Drosera Applied Ecology

What Drosera Applied Ecology does

Drosera Applied Ecology (Drosera écologie appliquée SA) is a privately-held Swiss environmental consultancy founded in 1991 and headquartered in Sion, Valais, with branch offices in St-Maurice and Bex. The firm delivers a comprehensive suite of ecological services across eight core domains: nature/landscape/forestry studies, environmental impact assessments and construction site monitoring (EIE and SER/RSER), watercourse and hydropower studies (including bathymetric surveys and revitalization design), soil and polluted-site expertise, environmental education/vulgarisation, agricultural landscape planning, ski-area environmental assessments, and GIS/spatial modeling. Its client base is heavily weighted toward Swiss public-sector buyers — the federal Office for the Environment (OFEV), Valais cantonal services (SFCEP, SDANA, SFNP), and municipal authorities — supplemented by private-sector mandates from energy operators (Romande Energie, FMV/MBR), waste management firms (Satom SA), ski resorts (Portes du Soleil), and NGOs (WWF Valais/Vaud).

Drosera's technical stack combines field ecology with selective technology adoption: tablet-based GIS data collection, combined drone-and-ROV bathymetric survey integrated into QGIS, tensiometer-based soil trafficability monitoring (SPSC methodology), and AI-assisted bioacoustic analysis applied to multi-month passive acoustic recordings for bat and nocturnal bird detection. The firm holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Valais Excellence, and Entreprise Citoyenne certifications, and was awarded the Watt d'Or 2021 by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy for its role on the Lac des Toules floating solar park project. It is a founding member of the Faune Concept consortium, a network of five Swiss wildlife ecology firms that delivers federal mandates including the Atlas of Swiss Mammals and Red List revisions.

The business model is project-based professional services: revenue is generated through competitive public tenders (appels d'offres) and direct commissions for environmental studies, impact assessments, monitoring mandates, and habitat restoration design. Pricing is per-mandate and not publicly disclosed. Drosera is founder/management-owned with no external institutional investors, operates without resellers or marketplace channels, and is led by director Flavio Zanini (since 2010). Geographic focus is regional (Valais canton, expanding across Romandie and Switzerland via Faune Concept), with a stated team of approximately 20 multidisciplinary specialists covering biology, pedology, hydrobiology, herpetology, ornithology, entomology, and GIS.

Name

Drosera Applied Ecology

Legal name

Drosera écologie appliquée SA

Website

https://drosera-vs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Drosera Applied Ecology (Drosera écologie appliquée SA) is a privately-held Swiss environmental consultancy, founded in 1991 in Valais, that delivers ecological field studies, environmental impact assessments, watercourse and soil expertise, and GIS-based spatial analysis to Swiss federal, cantonal, and municipal government clients as well as regulated private-sector operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAHAF

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Ecology, Biodiversity & Natural Resource Assessments

SECONDARYEUAHAKAI

Ecological/Habitat & Land-Use Change Modeling (Biodiversity, Conservation Planning)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

SECONDARYIMAMAJAK

Ecosystem Services & Natural Capital Programs (Water, Biodiversity Credits, PES)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Management, Reforestation & Carbon Forestry Services

SECONDARYAFAMACAO

Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits)

Agriculture & Food Production/Forestry & Logging/Reforestation, Afforestation & Tree Planting Services

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Ecological impact assessments
• Biodiversity monitoring studies
• Soil and water surveys
• GIS spatial analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Sion

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Environmental Consulting Services: The firm generates revenue through billable consulting mandates from government and private sector clients. Mandates include environmental impact assessments (EIE), construction site environmental monitoring (SER/RSER), ecological inventories, spatial analyses, habitat restoration design, soil surveys, and biodiversity studies. Revenue is project-based and contract-driven.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drosera Applied Ecology is a Swiss environmental consultancy (bureau d'études en environnement) founded in 1991, delivering ecological studies, environmental impact assessments (EIE), construction site environmental monitoring (SER/RSER), watercourse and hydropower studies, soil surveys, GIS-based spatial analysis, bathymetric surveys, bioacoustic monitoring, and habitat restoration design. Services are organized across eight core activity domains (nature/landscape/forestry, impact studies and construction monitoring, watercourses/hydropower, soils/materials/polluted sites, popularization/education, agriculture, ski areas, and GIS/spatial modeling) for federal, cantonal, and municipal government agencies as well as regulated private companies in Switzerland.

Product overview

Drosera Applied Ecology SA is an environmental consulting firm established in 1991, offering a comprehensive suite of ecological assessment and environmental management services. The company operates as a unified service portfolio organized around eight core service areas: Nature/Landscape/Forestry, Environmental Impact Studies/Construction Monitoring, Watercourses/Hydropower, Soils/Materials/Polluted Sites, Popularization/Education, Agriculture, Ski Areas, and GIS/Spatial Modeling. Specialized offerings include bioacoustics monitoring, bathymetric surveys, and amphibian conservation programs. Services are delivered through multidisciplinary teams of ecologists, biologists, pedologists, and GIS specialists across multiple Swiss cantons.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nature, Landscape and Forestry Studies Environmental consulting covering nature conservation, landscape assessment, forest studies, faunistic and floristic studies, biotope design, and landscape diagnostics for government and private clients.
• Environmental Impact Studies and Construction Monitoring Environmental impact assessments (EIE), environmental monitoring during construction (SER/RSER), tender management, nature and landscape audits, gravel pit and quarry studies, soil protection on construction sites, and participatory processes for infrastructure projects.
• Watercourses and Hydropower Studies on watercourses, hydropower concessions, residual flow reports, bathymetry, fish and crayfish studies, watercourse revitalization, drainage planning (PGEE), reserved water space, and benthic fauna studies.
• Soils, Materials and Polluted Sites Soil quality studies, pedological studies, material management concepts, expertise for agricultural land (SDA), gravel pits and quarries, contaminated site assessments, and soil protection during construction.
• Popularization and Education Educational brochures, didactic panels, teaching sessions, and educational exhibitions on environmental topics, including publications such as guides to native trees and shrubs and a brochure on wild bees of Valais.
• Agriculture Landscape quality concepts, rural development and agrotourism, preliminary agricultural accompaniment studies, land allocation expertise, and agro-environmental network planning.
• Ski Areas Technical snowmaking design, ski area planning, environmental impact assessments, PAZ and PAD modifications, and cable car infrastructure studies for ski domain operators.
• GIS and Spatial Modeling Landscape analyses, habitat mapping, GIS cartography and database management, and ecological network modeling.
• Bioacoustics Monitoring Passive acoustic monitoring using recording devices deployed over multiple months, with AI-assisted and specialist-verified analysis to establish species presence for bats and nocturnal birds.
• Bathymetric Surveys Lake and pond bathymetric mapping combining drone-based aerial orthophotography with remote-controlled boat sonar and high-precision GPS, producing 3D digital terrain models and depth contour maps in QGIS.
• Amphibian Conservation Biotope design, implementation oversight, and post-construction monitoring for endangered amphibians including yellow-bellied toads (Sonneur \u00e0 ventre jaune) and other protected species, including translocation programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Biotope of Pramont lake revitalized with ~18,000 m³ of materials, creating ~2,000 m² of high ecological value habitat for fish, crayfish, and birds.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Faune ConceptflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Faune Concept is a Swiss wildlife study community founded in 1997, comprising five ecology firms (Drosera Ecologie Appliquée SA, Dr. Michel Blant – Faunistique Zoologie Paysage Sàrl, Maddalena e Associati Sagl, J.P.Mueller – Science & Communication GmbH, and SWILD). Drosera is a founding member. The community conducts Swiss-wide mammal monitoring, Red List revisions, and the Atlas of Swiss Mammals on mandate of OFEV. Partners include CSCF, SSBF, OFEV, universities, NGOs, and cantonal services.
• Romande Energie SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRomande Energie SA partnered with Drosera for the environmental impact assessment and construction environmental monitoring (RSER) of the floating solar park at Lac des Toules. The project won the Watt d'Or 2021. Drosera handled nature, landscape, forestry, watercourse/hydroelectric, environmental impact, and GIS spatial analysis aspects.
• Satom SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatom SA mandated Drosera to coordinate biodiversity preservation measures and amphibian translocation during the remediation of the Châtelet landfill at Port-Valais. Drosera designed replacement biotopes and coordinated a 3-year translocation program for protected amphibians.
• Direction générale de l'environnement – Eau (DGE-Eau), Canton de VaudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vaud cantonal water authority (DGE-Eau) commissioned the creation of approximately 3,500 m² of wetland habitat in the Chablais Vaudois, with Drosera providing ecological design, implementation oversight, and post-construction monitoring.
• Ville de SioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Sion engaged Drosera as consulting bureau for biodiversity and nature amenities in multiple projects including the revitalization of Rue des Aubépines park, pesticide reduction for municipal roads, and the ACCLIMATASION climate and biodiversity program.
• Triage forestier Collonges-Dorénaz-Fully / Commune de FullyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDrosera collaborator Jérôme Fournier designed and authored the updated native tree and shrub brochure for the Collonges-Dorénaz-Fully forest triage, edited by the Commune de Fully with support from the Valais nature and landscape service (SFNP).
• Portes du Soleil Suisse SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortes du Soleil Suisse SA commissioned Drosera for environmental impact assessments and biotope construction as compensatory measures for ski domain modernization, including the Intercommunal Master Plan (PDi) and specific wetland habitat creation at the Vièze and Saufla confluence.
• Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la Faune (CSCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSCF collaborates with Faune Concept (including Drosera) on Swiss mammal monitoring, Red List revisions, and the Atlas of Swiss Mammals. This federal center provides species distribution data and methodological support for Faune Concept field studies.
• KARCH (Centre Suisse de Coordination pour la Protection des Amphibiens et Reptiles de Suisse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKARCH, mandated by OFEV, manages the national database for amphibians and reptiles. Drosera staff Flavio Zanini (amphibian correspondent for French-speaking Valais since 2014) and Florian Dessimoz (reptile correspondent for Central Valais) serve as regional correspondents, providing expert advice to private individuals and municipalities.
• WWF Valais / WWF VaudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWF Valais funded and partnered with Drosera for the construction of biotopes for yellow-bellied toad (Vernayaz site), and WWF Vaud commissioned Drosera for the 'Connexions Naturelles' project wetland creation at La Perrole (Aigle).
• FMV SA / MBR SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrosera provides ecological expertise on R+R measures (replacement and reconstitution) and evaluation of effects on fauna, flora, and natural environments for the Massongex-Bex-Rhône (MBR) hydroelectric project led by FMV/MBR SA.
• Service des Dangers Naturels (SDANA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSDANA commissioned Drosera to evaluate the 'Valais centrale' lot of the OFEV national lake shoreline revitalization assessment program, contributing to strategic cantonal planning for 350 revitalization projects across Switzerland.
• AltisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAltis (water services of the Valais mountains) collaborated with Drosera and Téléverbier on a seminar presentation about sustainable spring water use and its multifunctionality in mountain environments, addressing drinking water, hydroelectricity, irrigation, nature protection, and technical snowmaking.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm providing environmental services including impact assessment, ecological surveys, and remediation. It competes with Drosera for major Swiss federal mandates, especially in energy, transportation, and water sectors.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design and consultancy firm with deep environmental consulting capabilities including EIA, biodiversity, water management, and climate adaptation. It has a growing Swiss presence and competes for the same cantonal and federal environmental mandates as Drosera, particularly on infrastructure and energy transition projects.
• WSP Global: WSP is a global professional services firm with a substantial Swiss environmental and earth & environment practice delivering EIAs, ecological surveys, and environmental monitoring. It competes with Drosera for larger federal infrastructure mandates while Drosera serves as a specialist sub-consultant on many of the same projects.
• Ramboll: Ramboll is a global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with significant environmental services. Its Swiss operations overlap with Drosera's work in watercourse revitalization, environmental impact assessment, and biodiversity monitoring for infrastructure projects.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is one of the world's largest pure-play environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consultancies. Its Swiss office serves many of the same regulated industries (energy, infrastructure, mining) as Drosera and competes for environmental impact assessments, biodiversity studies, and construction monitoring.

Direct peers

• Hunziker Betatech: Hunziker Betatech is a Swiss engineering consultancy specializing in water, wastewater, rivers, and environmental infrastructure. It is a direct competitor to Drosera's watercourse and hydropower practice, working on river revitalization, hydraulic engineering, and aquatic ecology across Switzerland.
• EBP Schweiz: EBP is a Swiss planning, engineering, and environmental consulting firm covering mobility, energy, environment, and spatial development. It competes with Drosera for Swiss federal and cantonal environmental planning mandates, particularly around infrastructure and water.
• SLR Consulting: SLR is a global environmental and advisory consultancy with strong expertise in EIA, ecology, water, and contaminated land. It is highly comparable to Drosera as a specialist environmental consultancy, though at much larger scale, and serves similar regulated infrastructure clients.
• Niederer + Pozzi Umwelt AG: Niederer + Pozzi is a Swiss environmental and natural hazard consulting firm offering ecological studies, EIA, revitalization, and forest management services. It is a direct regional peer to Drosera, operating in the same Swiss German and French markets with comparable service offerings.
• Basler & Hofmann: Basler & Hofmann is a leading Swiss engineering and consulting firm with environmental, geotechnical, and infrastructure expertise. It is one of the closest direct peers to Drosera in the Swiss market, providing EIA, environmental monitoring, and ecological services to public and private clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drosera-ecologie-appliquee

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Drosera Applied Ecology