GastroSocial
GastroSocial is a Swiss cooperative-style compensation and pension fund headquartered in Aarau that administers all mandatory and supplementary social insurances — including AHV, BVG, UVG, KTG, and property/liability cover — exclusively for employers and employees in the Swiss hospitality and hotel industry under the L-GAV framework, serving GastroSuisse members via the 'connect' customer portal and supporting payroll software integrations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersAarau, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What GastroSocial does
GastroSocial is a Swiss cooperative-style compensation and pension fund headquartered in Aarau that administers all mandatory social insurance contributions for employers and employees in the Swiss hospitality and hotel industry. Founded in 1948 as a compensation fund (Ausgleichskasse) and extended in 1974 with a pension fund (Pensionskasse / BVG) — predating Switzerland's mandatory occupational pension regime of 1985 — the organization consolidates AHV, IV, EO, ALV, family allowances, occupational pensions, accident insurance (UVG), and daily sickness allowance (KTG), plus property and liability cover, into a single integrated administration. It operates exclusively within Switzerland under Swiss social insurance law and the L-GAV collective labor agreement for the hospitality sector, with services delivered in German, French, and Italian.
The core technology stack is anchored by two digital assets: 'connect,' a free encrypted customer portal where employers submit salary declarations and manage compensation/pension tasks, integrated via the Swissdec standard with Swiss payroll and time-tracking software (Abacus, Mirus, Cresus, Sage 200, correctTime); and 'miruSocial,' a payroll program tailored to hospitality workflows that links into connect through the mirusConnect interface. A newer AI chatbot, 'Gaston,' provides 24/7 text-based Q&A on social insurance topics and has handled more than 14,000 inquiries. Additional digital utilities include salary-deduction and family-allowance calculators. The organization holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and ISO 27701 certifications for quality, information security, and privacy management. Pension fund coverage ratio stood at 123.6% with a 4.38% YTD performance as of May 2026, materially above the statutory BVG minimum interest rate of 1.25%.
GastroSocial monetizes through statutory contribution collection and admin spreads rather than direct fees; the pension arm additionally earns a spread on invested retirement assets. As the preferred social insurance processor for GastroSuisse members (the largest Swiss hospitality industry association) and the claimed market leader in social insurance for the Swiss hospitality and hotel industry, it benefits from a captive association channel. Recent strategic posture emphasizes digital transformation — including a January 2026 brand refresh under the slogan 'Service verbindet' (Service connects), a first-ever fully digital annual report (April 2026), deployment of the Gaston AI chatbot, and an anchor-investor commitment by the pension fund to Allianz Global Investors' $1 billion Allianz Credit Emerging Markets blended finance strategy (January 2026).
GastroSocial firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GastroSocial
- Legal name
- GastroSocial
- Website
- https://gastrosocial.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- GastroSocial is a Swiss cooperative-style compensation and pension fund headquartered in Aarau that administers all mandatory and supplementary social insurances — including AHV, BVG, UVG, KTG, and property/liability cover — exclusively for employers and employees in the Swiss hospitality and hotel industry under the L-GAV framework, serving GastroSuisse members via the 'connect' customer portal and supporting payroll software integrations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GastroSocial industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Occupational Pension and Social Insurance Administration
- NAICS
- Pharmacy Benefit Management and Other Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds (524292), Pension Funds (525110), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)
- SIC
- Life Insurance (6311), Accident & Health Insurance (6321), Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Worksite Hospital Indemnity Insurance (FSAIAMAB)
Keywords
Where GastroSocial is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Aarau
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
GastroSocial business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Social Insurance Administration Services: GastroSocial provides mandatory social insurance administration services (AHV, IV, EO, ALV, family allowances) and pension fund management (BVG) for the hospitality and hotel industry. As a compensation fund and pension fund, it collects contributions from employers and employees and manages retirement savings.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
GastroSocial product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GastroSocial is the Ausgleichs- und Pensionskasse (compensation and pension fund) for Switzerland's hospitality and hotel industry. It administers all mandatory Swiss social insurances (AHV, IV, EO, ALV, family allowances) and the occupational pension fund (BVG / 2nd pillar) for employers and employees in the sector, complemented by accident insurance (UVG), daily sickness allowance (KTG), and property & liability insurance. Employers use the 'connect' customer portal and the 'miruSocial' payroll program to handle declarations and salary submissions.
Product overview
GastroSocial operates as a unified social insurance platform for the Swiss hospitality and hotel industry, combining both a compensation fund (Ausgleichskasse) and a pension fund (Pensionskasse / BVG) along with supplementary insurance products. The core digital infrastructure consists of the 'connect' client portal — which serves as the primary interface for employers and self-employed individuals to submit salary declarations and manage social insurance tasks — and the 'miruSocial' payroll program, which is specifically designed for hospitality businesses and integrates with connect via the mirusConnect interface. Additional digital tools include a salary deduction calculator and a family allowance calculator. The insurance portfolio spans the mandatory pension fund (BVG / 2nd pillar), the compensation fund (handling AHV, IV, EO, ALV, and family allowances), accident insurance (UVG), daily sickness allowance insurance (KTG), and property & liability coverage, all tailored to meet L-GAV (Collective Labor Agreement for the hospitality sector) requirements. A newer AI chatbot named 'Gaston' provides automated 24/7 support for social insurance inquiries. All products and services are offered in Switzerland's three national languages (German, French, Italian).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- connect: The innovative customer portal allowing employers to manage payroll declarations and administrative tasks online.
- miruSocial
- Gaston
Products and services
- GastroSocial Ausgleichskasse Compensation fund handling all mandatory Swiss social insurances — AHV (old-age and survivors), IV (disability), EO (loss-of-earnings), ALV (unemployment), and family allowances — for GastroSuisse members and other hospitality employers and their employees.
- GastroSocial Pensionskasse (BVG) Occupational pension fund (2nd pillar / BVG) providing retirement savings, disability and survivor benefits for hospitality employees, with L-GAV-compliant special solutions including a unified 14% contribution rate from age 25 and early retirement from age 60 without reduction of the mandatory conversion rate.
- UVG Unfallversicherung Accident insurance under the Federal Accident Insurance Act (UVG) covering occupational and non-occupational accidents for employees in the hospitality and hotel sector.
- KTG Krankentaggeldversicherung Daily sickness allowance insurance covering loss of earnings due to illness for hospitality and hotel employees; under L-GAV the insurer cannot refuse this coverage on health grounds.
- Sach- und Haftpflichtversicherungen Property and liability insurance solutions specifically designed for hospitality and hotel businesses, covering damage to business assets and third-party liability.
- connect Kundenportal Innovative online customer portal for employers and self-employed individuals to manage compensation fund and pension fund tasks, submit salary declarations, and transmit data in encrypted form at any time; free of charge and available 24/7.
- miruSocial Lohnprogramm Online payroll program tailored to the gastronomy and hospitality industry, offering online salary reporting, scheduling, time tracking and other administrative functions; integrates with the connect portal via the mirusConnect interface.
Quantifiable outcome
- From 2016 to 2025, GastroSocial Pension Fund exceeded the statutory minimum interest rate every year, with an average of more than double the minimum rate, resulting in over CHF 24,000 additional interest for example client Anna
Companies that use GastroSocial
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
GastroSocial technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
GastroSocial partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- GastroSuissecoreGastroSuisse members can process all mandatory social insurances (AHV, IV, EO, ALV, family allowances) through GastroSocial. This partnership makes GastroSocial the preferred provider for the largest hospitality association in Switzerland.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GastroSocial competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Swiss Life: Switzerland's largest life insurance and pension provider, offering group pensions, individual retirement, and wealth advisory. Directly comparable as a Swiss pension/life specialist competing for similar BVG mandates, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
- PAX: Swiss mutual life insurance society focused on pension, life, and long-term savings. Operates as a member-owned cooperative, structurally aligned with GastroSocial, and offers comparable retirement and risk products to Swiss employers and individuals.
- Stiftung Abendrot: Swiss collective pension foundation offering BVG solutions to SMBs across multiple sectors. Operates as a member-employer-governed foundation similar to GastroSocial's cooperative structure, providing directly comparable occupational pension services.
Broad incumbents
- Mobiliar: Switzerland's largest cooperative insurer, operating as a mutual organization serving SMBs and individuals. Similar cooperative structure and member-first governance to GastroSocial, though focused on P&C rather than social insurance.
- Bâloise Group: Major Swiss insurance group providing life, P&C, and pensions. Directly overlaps with GastroSocial in occupational pensions (BVG) and group insurance, though at broader portfolio scale across multiple countries.
- Helvetia Insurance: Swiss insurance group active in life, non-life, and pensions across Switzerland and Europe. Comparable in occupational pension offerings and group benefits administration, serving similar Swiss employer segments.
- AXA Switzerland: Swiss arm of global insurer AXA, offering life, health, P&C, and pension products to Swiss employers and individuals. Overlaps with GastroSocial in BVG pension and group benefits with broader product breadth.
- Allianz Suisse: Swiss subsidiary of Allianz Group, offering life, P&C, and pensions. Directly overlaps with GastroSocial in BVG pension offerings and is GastroSocial's investment partner in the Allianz Credit Emerging Markets blended finance strategy.
- Groupe Mutuel: Swiss cooperative insurer focused on health, P&C, and pensions, structured as a mutual organization. Similar cooperative governance model and Swiss SMB focus, with overlapping BVG and supplementary benefit offerings.
- Visana: Swiss health and accident insurer serving individuals and corporate clients, including group accident (UVG) and daily sickness (KTG) coverage — products directly comparable to GastroSocial's UVG and KTG lines.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
GastroSocial social profiles
Digital presenceGastroSocial compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
GastroSocial financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GastroSocial leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
GastroSocial funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GastroSocial 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 GastroSocial
What does GastroSocial do?
GastroSocial is the Ausgleichs- und Pensionskasse (compensation and pension fund) for Switzerland's hospitality and hotel industry. It administers all mandatory Swiss social insurances (AHV, IV, EO, ALV, family allowances) and the occupational pension fund (BVG / 2nd pillar) for employers and employees in the sector, complemented by accident insurance (UVG), daily sickness allowance (KTG), and property & liability insurance. Employers use the 'connect' customer portal and the 'miruSocial' payroll program to handle declarations and salary submissions.
Is GastroSocial a public or private company?
GastroSocial is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was GastroSocial founded?
GastroSocial was founded in 1948. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is GastroSocial based?
GastroSocial is headquartered in Aarau, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does GastroSocial make money?
One revenue line is on record: social Insurance Administration Services.
Who are GastroSocial's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Swiss Life, PAX and Stiftung Abendrot. Broad incumbents are Mobiliar, Bâloise Group, Helvetia Insurance, AXA Switzerland, Allianz Suisse, Groupe Mutuel and Visana.
Does GastroSocial have an API?
No public API is recorded for GastroSocial.
What industry is GastroSocial in?
GastroSocial's product category is Occupational Pension and Social Insurance Administration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAKAA, Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration, with a secondary code of FSAIAMAB, Worksite Hospital Indemnity Insurance. Its NAICS code is 524292 and its SIC code is 6311.