Seecon

What Seecon does

Seecon is a privately held Swiss sustainable development consultancy founded in 1998 and headquartered in Willisau, Switzerland. The firm delivers advisory, technical assistance, capacity-building, and applied research services to governments, multilateral institutions, and international NGOs across water and sanitation, solid waste and resource recovery, climate adaptation, and integrated urban planning. Service delivery is organized around a portfolio of proprietary toolboxes — including the SSWM Toolbox, Climate Toolbox, WATERUN, KöP Toolkit, NaWaKit, and GAT — which codify methodologies for planning, training, and policy advisory engagements and function as reusable intellectual assets across projects.

The company operates from five offices (Willisau and Bern in Switzerland; Berlin in Germany; Amman in Jordan; Erbil in Iraq) and has completed more than 100 projects across roughly 30 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Named institutional clients include the World Health Organization, WWF Germany, the European Commission, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and various national and municipal governments. Revenue is generated on a project-based consulting model through public tenders and framework agreements with bilateral and multilateral donors, with partnerships supplementing delivery via research institutes such as UFZ and PLANVAL and operational partners such as BORDA. In 2019, Seecon established Logistikum Schweiz GmbH as a subsidiary to extend operations into reverse logistics and circular-economy implementation, broadening the firm's commercial footprint beyond its traditional donor-funded core.

Name

Seecon

Legal name

seecon

Website

https://seecon.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seecon is a Swiss sustainable development consultancy founded in 1998, delivering water, sanitation, waste, and climate advisory services to governments, multilateral institutions, and international NGOs through proprietary toolboxes and project-based engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD), Standards, Certification & Compliance (RECs/GOs, sustainability reporting) (EUAMANAJ)

Keywords

• Sustainable development consulting
• Climate change adaptation
• Water management solutions
• Circular economy advisory
• Regional development consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for sustainable development projects including climate change, water management, circular economy, and regional development. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements funded by government agencies, international organizations, and development banks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Seecon is a sustainable development consultancy that develops, supports, and manages innovative projects worldwide through tailor-made approaches. Its core offering is project-based advisory consulting across six thematic areas (climate change, circular economy, sustainable sanitation and water management, private sector for development, regional development, and impactful organisations), delivered via four service pillars: Explore & Discover, Co-create & Design, Empower, and Reach & Connect. The firm also produces proprietary knowledge platforms and tools (SSWM Toolbox, Climate Toolbox, WATERUN Methodology, KöP Toolkit, NaWaKit, GAT) that underpin its consulting engagements.

Product overview

Seecon is a sustainable development consultancy offering a portfolio of advisory services organized around four pillars: Explore & Discover, Co-create & Design, Empower, and Reach & Connect. The portfolio spans six thematic areas (climate change, circular economy, sustainable sanitation and water management, private sector for development, regional development, and impactful organisations) and is delivered through project-based consulting engagements. Complementing the consultancy practice, Seecon maintains several named knowledge products and programs: the SSWM Toolbox (a widely-used online knowledge platform for sustainable sanitation and water management), the Climate Toolbox Graubünden (a cantonal climate adaptation toolkit), the KöP Toolkit (a municipal climate mainstreaming toolkit for German municipalities), the Swiss Water and Climate Program (a multi-stakeholder platform for co-creating water and climate projects in Switzerland), the Ecological Infrastructure Incubator (a business incubator for Swiss nature parks), the Zero Plastic Enterprise Challenge (a social entrepreneurship program in Rio de Janeiro), the WATERUN Methodology (an urban water quality decision-support system), and regiosuisse (a Swiss regional development knowledge and networking platform). Additionally, Seecon has produced specialized tools including NaWaKit for decentralized water treatment in India and the Governance Assessment Tool for Kenya's water utilities sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SSWM Toolbox (Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management Toolbox) A comprehensive online knowledge platform and toolbox providing tangible tools and resources for solving sanitation and water management challenges, widely used by WASH sector professionals worldwide.
• Climate Toolbox Graubünden A regionally specific climate adaptation toolkit for Swiss cantons that guides regional stakeholders through climate workshops to identify risks, evaluate opportunities, and select adaptation measures as part of a cantonal climate strategy.
• regiosuisse A Swiss-wide knowledge management and networking platform for regional development, supporting actors in the New Regional Policy (NRP), Interreg, and coherent spatial development through knowledge communities, training, conferences, and a research network.
• KöP Toolkit (Klimaschutzmanagement in öffentlichen Projekten) A needs-oriented toolkit of instruments tailored for municipal climate protection management in German municipalities, supporting public administration actors in systematically integrating climate issues into urban development, commercial area redevelopment, and transport planning processes.
• NaWaKit A one-stop information tool designed for practitioners (local SMEs, service providers, entrepreneurs, and consultants) working in India's water and sanitation sector, guiding them through the design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of decentralized water and wastewater treatment systems.
• WATERUN Methodology A holistic methodology and decision-support system for preventing, mitigating, and controlling urban diffuse pollution, providing cities with ready-made outputs for urban water runoff management including pollutant connectivity tools, stormwater modelling, and green infrastructure implementation guidance.
• Swiss Water and Climate Program (SWCP) A multi-stakeholder platform and project forge that brings together opinion leaders, decision-makers, young people, and experts from business, administration, research, and civil society to co-create water and climate resilience projects at regional level in Switzerland.
• Ecological Infrastructure Incubator An innovation incubator program supporting local innovators in developing marketable goods, services, and business models that sustainably valorize the ecological infrastructure of Swiss nature parks, facilitated through design thinking workshops and sustained business coaching.
• Zero Plastic Enterprise Challenge A startup-focused project within the Social Recycling Shipyard initiative in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, supporting social recycling centers and entrepreneurs in developing viable social business models for plastic waste management through training, mentoring, and hands-on support.
• Governance Assessment Tool (GAT) for Kenya WSTF A tailor-made Excel-based assessment tool comprising 70 indicators designed for participatory evaluation of water utility governance structures and performance, enabling the Kenya Water Sector Trust Fund to manage governance-related risks in investment projects.
• Regionale 2025 (Regionale Projektschau Limmattal) A regional project showcase platform spanning 16 municipalities across the cantons of Aargau and Zurich in Switzerland, culminating in a decade-long exhibition and conference series to demonstrate cross-border cooperation outcomes and transferable regional development formats.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero Plastic Enterprise Challenge aims to increase recycling rates and reduce plastic leakage into water bodies in vulnerable coastal communities of Rio de Janeiro
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AIMEN (Asociación de Investigación Metalúrgica del Noroeste)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Research partner in WATERUN project focusing on urban diffuse pollution prevention and mitigation in European cities.
• Dublin City UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to WATERUN methodology development for urban water management.
• Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH (UFZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey research partner in WATERUN project contributing scientific expertise in environmental research.
• Aarhus UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in WATERUN consortium providing research capabilities.
• Office International de l'EauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational water organization partner in WATERUN consortium.
• European Water RegulatorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory partner in WATERUN project for water quality governance.
• University of JordanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional academic partner in Middle East for WATERUN project.
• PLANVALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Regionale 2025 project supporting regional development in Limmat Valley with 16 municipalities.
• BlackForrest SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization of Social Recycling Shipyard initiative in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro. Seecon facilitates learning processes and business model development.
• Instituto Eventos Ambientais (IEVA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Brazil supporting Zero Plastic Enterprise Challenge project.
• Climate AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in KöP climate protection management project for German municipalities.
• Dr. Minu Hemmati ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner in KöP climate mainstreaming project.
• ifeu – Institute for Energy and Environmental ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner alongside BMU for KöP climate protection management project.
• VNL Switzerland (Association Network Logistics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of Logistikum Schweiz GmbH. Association network for logistics professionals in Switzerland.
• Upper Austria University of Applied SciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner co-founding Logistikum Schweiz for logistics training and research.
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Logistikum Schweiz consortium.
• FoodwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Zero Littering project for Swiss environment awareness.
• CIPRA SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Climate Toolbox Surselva project, contributing climate change and sustainable development expertise in the Alps.
• Mountain Wilderness SwitzerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Climate Toolbox Surselva development for mountain region climate adaptation.
• Canton of GraubündencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and partner for Climate Toolbox development extending to entire canton.
• Surselva RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial pilot region for Climate Toolbox development.
• Municipalities of Horw, Kriens, Ebikon and EmmencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot municipalities in Lucerne canton for climate resilience and heat adaptation project.
• WWF GermanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient partner for water stewardship initiatives with German food retailers. Seecon provides technical advice and participatory process facilitation.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClient for WHO Guidelines Training Strategy development. Seecon developed training strategy for sanitation and health guidelines implementation.
• ttz-BremerhavencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research partner in NaWaTech project for natural water treatment systems in India.
• BOKU (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in NaWaTech Indo-European consortium.
• NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndian research partner in NaWaTech consortium.
• BORDA (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner with Seecon in ISSRAR project for sanitation solutions in Jordan.
• Water Authority of JordancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment beneficiary partner for ISSRAR sanitation project in Azraq.
• cewascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization that connected Seecon to WaterWorx Program for Kenya water sector governance work.
• Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) KenyacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary beneficiary for Governance Assessment Tool development to assess water utilities governance.
• Coop (Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner in Tropenhaus Wolhusen, distributing tropical tilapia and supporting regional sustainable production.
• PlanvalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ecological Infrastructure Incubator project for Swiss parks.
• Swiss Parks NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization representing Swiss nature parks for ecological infrastructure innovation.
• Nature Park GantrischcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner for Night Landscape tourism development project using natural dark sky value.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EcoAct: Paris-based climate consulting firm delivering carbon strategy, climate adaptation, and net-zero advisory services. Comparable scope and corporate/public-sector client base.
• BORDA (Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association): German NGO specializing in decentralized water and sanitation solutions for development contexts. Active consortium partner with Seecon and a direct comparable in WASH consulting for emerging markets.
• Planval: Swiss regional development association and active Seecon partner for the Regionale 2025 and ecological infrastructure incubator projects. Directly comparable in the Swiss regional development and project-facilitation niche.
• Anthesis Group: Global sustainability consultancy providing ESG strategy, climate, circular economy, and supply-chain advisory. Comparable multi-thematic sustainability consulting model with public and private clients.
• South Pole Group: Swiss-founded climate consulting and project development firm offering corporate net-zero, climate strategy, and carbon advisory services to governments and corporates. Comparable client mix and sustainability consulting model.
• Carbon Trust: UK-based climate and sustainability advisory firm working with governments, multilaterals, and corporates on carbon reduction, climate strategy, and resource efficiency programs. Comparable institutional sustainability advisory positioning.
• Quantis: International sustainability consulting firm specializing in life-cycle assessment, carbon footprinting, and ESG/sustainability strategy for corporates and public-sector clients. Comparable boutique sustainability advisory positioning.
• cewas: Swiss-based social enterprise spun out of Seecon's founder network, focused on entrepreneurship and WASH capacity building. Directly comparable as a small sustainability/social entrepreneurship advisory serving development programs.

Emerging players

• HELIO International: Independent sustainability think tank providing consulting and policy advisory on climate, energy, and sustainable development for governments and international organizations in developing economies.

Broad incumbents

• Systemiq: Larger system-change advisory firm focused on circular economy, climate, and nature, working with foundations, governments, and corporates on sustainability transformation. Comparable thematic focus with broader international footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seecon-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Seecon