What Swisstransplant does

Swisstransplant is the Swiss national foundation for organ donation and transplantation, operating under formal mandates from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG/OFSP) and the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors (GDK/CDS). Headquartered in Bern with approximately 45 employees, the organization serves as the legally designated national coordination body that allocates donor organs to recipients across Switzerland and manages the national waiting list (1,325 patients as of 31 December 2025). The foundation coordinates activities across six authorized transplant centers in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, and St. Gallen, and oversees five regional organ donation networks (CHM, PLDO, DCA, TA, NOO) covering approximately 100 hospitals nationwide. It also acts as Switzerland's node in the FOEDUS European organ exchange platform, which now spans 25 member states and a population of half a billion people.

The organization's core technology platform is the Swiss Organ Allocation System (SOAS), a computer-based program that records and processes medical data of donors and recipients to determine organ allocation according to legally established criteria. This is complemented by SwissPOD (Swiss Monitoring of Potential Donors), a quality-assurance database developed for intensive care and emergency care settings to identify and follow potential organ and tissue donors in brain death or circulatory death. Beyond its allocation software, Swisstransplant coordinates the full donation process from donor identification and family consent through organ retrieval logistics and transplantation, including operational partnerships with Alpine Air Ambulance (AAA) for organ transport. The foundation is also a founding member of FOEDUS; in 2025, 643 transplantations were performed in Switzerland, with 185 deceased donors and 96 living donors, and 67 patients died while on the waiting list.

Swisstransplant operates as a non-profit foundation with revenue derived primarily from government-mandate funding allocated through the Federal Office of Public Health and the cantonal health directorate, supplemented by healthcare insurance reimbursements (basic health insurance, SwissDRG flat rates, and SVK contributions) and public donations. The organization does not generate commercial revenue in the conventional sense — organ donation itself is a gift, but transplantation-related costs are covered by recipient insurance and statutory mechanisms, and the foundation does not publicly disclose financials. Public engagement is driven through awareness campaigns (e.g., "Ich lebe jetzt, ich entscheide jetzt"), school educational programs, multilingual publications, video content, and an active social media presence across Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The foundation is led by Director PD Dr. Franz Immer and Foundation Council President Flavia Wasserfallen.

Name

Swisstransplant

Legal name

Swisstransplant

Website

https://swisstransplant.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swisstransplant is a Swiss national foundation mandated by the Federal Office of Public Health to coordinate organ donation and transplantation, managing the national waiting list, the SOAS allocation system, and coordination across six transplant centers and five regional donation networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organ Donation and Transplantation Coordination

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991)

akta.pro primary industry

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations (BPAGACAJ)

Keywords

• Organ transplantation coordination
• National organ allocation
• Medical donor registry
• Healthcare coordination services
• Transplant waiting list

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Mandate Funding: Swisstransplant operates under mandate from the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG/OFSP) and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Health Directors (GDK/CDS) for coordination of organ donation activities nationwide. Costs for healthcare personnel in hospitals for organ and tissue donation are financed through this mandate.
2. Healthcare Insurance Reimbursement: Organ transplantation costs are covered by the recipient's basic health insurance, SwissDRG flat rates, and Swisstransplant. Medical examinations conducted on brain-dead persons before organ removal are reimbursed by the recipient's basic health insurance.
3. Donations: Public donations are accepted to support organ donation and transplantation efforts in Switzerland

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Swisstransplant is the Swiss national foundation that coordinates organ donation and transplantation across Switzerland under mandate from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG/OFSP) and the Conference of Cantonal Health Directors (GDK/CDS). The foundation operates the Swiss Organ Allocation System (SOAS) to match donor organs with recipients on the national waiting list according to legally defined criteria, maintains the SwissPOD database for donor identification in intensive care settings, and coordinates the entire donation process from donor identification through transplantation across five regional donor networks and six transplant centers. It also facilitates cross-border organ exchange through the FOEDUS platform covering 25 European member states.

Product overview

Swisstransplant is a Swiss foundation that operates as the national coordination body for organ and tissue donation. The organization's core product portfolio centers on the SOAS (Swiss Organ Allocation System) computer program for matching donor organs with recipients on the national waiting list, supplemented by the SwissPOD quality assurance database for tracking potential donors in hospitals. Beyond these technology platforms, Swisstransplant provides organ donation coordination services, manages the national waiting list, facilitates international organ exchange through the FOEDUS European platform, and offers educational resources including publications, video content, donor cards, and children's materials. The organization functions as a coordinating body rather than a traditional software product company, with its primary offerings being operational services and systems for managing the organ donation and transplantation process in Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SOAS (Swiss Organ Allocation System) A computer-controlled program used to calculate and determine organ allocation based on medical data of donors and recipients on the national waiting list. SOAS matches organs to recipients according to legally established allocation criteria, serving hospitals, transplant centers, and the national coordination process.
• SwissPOD (Swiss Monitoring of Potential Donors) A quality assurance database developed for intensive care and emergency care settings that enables hospitals to identify and follow potential organ and tissue donors in brain death or circulatory death scenarios.
• National Waiting List Management Centralized management of the national waiting list for organ recipients, coordinated by Swisstransplant as the mandated national attribution service. As of December 2025, the waiting list contained 1,325 patients awaiting transplantation.
• Organ Donation Coordination Services Coordination of the organ donation process from donor identification through organ allocation and transport logistics, working with hospital networks, five regional donation networks, six transplant centers, and Alpine Air Ambulance for organ transport.
• Donor Card System Physical and digital organ donor cards that allow individuals to document their decision regarding post-mortem organ donation. Donor registration is free and voluntary for Swiss residents.
• FOEDUS International Organ Exchange Platform European cross-border organ exchange platform enabling international organ sharing when no compatible recipient is found domestically. Switzerland participates through Swisstransplant, with 17 active member states and 8 additional states via Eurotransplant membership, covering half a billion people across 25 countries.
• Educational Publications and Materials Magazine publications, informational brochures, and multilingual easy-language resources about organ donation and transplantation for the Swiss public, schools, and affected families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 643 transplantations performed in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• FOEDUS (European Organ Exchange Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015International organization founded in 2015 for promoting cross-border organ exchange. Swisstransplant Director Franz Immer was founding member and president 2021-2024. Covers half a billion population across 25 member states. In 2024, 52 of 522 organ donations to Swiss recipients came from FOEDUS partner countries.
• Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG/OFSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body that mandates and oversees Swisstransplant's activities as the national organ allocation service. Operates under legal mandate from BAG.
• Conference of Swiss Cantonal Health Directors (GDK/CDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2009, CDS has mandated Swisstransplant to coordinate cantonal tasks in organ and tissue donation across Switzerland, consolidating activities with donor networks.
• H+ The Hospitals of SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospital association that is a key partner in organ donation coordination, providing healthcare personnel and institutional framework for donation processes.
• Swiss Health Insurance Association (SVK/FSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation representing health insurers responsible for funding healthcare personnel in hospitals for organ and tissue donation, with Swisstransplant documenting resource use transparently.
• Alpine Air Ambulance (AAA)majorTechnology or IntegrationLogistics partner responsible for organ transport coordination alongside Swisstransplant. Handles emergency transport of organs between hospitals.
• EurotransplantmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor European organ exchange organization that joined FOEDUS as member from February 1, 2022, adding 8 additional states to the platform.
• Agency of Biomedicine (ABM), FrancemajorTechnology or IntegrationFrench national agency for biomedicine, listed as FOEDUS partner and closest neighbor for Swiss organ exchange collaboration.
• Six Swiss Transplant Centers (Inselspital Bern, USB, CHUV, HUG, USZ, Kantonsspital St. Gallen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix university and cantonal hospitals authorized by the Federal Office of Public Health to perform organ transplantations. Each has separate authorization for specific organs and pediatric cases.
• Five Regional Organ Donation Networks (CHM, PLDO, DCA, TA, NOO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFive autonomous regional networks covering approximately 100 hospitals across Switzerland, ensuring implementation of national organ donation processes according to federal and cantonal regulations.
• Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical sciences academy that establishes guidelines for determining brain death and organ donation criteria, with representation on Swisstransplant's foundation board.
• Swiss Intensive Care Society (SGI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical society representing intensive care medicine, with representation on foundation board and involvement in donor identification processes.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Transplant Australia: Australian national organization promoting organ and tissue donation. Comparable in mission and advocacy function to Swisstransplant but serves a different geographic market and does not overlap with Swiss operations.

Direct peers

• Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation: German foundation for organ transplantation that coordinates organ donation across Germany. Direct comparable to Swisstransplant as a national foundation performing donor coordination, hospital network management, and transplant logistics.
• Centro Nazionale Trapianti: Italian National Transplant Center operating under the Ministry of Health to coordinate organ donation and transplantation across Italy's regions. Performs an analogous national coordination mandate to Swisstransplant.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): US non-profit managing the national organ transplant system under federal contract. Operates the comparable role of allocating organs across a national network with computer-based matching systems akin to SOAS.
• NHS Blood and Transplant: UK national body for organ donation and transplantation, managing the British waiting list and coordinating donor-to-recipient matching. Comparable to Swisstransplant in performing state-mandated national organ coordination with similar waiting list management responsibilities.
• Agence de la biomédecine: French national agency for organ, tissue, and cell donation and transplantation. Listed as a FOEDUS partner and Switzerland's closest neighbor for cross-border collaboration, performing the same national coordination role that Swisstransplant performs in Switzerland.
• Organización Nacional de Trasplantes (ONT): Spanish national transplant organization recognized as the global leader in organ donation rates. Performs the same national coordination, allocation, and international exchange role as Swisstransplant in Switzerland.
• Eurotransplant: International organ exchange organization based in the Netherlands that allocates organs across 8 European countries. Directly comparable to Swisstransplant in operating a centralized allocation system and managing cross-border organ sharing, and is itself a FOEDUS member.
• Scandiatransplant: Nordic-Baltic organ exchange organization covering Scandinavian countries. Functions as a multi-country allocation body similar to Swisstransplant and is a FOEDUS member, operating the same organ matching and cross-border coordination model.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Blood Services: Canadian national blood and organ donation operator with a broader mandate covering blood, plasma, stem cells, and organs. Comparable in coordinating organ donation nationally but operates at a larger and broader scale than Swisstransplant.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Swisstransplant2You/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Swisstransplant
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swisstransplant
• Instagraminstagram.com/swisstransplant
• Xx.com/Swisstransplant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swisstransplant