What anfass Life Technologies AG does

anfass Life Technologies AG is a privately held Swiss service company and family office founded in 2014 by Dr. Arne-Christian Faisst, headquartered in Solothurn with laboratory facilities in Cham (Canton of Zug). The company delivers an integrated offering called "Active Trust Management" to life science startups and SMEs across biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology. Its service portfolio is organized around three pillars: assisting (management consulting, administration, and financial services), incubating (equity investments and incubation support), and accelerating (strategy review, operational optimization, and M&A advisory). The firm also provides physical infrastructure, including SL1/SL2 biological and chemical laboratories, to portfolio companies and clients.

The company's core technology is its service methodology rather than a software product: it combines hands-on management involvement with strategic oversight, board representation, and financial administration. anfass holds minority equity stakes in life science companies including 4D Lifetec AG (liquid biopsy for early cancer detection), abc biopply ag (3D CoSeedis tumor model platform, co-developed with Xlife Sciences AG into joint venture Quadira Biosciences AG in 2021), and has supported exits such as alphaTrust.ch ag (sold to BKW Building Solutions AG in October 2021). Ancillary revenue includes board mandates for non-life-science industrials (Borer Chemie AG, Roth Holding AG, SKAN AG, Cendres+Métaux SA, Swissfluid AG) and ad-interim CEO/CFO assignments.

Revenue is generated through custom-priced, multi-year mandates spanning consulting fees, board retainers, back-office/managed services, and equity returns from portfolio companies. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on the founding team's two-decade-plus MedTech network, conference participation (Swiss Economic Forum, European HealthTech CEO Forum), and earned media coverage. Customer segments are primarily Swiss life science startups/SMEs, with secondary service to corporate and strategic investors (e.g., Picus Capital partnership, Halder advisory work).

Name

anfass Life Technologies AG

Legal name

anfass Life Technologies AG

Website

https://anfass.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

anfass Life Technologies AG is a Swiss family office founded in 2014 that provides Active Trust Management — management consulting, board services, and equity investment — to life science startups and SMEs in biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Solothurn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services (Consulting & Management): Fees for management consulting, strategy advisory, financial management, marketing services, regulatory affairs support, and M&A advisory provided to startups and SMEs in biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology sectors.
2. Investment Returns & Equity Holdings: Returns from equity investments in portfolio companies including 4D Lifetec AG, abc biopply ag, Quadira Biosciences AG, and other life science startups. Company takes active roles in these investments.
3. Board & Administrative Services: Revenue from providing board membership services, administrative support, back-office solutions, and access to office/laboratory infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

anfass Life Technologies AG provides Active Trust Management services to life science startups and SMEs in biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology. The company offers three core service lines: assisting (management, administration, and financial services), incubating (investment and company founding support), and accelerating (strategy optimization and M&A support). It also invests in portfolio companies and provides access to office and laboratory facilities including SL1 and SL2 biological/chemical labs.

Product overview

anfass Life Technologies AG operates as a service company and family office for the Life Science sector, offering a unified suite of consulting and management services rather than a software product platform. The company's service portfolio includes three core offerings: 'assisting' (management, administration, and financial services), 'incubating' (investment services and company founding support), and 'accelerating' (strategy optimization and M&A support). These services are delivered to biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology startups and SMEs. The company also provides access to office and laboratory facilities (SL1 and SL2) in Solothurn and Cham. anfass holds equity stakes in portfolio companies including 4D Lifetec AG (cancer early detection via Liquid Biopsy) and abc biopply ag (3D tumor models via the 3D CoSeedis platform), though these are separate legal entities with their own product offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Assisting (Management & Administration Services) Active support for organizations with management, administration, and financial services. Assists both start-ups and SMEs in the biotech, diagnostics, and medical technology sectors strategically and operationally. Includes access to a broad expertise and a reliable network of selected partners.
• Incubating (Investment & Company Founding Support) Investment in carefully selected life science start-ups, either in cash or in expertise, with active involvement. Includes investor relations support and help assessing the value of investment projects and companies.
• Accelerating (Strategy Optimization & M&A Support) Planning and improvement of added value. Reviews strategies and optimizes companies and their market performance. Identifies strategic partners and supports M&A processes for portfolio companies and clients.
• Laboratory and Office Infrastructure Access Access to modern office facilities at the Solothurn headquarters and fully equipped biological and chemical laboratories (SL1 and SL2) in Cham, Canton of Zug, available for portfolio companies and clients.
• Board Mandate & Ad-Interim Management Services Board presidency and membership services, as well as ad-interim CEO and CFO services for SMEs and portfolio companies. Includes strategic guidance, governance support, and executive leadership during transitions.

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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Xlife Sciences AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2021Joint venture partnership resulting in Quadira Biosciences AG. Combines anfass portfolio company abc biopply's 3D CoSeedis technology with Xlife Sciences' antibody development capabilities for animal-free testing.
• Quadira Biosciences AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture company combining 3D cell technology from abc biopply with antibody development from Xlife Sciences for testing without animal experiments.
• Nanosurf AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLeading provider of atomic force microscopes. anfass board member Giancarlo Rizzoli successfully supported succession solution culminating in company sale.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Ufenau Capital Partners: Swiss investment firm focused on buy-and-build of SMEs primarily in the DACH region; anfass has collaborated with them on M&A mandates (e.g., suvema/newemag) - comparable regional advisory and PE platform.

Direct peers

• Ares Life Sciences: Swiss-based investment advisory firm focused on global healthcare/life sciences investments, providing both strategic advice and equity capital - similar dual advisor/investor role and Swiss-domiciled structure.
• Xlife Sciences AG: Swiss life sciences investment and incubation firm that co-founded Quadira Biosciences AG with anfass in 2021 and acquired a CHF 23.3M stake in 4D Lifetec AG; operates a comparable model of equity investment plus portfolio company incubation in biotech/diagnostics.
• Pureos Bioventures: Swiss venture capital firm investing exclusively in private biotech companies developing innovative therapeutic drugs and platforms - comparable geographic focus and active engagement with life science portfolio companies.
• Versant Ventures: Global healthcare-focused venture capital firm that builds biotech companies from inception and takes active operating roles - the international, more institutionalized analogue of anfass's incubating mandate.
• BioMedPartners AG: Basel-based venture capital firm investing in privately held biotech, medtech, and diagnostics companies in Switzerland and Europe, taking active board roles - highly comparable to anfass's Active Trust Management approach.
• Nextech Invest Ltd: Zurich-based oncology-focused venture firm investing in private immuno-oncology and oncology companies, with deep Swiss/European networks - directly comparable in mandate type, geography, and active board participation.
• HBM Healthcare Investments AG: Public Swiss investment company focused on global healthcare and life sciences companies, holding equity and supporting management - a larger, more institutionalized version of anfass's investor-advisor model.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Life Sciences Practice): Global management consultancy with a large Healthcare/Life Sciences practice serving biotech, diagnostics, and medtech clients on strategy and operations - the broad incumbent against which anfass competes on enterprise-level mandates.
• Novartis Venture Fund: Corporate venture arm of Novartis investing in innovative life sciences companies - a much larger incumbent in the same life sciences investment space with deeper pockets but less nimble boutique positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/anfass-life-technologies-ag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 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 anfass Life Technologies AG