V Label
V-Label is a Swiss-registered international certification trademark for vegan and vegetarian products, serving 4,800+ licensees across 50+ countries with 70,000+ certified SKUs in food, cosmetics, and gastronomy, backed by the European Vegetarian Union.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersWinterthur, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What V Label does
V-Label is an international certification trademark for vegan and vegetarian products, headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland. Originally established in 1996 and structured as V-Label GmbH since 2008, the organization certifies and labels over 70,000 products from more than 4,800 licensees across 50+ countries and 30+ languages. The trademark covers food, cosmetics, non-food items, and gastronomy services, providing manufacturers and brands with a standardized, recognizable mark that signals vegan or vegetarian status to consumers. V-Label reports 64%+ brand awareness in Germany per the Gütesiegelmonitor 2023, where it is positioned as the most recognized vegan label in that market.
The core product is the V-Label certification mark itself — a registered trademark that licensees affix to qualifying products after standards-based review. V-Label operates a decentralized network of local licensing partners, each of which manages regional compliance, audits, and onboarding, while retaining approximately 90% of licensing fees. The central V-Label GmbH entity coordinates international standards, brand management, and trademark registration, and is institutionally backed by the European Vegetarian Union (EVU). The technical underpinning is a multi-jurisdiction trademark registration supported by a partner-mediated audit and certification workflow rather than a centralized software platform.
V-Label's business model is licensing-driven: companies pay certification and licensing fees to affix the V-Label mark on qualifying products. Revenue mechanics are largely distributed through local partners, with V-Label GmbH capturing a residual share of international coordination and standards management. Shareholders include CEO Renato Pichler, Felix Hnat, and Sebastian Joy; the entity operates with 11–50 employees and no disclosed external equity funding.
V Label firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- V Label
- Legal name
- V-Label GmbH
- Website
- https://v-label.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- V-Label is a Swiss-registered international certification trademark for vegan and vegetarian products, serving 4,800+ licensees across 50+ countries with 70,000+ certified SKUs in food, cosmetics, and gastronomy, backed by the European Vegetarian Union.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
V Label industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Certification and Trademark Licensing Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vegan/Vegetarian & Animal-Derived Ingredient Verification (incl. cross-contact) (AFALAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners) (AFALACAC), Food Industry Licensing, Registration & Compliance Audits (HLAJAEAG)
Keywords
Where V Label is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Winterthur
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
V Label business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Licensing Fees: Companies pay licensing fees to use the V-Label trademark on their products. These fees are collected by local licensing partners, with approximately 90% retained locally to support vegetarian/vegan organizations and campaigns. A small portion goes to V-Label GmbH for trademark protection and international operations.
- Certification Services: V-Label provides certification services including audits, criteria verification, and ongoing quality control to ensure products meet vegan/vegetarian standards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | License fees for using V-Label trademark on certified products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
V Label product offering
Product offeringCore offering
V-Label licenses its internationally registered certification trademark to producers, manufacturers, and food service operators whose products and menus meet standardized vegan and vegetarian criteria. The certification covers four sectors — Food, Cosmetics & Cleaning Agents, Non-Food products, and Gastronomy — and is administered through a global network of more than 50 local partner organizations speaking 30+ languages. Licensing fees from certified products fund ongoing audits, trademark protection, and local vegetarian/vegan organizations, with approximately 90% of fees retained in the country of origin.
Product overview
V-Label is a trademark licensing and certification service that provides an internationally recognized seal for labeling vegan and vegetarian products and services. Established in Switzerland in 1996, V-Label operates as a single unified offering — a certification and trademark licensing service — under which it issues licenses across multiple sectors: Food (certified products include vegan grill items, butter alternatives, cheese alternatives, chocolate, smoothies, plant milks, gummies, soups, ice cream, and beverages), Cosmetics & Cleaning Agents (cosmetics and cleaning products), Non-Food (textiles, print materials such as planners), and Gastronomy (restaurant and catering menus). The portfolio features dozens of individually certified branded products including Billie Green grill products, Eleplant butter alternatives, Mondarella vegan cheese, Lindt HELLO vegan chocolate, Ben & Jerry's non-dairy ice cream, M¡dori® meat alternatives, Vegablum Wonig honey alternatives, and many others. V-Label also organizes the V-Label Awards to recognize excellence among certified products and operates initiatives such as Food Heroes. The company coordinates this global network of certifications through partner organizations in over 50 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- V-Label: Internationally recognized registered trademark for labeling vegan and vegetarian products and services
- V-Label Awards
- Food Heroes
Products and services
- V-Label Certification & Trademark Licensing Core trademark licensing and certification service allowing producers and businesses to display the internationally recognized V-Label seal on products and menus that meet specified vegan/vegetarian criteria. Established 1996 in Switzerland.
- Food Sector Certification Certification for vegan and vegetarian food products, including plant-based meat, dairy and egg alternatives, snacks, beverages, and prepared meals, under the V-Label trademark.
- Cosmetics & Cleaning Agents Certification Certification for cosmetics, personal care, and household cleaning products verified to contain no animal-derived ingredients, enabling display of the V-Label trademark on packaging.
- Non-Food Products Certification Certification for vegan non-food products including textiles, leather goods, footwear, accessories, and print materials such as annual planners, allowing display of the V-Label trademark on product packaging.
- Gastronomy Certification Certification of restaurant, café, and catering menus (or individual menu items) as vegan/vegetarian, allowing foodservice operators to display the V-Label trademark on menus.
- V-Label Awards Annual awards program operated by V-Label to recognize innovation and excellence in vegan and vegetarian product development among certified products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 64% brand awareness in German population (Gütesiegelmonitor 2023)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use V Label
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
V Label technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
V Label partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and regional.
- European Vegetarian Union (EVU)coreEVU is the umbrella organization for numerous European organizations active in veganism and vegetarianism. EVU initiated V-Label and supports it as a foundational partner. The organization coordinates the international vegetarian/vegan movement and V-Label operates in cooperation with EVU to protect and promote the trademark.
- SwissvegcoreSwissveg is the largest interest representation for vegan and vegetarian people in Switzerland. Founded in 1993, it was the first organization to use V-Label for product certification in 1996. Swissveg co-founded the trademark and continues as key partner.
- ProVeg Deutschland e.V.coreAs Germany's largest vegetarian/vegan advocacy organization, ProVeg Germany manages V-Label licensing for the German market as a sub-licensee. Germany has over 4,500 products from 500+ licensees.
- ProVeg InternationalcoreProVeg International is a food awareness organization working to transform the global food system. Multiple ProVeg country offices manage V-Label licensing including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Czechia, Poland, South Africa, Nigeria, and Malaysia.
- V-Label Italia SrlcoreV-Label Italia manages V-Label licensing in Italy and since 2019 cooperates globally with V-Label GmbH to build the worldwide network.
- Vegane Gesellschaft ÖsterreichcoreThe Austrian Vegan Society manages V-Label licensing in Austria, represented by Felix Hnat as EVU President.
- Unión Vegana ArgentinaregionalManages V-Label licensing and certification in Argentina.
- ONG Te ProtejoregionalBrazilian partner organization handling V-Label certification for Non-Food products.
- Fundación VegregionalChilean foundation managing V-Label licensing in Chile.
- Animal Friends CroatiaregionalCroatian animal rights organization managing V-Label licensing.
- Dansk Vegetarisk ForeningregionalDanish Vegetarian Association managing V-Label licensing in Denmark.
- Association Végétarienne de FranceregionalFrench Vegetarian Association managing V-Label licensing in France.
- VegetariersbondregionalDutch Vegetarian Association managing V-Label licensing in the Netherlands.
- Middle East Vegan Society (MEVS)regionalRegional partner for Middle East region including Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar.
- Unión Vegetariana EspañolaregionalSpanish Vegetarian Union managing V-Label licensing in Spain.
- ProVeg PolskaregionalPolish office coordinating V-Label Ukraine operations from Warsaw.
- Grønn FramtidregionalNorwegian organization managing V-Label licensing.
- Yve OyregionalFinnish company managing V-Label licensing, based in Helsinki.
- Slovenská Vegánska SpoločnosťregionalSlovak Vegan Society managing V-Label licensing in Slovakia.
- A Better Future ABregionalSwedish organization managing V-Label licensing, also covers Hungary.
- Vegan Derneği Türkiye (TVD)regionalTurkish Vegan Association managing V-Label licensing in Turkey.
- SKS Green Technologies Pte. Ltd.regionalSingapore-based partner managing V-Label licensing in Singapore.
- ViveregionalVietnamese partner organization managing V-Label licensing in Vietnam.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
V Label competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NATRUE: NATRUE is an international natural and organic cosmetics certification body based in Brussels. While broader than vegan-only certification, NATRUE is a comparable third-party certification/trademark model operating across multiple countries with criteria-based licensing.
- EU Organic / EU Ecolabel: EU Organic and the EU Ecolabel are government-backed certification schemes for organic and environmentally friendly products. They are broader incumbents that compete with V-Label for the same food producer attention and shelf-claim space in Europe.
- Soil Association Certification: Soil Association is a UK-based organic food and cosmetics certification body. It is a broader incumbent in the third-party food/cosmetics certification space but uses a comparable criteria-and-fee licensing model that V-Label producers may also pursue.
- Fairtrade International / FLOCERT: Fairtrade International and its certifier FLOCERT run a globally recognized ethical sourcing certification mark. V-Label certifies some of the same producers (e.g., Ben & Jerry's Fairtrade ingredients) and competes for sustainability/ethical-claim real estate on packaging.
Others
- ProVeg International: ProVeg is a food-awareness organization that operates as V-Label's licensing partner in Germany and several other countries, and is led by a V-Label GmbH shareholder. While not a pure peer, ProVeg is the closest institutional partner and an ecosystem participant in plant-based certification and promotion.
Direct peers
- Vegan Society Trademark: The Vegan Society (UK) operates the longest-running Vegan Trademark, the most direct international competitor to V-Label in certifying vegan food, cosmetics, and other products with comparable criteria-based licensing.
- The Vegetarian Society (UK) Approved Vegetarian Trademark: The UK Vegetarian Society operates the Approved Vegetarian trademark, a directly comparable scheme to V-Label specifically for vegetarian products, serving overlapping UK and European food producers.
- EVE VEGAN (Expertise Vegan Europe): EVE VEGAN is a French-led vegan certification scheme covering food, cosmetics, and household products across European markets, overlapping with V-Label's food, cosmetics, and cleaning-product certification scope.
- Certified Vegan / Vegan Action: Vegan Action runs the Certified Vegan logo, a North-America-led vegan certification mark that overlaps directly with V-Label in food, cosmetics, and personal care categories and competes for global brand licensing.
Emerging players
- BeVeg International: BeVeg is a privately held vegan certification body expanding internationally across food, cosmetics, beverages, and supplements. It is a fast-growing emerging competitor with overlapping scope to V-Label's vegan certification offering.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
V Label social profiles
Digital presenceV Label financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
V Label leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
V Label funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
V Label M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about V Label
What does V Label do?
V-Label licenses its internationally registered certification trademark to producers, manufacturers, and food service operators whose products and menus meet standardized vegan and vegetarian criteria. The certification covers four sectors — Food, Cosmetics & Cleaning Agents, Non-Food products, and Gastronomy — and is administered through a global network of more than 50 local partner organizations speaking 30+ languages. Licensing fees from certified products fund ongoing audits, trademark protection, and local vegetarian/vegan organizations, with approximately 90% of fees retained in the country of origin.
Is V Label a public or private company?
V Label is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was V Label founded?
V Label was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is V Label based?
V Label is headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does V Label make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Licensing Fees are the primary driver. The others are certification Services.
Who are V Label's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NATRUE, EU Organic / EU Ecolabel, Soil Association Certification and Fairtrade International / FLOCERT. ProVeg International is listed as an others. Direct peers are Vegan Society Trademark, The Vegetarian Society (UK) Approved Vegetarian Trademark, EVE VEGAN (Expertise Vegan Europe) and Certified Vegan / Vegan Action. BeVeg International is listed as an emerging player.
Does V Label have an API?
No public API is recorded for V Label.
What industry is V Label in?
V Label's product category is Certification and Trademark Licensing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFALAHAI, Vegan/Vegetarian & Animal-Derived Ingredient Verification (incl. cross-contact), with a secondary code of AFALACAC, Certification Program Administration & Scheme Management (Standard Owners).