What Klimastiftung does

Klimastiftung Schweiz (Swiss Climate Foundation) is an independent charitable foundation established in 2008 under Swiss federal supervision (Bundesaufsicht) that provides seed-stage grant funding — termed "Anstossfinanzierung" — to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein developing innovative, climate-friendly products and technologies. The foundation occupies a specific niche in the climate innovation funding stack, bridging the gap between initial concept or prototype development and venture capital readiness. Since inception, it has supported more than 220 innovation projects with over CHF 23 million in dedicated innovation grants and CHF 43 million in cumulative support, with recent grant volume running at approximately CHF 3 million per year.

The foundation does not generate revenue from selling products or services. Its sole revenue stream consists of voluntary contributions from 32 partner companies — predominantly from the Swiss financial and insurance sector — that donate their CO2 levy redistribution (Rückverteilung) to Klimastiftung instead of retaining it. Named partners include Baloise, Allianz, Mobiliar, Axa, SwissRe, Swiss Life, Vontobel, Six Group, Raiffeisen, LGT, and multiple Swiss cantonal banks. The foundation's single core offering is its funding programme, processed via an online application portal (OptimyApp) and disbursed following internal review. In the first 2026 funding round, eight SMEs received a combined CHF 1.084 million for projects spanning seaweed-based packaging (Noriware AG), biochar-enriched concrete (KLARK AG), CO2 mineralization via wood ash (go-climate AG), ultrasonic gas-leak sensing (Distran), and laser-based agri-tech (Pantec Biosolutions).

Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: applications are submitted through the foundation's website, and outreach is conducted through digital channels (LinkedIn, YouTube, newsletter), partner referrals, and in-person events such as the Climate Week Zurich pitch and networking format launched in May 2026 in partnership with SICTIC (the Swiss business angel network). The foundation is also extending its cross-border reach via collaboration with Life Klimastiftung in Liechtenstein. Operationally, Klimastiftung is governed by a board represented by partner firms; the Vice President is Ursula Finsterwald, Head of Group Sustainability Management at LGT. Headcount is not publicly disclosed, consistent with the lean operating posture of a grant-distributing foundation.

Name

Klimastiftung

Legal name

Klimastiftung Schweiz

Website

https://klimastiftung.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Klimastiftung Schweiz is a federally supervised charitable foundation that provides seed-stage grants to Swiss and Liechtenstein SMEs developing climate-friendly products, funded by voluntary CO2 levy donations from 32 partner companies in the financial and insurance sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Innovation Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Climate innovation grants
• SME funding programmes
• CO2 levy redistribution
• Pre-seed climate funding
• Clean technology financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Partner Contributions: The foundation receives voluntary contributions from 32 partner companies (primarily from the financial and insurance sectors). These partners donate their CO2 levy redistribution to the foundation, which then distributes it as grants to climate innovation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Klimastiftung Schweiz provides financial grants (Fördergelder) to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein for the development and scaling of innovative, climate-friendly products, technologies, and processes. The foundation operates in a pre-venture-capital phase, offering Anstossfinanzierung (seed funding) so that SMEs can validate pilots, build prototypes, and reach market readiness before VC involvement. Since 2008 it has distributed over CHF 43 million in total support, including more than CHF 23 million directed specifically to over 220 innovation projects.

Product overview

Klimastiftung Schweiz is a foundation (Stiftung) that does not offer a traditional product or software platform. Instead, it operates a single unified funding programme through which it provides financial grants to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The foundation's core service is the evaluation and disbursement of Fördergelder (grant funding) to innovative climate protection projects. Since its founding in 2008, it has distributed over 43 million CHF in total support, with over 23 million CHF directed specifically to more than 220 innovation projects. The foundation is organized as a voluntary initiative by the business community for the business community, funded by 32 partner companies through the Rückverteilung (rebate) of the CO2 levy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Förderprogramm (Funding Programme) The core offering of Klimastiftung Schweiz: a grant funding programme providing financial support to Swiss and Liechtenstein SMEs for the development and scaling of innovative, climate-friendly products and technologies. The foundation acts in a pre-venture-capital phase, providing Anstossfinanzierung (seed funding) to help companies test pilots, develop prototypes, and reach market readiness. Since 2008 the programme has supported over 220 innovation projects with more than CHF 23 million.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23% of supported SMEs would not have realized their innovation project without the foundation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SICTICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Swiss business angel network; co-organized the Climate Week Zurich pitch and networking event with Klimastiftung; connects funded startups with investors
• Life Klimastiftung (Liechtenstein)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiechtenstein climate foundation; collaborated with Klimastiftung Schweiz on projects like Pantec Biosolutions

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung myclimate: Swiss foundation active in corporate carbon offsetting and SME climate programs with grantlike mechanisms. Operates in the same Swiss/Liechtenstein SME climate-financing niche with overlapping audience.
• Innosuisse (Swiss Innovation Agency): Swiss federal agency funding innovation projects including climate-related SMEs with non-dilutive grants. Directly competes for the same "pre-VC innovation" grant slot in Switzerland and serves an overlapping SME applicant pool.
• Life Klimastiftung (Liechtenstein): Liechtenstein's sister climate foundation; explicitly collaborated with Klimastiftung Schweiz on projects such as Pantec Biosolutions. Operates the same grantmaking model for climate innovation in Liechtenstein, making it the closest single comparable.
• Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft: German foundation mobilizing business actors for climate protection, including SME engagement and grantmaking for corporate decarbonization. Closely mirrors Klimastiftung's "by business, for business" identity.
• Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU): Germany's largest environmental foundation, funding SME innovation projects in environmental/climate tech via grants. Functionally analogous to Klimastiftung's model but at greater scale; benchmark for what Klimastiftung could grow into regionally.

Broad incumbents

• IKEA Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation that co-funds climate mitigation, renewable energy, and SME climate programs internationally. Comparable as a much larger, internationally operating private climate grantmaking foundation.
• European Climate Foundation (ECF): Large international philanthropic grantmaker operating in climate policy and innovation across Europe with a multi-hundred-million-euro budget. Overlaps thematically with Klimastiftung but at continental rather than national scale and with a more policy-oriented mandate.
• Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN/BAFU): Swiss federal regulator and grant provider for environmental projects; administers CO2-related programs that intersect with and partially compete against Klimastiftung's grantmaking role, and that effectively legitimize the foundation's regulatory positioning.

Emerging players

• Quadrature Climate Foundation: Newer climate-only grantmaking foundation funding policy, innovation, and deployment. Smaller and thematic-focused, but operates in the same grantmaking-for-climate-innovation space as Klimastiftung.

Regional players

• Gebert Rüf Stiftung: Swiss private foundation funding science and innovation with grant instruments aimed at bridging research-to-application stages. Comparable because of the "Anstossfinanzierung" seed-stage grantmaking function serving Swiss SMEs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi1Jf6oisNY6_Tig-xN3BdA/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-climate-foundation
• Xx.com/KlimastiftungCH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Klimastiftung