CEAS

What CEAS does

CEAS (Centre Ecologique Albert Schweitzer Suisse) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 1980 in Neuchâtel, headquartered at Rue des Beaux-Arts 21, and registered as a foundation under Swiss law. It operates as an international development NGO with three coordination offices in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Thiès (Senegal), and Antananarivo (Madagascar), plus a small Swiss headquarters team of approximately nine staff and 50+ regional field staff. Its mission centers on co-developing with local populations appropriate technical innovations, sustainable agricultural value chains, renewable energy solutions, and municipal waste management systems to improve food security and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. CEAS holds Zewo certification and is recognized as an official technical cooperation partner of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DDC).

CEAS's core products and underlying technology are decidedly low-tech and open-source. The organization has developed a catalog of appropriate technologies — the Atesta improved solar dryer, the Tunnel industrial-scale solar dryer, the Kiraye solar fish dryer, an Improved Fish Smoker co-developed with HEIG-VD and ITA Dakar, Solar Kiosk community energy centers, and the Mango Protect biopesticide (homologated in Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo). These designs are disseminated as downloadable fabrication plans, not commercial products. Beyond hardware, CEAS operates the leshop-equitable.ch fair-trade e-commerce shop selling shea butter soap, dried fruits, mango vinegar, and spices sourced from African partner communities, and produces publications including the quarterly Déclic magazine and Les Cahiers du CEAS thematic studies.

CEAS's business model is that of a project-funded NGO rather than a commercial enterprise. Reported total revenue for FY2024 was CHF 3,158,967, sourced primarily from public subsidies — Swiss DDC, the European Union, and other public donors representing roughly CHF 2.1-2.5M annually — plus private foundation grants (FEDEVACO, Latitude 21, FGC, and cantonal/municipal authorities such as Basel-Stadt and Zürich), individual donations (tax-deductible under Zewo), ASCEAS membership fees (CHF 30 individual / CHF 50 couple annually), and modest fair-trade transaction revenue. Its go-to-market operates on two tracks: in-country direct-to-consumer community engagement through local coordination offices, and event-driven, digital, and grassroots Swiss-side fundraising through three regional support associations and educational partnerships. Strategic positioning is anchored by a flagship 2019 alliance with the Biovision Foundation that channels DDC co-funding through multi-year joint programs (2021-2024 cycle and a renewed 2025 program).

Name

CEAS

Legal name

Centre Ecologique Albert Schweitzer Suisse (CEAS)

Website

https://ceas.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEAS is a Swiss nonprofit foundation founded in 1980 that implements sustainable development projects in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Madagascar through renewable energy, appropriate technology, sustainable agriculture, and waste management programs, funded primarily by Swiss DDC and EU public subsidies, private foundations, and individual donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Cooperation Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Prevention, Chemicals & Waste (incl. Plastics) (BPADALAJ), Biosecurity, Pest & Disease Control for CEA (IPM, Screening, Sanitation) (AFAAAHAK)

Keywords

• International development cooperation
• Sustainable agriculture projects
• Renewable energy solutions
• Waste management services
• Appropriate technology transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Chevroux

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Subsidies: Government funding from Swiss Development Cooperation (DDC), European Union, and other public donors. Represents the largest portion of revenue at approximately CHF 2.1-2.5 million annually.
2. Private Subsidies: Funding from foundations, associations, cantons, and municipalities including FEDEVACO, Latitude 21, FGC, canton Basel-Stadt, city of Zürich, and various foundations.
3. Donations: Individual donations from Swiss supporters, tax-deductible due to Zewo certification. Major source of unrestricted funding.
4. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from ASCEAS supporters: CHF 30/year individual, CHF 50/year couple. Provides small recurring revenue and engagement.
5. Fair Trade Shop: Sale of African artisanal products including shea butter soap, dried fruits, and spices through leshop-equitable.ch, generating modest transaction revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CEAS implements international development cooperation projects in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Madagascar, focusing on four areas: craftsmanship and renewable energy, sustainable agricultural value chains (mango, shea, moringa, ginger, lychee, apiculture), waste sanitation for African municipalities, and awareness raising in Switzerland. The foundation also disseminates open-source appropriate-technology fabrication plans (solar dryers, fish smokers, solar kiosks) and sells fair-trade African products through leshop-equitable.ch.

Product overview

CEAS (Centre Ecologique Albert Schweitzer) is an NGO focused on development cooperation in Africa, not a traditional software company. Its offerings consist of low-tech innovation packages (open-source fabrication files for dryers, solar kiosks, waste management equipment), a fair trade e-commerce shop, and publications (quarterly Déclic magazine, thematic notebooks, and specialized studies). The organization operates across four domains: Craftsmanship & Renewable Energy, Sustainable Agricultural Sectors, Waste Sanitation, and Awareness Raising, with projects in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Madagascar, and Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovation Technology Packages (Open-Source Appropriate Technologies)

Quantifiable outcome

• 3175 people improved food security since 2021
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Biovision FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Alliance partnership signed in 2019 enabling access to Swiss DDC co-funding and shared program development. Joint 4-year program 2021-2024 focused on sustainable livelihoods, food systems, and environmental conservation across Africa.
• University of NeuchâtelcoreTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partner providing research expertise for agricultural value chains, apiculture development, and environmental studies. Students conduct research in collaboration with CEAS field projects.
• Haute Ecole ARCcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss engineering school contributing technical expertise for appropriate technology development including solar dryers and processing equipment.
• HEIG-VD (Haute Ecole d'Ingénierie de Yverdon)coreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering school collaborating on fish smoker prototype development and other technical innovations for African contexts.
• AGRISUD InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench NGO implementing sustainable agriculture projects in Madagascar and Senegal, specializing in agroecology and smallholder farmer support.
• AMADEAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench association working in Madagascar on rural development, particularly in the Analamanga region with physalis and fruit processing projects.
• ITA Dakar (Institut de Technologie Agroalimentaire)coreTechnology or IntegrationSenegalese technical institute collaborating on fish processing technologies and food safety research with CEAS.
• INERA Burkina FasocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironment and Agricultural Research Institute of Burkina Faso, co-developer of Mango Protect biopesticide for integrated pest management.
• COSPEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian NGO implementing development projects in Senegal.
• Yelen SenegalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenegalese development association working on local initiatives.
• LVIAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian volunteer development organization active in Burkina Faso and Senegal.
• Autre TerreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian development NGO supporting waste management and agricultural projects.
• GRETminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench technical cooperation NGO working on agriculture, water, and sanitation in developing countries.
• Plateforme Re-SourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network for waste management expertise, providing capitalisation and knowledge sharing among member organizations working on solid waste in Africa.
• Swiss Platform for Sustainable DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization for Swiss NGOs in sustainable development.
• Plateforme RE-SourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapitalization platform for international waste management projects with technical guides and advocacy materials.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation: Swiss development NGO operating rural development, agriculture, water, and governance projects in Africa and Asia. Most directly comparable to CEAS as a Swiss-based international cooperation organization with similar thematic focus, multi-country African footprint, and public-donor funding model.
• Swissaid: Swiss development organization implementing programs in food security, climate adaptation, and rural livelihoods across multiple African countries. Comparable Swiss-funding model, NGO structure, and programmatic areas to CEAS.
• GRET: French professional development NGO working on agriculture, water, sanitation, and rural development in developing countries. Listed as a CEAS partner; comparable scope, multiple-country Africa presence, and donor-funded operating model.
• LVIA: Italian volunteer development organization active in Burkina Faso and Senegal, listed as a CEAS partner. Comparable geographic footprint and smallholder rural development focus.
• Autre Terre: Belgian development NGO supporting waste management and agricultural projects, and a listed CEAS partner. Directly comparable as a small European NGO focused on waste management and sustainable agriculture in West Africa.
• Biovision Foundation: Swiss foundation and CEAS's flagship alliance partner, also focused on sustainable agriculture, food systems, and ecological transformation in Africa. Directly comparable thematic mandate, Swiss-donor base, and African country focus.
• AGRISUD International: French NGO specialized in agroecology and smallholder farmer support, explicitly listed as a CEAS strategic partner with overlapping projects in Madagascar and Senegal. Closely comparable in technical approach (agroecology, value chains).
• COSPE: Italian NGO implementing development projects in Senegal, listed as a CEAS partner. Comparable European-NGO model with on-the-ground African project implementation.
• AMADEA: French association working on rural development in Madagascar (fruit processing, physalis), listed as a CEAS strategic partner. Directly comparable in mission, geographic focus, and smallholder support model.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Switzerland: Large Swiss humanitarian and development organization with broader scope than CEAS but overlapping into international cooperation, agriculture, and social development. Comparable Swiss donor base and Zewo certification. Far larger than CEAS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ceas.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceas---centre-ecologique-albert-schweitzer

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CEAS