Soyana

What Soyana does

Soyana is a Swiss family-owned producer of plant-based and certified-organic (Bio Knospe) foods, founded in 1981 by Walter Dänzer and headquartered in Schlieren near Zürich. The company manufactures more than 130 stock-keeping units spanning tofu-based products, meat and dairy alternatives, fermented foods (Nattonoto range), plant beverages, plant-protein snacks, breads, and oil substitutes, sold under multiple sub-brands including Soyananda, Nattosana, DINKI, Chi, Limmattaler, Melt Me, Veganella, Biokömmlich, and Ojas.

Core product development and quality control are anchored in LifevisionLab, the company's proprietary research arm that applies crystallisation microscopy (a non-AI laboratory technique for visualising crystalline structures) to evaluate food quality and guide formulation. The portfolio is positioned for the European organic plant-based segment with a strict Bio/Bio-Knospe specification across all SKUs.

Revenue is generated through three distribution channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce via soyana.com for Switzerland and shop.soyana.com for the EU; organic specialty retail partners (Reformhaus/Bioladen channels) across Switzerland and EU; and a dedicated gastronomy/HoReCa channel via gastro.soyana.com targeting food service operators. The brand is extended through the SACRED restaurant and the House of Peace & Health community space, and through the associated publishing entity Verlag Bewusstes Dasein. The company remains privately held by the founding family, with no external funding disclosed and approximately 50 employees.

Name

Soyana

Legal name

Soyana Walter Dänzer

Website

https://soyana.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Soyana is a Swiss family-owned producer founded in 1981 that manufactures more than 130 certified-organic plant-based foods and sells them via DTC e-commerce, organic specialty retail, and HoReCa channels across Switzerland and the EU.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vegan organic foods

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Ice Cream and Frozen Dessert Manufacturing (311520)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts (2024)

akta.pro primary industry

Plant-Based Yogurt & Cultured Alternatives Processing (Fermented Spoonable/Drinkable) (AFAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Dairy Fermented Beverage Production (Coconut/Plant Kefir, Cultured Plant Drinks) (AFAFAHAF), Tofu, Tempeh & Traditional Soy Foods Manufacturing (AFAKAGAD), Plant-Based & Alternative Dairy Cultures (Vegan Yogurt/Cheese, Fermented Plant Beverages) (AFAJAJAG), Plant-Based Frozen Desserts Processing (Non-Dairy Ice Cream, Gelato, Novelties) (AFAHAJAE)

Keywords

• Vegan organic foods
• Plant-based alternatives
• Fermented soy products
• Gluten-free baked goods
• Vegan meat alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Schlieren

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales (B2C): Soyana operates its own online shops (shop.soyana.ch for Switzerland, shop.soyana.com for EU) selling the full product range directly to end consumers. Orders are shipped with cooling for fresh products.
2. Retail Distribution (B2B2C): Products sold through organic specialty retailers (bioFachhandel) in Switzerland and beyond. Available in good organic food stores.
3. Gastronomy/Horeca Channel: Products sold to the gastronomy sector (restaurants, hotels, catering) via gastro.soyana.com. Includes the SACRED restaurant in Zürich as a showcase venue.
4. Books and Publications: Soyana publishes and sells books on food quality and bio vs non-bio food research, including 'Die unsichtbare Kraft in Lebensmitteln' (Walter Dänzer) in German, French, and English editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soyana develops, produces and sells over 130 purely plant-based organic foods in Switzerland, including fermented products (Nattosana, Soyananda quark/yogurt/cream alternatives, Chi kombucha), cheese alternatives (Limmattaler, Melt Me, Veganella), meat alternatives (DINKI from BioDinkel, tofu, tempeh), milk alternatives (Swiss Soya/Cereal/Rice Drinks, BioMandel), and gluten-free sprouted-seed bread rolls. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company's Swiss and EU online shops, through organic specialty retailers, and to the gastronomy sector.

Product overview

Soyana is a Swiss family-owned company that has been researching and producing bio-vegan foods since 1981, operating from Schlieren-Zürich with approximately 50 employees. The company offers over 130 exclusively organic, plant-based food products across multiple categories. The product portfolio includes fermented products (Nattosana, Soyananda quark/yogurt/cream alternatives, Chi Kombucha drinks), cheese alternatives (Limmattaler, Melt Me, Veganella, Griechischer Käse), meat alternatives (DINKI from BioDinkel, Tofu, Tempeh, Burger products), milk alternatives (Swiss Soya-Drinks, Swiss Cereal-Drinks, Swiss Rice-Drinks, BioMandel products), gluten-free baked goods (Biokömmlich-Brötchen, BioSauerteig-Vollkornbrot), egg alternatives (Omelette), oils and seasonings (Tamari, Miso, High Oleic Sunflower Oil), raw food products, and desserts. The products are characterized by fermentation processes, organic certification, and many being gluten-free and wheat-free. The company also publishes the bestselling book 'Die unsichtbare Kraft in Lebensmitteln' documenting their food quality research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Soyananda: Line of fermented vegan organic alternatives to yogurt, cream, quark, desserts, fresh cheese and Greek cheese
• Nattosana
• DINKI
• Chi
• Limmattaler
• Melt Me
• Veganella
• Biokömmlich
• LifevisionLab
• Ojas

Products and services

• Nattosana Fresh fermented soy Natto products (Natur, SuperUmami, Joghurt-Kaffee and Choco-Pralinés varieties) — world-first fresh, digestible Natto-based foods from fermented soybeans, positioning a Japanese 2,000-year-old superfood for Western daily diets. Targeted at health-conscious vegan and bio consumers.
• Soyananda
• Limmattaler
• Melt Me
• Veganella
• DINKI
• Chi Kombucha-Live
• Swiss Soya-Drinks
• Swiss Cereal-Drinks
• Swiss Rice-Drinks
• BioMandel-Produkte
• Biokömmlich-Brötchen
• Pflanzliche Omelette
• BioTofu-Produkte
• BioTempeh
• Griechischer Käse-Alternative
• Öle & Würzen
• Rohkost-Produkte
• Desserts
• BioSauerteig-Vollkornbrot
• Halbrahm-Alternative
• Die unsichtbare Kraft in Lebensmitteln (book)

Quantifiable outcome

• Natto products are world-first innovations — Soyana is the first company globally to produce fresh, digestible Natto-based foods from fermented soybeans
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LifevisionLabcoreTechnology or IntegrationSoyana's own research laboratory founded by Walter Dänzer in 1996 to study and visualise the life force/vitality in food products through crystallisation microscopy. The lab's research findings are published in the bestselling book 'Die unsichtbare Kraft in Lebensmitteln'. LifevisionLab is a distinct entity within the Soyana ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Follow Your Heart: US-based vegan dairy and meat alternative maker with comparable fermented vegan cheese and yogurt alternatives. Similar fermentation-led differentiation but US-focused and smaller than Soyana's Swiss reach.
• Miyoko's Creamery: US-based premium vegan cheese and butter alternative brand with fermentation-led craft positioning. Comparable emphasis on live cultures and premium fermented dairy alternatives, though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Oatly: Global oat-based milk alternative leader with broad European retail presence. Directly comparable on Swiss Cereal-Drinks but operates at multibillion-dollar scale with mass-market brand strategy.
• Alpro (Provamel): Europe's largest plant-based beverage and yogurt brand, owned by Danone. Overlaps with Soyana's Swiss Soya Drinks, Soyananda, and cereal drink lines but at vastly larger scale and broader mainstream distribution.
• Alnatura: Germany's largest organic food retailer and brand. Comparable organic product philosophy and DACH horeca/retail reach, but at significantly larger scale and as both retailer and producer.

Direct peers

• Berief Food: German plant-based ingredient and finished food producer focused on organic, soy- and oat-based dairy alternatives. Closely comparable in scale, fermentation capabilities, and bio-certification positioning.
• Hofgut Bio: Swiss/German organic plant-based food producer offering tofu, tempeh, and dairy alternatives. Comparable mid-sized, organic-only, multi-SKU specialty food manufacturer serving DACH markets.
• Taifun-Tofu: Freiburg-based organic tofu specialist, comparable scale and European specialty plant-based positioning. Both companies focus on fermented/processed organic soy foods with similar horeca and organic retail channel mix.
• Soglio Products: Swiss specialty organic food manufacturer with comparable heritage, scale, and multi-channel DACH distribution. Overlaps with Soyana on organic positioning and premium Swiss bio branding.
• Viana: German manufacturer of organic vegan meat alternatives with similar mid-sized European specialty food positioning. Comparable horeca and organic retail GTM and product breadth in plant-based proteins.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/soyana.lebensmitte
• Instagraminstagram.com/soyana_lebensmittel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Soyana