Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung

What Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung does

Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung (SFI) is a private, nonprofit foundation established in January 2006 in Zurich at the initiative of the Swiss Bankers Association. It consolidates the Swiss academic finance ecosystem by linking roughly 100 professors across 8 partner universities (EPFL, ETH Zurich, USI, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, St. Gallen, Zurich) and delivers four core programs: a doctoral PhD program, free Master Class continuing education for Swiss banking professionals, peer-reviewed academic research and industry publications (Roundups, White Papers, Public Discussion Notes), and a calendar of events including the annual SFI Annual Meeting and invitation-only Knowledge Exchange Seminars. The institute was ranked #1 banking and finance research institute worldwide in 2019 by the W.P. Carey School of Business and is regularly placed in the global top 10.

SFI is funded by the Swiss banking and finance community, the Swiss Confederation, the Swiss National Science Foundation, and the partner universities, and operates two offices in Zurich and Geneva with a core staff of 11–50. The Master Classes are provided free of charge exclusively to employees of Swiss Bankers Association member institutions, FINMA, the Swiss National Bank, and selected regional banking associations in Geneva and Zurich, and are accredited as 4-hour SAQ recertification measures. Approximately 2,000 experienced bankers attend SFI Master Classes and conferences annually, and the SFI Alumni Association maintains a separate community for repeat participants.

SFI's product architecture is a platform-plus-programs model: the academic platform (partner universities and faculty) feeds the PhD pipeline, which in turn underwrites the research output that supports the Master Class and publications franchise. Proprietary assets include the Global Financial Regulation, Transparency, and Compliance Index (GFRTCI), the SFI Research Paper Series on SSRN, the SFI Expertise Guide, and the SFI Sustainable Finance conference series co-run with Swiss Sustainable Finance. Governance is exercised through a Foundation Board chaired by Dr. Stefan Seiler (UBS Group AG) and a Scientific Council chaired by Prof. Marco Pagano (University of Naples Federico II), with Prof. François Degeorge serving as Managing Director.

Name

Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung

Legal name

Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung

Website

https://industry.sfi.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung is a private, nonprofit Swiss foundation that links roughly 100 finance professors across 8 partner universities to deliver PhD education, free Master Class continuing education, applied research, and industry events for the Swiss banking, regulatory, and central banking community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Research and Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Finance research institute
• Banking education programs
• Continuing professional education
• Doctoral finance program
• Financial knowledge exchange

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: SFI is funded by the Swiss banking and finance community, Swiss Confederation, Swiss National Science Foundation, and several Swiss universities. The institute was established at the initiative of the Swiss Bankers Association.
2. Education Services (Free): Master Classes are provided free of charge to eligible participants (employees of Swiss Bankers Association member institutions, FINMA, SNB, and partner organizations in Geneva and Zurich)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Swiss Finance Institute (SFI) competitively promotes world-class research and teaching in banking and finance in Switzerland. It operates a PhD Program in finance delivered across 8 partner universities, provides continuing education Master Classes for experienced banking professionals, hosts annual meetings and knowledge exchange seminars, and publishes industry-oriented research including Roundups, White Papers, and Discussion Notes. Its activities are funded by the Swiss banking community, Swiss Confederation, Swiss National Science Foundation, and partner universities.

Product overview

Swiss Finance Institute (SFI) is a private foundation established in January 2006 that competitively promotes world-class research and teaching in banking and finance in Switzerland. The organization operates as a platform-plus-programs architecture consisting of: SFI PhD Program (doctoral education), SFI Master Classes (continuing education for experienced bankers), SFI Publications (Roundups, White Papers, Discussion Notes), SFI Annual Meetings (conferences), Knowledge Exchange Seminars (invitation-only roundtables), and the SFI Alumni Association. The faculty comprises around 100 professors from 8 partner universities, and annually serves thousands of students and approximately 2,000 experienced bankers through Master Classes and conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SFI PhD Program: A doctoral program promoting academic excellence in finance, comparable to top PhD programs in Europe and North America.
• SFI Master Classes
• SFI Knowledge Exchange Seminars
• Swiss Finance Institute Alumni Association (SFIAA)
• Global Financial Regulation, Transparency, and Compliance Index (GFRTCI)

Products and services

• SFI Master Classes Short, intensive learning units (3-4 hours) co-led by an SFI Professor and an industry expert, available online or in-person across Switzerland. Covers banking, finance, fintech, AI in finance, sustainable investing, and risk management. Recognized as a four-hour SAQ recertification measure. Free for employees of Swiss Bankers Association member institutions, FINMA, SNB, and partner organizations in Geneva and Zurich.
• SFI PhD Program Doctoral program in finance promoting academic excellence, providing an intellectual environment and curriculum comparable with top PhD programs in Europe and North America. Delivered through 8 partner universities.
• SFI Publications Industry-oriented publications including Roundups, Public Discussion Notes, White Papers, and books covering banking, finance, sustainable finance, and financial regulation topics.
• SFI Annual Meeting Annual conference bringing together academics and practitioners to exchange knowledge on key banking and finance topics. The 20th edition in 2025 focused on 'Private Markets'.
• SFI Knowledge Exchange Seminars Invitation-only roundtable discussions on current topics, co-led by SFI faculty and industry experts, facilitating knowledge exchange between academia and practice.
• SFI Breakfast Series Recurring morning events for networking and knowledge exchange among finance professionals.
• SFI Alumni Association (SFIAA) Swiss-wide network connecting finance professionals who have participated in two or more SFI Master Classes, establishing mutually beneficial relationships between SFI and its alumni.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universität BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Joined as partner university in 2024. With eight Partner Universities, SFI's faculty comprises around 100 professors.
• Universität St.GallencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Joined SFI faculty in 2022 along with 21 new faculty members. One of eight partner universities.
• Swiss Sustainable Finance (SSF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021SFI-SSF Conference series initiated in 2021 on 'Growing Sustainable Finance—Challenges, Opportunities, and Solutions'.
• SIX GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partner event: First National Cyber Risk Exchange Event in 2020, co-hosted with SIX and Swiss Risk Association.
• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Cooperation agreement signed in 2007. One of eight partner universities with faculty members contributing to SFI programs.
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of eight partner universities contributing faculty members to SFI. SFI PhD Program and research activities conducted at EPFL.
• Università della Svizzera italiana (USI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of eight partner universities. SFI Managing Director Prof. François Degeorge is affiliated with USI. Also hosts events including the 41st EFA Annual Meeting in 2014.
• Universität Genf (University of Geneva)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of eight partner universities. Geneva office located at University of Geneva premises.
• Universität Lausanne (UNIL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of eight partner universities. Original founding university with Managing Director and faculty contributions.
• Universität Zürich (UZH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of eight partner universities. Stiftung Banking & Finance at UZH joined SFI in 2025.
• Swiss ConfederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of the founding supporters of SFI along with Swiss banking community, Swiss National Science Foundation, and universities.
• Swiss National Science FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of the founding supporters of SFI, providing funding and scientific credibility.
• Swiss Bankers Association (SBVg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Established at the initiative of the Swiss Bankers Association. Primary stakeholder representing the Swiss banking industry.
• Stiftung Banking & Finance at University of ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Joined SFI in 2025, strengthening ties with University of Zurich.
• International Center for Financial Asset Management and Engineering (FAME)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of two predecessor organizations that were encompassed by SFI when it was founded in 2006.
• Swiss Banking SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006One of two predecessor organizations that were encompassed by SFI when it was founded in 2006.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• INSEAD: Global business school with strong finance research output, executive education, and a multi-campus model. Comparable to SFI as a leading international finance research and continuing-education institution.
• IMD (International Institute for Management Development): Swiss-headquartered business school with deep banking and finance executive education offerings in Lausanne. Directly comparable to SFI as a Swiss-based, banking-focused advanced education provider serving finance professionals.
• London Business School: Top-tier global finance research and education institution with a research faculty and executive education programs comparable in scope to SFI. A direct peer in the finance research and continuing-education category.
• Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania): Globally recognized finance research institution producing the SFI-citing W.P. Carey ranking. Directly comparable as a top-tier finance research and doctoral education institution.
• University of St.Gallen (HSG): Swiss partner university of SFI since 2022 with a strong banking and finance faculty and executive education programs. Directly comparable as a Swiss provider of finance research and education.
• ETH Zurich: Swiss partner university of SFI since 2007, contributing finance and quantitative finance faculty. Comparable as a doctoral-level research institution feeding the Swiss finance ecosystem.
• CEPR (Centre for Economic Policy Research): European-wide economics and finance research network that produces working papers, hosts conferences, and coordinates policy research. Directly comparable as a research-network model rather than a teaching institution.
• NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research): US-based private, non-profit research organization producing working papers and convening finance and economics researchers. Highly comparable as a research-network-driven nonprofit foundation model.
• Said Business School, University of Oxford: Top-ranked business school with finance faculty, executive education, and doctoral programs comparable to SFI. Direct peer in global finance research and continuing education.

Broad incumbents

• Bank for International Settlements (BIS): International financial institution headquartered in Basel that produces major research and hosts policy forums. Comparable to SFI in its focus on international banking research and central bank coordination, though with a broader policy mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sfi-swiss-finance-institute
• Xx.com/SFI_CH
• Facebookfacebook.com/swissfinanceinstitutesfi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swiss Finance Institute Stiftung