What Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences does

Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences (legal entity: Kalaidos Fachhochschule AG) is a private Swiss university of applied sciences founded in 1998 and headquartered in Z\u00fcrich, Switzerland. The institution was rebranded from Athemia to Kalaidos around 2020 and holds institutional accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council (SAR) under the Higher Education Funding and Coordination Act (HFKG), with membership in swissuniversities. Kalaidos operates four academic departments plus a Music unit: Kalaidos Business School, Kalaidos Law School, Careum Hochschule Gesundheit (health sciences), and Kalaidos School of Applied Psychology. A wholly-owned subsidiary, STI Schweizerisches Treuhand-Institut FH AG, covers trust and fiduciary services education.

The institution targets working professionals and career changers with flexible, career-accompanying study programs offered in online, hybrid, and in-person formats, with and without attendance requirements. Program portfolio spans bachelor's (e.g., BSc in Business Psychology), master's, MAS (e.g., MAS FH in Digital and Innovative Management, CHF 33,000), CAS, DAS, EMBA, and doctoral-level qualifications. Teaching and operations are supported by a cloud-based learning management infrastructure including the proprietary myKalaidos portal, alongside standard SaaS tools (Google Cloud, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Mailchimp, Miro, Spotify). Dualoo provides e-recruitment for staff hiring.

Kalaidos generates revenue through three streams: tuition and program fees (subscription/recurring), customized corporate training and consulting services via a dedicated 'F\u00fcr Unternehmen' division, and applied research contracts including the annual NZZ-KMU-Barometer produced with Neue Z\u00fcrcher Zeitung. Distribution occurs through direct website enrollment, 139 scheduled information events (Infoanl\u00e4sse), social media marketing across Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/Twitter/XING/WhatsApp, and a field sales team for enterprise clients. Quarterly Journal Clubs in health sciences and diploma ceremonies at venues like Kunsthaus Z\u00fcrich provide community engagement. The institution operates exclusively within Switzerland and has 1,001\u20135,000 employees.

Name

Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences

Legal name

Kalaidos Fachhochschule AG

Website

https://kalaidos-fh.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences is a private Swiss university in Z\u00fcrich offering accredited, flexible bachelor's, master's, CAS/DAS/MAS, and doctoral programs across Business, Law, Health, and Applied Psychology for working professionals, plus corporate training and applied research services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business & Management Research Universities (EDAHABAE), Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF), Online For-Profit Career Universities (EDAHALAJ), Professional & Executive Short Courses (Non-Degree, International) (EDAIAIAH)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Professional continuing education
• Applied research services
• Executive education programs
• Corporate training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Revenue generated from tuition fees for bachelor's, master's, CAS, DAS, and MAS programs. Programs are offered in flexible formats with and without in-person attendance, targeting working professionals.
2. Corporate Training and Consulting Services: Custom training programs, organizational development services, and coaching delivered to corporate clients. Services include needs assessment, program development, and implementation, with the ability to award ECTS credits for internal training.
3. Applied Research Contracts: Revenue from applied research and development projects, including collaborative studies such as the annual NZZ-KMU-Barometer conducted with Neue Zürcher Zeitung.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences is a private Swiss university that delivers flexible, career-accompanying higher education programs for working professionals across four academic departments: Business (Wirtschaft), Law (Recht), Health (Gesundheit, via Careum Hochschule Gesundheit), and Applied Psychology (Angewandte Psychologie). It offers bachelor's, master's, CAS/DAS/MAS/EMBA, and doctoral programs in formats with and without in-person attendance, complemented by customized corporate training, organizational development, and applied research services.

Product overview

Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences is a private Swiss university of applied sciences offering flexible, career-compatible education across four departments: Kalaidos Business School (Wirtschaft), Kalaidos Law School (Recht), Careum Hochschule Gesundheit (Health), and Kalaidos School of Applied Psychology (Angewandte Psychologie). The institution provides a comprehensive portfolio spanning undergraduate programs (Bachelor of Science in Business Psychology), graduate programs (Master of Science in Business Administration with International Business Development specialization, MAS in Digital and Innovative Management), continuing education certificates (CAS, DAS), and doctoral programs. Additionally, it offers specialized research publications including the annual NZZ-KMU-Barometer, professional development offerings such as the Journal Club for healthcare professionals, and customized corporate training programs for enterprise clients. The institution has been operating for over 25 years and is accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Council under HFKG.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kalaidos Business School One of four academic departments of Kalaidos FH offering business and management education including undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs in accounting, banking, business administration, controlling, marketing, and economics for working professionals.
• Kalaidos Law School One of four academic departments offering legal education and continuing education programs for legal professionals, delivered part-time and career-oriented.
• Careum Hochschule Gesundheit One of four academic departments focused on healthcare education, offering programs in nursing, health sciences, palliative care, oncological care, chronic illness management, and healthcare management.
• Kalaidos School of Applied Psychology One of four academic departments offering programs in applied psychology, work psychology, organizational psychology, clinical psychology, consumer psychology, and behavioral economics.
• MAS FH in Digital and Innovative Management Master of Advanced Studies program focused on digital transformation, covering digitalization of business processes and corporate management, agile methods, and innovative leadership approaches. Duration: 4 semesters, 60 ECTS (with optional 90 ECTS upgrade for CHF 4,900). Total program fee CHF 33,000 including learning materials and regular examinations. 5% alumni discount available.
• Bachelor of Science FH in Business Psychology Undergraduate program combining business administration and psychology, offered in flexible formats with varying duration (4–8 semesters) and multiple start dates per year for working professionals.
• NZZ-KMU-Barometer Annual economic sentiment research publication conducted in collaboration with Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ), assessing Swiss SME executives' views on business conditions, outlook, and challenges including technology adoption (e.g., AI) and crisis resilience. The 2026 edition surveyed 495 executives; 49% identified AI as a key topic (up from 25% the prior year), and 55% consider their companies resilient, though only 27% believe they could fundamentally adapt their business model within 6 months.
• Journal Club (Careum Hochschule Gesundheit) Quarterly online professional development platform for healthcare professionals providing intensive exchange on scientific topics and current developments in health sciences, featuring critical discussion of research articles and methodological approaches. Fee: CHF 50 per session, or CHF 200 for a transferable 6-session subscription.
• Customized Corporate Training Programs Tailored training and development solutions for companies, including needs assessment, organizational development, personnel development, and continuing education validation with ECTS credits. Offered in-person, online, or as individual coaching through the dedicated 'Für Unternehmen' division.
• CAS FH in Recognizing and Understanding Mental Disorders Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS FH) program in recognizing and understanding mental disorders, offered within the Applied Psychology department at Kalaidos FH for working professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 495 executives participated in the 2026 NZZ-KMU-Barometer study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Kalaidos FH collaborates with Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) on the annual NZZ-KMU-Barometer, a major economic sentiment survey of Swiss SMEs. The partnership produces a published report and media coverage, positioning Kalaidos as a thought leader in Swiss business and economic research. The 2026 edition surveyed 495 executives and was released on June 3, 2026.
• SwissuniversitiescoreOthersKalaidos FH is a member of Swissuniversities, the association of Swiss higher education institutions. This membership provides access to the Swiss higher education network, collaborative opportunities, and recognition within the national academic landscape.
• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMeta platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) are used for social media marketing, advertising, remarketing, and content distribution. Facebook Pixel and TikTok Pixel are deployed for conversion tracking.
• Swiss Economic Forum (SEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKalaidos FH has collaborated with the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF) on multiple editions of the SEF-Barometer and the SEF study series, including 'New Horizons – quo vadis Wirtschaft Schweiz?' published in 2021. SEF participants also contribute to the NZZ-KMU-Barometer, providing data on Swiss SME perspectives.
• InnosuisseminorOthersKalaidos researchers and faculty members serve as accredited Innosuisse mentors, supporting startups and SMEs in strategic questions, market development, and growth. Prof. Dr. Daniel Fasnacht is an accredited Innosuisse mentor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• IU Internationale Hochschule: Germany's largest private university with strong online/distance and flexible-format programs targeting working professionals. Closest international peer in private, flexible, career-accompanying applied education model, though not Swiss-accredited.
• SRH Hochschule Heidelberg: Private German university of applied sciences with strong focus on business, applied psychology, and health sciences, offering flexible and corporate training. Comparable in private Fachhochschule positioning and corporate training arm.

Direct peers

• HSLU Hochschule Luzern: Public Swiss University of Applied Sciences with departments in business, social work, health, and design. Comparable in multi-disciplinary FH structure and Swiss continuing-education programs, though public and broader in geographic reach.
• AKAD University: Private Swiss higher-education institution offering part-time and distance programs for working professionals across business, technology, and economics. Comparable in flexible-format, working-professional target market and Swiss continuing-education positioning.
• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Private Swiss university of applied sciences based in Zurich focused on business, management, and economics programs for working professionals. Directly comparable in target market (Swiss employed learners), academic focus (business), and flexible part-time delivery model.
• OST Ostschweizer Fachhochschule: Public Swiss University of Applied Sciences formed by merging FHS St.Gallen and HTW Chur. Competes with Kalaidos in business, health, and social work continuing-education offerings in the Swiss German-speaking market.
• ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften: Public Zurich-based university of applied sciences offering multi-disciplinary programs in business, health, social work, and applied psychology. Compares on academic structure (Fachhochschule, departments, applied research) and Swiss continuing-education market overlap.
• FHNW Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz: Public Swiss University of Applied Sciences with departments covering business, engineering, social work, and health. Comparable in multi-disciplinary Fachhochschule structure and applied research focus, though public and broader in mission.
• FFHS Fernfachhochschule Schweiz: Switzerland's leading private distance-learning university of applied sciences, offering flexible online and hybrid programs for working professionals. Closest peer in delivery model (flexible/online FH) and audience (career-accompanying education).

Broad incumbents

• IMD Business School: Switzerland-based premier business school focused on executive education and MBA/EMBA programs. Represents the upper-tier competitive context for Kalaidos's business and executive continuing-education programs in the Swiss market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kalaidosfh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imi-kalaidos-university-of-applied-sciences
• Xx.com/kalaidos_fh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences