Of Course

What Of Course does

natürli zürioberland ag is a Swiss regional cheese and dairy company founded in 1995 and headquartered in Saland in the Zurich Oberland. The company operates a vertically integrated model that aggregates cheese and dairy production from roughly 30 regional partner dairies, ripens and matures the cheese in dedicated facilities with a capacity exceeding 200 tons, and distributes the resulting products to consumers and business customers through a proprietary retail network, wholesale partnerships, and an online shop.

The core product portfolio comprises approximately 250 to 300 regional cheese varieties with an average ripening period of nine months, alongside butter, milk, and dairy accompaniments introduced through partner dairies such as Camenzind. Distribution is anchored by the "Cheese Hüsli" (cheese humidor) retail concept — temperature-controlled self-service units in which customers select maturing wheels directly — with more than 20 locations across German-speaking Switzerland. The Hüsli concept combines traditional affinage with retail automation, including a 24/7 unattended vending variant launched in 2020. Sales channels span direct-to-consumer (own shops, online shop, events), retail partnerships with national grocer Coop and specialty partners such as Jucker Farm Shops and Jelmoli, and B2B supply to restaurants and food-service operators.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across consumer retail, B2B wholesale, and event/catering, with every product carrying the Regiogarantie regional-origin label tying it to the Zurich Oberland production zone. The company is organized under a cooperative-style structure with member-shareholders drawn from its producer network. Management is led by Managing Director Marc Heller. Headcount has grown from approximately 130 in 2020 to over 180 by 2025-2026, consistent with the ongoing rollout of Cheese Hüsli locations and the extension of the product range into adjacent dairy categories.

Name

Of Course

Legal name

natürli zürioberland ag

Website

https://naturli-ag.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Swiss regional cheese producer founded in 1995 in Saland, aggregating cheese from 30 regional dairies, ripening 200+ tons across 250–300 varieties, and selling through 20+ proprietary Cheese Hüsli stores, wholesale partners including Coop, and an online shop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Cheese & Dairy Products

NAICS

Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ripened Natural Cheese Manufacturing (Semi-Soft, Hard & Blue) (AFAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cheese Manufacturing (AFAKAKAB), Cheese Packaging & Portioning (Retail Packs, Snack Packs, Singles) (AFAHABAI)

Keywords

• Regional cheese specialties
• Artisanal dairy products
• Cheese humidor retail
• Raclette fondue cheese
• Swiss cheese distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Saland

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cheese and dairy product sales: Sale of regionally sourced cheese specialties from traditional Swiss cheese makers and proprietary dairy products including raclette, fondue, cottage cheese, and butter. Products sold through company-owned retail outlets, wholesale to retailers, and direct-to-consumer via online shop.
2. Events and experiences: Revenue from hosted events including cheese dinners (up to 45 cheese varieties), raclette gatherings, fondue workshops, and corporate event catering at the alpine hut in Saland. Event vouchers and gift boxes also sold.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

natürli zürioberland ag sells regional Swiss cheese specialties and dairy products under the natürlich brand. The portfolio includes raclette, fondue, specialty cheeses, cottage cheese, milk, and gift boxes, sourced from a network of around 30 regional cheese factories and dairies and produced in the company's own dairy in Saland. Products are sold through over 20 Cheese Hüsli (cheese humidor) retail locations, an online shop, a factory shop with a 24/7 vending machine, wholesale to retailers (including Coop), and event experiences at the alpine hut in Saland.

Product overview

natürli zürioberland ag is a regional Swiss cheese and dairy company founded in 1995, operating as a network of around 30 regional cheese factories and dairies. The company sells selected regional cheese specialties under the 'natürli' brand through multiple channels: over 20 Cheese Hüsli (cheese humidors) throughout Switzerland, major Swiss food retailers, and their own online shop. The core product portfolio consists of various cheeses (raclette, fondue, specialty cheeses), dairy products, and cottage cheese produced both by partner producers and in the company's own dairy in Saland. The company also offers gift boxes and operates event experiences including raclette parties, fondue workshops, and cheese dinners at their alpine hut in Saland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chäs-Hüsli: The first cheese humidor concept - a miniature cheese cellar retail format with controlled temperature and humidity for optimal cheese ripening and customer shopping experience.

Products and services

• natürli cheese (regional cheese specialty range) Selected regional cheese specialties from traditional Swiss cheese makers, including various raclette, fondue, and specialty cheeses, sold at retailers and in Cheese Hüsli outlets. For cheese enthusiasts and households seeking authentic regional Swiss cheese.
• natürli dairy products High-quality dairy products produced in the company's own dairy in Saland in Tösstal. For consumers seeking regionally produced dairy.
• natürli milk Fresh milk products from the Zurich Oberland region. For households and food service customers seeking short-transport-route regional milk.
• natürli fondue Ready-to-cook cheese fondue with a balanced blend, prepared for cozy occasions at home. For consumers seeking traditional Swiss cheese fondue.
• natürli raclette cheese Various raclette cheese varieties including natural, garlic, pepper, and creative specialty flavors such as pumpkin seed curry, cinnamon, and Mostbröckli. For households and restaurants preparing Swiss raclette.
• natürli cottage cheese (Hüttenkäse) Fine, grainy cottage cheese made from high-quality hay milk produced in Saland. For health-conscious consumers and households seeking regional cottage cheese.
• natürli Gift Boxes Gift boxes containing the best cheese and dairy products combined with smoked meat specialties or wine, suitable for gift-giving occasions. For consumers and corporate gifting buyers.
• natürli Aperitif gift box Gift box packed with regional delicacies for a successful aperitif, including ZüriSchümli Schwarz, Pinot Noir, natürlich Küssli, Züri Cheese Crackers, and selected cheeses. For consumers and gift buyers.
• natürli Cheese Hüsli Events (cheese dinners, raclette chats, fondue workshops, cheese platter workshops) Curated event experiences including Raclette chat (up to 20 varieties), Fondue fun, Fondue workshop, Cheese platter workshop, Cheese dinner (up to 45 cheese varieties), and Cheese market on May 1st. For individuals, groups, corporate event organizers, and team-building customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 tons of cheese ripened in-house at any time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regional Cheese Makers NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of around 30 traditional cheese factories and dairies in the Zurich Oberland region. These producers make cheese specialties outside the regulated Swiss cheese market structures, providing naturally with unique regional varieties. Partners include producers like Camenzind cheese dairy, Abderhalden family (organic farm with mountain dairy), Bettswil cheese dairy, and many others. The relationship is based on fair, sustainable, long-term partnerships.
• CoopcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor Swiss retail partnership hosting Cheese Hüsli locations in numerous Coop stores throughout Switzerland. Provides significant retail distribution and brand visibility for naturally products across the German-speaking region and beyond.
• Jucker Farm ShopsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Jucker Farm chain for cheese distribution at farm shop locations including Römerhof in Kloten. Offers regional cheese alongside seasonal vegetables and other farm products.
• Raclette FactoryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant partnership supplying naturally raclette cheese for service at their Zurich Niederdorf location. Values the quality and variety of raclette varieties from Zurich Oberland.
• Location Promotion Zürioberland (Zürich Oberland)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional location promotion organization. Since 2015, various naturally products carry the 'from the Zurich Oberland' regional brand label. Red lettering on packaging indicates products with at least 80% raw materials from Zurich Oberland and two-thirds added value in the region.
• Regiogarantie (Royal Guarantee)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational seal of quality certification. Naturally products carrying this certification meet strict regional origin and quality standards, providing consumer confidence in product authenticity.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gourmino AG: Swiss specialty cheese affineur operating cheese cellars (Felsenkeller) and ripened/aged Swiss cheese specialty retail, with a similar philosophy of cheese aging as a craft and proprietary retail/storage concept. Directly comparable on aging expertise and premium Swiss cheese positioning.
• Käserei Spichiger / Stofel: Small artisanal Swiss mountain cheese dairies producing regional specialties. Comparable at the producer-network level — exactly the type of small traditional dairy that natürlich aggregates through its ~30-producer network.
• Jumi AG: Swiss specialty cheese maker and retailer focused on artisanal, regional raw-milk cheeses with its own retail presence. Comparable on premium artisanal positioning and direct-to-consumer specialty cheese retail.
• Jucker Farm Shops (Jucker Genossenschaft): Swiss regional farm-shop chain (Römerhof Kloten and others) that is already a distribution partner of natürlich. Comparable as a Swiss regional food retail concept pairing local produce with farm experiences.

Regional players

• Albert Spiess AG: Swiss meat and cheese specialty producer and wholesaler with regional Graubünden roots. Comparable as a Swiss specialty regional food brand with strong ties to a specific canton and Bündner specialty cheese offerings.
• Swissmooh (Genossenschaft mooh): Swiss dairy cooperative focused on domestic milk and dairy marketing with a similar 'Swiss origin / fair producer' value proposition. Comparable on regional Swiss dairy sourcing narrative though broader in milk than cheese.

Broad incumbents

• Emmi Group: Switzerland's largest dairy processor and a broad incumbent in cheese and dairy products. Comparable product categories (raclette, fondue, dairy) but at national/industrial scale across many brands and private-label, rather than regional artisanal focus.
• Mifroma: Swiss cheese company (Migros-industry affiliated) specializing in Swiss cheese aging, packaging, and distribution. Comparable on cheese ripening, packaging, and Swiss retail distribution, though broader and Migros-owned rather than regional.

Others

• BonFromage / cheese specialty retail (Globus, Jelmoli): Swiss premium department-store cheese counters (Jelmoli's flagship Cheese Hüsli is hosted by natürlich). Comparable as premium cheese retail environments targeting affluent Swiss consumers in city locations.
• Fromarte (Swiss Cheese Association): National association of Swiss cheese makers and affineurs. Comparable as the industry body representing the network of small/traditional Swiss cheese producers that natürlich's supplier model is built upon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC65zNH8cQWL38kDngYy5bUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/NaturliZO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/14848024
• Instagraminstagram.com/naturli_ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Of Course