What melt does

melt GmbH is a Zürich-based experience design agency founded in 2009 that provides project-based consulting and creative services across three intertwined practices: exhibition design and project management, urban living and development consulting, and cultural event coordination. The firm serves Swiss cultural institutions, museums, government entities, urban developers, and select enterprises, delivering end-to-end project leadership from concept through execution. Its service portfolio includes long-running science exhibition management for Scientifica (since 2011), interactive museum installations such as the Bat 2.0 exhibit at Zoo Zürich and the 2025 "Plants Speak" exhibition at the Natural History Museum of the University of Zürich, audio-visual tour experiences (Umweg am Albis with Postauto AG), urban development advisory (Rotachstrasse 8 redevelopment, sa-partners collaboration), and international cultural promotion events (Soirées Suisses in Brussels and Paris for Kanton Zürich).

The underlying craft is experience design — conceiving narrative and spatial concepts and translating them into exhibitions, tours, events, and urban projects that communicate complex topics (climate change, biodiversity, scientific research, regional culture) to public audiences. Notable technical or methodological components include the Umweg am Albis app-based audio tour synchronized with Postauto bus routes, and a stated commitment to circular-economy principles embedded across project work. The firm does not expose APIs, software products, or proprietary technology platforms; deliverables are bespoke creative outputs rather than scalable software.

melt operates a professional services revenue model: project-based, quote-driven engagements acquired through direct client relationships, with no publicly disclosed pricing. The firm is privately held, has no external institutional investment, operates from a single Zürich headquarters at Hohlstrasse 209, and runs with 1-10 employees. Geographic focus is Switzerland-centered, with episodic international engagements (Paris, Brussels) tied to Swiss government cultural promotion. No regulatory disclosures, certifications, or financial figures are publicly available.

Name

melt

Legal name

melt GmbH

Website

https://melt.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

melt GmbH is a Zürich-based experience design agency providing exhibition design, urban development consulting, and cultural event coordination for Swiss museums, government entities, and urban developers through project-based, quote-driven professional services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experience Design Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Production Design & Art Department Services (Sets, Props, Scenic) (MPADAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Signage, Props & Custom Installations (HSACAOAG), Video/IMAG & LED Wall Production (MPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Experience design services
• Exhibition design
• Urban development consulting
• Cultural event coordination
• Creative project management

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Design Services: Project-based consulting and design services for exhibitions, urban living, and cultural institutions. Revenue generated through client engagements for project development, creative direction, and exhibition production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

melt GmbH provides project-based experience design services focused on exhibition design and project management, urban living and development consulting, audio-visual experience tours, and cultural event coordination. The agency partners with museums, government entities, universities, retailers, and urban developers to create engaging physical and sensory experiences that communicate complex topics such as sustainability, science, and regional culture.

Product overview

melt GmbH is a Zürich-based experience design agency offering a unified suite of creative services. The core offering encompasses exhibition design and project management, urban living consultation, audio-visual experience tours, and cultural event coordination. The agency collaborates with museums, municipalities, cultural institutions, and private developers to create transformative spatial and experiential solutions, supporting circular economy principles throughout their work.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exhibition Design and Project Management End-to-end exhibition design and project leadership services for museums, zoos, science festivals, and cultural institutions. Includes conceptual design, creative direction, and production oversight for projects such as the BAT 2.0 interactive bat exhibit at Zoo Zürich and the Pflanzen sprechen mit exhibition at Naturhistorisches Museum Uni Zürich.
• Urban Living and Development Consulting Urban development and property project consulting focused on preservation, sustainability, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. Includes building owner representation (e.g., Rotachstrasse 8 in Zürich) and creative vision support for architects and city developers.
• Umweg am Albis Audio-Visual Experience Tour An audio-visual experience tour combining Postauto bus rides with walking paths and storytelling about landscape, nature, and climate change. The experience runs on Postauto routes from Thalwil to Kappel am Albis with a companion app.
• Cultural Event Coordination Event coordination services for international cultural promotion and community engagement, including Soirées Suisses international events showcasing regional cuisine and innovations, as well as the Lakeweek community engagement event at ZHAW Wädenswil.
• Oranger Garten Exhibition Creative Update A creative content and design update for the Oranger Garten exhibition in Rüschlikon to mark the 100-year anniversary of MIGROS, offering visitors new colorful perspectives on the original garden design.

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kanton ZürichcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing collaboration on Soirées Suisses international cultural promotion events. Kanton Zürich serves as guest canton at Swiss embassy events, with melt GmbH providing creative direction and execution for showcasing regional innovations in food and culture to international audiences in Paris and Brussels.
• sa-partnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic collaboration on urban development projects. melt GmbH initially developed sa-partners' website and has since collaborated on multiple city development excursions and urban living space projects, contributing creative vision to architectural and city planning initiatives.
• Postauto AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the Umweg am Albis project - an audio-visual experience combining Postauto bus tours with storytelling about landscape and nature. melt GmbH conceived and developed the experience that runs on Postauto routes.
• ZHAW WädenswilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in Lakeweek annual event showcasing socially relevant topics in Environment, Food and Health. melt GmbH contributes to the multi-day event focused on inspiring, learning, experiencing and connecting.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mijksenaar: A Dutch experience and exhibition design studio working with cultural institutions and public-sector clients on interpretive design and exhibits; closely comparable to melt in creative direction for museums, festivals, and community-facing cultural programs.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: A globally recognized exhibition/interactive design firm focused on museums, cultural institutions, and public-sector interpretive projects; peers melt on exhibitions for scientific and natural history museums (e.g., Naturhistorisches Museum Uni Zürich) and similar long-cycle institutional clients.
• Tellart: A US- and Europe-based experience design studio delivering installations, exhibitions, and digital-physical experiences for museums, brands, and public institutions; directly comparable to melt's experience design and exhibition work for clients like Zoo Zürich and Scientifica.
• Topotek 1: A Berlin-based design studio for exhibitions, museums, and brand environments, blending spatial and graphic design for institutional clients; directly comparable to melt in producing exhibition and event environments for cultural organizations.
• Atelier Brückner: A Stuttgart-based exhibition and experience design studio specializing in museum and brand experience design; directly comparable to melt's core offering of exhibition design and project management for museums, with a similar multidisciplinary creative-services model.

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: A large, multi-disciplinary design consultancy working across identity, exhibition, and experience design for major institutional clients; broader incumbent that occasionally competes for the same cultural and public-sector engagements as melt's exhibition and event work.
• Snøhetta: A Norway-headquartered architecture and design practice with deep museum, cultural, and landscape-planning work (e.g., visitor centers and cultural experiences); an incumbent peer to melt's urban living/development consulting and cultural-event design for public institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/Ct1YFI6gika

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 melt