Forster Stromidene

What Forster Stromidene does

Forster AG, operating under the trade names 'Forster Stromideen' and 'RSK Elektro', is a privately held Swiss electrical contracting firm founded in 1966 and headquartered at Aarauerstrasse 14 in Büron, Canton of Lucerne. The company delivers electrical installation services across residential, commercial, and industrial segments in Central Switzerland, supplemented by telematics (IT/telecommunications) installation and a dedicated lighting planning division (Licht-Pavillon). Its core customer-facing concept is the 'Haus der Stromideen' (House of Electrical Ideas) showroom, which bundles Elektro, Telematik, and Licht services under a single physical location with set opening hours and free initial consultation.

The company's service portfolio is built around three pillars: Elektroinstallationen (new construction, renovation, maintenance, and CAD-planned electrical installations), Smart-Home integration across multiple third-party platforms (Domino Swiss, Zeptrion AIR, Casambi, Koch video systems, Hager easy, KNX), and lighting design delivered through the Licht-Pavillon showroom. It also sells electrical materials at advantageous prices through its ELITE Partner Group purchasing partnership and maintains an active apprenticeship program (Elektroinstallateur EFZ and Montage-Elektriker EFZ) that has run for over 50 years. Technology use centers on modern CAD planning equipment and multi-protocol interoperability rather than proprietary systems.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services (installation contracts) and complementary hardware sales of electrical materials, with pricing determined per-project via quote and an initial free consultation. The firm employs approximately 17-18 staff across the two divisions, including certified Dipl. Fachkräfte, project leaders, an SLG-certified lighting planner, and apprentices. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via showroom walk-ins, phone, email, and limited community/clever-tag events, with no digital app, API, or external distribution channel. The company is family-founded, independently owned, and has no disclosed institutional funding or parent entity.

Name

Forster Stromidene

Legal name

Forster AG

Website

https://forsterag.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Forster AG (Forster Stromideen) is a privately held Swiss electrical contractor founded in 1966, delivering residential, commercial, and industrial installation, smart-home integration, and lighting planning services from its Büron, Lucerne headquarters to customers across Central Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electrical Contracting Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Chandelier & High-Ceiling Fixture Installation (HSAOAFAD)

Keywords

• Electrical installation services
• Smart home integration
• Building automation systems
• Industrial electrical contracting
• Lighting design showroom

Headquarters

HQ city

Büron

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Electrical Installation Services: Core revenue from electrical installations for residential, commercial, and industrial clients. Includes new installations, renovations, and maintenance services. Project-based work from initial consultation through to completion.
2. Smart Home Installation: Installation services for smart home systems and home automation solutions
3. Electrical Material Sales: Sale of electrical materials through ELITE Partner group distribution at advantageous prices
4. Telematik Installation: Installation of IT and telecommunications systems
5. Light Planning and Installation: Specialized lighting design and installation services through the Licht-Pavillon showroom

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Forster Stromideen is a regional Swiss electrical installation contractor that designs, installs, and services electrical systems for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Core offerings include classical Elektro installations, smart home and building automation (KNX, Casambi), telematik/door communication systems, and lighting concept consultation through its Licht-Pavillon showroom in Sursee.

Product overview

Forster Stromidene (Forster AG) is an electrical installation company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centered on three core areas: Elektroinstallationen (electrical installations), Telematik (telematics), and Licht (lighting). The company operates the 'Haus der Stromideen' (House of Electrical Ideas) as its primary service hub and the 'Licht-Pavillon' as a dedicated lighting consultation showroom. Their service offerings span residential, commercial, and industrial electrical work, smart-home automation integration, and electrical maintenance/repair. The company also maintains an active apprenticeship program for training new electricians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Licht-Pavillon: A dedicated light planning showroom and illumination consultation center operated by the company, offering lighting solutions and design services.

Segments4 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

One partnership is on record.

• ELITE Partner GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPurchasing partnership for electrical materials. Forster AG offers the complete ELITE Partner Group product range to customers at advantageous prices.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• KNX Association: KNX is the global open standard for building automation that Forster actively installs. While not a direct competitor, it is the foundational smart home platform the company competes on, and other KNX-certified installers represent peers in the smart home integration market.
• Hager Group: Hager is a European manufacturer of electrical installation systems including the easy bussystem that Forster installs. As a supplier partner rather than competitor, it represents the technology ecosystem around which Forster builds its smart home offering.
• ABB Electrification: ABB supplies electrical installation products and building automation solutions used by Swiss electrical contractors including Forster. As a major supplier, it shapes the competitive technology stack but does not directly perform installation services in Forster's segment.

Direct peers

• Schmid Elektro AG: Schmid Elektro is a regional Swiss electrical contractor offering installations, smart home and telematics for residential and commercial clients. It competes directly with Forster for the same Central Switzerland project pipeline and customer profile.

Broad incumbents

• ETAVIS: ETAVIS is a Swiss electrical engineering and installation services provider with regional offices serving residential, commercial and industrial customers. It is comparable to Forster in offering end-to-end electrical contracting including smart home and building automation, but at a much larger national scale.
• Siemens Smart Infrastructure: Siemens offers comprehensive smart building and electrical infrastructure solutions that overlap with Forster's smart home and KNX-based integration work. It is a broad incumbent competing for larger commercial and industrial installation projects.
• Burkhalter Group: Burkhalter is the leading Swiss electrical contractor operating nationally with thousands of employees, providing residential, commercial and industrial electrical installation. It is comparable to Forster as a Swiss electrical contractor but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• CKW (Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke) Engineering Services: CKW is the Central Swiss energy utility providing electrical installation and building technology services in the same Lucerne region as Forster. It competes for the same regional residential and commercial electrical contracting customers that Forster serves.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/forsterag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forster-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Forster Stromidene