SOCIETE BIBLIQUE DE GENEVE

What SOCIETE BIBLIQUE DE GENEVE does

Société Biblique de Genève (SBG) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1917 and registered under its current name in 1943, with legal headquarters at 11 rue de Rive in Geneva and administrative operations in Romanel-sur-Lausanne. The organization's core function is Bible translation, publication, and distribution, with a particular focus on the French, German, and Italian-speaking markets of Switzerland, France, and Italy. It operates three publishing imprints — La Maison de la Bible, Ourania, and Scripsi — and runs physical bookstores under the La Maison de la Bible and La Casa della Bibbia brands across Geneva, Paris, Zürich, and Torino, alongside a volunteer and donor network spanning multiple Swiss and French cities.

SBG has produced or commissioned a portfolio of proprietary Bible translations, including the Segond 21 (French, 2007), the Nouvelle Édition de Genève (French, 1979), the Schlachter 2000 (German, 2002), the Neue Genfer Übersetzung, the Nuova Riveduta 2006 (Italian), and the Nuova Traduzione Vivente. The organization also undertakes mission-focused translation projects such as the Futunian Bible (2000) and a Cabécar Bible developed in collaboration with minority-language partners. Its digital infrastructure includes a cross-platform Bible study application (iOS, Android, web) with offline access, cross-device note synchronization, and over 23,000 integrated study notes, distributed additionally through 13+ third-party platforms including YouVersion, Logos, and Accordance.

The business model is hybrid: SBG derives revenue from Bible and book sales (with low-cost editions starting at €2.50 and premium study Bibles at higher price points) supplemented by donor contributions that fund non-commercial translation and distribution activities. Cumulative distribution totals approximately 4.5 million low-cost Bibles worldwide, with current annual circulation of roughly 500,000 units across three continents, and a registered user base of approximately 50,000 on its digital study app. Operational scale is small — between 11 and 50 employees — under the direction of Director Christophe Argaud.

Name

SOCIETE BIBLIQUE DE GENEVE

Legal name

Société Biblique de Genève

Website

https://societebiblique.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Société Biblique de Genève is a Swiss non-profit (founded 1917) that translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles in French, German, and Italian across Switzerland, France, and Italy, operating retail bookstores, a multi-platform digital study app, and minority-language translation projects for Christian readers and mission partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sacred Texts & Scripture Publishing (Bibles, Qur’ans, Vedas, Torah, Sutras) (MPAJAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE)

Keywords

• Bible translation publishing
• Christian literature publishing
• Digital Bible study
• Religious book distribution
• Christian bookstore operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Romanel-sur-lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bible and Book Sales: Sale of Bibles in multiple translations and formats (study Bibles, pocket Bibles, youth Bibles, low-cost Bibles), Christian books, music, DVDs through own bookstores and e-commerce.
2. Donations and Support: As a non-profit association, the organization relies on donations from supporters in Switzerland and France, with specific banking details provided for contributions.
3. Digital Content Distribution: Bible study app available for free download; content distributed through third-party platforms like YouVersion, Logos, Accordance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Société Biblique de Genève translates, publishes, and distributes Bibles in French, German, and Italian, alongside study Bibles, Christian books, music, and DVDs. The organization operates its own bookstore chain "La Maison de la Bible" across France, Switzerland, and Italy, supported by a freemium Bible study mobile application and an online reading platform. It is a non-profit association funded through donations and low-margin Bible sales, with a mission to make the Bible accessible at the lowest possible cost.

Product overview

The Société Biblique de Genève operates a multi-product portfolio centered on Bible translation, publication, and distribution. The core offering is the Bible study application (SBG App) available on Android and iOS, containing six Bible translations across three languages (French, German, Italian), supplemented by extensive study notes, parallel references, and reading tools. The company publishes multiple Bible translations including Segond 21, Nouvelle Édition de Genève (French), Schlachter 2000, Neue Genfer Übersetzung (German), and Nuova Riveduta 2006, Nuova Traduzione Vivente (Italian). These products are distributed through physical bookstores under the La Maison de la Bible brand, an online platform (Univers de la Bible), and third-party Bible software platforms. The company operates three editorial labels: La Maison de la Bible, Ourania, and Scripsi, publishing Bibles, study Bibles, books, music, DVDs, and Christian resources. The product ecosystem is unified by the mission to make the Bible accessible to all at the lowest possible cost.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Maison de la Bible: Publishing label for Bibles, Christian books, and religious literature
• Ourania
• Scripsi

Products and services

• Bible d'étude Application (SBG App) Mobile Bible study application for Android and iOS containing six Bible translations in French, German, and Italian languages, with study notes, parallel references, bookmarks, highlighting, reading plans, and note synchronization across devices. Free download with full Bible text accessible without account creation.
• Segond 21 Bible Modern French Bible translation designed for contemporary readability, available in multiple editions including the economic edition that sold over 1 million copies.
• Nouvelle Édition de Genève (NEG) Revised French Bible (Louis Segond) published in 1979, containing standard notes and annexes with a list of important biblical passages.
• Schlachter 2000 German Bible translation from 2002, a comprehensive revision of Eugen Schlachter's translation, containing Schlachter study notes.
• Neue Genfer Übersetzung (NGÜ) German Bible translation with New Testament, Genesis to 2 Samuel, Psalms and Proverbs completed. Contains numerous translation notes and parallel references.
• Nuova Traduzione Vivente (NTVi) Italian Bible translation with New Testament completed, Old Testament in progress. Contains study notes from the paper edition.
• Nuova Riveduta 2006 Revised Italian Bible based on the Diodati-Luzzi translation, containing study notes and tens of thousands of parallel references.
• La Maison de la Bible Bookstores Chain of Christian bookstores operating in France, Switzerland (Geneva, Zürich), and Italy (Torino) under the 'La Maison de la Bible' / 'Das Haus der Bibel' / 'La Casa della Bibbia' brand, selling Bibles, Christian books, music, DVDs, and related materials.
• Univers de la Bible Online Platform Online platform for Bible introduction and reading the Segond 21 translation online with audio capability.
• Bible-Info Magazine Quarterly information magazine published in French (Bible-Info), German (Bibel-Info), and Italian (Bible-Info), containing news about Bible diffusion activities. Available via email subscription and PDF download.
• Futunian Bible Bible translation published in 2000 as the first book in the Futunian language of the Pacific.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million copies sold of the economic Segond 21 Bible edition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration14 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MidiBibleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with MidiBible to publish a Bible in Cabécar, a minority language from Costa Rica, included in the Bible study application.
• YouVersionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible translations available on YouVersion Bible app, one of the most widely used Bible reading applications worldwide.
• LogosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible translations distributed through Logos Bible software platform.
• AccordanceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible translations available through Accordance Bible software for desktop and mobile.
• BibleGatewayminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline Bible reading platform making Société Biblique de Genève translations accessible via web browser.
• Bible-DiscoveryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible software distributor providing access to Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• theWordminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible software platform distributing Société Biblique de Genève Bible translations.
• BibleServerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline Bible reading platform providing access to Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• Life BibleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible application platform distributing Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• SongBeamerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible and church song software distributing Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• Olivetree BibleReaderminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible reading application distributing Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• em-BibleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBible software platform distributing Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• L'évangile.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench Christian website providing access to Société Biblique de Genève Bible translations online.
• Le Chrétien JoyeuxminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrench Christian platform distributing Société Biblique de Genève translations.
• Independent Christian BookstorescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFraternal aid program supporting independent Christian bookstores to promote their development and sustainability. Operating in France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• YouVersion (Life.Church): Free digital Bible app with hundreds of millions of installs and broad translation library; comparable as a Bible reading platform distributing SBG translations, and the dominant digital-native competitor to SBG's own app.
• Bible Gateway: Online Bible reading platform hosting multiple translations including SBG's; comparable as a digital Bible distribution channel where SBG translations are accessible alongside major English versions.

Broad incumbents

• Zondervan: Major Christian book publisher (NIV translation, study Bibles, trade books); comparable as a publisher of study Bibles and Christian content, though at significantly larger commercial scale and primarily English-language.
• American Bible Society: Large, established U.S.-based Bible society engaged in translation, publishing, and global Bible distribution; comparable to SBG as a national Bible society operating across publishing and donor-funded distribution, but at vastly larger scale.
• Bible Society (UK): UK-based Bible society publishing translations and operating global Bible distribution programs; directly comparable as a fellow national Bible society with translation and donor-supported mission activities.

Direct peers

• Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: German Bible society publishing Luther and contemporary German translations; directly comparable as a national Bible society publishing in German (overlapping with SBG's Schlachter 2000 and NGÜ) and operating donor-funded distribution.
• Société Biblique Française: French Bible society publishing the Louis Segond tradition and the Bible Français Courant; comparable to SBG as a fellow French-language Bible publisher with overlapping translation work (Segond 21 vs. Segond-related translations).

Regional players

• Società Biblica Italiana: Italian Bible society engaged in translation and distribution in Italy; directly comparable to SBG as a national Bible society with overlapping Italian-language publishing (Nuova Riveduta, NTVi) and Italian retail footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maisonbible
• Facebookfacebook.com/lamaisondelabible
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sbgmb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 SOCIETE BIBLIQUE DE GENEVE