BienenSchweiz

What BienenSchweiz does

BienenSchweiz is the Imkerverband (beekeepers' association) for the German- and Rhaeto-Romanic-speaking parts of Switzerland, representing approximately 14,000 beekeepers and operating as part of the apisuisse national umbrella alongside SAR (French-speaking) and FTA (Italian-speaking). It is a non-profit association with 9 staff, headquartered at Jakob Signer-Strasse 4, Appenzell, and serves roughly half of Switzerland's ~18,000-member national beekeeping community through member services, certification, and political representation.

The organization's core product is the bienen.ch multilingual portal — jointly operated with SAR, FTA, apiservice, and Imkerbildung Schweiz — which delivers member education, the Goldsiegel Qualitätshonig quality label, the BGD hotline (0800 274 274), and digital tools including the Betriebskonzept (personal beekeeping operation concept), the AI-based BGD-Chatbot for 24/7 advisory queries, an online marketplace for colonies and queens, and the Blühflächenprogramm habitat-creation service. Beyond digital, it delivers physical services such as the Bienengesundheitsmobil mobile sanitation unit, Handwaschwanne rental, in-person beekeeping courses (including the eidgenössischer Fachausweis federal certification), and the annual Biene des Jahres public campaign.

Revenue is derived from a mix of recurring membership fees, course fees (CHF 200-440 for specialty courses), equipment rentals (CHF 48-450 per deployment), licensing under the Goldsiegel mark (CHF 17/500g recommended retail), donations and legates channeled through the Stiftung für die Bienen (founded August 2020), and Swiss federal program funding routed via apiservice for the BGD hotline mandate. No audited revenue figure is publicly disclosed.

Name

BienenSchweiz

Legal name

BienenSchweiz

Website

https://bienen.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BienenSchweiz is the non-profit beekeepers' association for German- and Rhaeto-Romanic-speaking Switzerland, representing roughly 14,000 beekeepers through the bienen.ch portal, the Goldsiegel honey quality label, education and federal certification programs, and the BGD bee-health service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Apiculture Association Services

NAICS

Apiculture (11291), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bee Health Management & Treatments (Mite/Disease Control Products & Services) (AFAEAHAK), Honey Production & Extraction (AFAEAHAA)

Keywords

• Beekeeping association services
• Apiculture education training
• Honey quality certification
• Bee health consulting
• Beekeeping marketplace platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Appenzell

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from beekeepers affiliated with BienenSchweiz, supporting the association's operations and services.
2. Educational courses and certifications: Revenue from beekeeping courses including the federal specialist examination (eidgenössischer Fachausweis), honey courses, and management training. Courses range from free for association members to CHF 200-440 for specialized training.
3. Goldsiegel quality label program: Quality certification program for Swiss honey ensuring above-average quality and residue-free production, managed by apisuisse and its member organizations.
4. Donations and foundation funding: Donations and legates to the Stiftung für die Bienen (Foundation for Bees) supporting biodiversity and bee protection projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

BienenSchweiz is the non-profit beekeepers' association for German- and Rhaeto-Romanic-speaking Switzerland, representing approximately 14,000 beekeepers. It provides membership services including bee health consultation via the BGD hotline, certified beekeeper training with federal examinations, the Goldsiegel quality label for Swiss honey, a classifieds marketplace, a flowering-area habitat program, and advocacy for beekeeping interests. The organization operates the bienen.ch multilingual portal jointly with partner associations SAR and FTA under the apisuisse umbrella.

Product overview

BienenSchweiz operates primarily as a beekeeping association rather than a software product company. Its main digital offerings center on the Bienen.ch multilingual web portal (bienen.ch, ailes.ch, apicoltura.ch) serving approximately 18,000 Swiss beekeepers. The portfolio includes web-based tools like the Betriebskonzept (personal beekeeping operational concept tool), the BGD-Chatbot (AI-powered question answering), the Gesundheitsprogramm (health program), and a newsletter service via MailChimp. Beyond digital products, the organization offers physical services including the Bienengesundheitsmobil (mobile sanitization unit), Handwaschwanne (hand washing basin lending), the BGD hotline (0800 274 274), and various beekeeping courses including the federally recognized Imker/in mit eidg. Fachausweis. The Goldsiegel Qualitätshonig is a quality certification brand for Swiss honey. The Blühflächenprogramm creates bee habitats through consultations and flower area development. These products and services are supported by partner organizations apiservice (Bee Health Service), Imkerbildung Schweiz (Beekeeping Education), and the Stiftung für die Bienen (Foundation for Bees).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Goldsiegel Qualitätshonig: The Goldsiegel is apisuisse's Swiss honey quality label guaranteeing above-average quality, controlled residue-free production, and transparent origin, awarded to beekeepers who meet high production standards and undergo regular independent inspections.
• Siegelimker/-in
• Hotline Bienengesundheitsdienst
• Blühflächenprogramm
• Imker/-in mit eidg. Fachausweis

Quantifiable outcome

• Swiss honey consumption coverage of ~1/3 of domestic demand
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Stiftung für die Bienen (Foundation for Bees)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Foundation established August 2020 to support projects for honeybees and wild bees as important pollinators and biodiversity conservation. Primarily supports BienenSchweiz.
• apisuissecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational umbrella organization for Swiss beekeepers. BienenSchweiz is a member of apisuisse along with SAR (French-speaking) and FTA (Italian-speaking Switzerland). apisuisse operates apiservice with Bee Health Service and breeding department.
• SAR – Société Romande d'ApiculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench-speaking Swiss beekeeping association with ~3,500 members managing ~50,000 colonies. One of three national language associations under apisuisse.
• FTA – Federazione Ticinese di ApicolturacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTicino beekeeping association with ~500 active beekeepers managing ~8,000 colonies, organized in 6 sections.
• apiservice GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubsidiary of apisuisse operating the Bee Health Service (BGD), breeding department, and supporting education. Provides free hotline 0800 274 274.
• Imkerbildung Schweiz GmbHcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubsidiary of apisuisse providing beekeeping education with federal certification (eidgenössischer Fachausweis). Established in German-speaking Switzerland since 2014 and French-speaking since 2016.
• Agroscope / Zentrum für Bienenforschung (ZBF)majorTechnology or IntegrationCenter for Bee Research in Liebefeld, Bern. Collaborates with Bee Health Service on bee health monitoring and annual reports.
• Institut für Bienengesundheit (IBH) – Universität BernmajorTechnology or IntegrationInstitute for Bee Health at University of Bern. Collaborates with BGD on bee health research and monitoring.
• UrbanrootsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSeed subscription service partner. For each annual subscription sold, Urbanroots donates 1 m² of flowering area to BienenSchweiz's bloom area program.
• Migros KlubschuleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational partnership for beekeeping and wild bee courses, delivered at Migros Klubschule locations throughout Switzerland.
• BLV – Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und VeterinärwesenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs. BGD fulfills federal mandate for improved bee health, working under BLV supervision.
• Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft (BLW)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal Office for Agriculture. Collaborates on agricultural policy related to bee protection and pollination.
• Cercle ExotiquemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body coordinating the fight against invasive species including the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). Taskforce coordinates with this body.
• apimondiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Federation of Beekeepers' Associations. apisuisse is a member, enabling international collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Imkerbildung Schweiz GmbH: Subsidiary of apisuisse providing federally certified beekeeper education (eidg. Fachausweis). Operates training locations in Maienfeld and Nyon that serve BienenSchweiz's members, making it a closely linked but functionally distinct education peer.
• Apimondia (International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations): Global federation of national beekeeping associations of which apisuisse is a member. BienenSchweiz benefits from Apimondia's international knowledge sharing and standards work, making it an umbrella peer rather than a competitor.
• apiservice GmbH: Wholly owned subsidiary of apisuisse that operates the Bee Health Service (BGD hotline, Bienengesundheitsmobil, Handwaschwanne, BGD-Chatbot). It is operationally integrated with BienenSchweiz and serves the same beekeeper base, but as an enabling service provider rather than a competing association.
• Landwirtschaftlicher Informationsdienst (LID): Swiss agricultural information service connecting agriculture and consumers. It is an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct peer, but comparable in mission around Swiss food communication and supporting BienenSchweiz's consumer education efforts.

Direct peers

• Deutscher Imkerbund e.V. (DIB): Germany's national beekeeping umbrella association, representing ~140,000 beekeepers. It offers member services, training, and the Honig quality mark, making it the closest functional cross-border peer to BienenSchweiz in German-speaking Europe.
• British Beekeepers Association (BBKA): UK national beekeeping association offering membership, education, examinations, and honey certification. It is structurally similar to BienenSchweiz in combining member services, training, and advocacy for hobbyist and professional beekeepers.
• SAR – Société Romande d'Apiculture: French-speaking Swiss beekeeping association with ~3,500 beekeepers managing ~50,000 colonies. Operates the abeilles.ch portal alongside BienenSchweiz's bienen.ch under the apisuisse umbrella, making it a direct linguistic-regional peer.
• American Beekeeping Federation: US national beekeeping trade association representing commercial and hobbyist beekeepers. Comparable role in advocacy, education, and industry representation, though operating at a larger commercial scale than BienenSchweiz.
• FTA – Federazione Ticinese di Apicoltura: Italian-speaking Swiss beekeeping association with ~500 active beekeepers managing ~8,000 colonies in Ticino. Sister association under apisuisse, sharing the bienen.ch platform with BienenSchweiz.

Emerging players

• Mellifera e.V. German beekeeping association focused on ecological, close-to-nature beekeeping. It overlaps with BienenSchweiz on wild bee conservation, organic apiculture, and beekeeper education, but emphasizes a specific ecological philosophy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BienenSchweiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bienenschweiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/bienenschweiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 BienenSchweiz