Sativa

Name

Sativa

Legal name

Sativa Rheinau AG

Website

https://sativa-rheinau.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sativa Rheinau AG is a Swiss organic seed company that breeds, produces, and distributes over 700 varieties of organic vegetable, flower, herb, and agricultural seeds to home gardeners, professional vegetable growers, and organic farmers across Switzerland and the European Union.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Seeds

NAICS

Vegetable and Melon Farming (11121), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Vegetable & Melon Farming (Open-Field) (AFAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Natural, Organic & Health Foods Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAK)

Keywords

• Organic seed production
• Vegetable variety breeding
• Biodynamic agriculture
• Agricultural seed sales
• Heritage variety preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Rheinau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seed and Planting Material Sales: Sativa generates revenue through the sale of organic vegetable seeds, flower bulbs, agricultural seeds, and planting stock (potatoes, garlic, shallots) to home gardeners, professional growers, and farmers. Products are sold through online shops, catalogs, and retail partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sativa Rheinau AG produces and sells certified organic and biodynamic vegetable, herb, flower, green manure, and agricultural seeds through three distinct assortments for home gardeners, professional vegetable growers, and organic farmers. The company operates its own seed processing facility in Rheinau, Switzerland, providing cleaning, calibration, precision seed production, and pelleting, and runs open-pollinated plant breeding programs (carrots, kohlrabi, sweet corn) that develop new varieties specifically suited to organic farming conditions. Products are sold via country-specific online shops (Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, other EU countries), a network of bio specialty retailers, and at markets and events.

Product overview

Sativa is an organic seed company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered around organic seeds and plant breeding. The core offering includes over 700 varieties of organic vegetable, flower, herb, and green manure seeds for both home gardens and professional vegetable growers, along with agricultural seeds for organic farming. The company operates its own organic plant breeding programs developing new vegetable varieties specifically suited for organic farming conditions, with active programs for carrots (including the Dolciva variety), kohlrabi, and sweet corn (Damaun, Mezdi, Tramunt). Supporting services include seed processing (cleaning, calibration, precision seeding, and pelleting), seed quality certification, and the sale of organic flower bulbs and planting material (potatoes, garlic, onions). Sativa sells seeds through online shops for different countries and regions, with dedicated storefronts for Swiss, German, French, Italian, and other EU customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Seeds for Home Gardens (Hausgarten) More than 700 varieties of organic vegetable, flower, herb, and green manure seeds sold in packet sizes for residential gardens and small-scale home cultivation across Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and other EU countries. Seeds are organized into five color-coded price categories on packaging.
• Organic Seeds for Professional Vegetable Growing (Profigemüsebau) Professional-grade organic vegetable seeds meeting commercial farming requirements for yield, earliness, disease resistance, uniformity, and shelf life, including calibrated and precision seed grades for mechanical sowing. Sold via separate professional price lists and country online shops.
• Agricultural Seeds (Landwirtschaft) Organic seeds for agricultural use including cereal varieties (from partner Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz), fodder mixtures, green manure, and special crops for organic farms in Switzerland and neighboring countries, distributed under Sativa's Vermehrungsorganisation status.
• Organic Flower Bulbs Organic flower bulbs including tulips, daffodils, crocuses, and ornamental onions (Allium), sold via online shops and catalogs for home and professional gardeners.
• Organic Planting Material Organic seed potatoes, garlic, onions, and shallots for planting, sold seasonally through Sativa's online shops and bio specialty retail network.
• Seed Processing Services Seed cleaning, calibration, precision seed production, fresh pelleting of lettuce seeds, and hot steam disease treatment delivered through the Sativa Rheinau seed processing facility to support both Sativa's own assortment and contracted seed.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced world's first open-pollinated 'extra-sweet' sweet corn varieties Damaun, Mezdi, and Tramunt
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• bioveritacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Sativa was co-founder in 2010. The association promotes organically bred varieties and provides information platform. Products from bioverita varieties carry the label.
• Fredy's, BadenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008Bakery using exclusively flour from organically bred varieties for their organic line. Strategic collaboration since 2008.
• ProSpecieRaracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Collaboration since 2000 for preservation of crop genetic diversity. Sativa offers approximately 160 PSR varieties, the largest commercial offering. ProSpecieRara's active network of amateur gardeners complements Sativa's professional maintenance work.
• Stiftung FintancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSativa is one of seven businesses operating within the Fintan project, a network based at the former monastery in Rheinau. The project provides structural support and shared infrastructure for the businesses while maintaining independence.
• Getreidezüchtung Peter KunzcoreTechnology or IntegrationLong-standing collaboration. Sativa takes over and multiplies Peter Kunz's organically bred cereal varieties, distributing them to organic farmers. Base seed received in 20kg quantities, multiplied to up to 100 tonnes for sale.
• Steiner Mühle, ZollbrückminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganic mill that processes several hundred tons of wheat and spelt annually, produced exclusively with organically bred varieties.
• Swissmill, ZürichminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwitzerland's largest mill processes several hundred tons of wheat from organically bred varieties annually. Produces bioverita farmer's bread for Coop.
• LiveseedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU project promoting organic seed and plant breeding across Europe. 49 partners in 18 European countries. Sativa participates in research on seed quality testing.
• Biopartner, SeonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnder Vanadis brand, processes and sells products (grains, groats, flakes, flour, pasta) from organically bred varieties in organic specialty retail.
• KultursaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman association promoting preservation of proven vegetable varieties, development of new organic varieties, and breeding research.
• Hortus officinarumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation promoting biodynamic seed of medicinal plants.
• Gen Au RheinauminorOthersAssociation founded in 2005 in the border region to ensure continued GMO-free seed production on both sides of the Rhine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Seed Savers Exchange: US nonprofit focused on preserving heirloom and open-pollinated varieties with a heritage variety catalog. Comparable in heritage variety preservation and open-pollinated philosophy, with similar mission-driven ownership structure.
• Getreidezüchtung Peter Kunz: Swiss biodynamic cereal breeder that Sativa multiplies and distributes commercially. Comparable in organic breeding philosophy and Swiss roots, but focused on cereals rather than vegetables, making it more of a partner than competitor.
• Kultursaat e.V. German non-profit association of biodynamic vegetable breeders developing open-pollinated varieties. Already a Sativa partner; a collaborative peer in the organic breeding ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Enza Zaden: Global vegetable seed breeding company headquartered in the Netherlands, parent of Vitalis Organic Seeds. Indirectly competes with Sativa through Vitalis and has vastly larger conventional R&D and distribution reach across professional growers globally.
• Graines Voltz: France-based seed and young plant distributor covering flowers, vegetables, and herbs including organic lines. Comparable in distribution across professional and hobby segments in France and broader Europe, though broader product portfolio includes ornamentals.

Direct peers

• Reinsaat KG: Austrian organic seed producer specializing in open-pollinated vegetable varieties with biodynamic and organic certification. Closely matches Sativa's open-pollinated philosophy, heritage variety focus, and DACH distribution model.
• De Bolster Organic Seeds: Netherlands-based organic vegetable seed specialist offering certified organic varieties to professional and home garden markets across Europe. Comparable product mix and professional-grade focus, though broader European geographic reach.
• Vitalis Organic Seeds: Netherlands-headquartered organic vegetable seed subsidiary of Enza Zaden focused on certified organic varieties for professional growers. Comparable product category with deeper commercial grower orientation; backed by larger conventional breeder.
• High Mowing Organic Seeds: US-based 100% certified organic seed company selling vegetable, herb, flower, and cover crop seeds to home gardeners and commercial growers. Directly comparable in pure-play organic positioning and dual-segment model, but serving the North American market.
• Bingenheimer Saatgut AG: German organic seed company cultivating and distributing organic vegetable and herb seeds with its own biodynamic breeding programs. Directly comparable to Sativa in mission, product mix, and professional/home gardener dual-segment model across the DACH region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sativa-rheinau-ag

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Sativa