Swiss Heart Foundation

What Swiss Heart Foundation does

The Swiss Heart Foundation (Schweizerische Herzstiftung) is a non-profit charitable organization founded in 1967 and headquartered in Bern, Switzerland. It is the only national non-profit in Switzerland operating simultaneously in cardiovascular disease and stroke research funding and in information/prevention. The foundation serves five primary constituencies: heart disease and stroke patients, their families and caregivers, healthcare professionals, medical researchers, and the general public seeking preventive heart-health guidance. Its ZEWO certification, held continuously since 1989, attests to governance transparency and effective use of donations.

The foundation's product portfolio spans digital and physical touchpoints. Core offerings include the Peer-Plattform (peer-to-peer patient support), the HerzCheck®/CardioTest® cardiovascular risk assessment delivered through certified pharmacies, the nationwide Herzgruppen (supervised cardiac exercise groups), the HELP life-saving and emergency response program, the Experience Forum, digital self-assessment tools (cardiovascular risk, heart failure, PAD, pulse, nicotine dependency, stress), a newsletter, and an online webshop carrying 80+ publications in German, French, and Italian. Research funding mechanisms include the annual CHF 20,000 Cardiology Research Prize, the biennial CHF 20,000 Stroke Medicine Research Prize, the CHF 25,000 Albrecht von Haller Young Investigator Award (plus three doctoral thesis awards of CHF 2,000 each), and the W. and L. Rutishauser Fund supporting international research placements. Distribution occurs through swissheart.ch, certified pharmacies, healthcare professional networks, and a multi-lingual website covering three national languages.

The foundation is financed primarily through donations, bequests, legacies, and contributions from private individuals and organizations, with secondary income from webshop sales and tiered project sponsorships (minimum CHF 5,000/year for research funds or CHF 10,000 for prevention programs). Operations are run by a small team of 11-50 employees. Distribution is national, restricted to Switzerland, with no disclosed geographic expansion. The organization holds no patents and operates no proprietary AI/technology stack beyond a standard website chatbot integration.

Name

Swiss Heart Foundation

Legal name

Schweizerische Herzstiftung

Website

https://swissheart.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Swiss Heart Foundation (Schweizerische Herzstiftung) is a ZEWO-certified, Bern-based non-profit founded in 1967 that funds cardiovascular and stroke research, runs prevention programs, and delivers patient support — including heart groups, pharmacy health checks, and tri-lingual publications — to patients, families, healthcare professionals, and researchers across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cardiovascular Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB)

Keywords

• Cardiovascular disease prevention
• Heart research funding
• Cardiac rehabilitation programs
• Patient peer support
• Cardiovascular health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The foundation is primarily financed through donations, offerings, bequests, and legacies from private individuals and organizations. As a public utility organization, it relies on voluntary financial support from donors.
2. Webshop Sales: The foundation operates a webshop selling publications, brochures, cards, and informational materials. Publications are available in three national languages (German, French, Italian) covering disease information, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Free publications are available for supporters (Gönner/Gönnerinnen).
3. Project Sponsorships: Companies and institutions can support specific long-term projects with designated funding starting from CHF 5,000 per year for research funds or CHF 10,000 for sponsorship of prevention and health promotion programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Swiss Heart Foundation funds cardiovascular and stroke research through grants and prizes, and delivers patient education, prevention programs, and support services. It operates a national network of heart groups, a peer support platform, the HerzCheck cardiovascular risk assessment in pharmacies, the HELP emergency response program, and a webshop offering 80+ publications in German, French, and Italian.

Product overview

The Swiss Heart Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization focused on cardiovascular disease and stroke prevention, research funding, and patient support. Its product portfolio consists of health assessment services (HerzCheck®/CardioTest® and self-assessment tests), peer support platforms (Peer-Plattform and Experience Forum), supervised exercise programs (Herzgruppen), the HELP life-saving program, research awards (Cardiology and Stroke Research Prizes, Albrecht von Haller Young Investigator Award), educational publications (80+ materials in three languages via Webshop), and a newsletter. These offerings work together to provide prevention, information, emergency response training, and ongoing support for patients and the general public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer-Plattform (Peer Platform) Online peer support platform connecting people affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke with others who have shared similar experiences for mutual support and exchange. Targeted at patients and their families in Switzerland.
• HerzCheck® / CardioTest® Cardiovascular health check offered through certified pharmacies, consisting of a brief questionnaire, cholesterol analysis, blood glucose test, blood pressure measurement, and waist circumference measurement. Targeted at the general public seeking heart health screening in Switzerland.
• Herzgruppen (Heart Groups) Supervised physical activity programs specifically designed for cardiac patients, conducted regularly under qualified therapists with emergency protocols and health status assessments. Targeted at cardiac patients across Switzerland.
• HELP Program Life-saving program focused on improving survival rates for victims of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest, including training courses in workplaces and schools. Targeted at the general public and organizations in Switzerland.
• Research Awards (Cardiology and Stroke Medicine) Annual Cardiology Research Prize (CHF 20,000) and biennial Stroke Medicine Research Prize (CHF 20,000) awarded to researchers developing new diagnostic and treatment methods. Targeted at qualified researchers working in cardiovascular medicine in Switzerland.
• Albrecht von Haller Young Investigator Award Award of CHF 25,000 for innovative projects by young investigators and CHF 2,000 each for three outstanding doctoral theses. Targeted at early-career researchers in cardiovascular and stroke medicine.
• Health Tests (Self-Assessment Tools) Self-assessment tools including cardiovascular risk test, heart failure test, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) risk test, pulse measurement, nicotine dependency test, and stress enhancer test. Targeted at the general public seeking self-evaluation of heart health risk factors.
• Newsletter Regular newsletter providing information on current findings in cardiovascular disease, heart-healthy living advice, and updates on events, seminars, and new publications. Targeted at donors, patients, healthcare professionals, and the general public in Switzerland.
• Webshop and Publications Online shop offering over 80 publications in three national languages (German, French, Italian) covering disease profiles, diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures, including the annual report. Targeted at patients, family members, healthcare professionals, and supporters in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
• Forum d'échange / Erfahrungsforum (Experience Forum) Platform for affected individuals to share experiences and perspectives, contribute to projects, participate in surveys, and help improve patient care. Targeted at heart disease and stroke patients and their families in Switzerland.
• Research Project Funding Grants Financial support for qualified, Switzerland-based researchers conducting research projects on cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Designated funding available starting from CHF 5,000 per year for research funds and CHF 10,000 for sponsorship of prevention and health promotion programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• CHF 20,000 annual research prize awarded for cardiology and CHF 20,000 biennial prize for stroke medicine
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Peer Platform PartnerscoreOthersSwiss Heart Foundation operates a peer platform (peer.swissheart.ch) connecting heart disease and stroke patients with others who have experienced similar conditions for mutual support and experience sharing. The platform enables patients to exchange experiences, share stories, and support each other's recovery journey.
• Certified Pharmacies (HerzCheck)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss Heart Foundation partners with certified pharmacies across Switzerland to offer HerzCheck (CardioTest) cardiovascular risk assessments. The program includes questionnaire, cholesterol analysis, blood glucose test, blood pressure measurement, and waist circumference measurement.
• Heart Group Leaders and TherapistscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss Heart Foundation supports and coordinates a network of heart groups (Herzgruppen) across Switzerland. Qualified therapists and cardiotherapists lead supervised physical activity programs for cardiac patients under medical supervision.
• Healthcare InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Heart Foundation collaborates with hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and medical institutions for research funding, professional education, and patient support services including heart group programs and cardiac rehabilitation.
• Patient Organizations NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss Heart Foundation maintains a network of patient organizations including Fragile Suisse (brain injury), Swiss Transplant Association, Diabetes Switzerland, and other related organizations for referral and collaborative support services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heart Foundation (Australia): Australian national nonprofit focused on cardiovascular disease research, prevention, and patient support. Comparable as a country-level heart foundation combining research funding, public health campaigns, and healthcare professional partnerships.
• Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada: Canadian national charity covering both heart disease and stroke — research funding, health education, and advocacy. Closely comparable dual-mission framing (cardiovascular + stroke) to Swiss Heart Foundation's combined heart and stroke remit.
• Hartstichting (Dutch Heart Foundation): Netherlands national heart foundation funding cardiovascular research and running prevention and patient support programs. Comparable as a small-country national foundation combining research grants, public awareness, and patient information services.
• British Heart Foundation: UK national charity funding cardiovascular research and providing patient support and prevention. It is the closest international analog in mission structure (research funding + public prevention + retail fundraising) and serves as a benchmark for national heart foundation scale.
• Deutsche Herzstiftung (German Heart Foundation): Germany's national heart patient and research foundation, providing research grants, patient education, and prevention programs in German. Most directly comparable as a neighboring DACH-region national cardiovascular foundation with similar program architecture.

Broad incumbents

• World Heart Federation: Geneva-based global NGO umbrella for heart foundations and cardiac societies, focused on cardiovascular health policy, advocacy, and World Heart Day. Not a direct donor-facing peer, but the closest global coordinating body in the same cardiovascular mission space.
• American Heart Association: Large US-based nonprofit combining cardiovascular and stroke research funding, professional education, advocacy, and consumer prevention. It is a broader incumbent in the same category — comparable mission but vastly larger scale, broader professional programs, and international advocacy reach.

Regional players

• Lungenliga Schweiz (Swiss Lung League): Swiss national organization for respiratory and lung disease, combining patient services, prevention, and professional training. Domestic peer operating in the same Swiss nonprofit, multi-channel, cantonal partnership model adjacent to cardiovascular care.
• Krebsliga Schweiz (Swiss Cancer League): Swiss national disease-specific foundation providing cancer research funding, patient support, and prevention. Domestic peer in the Swiss charitable foundation landscape with a similar ZEWO-certified, multi-language, donation-funded operating model applied to a different disease.
• diabetesuisse (Swiss Diabetes Association): Swiss national diabetes patient and advocacy organization. Comparable as a domestic chronic disease nonprofit operating in trilingual Switzerland with overlapping cardiovascular comorbidity interests, and an existing partner listed in the Swiss Heart Foundation's patient organization network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HerzstiftungCH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Swiss Heart Foundation