Glice
Glice is a Swiss manufacturer of premium synthetic ice skating rinks using proprietary self-lubricating polymer panels, serving hotels, municipalities, malls, hockey training centers, event organizers, and residential buyers across 100+ countries with a hybrid enterprise and e-commerce go-to-market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLuzern, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Glice does
Glice is a Swiss cleantech manufacturer founded in 2012 by Viktor Meier (Co-Founder and CEO) and Toni Vera (engineer and former hockey player), headquartered in Lucerne, Switzerland. The company designs and produces premium synthetic ice skating surfaces using a proprietary self-lubricating high-density polymer panel produced through a sintering process that distributes lubricant pellets evenly throughout the panel thickness. Its flagship StellarGlide technology enables zero-power operation requiring no water, electricity, or refrigerants, and was independently validated by the Fraunhofer Institute (IWM) as delivering ice-identical glide with 52% more glide than the closest competitor. Core products include Glice Eco-Rink panels in 20mm and 13mm thicknesses, Glice Pads for residential use, plus specialized configurations for leisure, Christmas, ice hockey, figure skating, Eisstock curling, and a Skatemill skate treadmill.
Glice serves a diversified B2B and B2C customer base across hotels and resorts (Four Seasons, Jumeirah, Kempinski), municipalities, shopping malls, event organizers, ice hockey training centers (HC Davos, NHL athletes), educational institutions, and residential users. The company claims 3,000+ installations in 100+ countries and runs a hybrid go-to-market combining direct enterprise sales for large commercial turnkey packages with self-service e-commerce storefronts in North America and Europe for SMB and residential buyers. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time panel and equipment package sales, supplemented by event rentals, refurbished-rink resale, and recurring Glice Care maintenance consumables. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, operates a distributed home-office organizational model, and recently secured flagship validation through IIHF World Championship 2026 (Fribourg), Winter Olympics 2026 House of Switzerland, NHL SportsInnovation 2026, and the debut of StellarGlide at LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort in December 2025.
Glice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Glice
- Legal name
- Glice AG
- Website
- https://glicerink.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Glice is a Swiss manufacturer of premium synthetic ice skating rinks using proprietary self-lubricating polymer panels, serving hotels, municipalities, malls, hockey training centers, event organizers, and residential buyers across 100+ countries with a hybrid enterprise and e-commerce go-to-market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Glice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Synthetic Ice Rinks
- NAICS
- All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ice Rinks & Winter Sports Facilities (MPAKAEAG)
Keywords
Where Glice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Luzern
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Glice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Synthetic Ice Panel Sales: Sale of high-quality polymer panels in two thickness options (13mm and 20mm) for commercial and residential installations. Panels are sold directly or through online stores.
- Complete Rink Packages: Full commercial rink packages including dasher boards, skates, cleaning machines, sharpening machines, and accessories. Turnkey solutions for new rink operators.
- Rink Rentals: Rental of synthetic ice rinks for events including product launches, movie premieres, and holiday celebrations. Also offers refurbished rinks that have been rented once and fully restored.
- Glice Care Products: Surface care and maintenance products for rink owners to nourish surfaces and maintain optimal performance
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 13mm (1/2 inch) panels for surfaces up to 100m² |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 20mm (3/4 inch) panels for any application |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Commercial turnkey rink packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Glice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Glice manufactures and sells premium synthetic ice panels and complete rink systems built on proprietary self-lubricating polymer technology, available in commercial thicknesses (13mm and 20mm) as well as residential formats. The company delivers turnkey installations to hotels, municipalities, malls, hockey training centers, and event venues, and also operates direct e-commerce storefronts for smaller residential and SMB buyers across North America and Europe.
Product overview
Glice is a Swiss company that manufactures premium synthetic ice products using a proprietary sintering process. The core product is the Glice Eco-Rink, high-density polymer panels available in 20mm and 13mm thicknesses that provide ice-identical glide without water, electricity, or refrigerants. The product portfolio includes multiple specialized lines: Leisure, Christmas, Ice Hockey, Figure Skating, Eisstock (Curling), Slapshot Station, and Mini Arena rinks. The company offers the breakthrough StellarGlide technology for zero-power installations. Residential solutions include Glice Pads/Home Rinks (10mm panels). Supporting services include Glice Academy for installation and rink management training, plus accessories such as dasher boards, skates, and cleaning equipment. All products can be purchased or rented with flexible financing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- StellarGlide: Breakthrough zero-power synthetic ice technology debuted at LEGOLAND Deutschland Resort in December 2025.
- Glice Hockey Elite Center
- Glice Pads
- Crease Embedded Technology
Products and services
- Glice Synthetic Ice Panels (Eco-Rink) High-density polymer synthetic ice panels available in 20mm and 13mm thicknesses, double-sided with tongue-and-groove connections. Require no water, electricity, or refrigerants and provide ice-identical glide validated by Fraunhofer Institute. Sold to commercial and residential installers.
- Glice Pads (Home Rinks) Residential synthetic ice panels (including 10mm Glice Home panels) sold through online stores for backyard, basement, and garage installations by individual skating enthusiasts.
- Leisure Rinks General-purpose synthetic ice rinks for recreational skating in commercial venues such as hotels, shopping malls, and public spaces.
- Christmas Rinks Seasonal synthetic ice rink configurations designed for holiday markets, Christmas events, and winter celebrations.
- Ice Hockey Rinks Synthetic ice surfaces designed for ice hockey training and gameplay, featuring Crease Embedded Technology for permanent, fade-resistant hockey line markings.
- Glice Hockey Elite Center Complete elite hockey training center solution featuring professional-grade synthetic ice surfaces, including the flagship installation at HC Davos in Switzerland.
- Figure Skating Rinks
Quantifiable outcome
- 10,000 liters of water saved per 200m² rink compared to refrigerated ice rinks
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Glice
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Glice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Glice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Eden Reforestation ProjectcoreEnvironmental partnership through 'Skate for the Planet' initiative. For every Glice sheet produced, the Eden Project plants a tree. Partnership has resulted in over 100,000 trees planted globally, advancing both organizations' missions for environmental sustainability.
- HC DavosflagshipGlice Hockey Elite Center installation at HC Davos in Switzerland - premier professional hockey training facility showcasing Glice technology for elite athlete training.
- CCM (Hockey Equipment Manufacturer)coreGlice is supplier to CCM, the world's largest hockey equipment manufacturer. CCM's Performance Lab uses Glice for testing innovations in realistic conditions.
- Anthony Duclair FoundationflagshipHistoric partnership to bring hockey to minority communities. Anthony Duclair Foundation collaboration represents Glice's commitment to expanding access to ice sports.
- International Olympic Committee (IOC)flagshipGlice technology featured at Winter Olympics House of Switzerland. IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi highlighted the technology as potentially transformative for eliminating energy-intensive glycol cooling systems.
- Anthony Duclair FoundationflagshipPartnership to bring hockey to minority and underrepresented communities through access to synthetic ice training facilities.
- Fraunhofer Institute (IWM)coreEurope's largest applied research institute validated Glice's synthetic ice as matching refrigerated ice in glide and blade indentation performance. Testing confirmed 52% more glide than closest competitor.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Glice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- KwikRink Synthetic Ice: KwikRink designs and installs synthetic ice rinks for events, venues, and community use cases. Operates in the same commercial-rink installation market as Glice, often competing for shopping center and municipal contracts.
- Xtraice: Xtraice is a Spain-based global manufacturer of synthetic ice rinks and panels. It is the closest direct competitor to Glice, competing across hospitality, malls, and training segments with a similar modular polymer-panel product.
- ICE CODE: ICE CODE manufactures and installs synthetic ice rinks for commercial, event, and training uses. Direct competitor serving similar customer segments (malls, hotels, events, hockey facilities) with a comparable panel-based system.
- EZ Ice: EZ Ice sells backyard and home synthetic ice rink kits, targeting the same residential and small-commercial segment. Direct overlap in the modular home rink category where Glice also sells Glice Pads.
- SmartRink: SmartRink produces and installs commercial synthetic ice rinks in Canada, targeting malls, festivals, and training centers. Comparable product offering with focus on event-driven and seasonal installations.
- Skate Anytime: Skate Anytime manufactures synthetic ice panels and home rinks in North America. Competes directly in the residential e-commerce channel where Glice runs Shop Glice North America.
- PolyGlide Ice: PolyGlide is a US-based synthetic ice manufacturer offering interlocking polymer panels for residential and commercial rinks. Directly comparable product category (modular panels, self-lubricating) and competing for the same SMB and home rink buyers.
Broad incumbents
- Rink Systems (Ice Builders): Rink Systems is a North American installer and supplier of refrigerated (real) ice rink equipment and dasher boards. Represents the incumbent refrigeration-based approach that synthetic ice vendors like Glice are attempting to displace.
Emerging players
- Tour Hockey: Tour Hockey is a US hockey training brand with synthetic shooting pads and off-ice training aids. Comparable to Glice's Slapshot Station and home-rink offerings at the consumer / prosumer end of the hockey training market.
- HockeyShot: HockeyShot is a leading off-ice hockey training equipment brand expanding into synthetic ice surfaces and shooting pads. Adjacent competitor in the hockey skill-development segment that overlaps with Glice's training and Slapshot Station offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Glice social profiles
Digital presenceGlice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Glice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Glice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Glice M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Glice
What does Glice do?
Glice manufactures and sells premium synthetic ice panels and complete rink systems built on proprietary self-lubricating polymer technology, available in commercial thicknesses (13mm and 20mm) as well as residential formats. The company delivers turnkey installations to hotels, municipalities, malls, hockey training centers, and event venues, and also operates direct e-commerce storefronts for smaller residential and SMB buyers across North America and Europe.
Is Glice a public or private company?
Glice is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Glice founded?
Glice was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Glice based?
Glice is headquartered in Luzern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Glice make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Synthetic Ice Panel Sales are the primary driver. The others are complete Rink Packages, rink Rentals and glice Care Products.
Who are Glice's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are KwikRink Synthetic Ice, Xtraice, ICE CODE, EZ Ice, SmartRink, Skate Anytime and PolyGlide Ice. Rink Systems (Ice Builders) is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Tour Hockey and HockeyShot.
Does Glice have an API?
No public API is recorded for Glice.
What industry is Glice in?
Glice's product category is Synthetic Ice Rinks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAEAG, Ice Rinks & Winter Sports Facilities. Its NAICS code is 326199 and its SIC code is 3949.