles Dolomites to the Amsterdam Marathon and the 70.3 Ironman in Elsinore.

He’s often on the move, but also perfectly capable of relaxing on the couch, preferably with a cycling podcast playing in the background. Every year he returns to his personal pilgrimage destination: Mallorca. Cycling, drinking coffee, and collecting new altitude meters.

At Virtuoos, Marcel focuses on everything related to our webshop and marketing. Campaigns, data, conversion, and optimization. He analyzes our statistics as if they were race data and ensures we can adjust where needed. Just like in sports, he is constantly searching for progress: where can we improve, and where are we missing opportunities?

Marcel is analytical and goal-oriented, with a down-to-earth and critical mindset. He values structure and clarity and makes sure ideas are not only created, but actually executed.

Favorite products: Multi Health Support Gold, Clear Whey Gold – Raspberry, Energy Gel Gold – Berry, and Sports Drink Gold – Berry. “As an endurance athlete with a sweet tooth, I’m very happy with our new Energy Gel. For me, it has the perfect texture and taste. Sweet in a good way and easy to consume.”