What Solvita Foundation does

Solvita Foundation (legal name Stiftung Solvita) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1975 and headquartered in Urdorf, Canton of Zurich. It operates an integrated service platform for people with psychological or cognitive disabilities, spanning residential homes (Wohnheim Urdorf, Götschihof, AWG Dietikon, AWG Affoltern a/A), the HPS Limmattal special-needs school, sheltered workplaces, vocational training, job coaching, and integration programs that transition beneficiaries toward the primary labor market. The foundation employs between 501 and 1,000 staff and celebrated its 50th anniversary in May 2025.

The foundation generates revenue across three streams: (1) contract manufacturing and assembly services for external Swiss businesses in mechanics, mechanical assembly, general assembly, electrical engineering, packaging, shipping logistics, and online logistics; (2) a WooCommerce e-shop at solvita.ch selling 116 handcrafted SKUs including greeting cards, sandblasted glass, garden candles, K-Lumet matchboxes, textiles, and thermos bottles priced between CHF 2 and CHF 35 with TWINT payment; and (3) government-funded vocational integration programs covering job coaching, integration workplaces, and training workshops. Distribution is restricted to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Marketing runs through the company website, a German-language newsletter, and on-site events.

Operations are managed by Geschäftsführer Markus Feil, with Marco Wopmann overseeing vocational measures, integration, and quality; Ronny Beyeler leading living and working places; and Valeska Graul serving as pedagogical director. The foundation maintains minor partnerships with webgearing AG (web implementation) and Pro Infirmis (Easy Language translation). No patents, regulatory actions, M&A, funding rounds, or technology products are disclosed; the foundation's competitive position rests on its regulated status, multi-decade brand trust, specialized pedagogical workforce, and integrated residential-educational-employment ecosystem.

Name

Solvita Foundation

Legal name

Stiftung Solvita

Website

https://solvita.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Solvita Foundation (Stiftung Solvita) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation headquartered in Urdorf that provides residential care, vocational training, sheltered employment, and professional integration services for people with psychological or cognitive disabilities, supplemented by a handcrafted-product e-shop and B2B production services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services and Sheltered Employment

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Vocational integration services
• Sheltered employment programs
• Contract manufacturing services
• Disability employment services
• Handcrafted artisan products

Headquarters

HQ city

Urdorf

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Sale of handcrafted products including glassware, candles, cards, textiles, K-Lumet matches, thermos bottles, and bags. Products are crafted by people with psychological or cognitive disabilities. Online sales through the foundation's e-shop.
2. Production Services: Contract manufacturing and assembly services for external companies in areas including mechanics, mechanical assembly, general assembly, electrical engineering, packaging, shipping logistics, and online logistics.
3. Vocational Integration Services: Government-funded programs for professional integration of people with disabilities, including job coaching, training workshops, and integration workplaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stiftung Solvita operates as a Swiss nonprofit foundation delivering vocational integration, sheltered employment, and residential services for people with psychological or cognitive disabilities. It sells B2B production services (mechanics, assembly, electrical engineering, packaging, logistics, security, and contract studio work) to external companies and B2C handcrafted goods (cards, glassware, candles, textiles, thermos bottles, K-Lumet matchboxes) through its own e-shop.

Product overview

Stiftung Solvita operates an e-commerce platform (E-Shop) selling handcrafted products created by people with psychological or cognitive disabilities. The product portfolio includes greeting cards (Karten) in various occasions (birthday, birth, Christmas, wedding, funeral), decorated matchboxes (K-Lumet), sandblasted glass products (Glas) such as carafes and vases, stainless steel thermos bottles with decorative designs, garden candles (Gartenkerzen) in multiple colors and sizes, and textile items (Textilien) including silk scarves and fabric pouches. The shop also offers an 'Outdoor' category featuring selected products suitable for outdoor use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanik (Mechanical Services) Mechanical production services delivered to B2B clients by the foundation's sheltered workshops as part of its Produkte & Dienstleistungen portfolio.
• Mechanische Montage (Mechanical Assembly) Mechanical assembly services delivered to external companies by Stiftung Solvita's production teams.
• Montage (General Assembly) General assembly services provided to B2B customers through the foundation's sheltered workshops.
• Elektrotechnische Fertigung (Electrical Engineering Manufacturing) Electrical engineering manufacturing services offered to corporate clients through Stiftung Solvita's sheltered production workshops.
• Verpackung (Packaging) Packaging services provided to B2B customers by the foundation's sheltered workforce.
• Versand-Logistik (Shipping Logistics) Shipping logistics services delivered to external companies by Stiftung Solvita.
• Online-Logistik (Online Logistics) Online logistics and fulfillment services offered to B2B clients, supporting e-commerce and mail-order operations.
• Logistik General logistics services delivered to corporate clients through the foundation's sheltered workforce.
• Sicherheit (Security Services) Security services delivered by the foundation, listed alongside its production and logistics offerings.
• Auftrags-Atelier (Contract Studio) Contract studio service for bespoke handcrafted textile, card, and craft work commissioned by external clients.
• Gärtnerei & Gartenunterhalt (Gardening and Garden Maintenance) Gardening and garden maintenance services delivered to external customers by the foundation's sheltered workforce.
• Solvita E-Shop (Handcrafted Products) Own e-commerce storefront selling handcrafted cards, K-Lumet matches, sandblasted glassware, garden candles, textiles, and thermos bottles made by people with psychological or cognitive disabilities.
• Wohnen (Residential Living Services) Supported residential living services for people with disabilities, including Wohnheim Urdorf, Götschihof, AWG Dietikon, and AWG Affoltern a/A, with individualized care.
• HPS Limmattal (Special Education School) Pedagogically specialized school (HPS Limmattal) serving children and youth with special educational needs, plus initial vocational training pathways.
• Berufliche Integration (Vocational Integration Services) Government-funded vocational integration programs including initial vocational training, vocational measures, job coaching, integration workplaces, and a training and orientation workshop that move clients into the primary labor market.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• webgearing AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerwebgearing AG, based in Solothurn (Zuchwilerstrasse 21, 4500 Solothurn), is responsible for web design, photos, and website implementation for Stiftung Solvita's online presence.
• Pro InfirmisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Infirmis Büro für Leichte Sprache provides translation services for Easy Language (Leichte Sprache) content on the Stiftung Solvita website, making information accessible to people with learning disabilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Special Olympics: International organization providing sports training and competition for people with intellectual disabilities. Operates in the disability support ecosystem thematically comparable to Solvita's mission, though focused on sports rather than vocational and employment services.
• Inclusion Handicap: Swiss umbrella organization coordinating disability advocacy and policy across multiple service providers. Operates in the same disability services ecosystem as Solvita, though as a coordination and advocacy body rather than direct service provider.
• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability advocacy and support organization, providing counseling, accessibility, and integration services. Existing partner of Solvita for Easy Language translations; operates in the same Swiss disability ecosystem though with broader advocacy scope.
• Procap Schweiz: Swiss disability self-help organization advocating for people with disabilities and providing legal advice, sports, and tourism services. Operates in the same Swiss disability ecosystem as Solvita but with a different service mix focused on advocacy and member services.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Schweiz: Major Swiss social services organization providing broad humanitarian and social services including some disability and employment programs. Larger and broader than Solvita, but operates in the Swiss social enterprise space with overlapping beneficiary populations.
• Goodwill Industries International: International social enterprise network providing vocational training, sheltered employment, retail (thrift stores), and B2B services for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Closest international analog to Solvita's integrated model at much larger global scale.

Direct peers

• Stiftung Brändi: Swiss social enterprise foundation providing sheltered workshops, vocational integration, residential services, and B2B production services for people with disabilities in central Switzerland. Closely comparable to Solvita in mission, operational model, and geographic focus within Switzerland.
• Stiftung Rossfeld: Swiss foundation providing residential, educational, and vocational services for children, youth, and adults with disabilities in the Bern region. Comparable to Solvita's residential and educational components, particularly the HPS Limmattal school.
• Werkstatt für Behinderte Rhein-Main: Major German sheltered workshop operating production facilities in mechanics, assembly, packaging, and logistics while employing people with disabilities. Direct analog to Solvita's B2B production services model with overlapping customer use cases.
• Lebenshilfe: Germany's largest disability advocacy and service organization, operating sheltered workshops, vocational training, residential facilities, and B2B production for people with disabilities. Comparable to Solvita in service mix (residential, vocational, production), though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solvita Foundation