Diaconis

What Diaconis does

Diaconis (legally Stiftung Diaconis) is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Bern that operates three integrated service lines: residential elderly care (Wohnen & Pflege) across four facilities totaling 177 care places, specialized inpatient Palliative Care for patients with incurable advanced illnesses, and Arbeitsintegration vocational reintegration programs. The foundation was established in 1844 by Sophie von Wurstemberger as the Berner Diakonissenhaus and has since evolved into a diversified social-services provider employing approximately 300 staff across Bern, Ostermundigen, and Biel/Bienne.

Its service portfolio includes 24/7 nursing and residential care at Haus Oranienburg (53 beds), Haus Belvoir (46 beds), and Haus Altenberg (64 beds), serviced independent living at Seniorenresidenz Villa Sarepta (14 apartments), respite and transitional care, in-house gastronomy (Fourchette Verte certified) with external catering, and the bilingual AMM Berner Stellennetz job-placement and AMM Lehrstellencoaching apprenticeship-coaching programs. Palliative Care is delivered as a hospital-level service under a Canton of Bern operating license with a dedicated Case Management team and admission criteria aligned to BAG and GDK 2011 guidelines.

The business operates under a regulated Swiss healthcare and social-services revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing; income is generated through resident care fees billed through Swiss health insurance, cantonal employment-agistry contracts for vocational programs, and external catering. Go-to-market is sales-led via direct admissions, medical-professional referrals for palliative care, and employment-agency partnerships for vocational integration. The technology stack is standard WordPress CMS with Google Analytics and Maps integrations — no proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or developer-facing APIs. Diaconis holds ISO 9001:2015, IN-Qualis:2018, Qualité Palliative, Fourchette Verte, SQS, and Berufsbildungplus certifications, and operates a dedicated HouseOfDiaconis employer-branding sub-brand for nursing recruitment.

Name

Diaconis

Legal name

Stiftung Diaconis

Website

https://diaconis.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1844

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Diaconis is a Swiss non-profit foundation operating since 1844 that provides residential elderly care, specialized inpatient palliative care, and vocational reintegration services to individuals in the Bern and Biel regions of Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Elderly Care and Palliative Services

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (623), Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities) (62311)

SIC

Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSABAIAD

Chronic Care & Complex Care Management

Home & Personal Services/Elder Care & In-Home Care Services/Care Coordination & Geriatric Care Management

SECONDARYHSABAIAN

Crisis Intervention & Emergency Planning/Response Coordination

Home & Personal Services/Elder Care & In-Home Care Services/Care Coordination & Geriatric Care Management

Keywords

• Elderly residential care
• Palliative care services
• Vocational integration programs
• Senior nursing facilities
• Social services foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Care (Wohnen & Pflege): Room and care fees for elderly residents in three nursing homes (Oranienburg, Belvoir, Altenberg) and Seniorenresidenz Villa Sarepta. Revenue covers 24/7 care, meals, and accommodation services.
2. Palliative Care Hospital Services: Specialized inpatient palliative care services for patients with advanced, incurable, and life-threatening diseases. Billed through Swiss health insurance system.
3. Vocational Integration (Arbeitsintegration): Professional integration programs including AMM Berner Stellennetz and AMM Lehrstellencoaching, funded through employment agency partnerships.
4. Catering Services: External catering for events including apéros, business lunches, and private celebrations. Also operates cafeteria and bistro services for residents and visitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Diaconis (Stiftung Diaconis) is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers round-the-clock residential and nursing care for elderly residents across three nursing homes (Haus Oranienburg, Belvoir, Altenberg) and one assisted-living residence (Villa Sarepta), provides specialized inpatient palliative care for patients with advanced incurable diseases, and runs vocational integration programs (AMM Berner Stellennetz, AMM Lehrstellencoaching) together with in-house gastronomy and external catering services.

Product overview

Diaconis is a non-profit foundation (Stiftung Diaconis) established in 1844 providing three interconnected core service lines: (1) Wohnen & Pflege (Residential Care & Nursing) encompassing three nursing homes (Oranienburg with 53 beds, Belvoir with 46 beds, Altenberg with 64 beds), a senior residence (Villa Sarepta with 14 apartments), and specialized services including respite/transitional care; (2) Palliative Care providing specialized hospital-level treatment for patients with advanced incurable diseases; and (3) Arbeitsintegration (Work Integration) offering employment placement and apprenticeship coaching services. The organization also operates hospitality services including in-house gastronomy, external catering, and publishes the bi-annual magazine 'einblicke'. A dedicated employer branding initiative called HouseOfDiaconis supports nursing staff recruitment. All services are centered in Bern, Switzerland, with facilities across multiple locations in the city and in Ostermundigen and Biel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HouseOfDiaconis: A recruitment sub-brand operated by Diaconis to attract nursing and care professionals, featuring job listings and employer branding for the foundation's care facilities.

Products and services

• Wohnen & Pflege (Residential Elderly Care) Round-the-clock professional care, accommodation, meals, and activation programs delivered in three nursing homes (Haus Oranienburg, 53 rooms; Haus Belvoir, 46 rooms; Haus Altenberg, 64 care places) and the Seniorenresidenz Villa Sarepta with 14 assisted-living apartments; accessible regardless of financial circumstances (Altenberg).
• Palliative Care Specialized hospital-level palliative care for patients with far-advanced, incurable, and life-threatening diseases, offering individualized symptom management, holistic accompaniment, and family support; billed through the Swiss health insurance system.
• Arbeitsintegration (Work Integration) Professional reintegration services helping job seekers return to the labor market through two programs: AMM Berner Stellennetz (job-placement network) and AMM Lehrstellencoaching (apprenticeship coaching); funded through cantonal employment-agency partnerships and delivered in Bern, Ostermundigen, and French-speaking Biel/Bienne.
• Gastronomie & Catering Services In-house meal preparation and cafeteria operations for residents and visitors, plus external catering services for apéros, business lunches, and private celebrations; backed by Fourchette Verte-certified kitchen and long-standing event catering experience.
• Wohnen mit Dienstleistungen (Assisted Independent Living) Independent living with optional support services in 14 barrier-free apartments at the historic Art Nouveau Villa Sarepta, designed for seniors who do not require full nursing home care but want access to on-call services.
• Ferien- und Übergangspflege (Respite and Transitional Care) Short-term residential stays for vacation or transitional care needs, providing temporary accommodation, recovery support, and family-relief stays within Diaconis's nursing homes.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universitäres Zentrum für Palliative Care, Inselspital BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with Switzerland's leading palliative care center. Enables knowledge transfer, collaborative patient care, and ensures access to cutting-edge palliative medicine expertise.
• Hirslanden BerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with major private hospital group for coordinated patient care and referrals in palliative treatment cases.
• Spitalzentrum BielcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional hospital partnership in Biel/Bienne for coordinated palliative care services in French-speaking catchment area.
• Universitäre Psychiatrische Dienste Bern (UPD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2019, operational cooperation with psychiatric services for integrated care of patients with complex neuropsychiatric palliative needs.
• Mobiler Palliativdienst Bern (MPD)coreTechnology or IntegrationRegional mobile palliative service partnership for extending specialized palliative care capabilities throughout Bern region.
• Spitex BernminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHome care service partnership for coordinating care transitions between inpatient palliative care and home-based support.
• KonsibernminorOthersPartnership for organizing quarterly salon concerts featuring young musicians from Konsi Bern in Villa Sarepta's Art Nouveau hall.
• CuravivaminorOthersIndustry association membership for Swiss senior care and housing organizations.
• SenesuisseminorOthersSwiss industry association for senior living and care providers, representing sector interests.
• Alzheimer BernminorOthersSpecialized partnership for dementia care support and knowledge exchange.
• Kirchgemeinde NydeggminorOthersChurch parish partnership for spiritual care and pastoral services within Diaconis facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Senevita AG: One of Switzerland's largest senior-care and assisted-living operators, with residential homes across multiple cantons. Comparable to Diaconis in core service (residential elderly care with nursing support) and Swiss-care model, but operates at significantly broader national scale.
• Hirslanden Bern (Hirslanden Group): Switzerland's largest private hospital group with Bern facilities and a named Diaconis palliative-care partner. Comparable as a regional provider of hospital-level palliative and acute services in the same patient referral market, but as a for-profit incumbent across many specialties.
• Tertianum Group: Swiss premium-segment operator of senior residences and care homes nationwide. Comparable to Diaconis's Wohnen & Pflege and Villa Sarepta serviced-apartment offerings, but with a broader canton footprint and a more upscale, hospitality-led model.
• Inselspital, Universitäres Zentrum für Palliative Care: University hospital palliative care center in Bern and an explicit strategic Diaconis partner. Comparable as a provider of specialized palliative services in the same catchment and standards regime (BAG/GDK 2011), but operating at academic-hospital scale rather than as a foundation.

Direct peers

• ORS Service AG: Swiss provider of vocational integration, asylum and migration support services running AMM-style employment programs. Directly comparable to Diaconis's Arbeitsintegration line (AMM Berner Stellennetz, AMM Lehrstellencoaching) in business model and public-funding dependencies.
• Domicil Bern: Bern-based municipal-style elderly care and assisted-living operator running multiple residential homes in the same Canton of Bern catchment as Diaconis. Directly comparable as a multi-site provider of 24/7 residential elderly care in the same geography and regulatory regime.
• Stiftung Kirchfeld (Kirchfeld Bern): Bern-based non-profit foundation running residential elderly care and related social services in the same Canton of Bern. Directly comparable as a Stiftung-structured multi-site elderly care provider competing for the same resident pool and cantonal funding.
• Spitex Bern: Non-profit home-care (Spitex) organization operating in the Canton of Bern and already a Diaconis partner for care transitions. Comparable in mission (enabling elderly and palliative patients to receive care) and in serving the same regional population, with delivery via home visits rather than residential beds.

Others

• Curaviva Schweiz: Swiss industry association for residential and care providers for the elderly (of which Diaconis is a member via Senesuisse/Curaviva). Comparable as an ecosystem stakeholder defining standards and lobbying for the same cantonal funding environment Diaconis depends on, rather than as a direct operator.

Regional players

• AOZ (Asyl-Organisation Zürich): Zürich-based non-profit running vocational and social integration programs comparable to Diaconis's Arbeitsintegration services. Operates the same employment-integration model, but with a Zürich rather than Bern geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/stiftungdiaconis
• Facebookfacebook.com/stiftungdiaconis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diaconis

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Diaconis