Local Impact

What Local Impact does

Local Impact Sàrl is a privately held Swiss technology company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Fribourg, Switzerland, with a mission to support local and circular commerce through accessible digital tools. The company operates two principal product brands: Mercoria, launched in 2023 as the consolidated platform suite encompassing digital and paper gift vouchers (Bons Cadeaux), a digital points-based loyalty program (Programme de Fidélité), a merchant communication/push-notification tool (Outil de Communication), and a digital membership pass (Pass Membre); and Kariyon, the original 2020 gift-voucher platform and 2021-launched mobile loyalty app built on Shopify, which continues to serve as the consumer-facing storefront and community-level local-currency mechanism in deployed regions. The underlying technology stack is a web-based digital platform with Shopify integration for gift-card commerce, complemented by custom-developed merchant back-office, public storefronts (e.g., kariyon.ch, bons-cadeaux.ch, bons.nyon.ch), and native mobile applications for loyalty point collection and cross-community rewards.

The company's primary customers are small and micro-merchants, commercial associations and town guilds (e.g., SCAVE, SIC Payerne, Friburg+), and municipal and cantonal public institutions in Romandy Switzerland, with selected cross-border activity in France via Petitcommerces. Beyond the core Mercoria/Kariyon suite, Local Impact builds bespoke project platforms — including De-Saison.ch (producer-collective kitchen matching, with the Canton of Fribourg and Terroir Fribourg), the Swiss Wine Promotion diplomatic order management platform (live since March 2025), the Au Coeur des Vendanges national harvest event platform (since 2021), and the NOVA Fribourg winter festival (since 2024) — functioning as a hybrid SaaS-plus-professional-services vendor with deep public-sector roots.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring Mercoria SaaS/tool subscriptions with tailored per-client pricing (typically monthly), custom digital platform development sold on a project or retainer basis to public institutions and associations, and Kariyon gift-card transaction processing fees on digital and paper voucher sales. Go-to-market combines direct field sales, public-sector and trade-association channel partnerships, community-driven referrals, and event-based outreach (NOVA, Au Coeur des Vendanges, Advent calendar campaigns, TEDxFribourg). The company remains bootstrapped and founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding rounds as of 2025, and operates with a small core team.

Name

Local Impact

Legal name

Local Impact Sàrl

Website

https://local-impact.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Local Impact is a Fribourg, Switzerland-based digital platform company (founded 2020) that provides Mercoria and Kariyon — an integrated suite of digital gift cards, loyalty programs, communication tools, and membership passes — to small local merchants, trade associations, and municipalities across Romandy Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Commerce SaaS

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cause/Sustainability & Purpose-Driven Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAL)

Keywords

• Local commerce digital tools
• Merchant loyalty software
• Digital gift card platform
• Local economy SaaS
• Municipal commerce solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Fribourg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Mercoria SaaS/Tool Subscriptions: Local Impact generates revenue through recurring subscriptions to the Mercoria platform, which offers digital gift cards, loyalty programs, communication tools, and membership passes for local merchants and commercial associations. Pricing is tailored per client.
2. Custom Digital Platform Development: The company builds bespoke digital platforms for municipalities, associations, and events — such as the Swiss Wine Promotion order platform and the Nova winter festival website — as project-based or retainer-based professional services.
3. Kariyon Gift Card Transaction Processing: Kariyon processes gift card transactions for merchant communities, taking a commission or service fee on digital and paper gift card sales facilitated through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Local Impact develops and operates Mercoria, a SaaS suite of digital tools (digital gift cards, loyalty programs, merchant communication tools, and membership passes) purpose-built for small local merchants and trade associations in Romandy Switzerland. The company also builds bespoke digital platforms for municipalities, public institutions, and organizations (such as the Swiss Wine diplomatic order platform and De-Saison.ch), and runs community commerce events including NOVA and Au Coeur des Vendanges.

Product overview

Local Impact operates a portfolio of digital products and platforms serving local commerce. The primary brand is Mercoria (launched 2023), a modular suite of digital tools for local merchants encompassing gift vouchers (Bons Cadeaux), a digital loyalty program (Programme de Fidélité), a merchant communication tool (Outil de Communication), and a membership pass (Pass Membre). Adjacent sub-brands include Kariyon — a gift voucher and loyalty app community platform (launched 2020) built on Shopify — and its mobile app (launched 2021). Project-specific platforms include De-Saison.ch (producer-collective kitchen matching, 2022), the Swiss Wine Promotion Corps Diplomatique platform (2025), and Au Coeur des Vendanges event management (since 2021). Local Impact also delivers campaign tools such as the Kariyon Advent Calendar and manages the NOVA winter event for the Ville de Fribourg.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mercoria: Primary brand of digital tools for local commerce, including gift card sales, digital loyalty programs, communication tools, and member passes for merchants and business associations.
• Kariyon

Products and services

• Mercoria Mercoria is Local Impact's primary brand of digital tools for local commerce, encompassing digital and paper gift vouchers, a digital loyalty program with points and rewards, a communication tool for merchants to send messages to their customers, and a member pass feature. It serves individual merchants, merchant communities, and municipalities seeking to promote local commerce.
• Kariyon Kariyon is a gift voucher sale and management platform originally developed on Shopify to support Fribourg merchants during and after COVID-19. It includes a public-facing sales interface and a management web app, adaptable for various online sale contexts including digital portraits and merchant community pages.
• Kariyon Mobile App A mobile loyalty app enabling users to collect points at their local merchants and earn community-level rewards when merchants belong to a commerce community, benefiting from exclusive advantages.
• De-Saison.ch A digital platform connecting Fribourg producers with collective restaurant kitchens, allowing producers to post product offers and restaurateurs to source fresh local seasonal produce under the 'Cuisinons notre région' charter. Free to use, developed with the Canton of Fribourg and Terroir Fribourg.
• Swiss Wine Promotion – Plateforme Corps Diplomatique A dedicated platform for Swiss Wine Promotion to manage orders of Swiss wines for Swiss diplomatic representations abroad, simplifying producer catalog management, order processing, and promotional team oversight through automation.
• Au Coeur des Vendanges (ticketing & management platform) A platform for the national wine harvest event organized by Swiss Wine Promotion, providing ticket sales, producer management tools, and public-facing event information. Local Impact has supported this project since 2021.
• NOVA – Les rendez-vous de l'hiver A winter event in Fribourg created in collaboration with the Ville de Fribourg, featuring a festive market, activities, a dedicated website, and community animations. Local Impact manages the project including partner coordination, website, and event programming.
• Mercoria – Bons Cadeaux Digital and paper gift voucher sales and management within Mercoria, enabling merchants to sell vouchers online or in-store, with automated reconciliation and promotional features such as bonus value campaigns.
• Mercoria – Programme de Fidélité A digital loyalty program within Mercoria enabling merchants to issue loyalty points to customers, tracked via the Kariyon app or a web interface, with community-level point accumulation across member merchants.
• Mercoria – Outil de Communication A communication tool within the Mercoria suite allowing merchants to send messages and promotional content to their customers to highlight offers and increase visibility.
• Kariyon Advent Calendar A digital Advent calendar campaign tool built on the Kariyon platform, offering daily prize draws from local merchant partners, run collaboratively with media f.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400,000 CHF returned to Estavayer merchants in one month via subsidized gift card program
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ville de FribourgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ongoing strategic partnership for local economic development. Local Impact collaborates with the Ville de Fribourg on Nova (winter festival), Fribourg Ville du Goût 2023, and general commerce support programs. The municipality acts as a key channel partner and client.
• Commune d'EstavayercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommune subsidized the Kariyon Estavayer card at 20%, generating 400,000 CHF for local merchants in one month. Ongoing collaboration to make the card a permanent local currency.
• Ville de NyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVille de Nyon financed 15% subsidy + 5% merchant bonus on gift cards, generating 2.6 million CHF in vouchers for local merchants. Local Impact provided the complete digital platform.
• Swiss Wine PromotioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2021, Local Impact manages the Au Coeur des Vendanges event platform (ticketing, producer management). In 2024-2025, a new custom platform was built for managing Swiss wine orders for diplomatic representations abroad.
• Terroir FribourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed De-Saison.ch with Terroir Fribourg and the Canton of Fribourg — a platform connecting local producers with collective kitchens, nominated for the Cercle Régional award.
• Etat de FribourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canton of Fribourg was the founding client for Local Impact's COVID-19 economic support platform (Kariyon). The State subsequently used the platform for its economic recovery operation and co-funded De-Saison.ch.
• Net+ FRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership launched in 2024 to develop new features for Mercoria and create a catalog of advantages for Fribourg merchants.
• Groupe Saint-PaulminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal Impact was commissioned to redesign the Groupe Saint-Paul subscription system in 2023.
• Effort FribourgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint contest offering a digital check-up (worth CHF 1,900) plus an investment credit up to CHF 30,000 at 2% interest for Fribourg SMEs undergoing digital transformation.
• TPF (Transports publics fribourgeois)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChallenge TPF campaign: QR codes on buses rewarding public transport users with Kariyon loyalty stars redeemable at local shops, linking mobility and local commerce.
• Friburg+minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal merchant community association using Kariyon and Mercoria tools for member engagement and promotions.
• SCAVE (Société des Commerçants et Artisans d'Estavayer)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade association taking over management of the Kariyon Estavayer card from the commune. Active in organizing community events and promoting the platform to members.
• SIC PayerneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSociété Industrielle et Commerciale de Payerne deployed online gift card system; generated nearly 300,000 CHF for local merchants in first year.
• GastroFribourgminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant and hospitality trade association; Local Impact conducted photo shoots for member restaurants and collaborated on promotional calendars and gift card campaigns.
• SICARE (Nyon)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNyon commerce association partnering with Local Impact for the Bons solidaires gift card platform.
• media fminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-created a digital Advent calendar combining Kariyon gift cards with media f's reach; 6,900+ participants and 46 winners in the 2023 edition.
• IDEE 21minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Impact participated in the 3rd 'Vies de quartier' participatory workshop for the Torry-Est neighborhood development project, presenting a vision for a living, inclusive, and sustainable quarter with local commerce at its center.
• FrappminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to create a catalog of 100% Fribourg offers in collaboration with Frapp.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lightspeed: Lightspeed provides cloud-based commerce platforms for retail, hospitality, and restaurant SMBs with built-in gift cards, loyalty programs, and customer management. Directly comparable to Mercoria's offerings for independent merchants seeking integrated commerce software.
• SumUp: SumUp provides POS hardware, payment processing, and merchant tools (gift cards, loyalty, invoicing) for SMBs across Europe. Directly comparable to Local Impact in serving micro-merchants with digital commerce enablement, though SumUp operates at much larger scale across European markets.
• Toast: Toast is a restaurant-focused POS and commerce platform with digital ordering, gift cards, loyalty programs, and marketing tools. Comparable to Local Impact in serving small hospitality merchants (e.g., La Schweizerhalle, GastroFribourg members) with integrated digital tools for customer engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Square (Block): Block's Square offers a comprehensive SMB commerce platform including POS, gift cards, loyalty programs, marketing tools, and online ordering. Square competes directly with Mercoria for the same SMB digital toolset, but operates as a broad incumbent serving multiple verticals at global scale.
• Clover (Fiserv): Clover, owned by Fiserv, provides POS and business management tools for SMBs across multiple verticals. Comparable to Local Impact in serving small merchants with integrated commerce capabilities, including gift cards and customer engagement tools, but at significantly larger scale.
• Shopify: Shopify is the e-commerce platform that powers Kariyon and offers its own gift card, loyalty, and marketing tools to SMBs. As a broad incumbent, Shopify is simultaneously a technology partner and competitive threat to Local Impact, representing platform risk and ecosystem dependence.

Emerging players

• Smile.io: Smile.io provides loyalty, referral, and rewards programs for Shopify and e-commerce merchants. Comparable to Mercoria's Programme de Fidélité in offering merchants digital loyalty infrastructure that drives repeat customer engagement, though focused on online rather than physical retailer communities.
• LoyaltyLion: LoyaltyLion is a loyalty program platform specifically designed for e-commerce merchants, similar to Mercoria's digital loyalty offering. Comparable as an emerging niche player focused on customer retention tools for SMB and mid-market merchants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mercoria.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/localimpactsarl
• Instagraminstagram.com/mercoria.ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Local Impact