What Strickhof does

Strickhof is a publicly commissioned non-profit agricultural education and competence center operating under the Canton of Zurich's Amt für Landschaft und Natur (ALN). Founded in 1853 and headquartered in Lindau, Switzerland, the institution serves apprentices pursuing vocational diplomas (EFZ/EBA), students preparing for the Berufsmaturität, and working professionals seeking advanced qualifications (HF, BP, HFP) across agriculture, food technology, viticulture, animal husbandry, and facility management. Its educational portfolio spans 12+ vocational programs, 100+ continuing education courses, and a dedicated BMS pathway (Natur, Landschaft und Lebensmittel) connected to ZHAW university of applied sciences.

The institution combines four integrated business lines: (1) educational services delivered across five campus locations (Lindau, Winterthur-Wülflingen, Wädenswil, Affoltern am Albis, Zürich Technopark) with structured per-semester, per-module, and per-course pricing; (2) fee-based agricultural advisory services across 25+ specialties delivered through on-farm visits and group/individual consulting; (3) a training and experimental farm infrastructure (AgroVet-Strickhof, Biobetrieb Stiegenhof, Viticulture Trotte) producing localized Versuchsberichte and advisory bulletins; and (4) campus services including gastronomy, conference venue rental (Tagungszentrum), student housing, and direct wine sales through the Weinshop and Vinothek. Underlying technology includes the Strickhof mobile app (iOS/Android) for farmer knowledge delivery, WebUntis for scheduling, SharePoint for internal collaboration, and LAWIS plus for structure data collection. Two operating subsidiaries (AgroVet-Strickhof and Biobetrieb Stiegenhof) are wholly owned.

Revenue is generated through tuition and course fees, published-tariff advisory services, and commercial campus amenities, with federal and cantonal subsidies (including Subjektfinanzierung for federal diplomas) offsetting program costs. The institution's primary strategic partner is the Canton of Zurich (ALN), which sets strategic direction and provides cantonal funding, and ZHAW, which provides a university admission pathway for BMS graduates. The customer base is broadly distributed across small and mid-sized farmers, food industry apprentices, viticulture professionals, and individual students within the Canton of Zurich.

Name

Strickhof

Legal name

Strickhof

Website

https://strickhof.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Strickhof is a publicly commissioned, Canton of Zurich-based agricultural education and competence center providing vocational training, higher vocational education, and fee-based advisory services to farmers, food-industry apprentices, and agricultural professionals across five campus locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Education and Consulting Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crop, Soil & Agronomy Technician Training (EDAOAOAF), Nutrition, Special Diets & Wellness Cooking (EDAOAKAJ), Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL), Agricultural Mechanics, Equipment Operation & Maintenance (EDAOAOAI)

Keywords

• Agricultural vocational training
• Farm advisory services
• Higher vocational education
• Viticulture education
• Food technology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lindau

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Course Fees: Strickhof generates revenue primarily through tuition and course fees charged for vocational education (Grundausbildung), higher vocational education (Höhere Berufsbildung), and continuing education courses. Fees are structured per phase, module, course, or school year. For non-structured continuing education, course fees are charged individually per course. Federal and cantonal subsidies may offset costs for certain programs (eidg. Fachausweise and diplomas).
2. Agricultural Advisory Consulting Services: Strickhof offers fee-based agricultural consulting services across a broad range of specialties including crop production, animal husbandry, soil and fertilization, organic farming, farm development, plant protection, agricultural technology, and biodiversity. Fees are governed by published tariff schedules (Tarife Beratungsdienstleistungen).
3. Campus Services: Revenue is generated from campus amenities and services including catering/gastronomy at multiple campuses, conference and event venue rental (Tagungszentrum), student housing (Internate), and a direct sales outlet (Direktverkauf) including an online wine shop (weinshop.strickhof.ch) and Vinothek.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Strickhof is the Canton of Zurich's publicly mandated agricultural education and consulting institution. It delivers vocational training (Grundausbildung), the Berufsmaturität (BMS), and higher vocational education (Höhere Berufsbildung) across agriculture, food technology, viticulture, animal care, and facility management, alongside fee-based agricultural advisory services and operating training and experimental farms (AgroVet-Strickhof, Biobetrieb Stiegenhof). The institution supplements classroom and farm-based instruction with the Strickhof mobile app for ongoing knowledge delivery to practicing farmers.

Product overview

Strickhof is a practice-oriented competence center for sustainable food systems in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland. It operates as an educational institution offering vocational training programs (Grundausbildung), baccalaureate education (BMS), and higher vocational education (Höhere Berufsbildung). The organization provides agricultural consulting services, operates training and research farms, and maintains a mobile app for farmers. The portfolio includes education services spanning agriculture, food technology, viticulture, animal care, and facility management, complemented by consulting services, conference facilities, and direct product sales (wine shop). The core offering is educational services supported by agricultural research facilities and a digital companion app, rather than a unified software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Strickhof App: Digital companion app delivering practice-oriented expert knowledge to farmers, available for iPhone and Android.

Products and services

• Grundausbildung (Vocational Training Programs) Initial vocational education programs leading to Swiss federal qualifications (EFZ/EBA) in agriculture, food technology, viticulture, horse management, animal care, brewing, and health, including Landwirt/in EFZ, Agrarpraktiker/in EBA, Obstfachmann/frau EFZ, Lebensmitteltechnologe/in EFZ, Brau- und Getränketechnologe/in EFZ, Weinfachmann/-fachfrau EFZ, Pferdefachmann/frau EFZ, Tierpfleger/in EFZ, and others.
• BMS (Berufsmaturität) Vocational baccalaureate program in Natur, Landschaft und Lebensmittel offered via BM1 (3-year and 4-year options during apprenticeship) and BM2 (1-year and 2-year options), enabling access to higher education at universities of applied sciences such as ZHAW, with associated preparation courses for the Aufnahmeprüfung.
• Höhere Berufsbildung (Higher Vocational Education)
• Agricultural Consulting Services
• Ausbildungs- & Versuchsbetrieb (Training & Experimental Farms)
• Tagungszentrum (Conference Center)
• Weinshop / Vinothek
• Farmtrail Lindau
• Strickhof App Mobile application (iPhone and Android) providing farmers and agricultural professionals with practice-oriented specialist knowledge and facilitating exchange with Strickhof specialists and other farmers.
• Kurse (Continuing Education Short Courses) Non-structured continuing-education short courses spanning all major agricultural disciplines (Acker- & Futterbau, Agrartechnik & Digitalisierung, Biolandbau, Boden & Düngung, Gemüsebau, Obst & Beeren, Pflanzenschutz, Rebbau, Tierhaltung & Milchwirtschaft), billed per course with published fees.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41 vocational graduates celebrated a successful graduation in July 2026 (Fachausbildung)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrickhof maintains a cooperation with ZHAW enabling BMS graduates to access university of applied sciences studies. Strickhof offers ZHAW preparation courses (Zulassungsprüfung) for candidates whose vocational baccalaureate is not recognized by ZHAW. Students who complete the preparation course and pass the ZHAW entrance examination gain direct admission to ZHAW programs.
• Kanton Zürich (Amt für Landschaft und Natur, ALN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canton of Zurich, through the Amt für Landschaft und Natur (ALN), is Strickhof's principal commissioning client and public mandate holder. ALN sets the strategic direction and provides cantonal funding for Strickhof's educational and advisory missions in agriculture and food systems for the canton.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arenenberg: Arenenberg is the agricultural education and continuing education center of the Canton of Thurgau. It provides vocational training in agriculture, viticulture, and horticulture alongside advisory services, mirroring Strickhof's educational and advisory mission in a neighboring canton.
• Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum Liebegg: Liebegg is the agricultural education and advisory center for the Canton of Aargau. It delivers vocational training, farmer advisory services, and experimental farming comparable in scope and cantonal mandate to Strickhof's offerings in Zürich.
• BBZN Schüpfheim: BBZN Schüpfheim is the agricultural education center for the Canton of Luzern, providing vocational training and continuing education in agriculture and food technology. Comparable cantonal mandate and program portfolio to Strickhof.
• INFORAMA: INFORAMA is the agricultural education and advisory center of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. It offers vocational training, continuing education, and consulting services for farmers across crop production, livestock, and horticulture — directly comparable to Strickhof's role within the Canton of Zürich.
• Landwirtschaftliches Zentrum Ebenrain: Ebenrain is the cantonal agricultural center of Basel-Landschaft, offering vocational training, farmer advisory services, and experimental farming. Its structure as a cantonal public institution with combined education and advisory functions closely parallels Strickhof's model.

Broad incumbents

• Agroscope: Agroscope is the Swiss federal agricultural research institute conducting applied research across crops, livestock, and food. While research-focused rather than education-focused, it overlaps with Strickhof's experimental farm and field-trial activities at a federal scale.
• HAFL (Hochschule für Agrar-, Forst- und Lebensmittelwissenschaften): HAFL is the agricultural, forestry, and food science department of Bern University of Applied Sciences. It offers degree-level education and applied research in agriculture and food, positioning it as a broader higher-education incumbent relative to Strickhof's vocational and HF offerings.

Regional players

• Landwirtschaftskammer Österreich: The Austrian Chamber of Agriculture provides farmer advisory services and continuing education across Austria. While operating in a different country, it offers a comparable public-mandate model of agricultural advisory and training that parallels Strickhof's cantonal function.

Emerging players

• DEULA Bundesverband: DEULA is a German network of agricultural training centers offering vocational and continuing education in agricultural technology, machinery operation, and horticulture. It represents an adjacent European model for agricultural vocational education with comparable program structure.

Others

• ZHAW (Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften): ZHAW is Strickhof's strategic tertiary education partner, accepting BMS graduates for further study at the university of applied sciences level. It is included as an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, but the cooperation defines Strickhof's higher-education pathway.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strickhof.ch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.strickhof.ch&title=Startseite
• Xx.com/strickhofdirekt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strickhof