Epona

What Epona does

Epona is a Swiss insurance carrier headquartered in Lausanne that underwrites health and accident coverage exclusively for animals. Founded in 1901, it operates as the only Swiss insurer dedicated solely to animal health, serving four policyholder segments: companion animal (dog and cat) owners, horse owners, farmers, and professional breeders. Its product portfolio is tiered — Variante A/B/C for dogs and cats and PRIMA/OPTIMA/ULTIMA for horses — with 90% reimbursement rates, coverage ceilings from CHF 10,000 to CHF 50,000, and a stated two-week claims processing window. Epona also offers farm animal, cattle, and bird coverage, and bundles ASSISTA pet assistance through Europ Assistance and the EQUINEA equestrian partner program as value-added services.

The company runs a subscription-based premium model with annual billing as the default and monthly, semi-annual, or quarterly installment options, with pricing varying by species, plan tier, animal age, and region. Distribution is dual-channel: direct-to-consumer through the Epona website and MyEpona portal, and B2B via veterinary clinics, partner stables, and animal-health businesses — the latter channel is being actively built out through a newly created B2B Sales Director role. Operationally, the company operates with roughly 24 employees and transitioned from Epona Coopérative to Epona SA in December 2021. As of January 1, 2026, Epona is fully integrated into Vaudoise Générale, making it an in-house animal-insurance division of an established Swiss insurance group rather than a separately managed entity.

Brand and ecosystem are central to the value proposition: Epona runs the Challenge Epona equestrian competition series, the Partner Stables program, and publishes ongoing educational content on animal health. Its strategic posture is that of a specialist niche carrier leveraging 125 years of brand equity, a focused product set, and now the capital and regulatory backing of the Vaudoise group to compete in the Swiss animal insurance market.

Name

Epona

Legal name

Epona SA

Website

https://epona.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Epona is a Lausanne-based Swiss insurance carrier, founded in 1901 and now integrated into Vaudoise Générale, that underwrites health and accident coverage exclusively for animals — dogs, cats, horses, livestock, and birds — sold directly to pet owners, equestrians, farmers, and breeders and through veterinary-clinic partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pet and Animal Insurance

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Pet Insurance (FSAJAKAG)

Keywords

• Pet health insurance
• Equine insurance coverage
• Livestock mortality insurance
• Veterinary cost reimbursement
• Animal insurance plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animal Insurance Premiums: Epona generates revenue through annual insurance premiums charged to policyholders for pet and livestock insurance coverage. Premiums are quoted annually and can be paid monthly with supplements, semi-annually, or quarterly. The company offers tiered insurance products for dogs, cats, horses, cattle, farm animals, and birds, with reimbursement rates of up to 90% of veterinary costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Epona sells annual subscription-based insurance policies for companion and farm animals in Switzerland, covering dogs, cats, horses, cattle, farm animals (sheep, goats, alpacas, ostriches, etc.), and birds. Products reimburse up to 90% of veterinary costs with annual ceilings of CHF 10,000 to CHF 50,000 depending on plan tier, covering accidents, diseases (including hereditary and chronic), surgery, complementary medicine, and prevention. The company also offers professional/business insurance for breeders, riding schools, and veterinary practices, plus the ASSISTA 24/7 assistance package and an exclusive EQUINEA equine massage therapy benefit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dog Insurance — Variante A / B / C
• Cat Insurance — Variante A / B / C
• Horse Insurance — PRIMA / OPTIMA / ULTIMA
• Cattle Insurance
• Farm Animal Insurance Death-risk insurance for farm animals in Switzerland including sheep, goats, camels, llamas, alpacas, ostriches, emus, and pigs, covering losses from disease or accident and replacement costs.
• Bird Insurance Death-risk insurance for birds in Switzerland, including exotic birds, parrots, and birds of prey, providing financial protection against the loss of the animal and replacement costs.
• Professional Animal Business Insurance Group or business insurance solutions for professional breeders, shelters, boarding facilities, riding schools, equestrian centers, and stud farms in Switzerland. Coverage includes treatment costs, death, theft, disappearance, and liability for animals under professional care. Sold through Epona's dedicated B2B field sales team.
• ASSISTA Assistance Package 24/7 assistance package for horses provided in partnership with Europ Assistance (Suisse), covering veterinary search, transport to the nearest clinic (max CHF 2,000), owner accommodation during hospitalization (max CHF 500), and emergency medical advances abroad (max CHF 3,000). Included in the ULTIMA horse plan and optional on PRIMA and OPTIMA plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reimbursement processed within 2 weeks of complete claim submission
• +2 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vaudoise Assurances / Groupe VaudoisecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Vaudoise Assurances supported the creation of Epona SA in December 2021. As of 01.01.2026, Epona was fully integrated into Vaudoise Générale. This integration provides Epona with the financial backing, regulatory standing, and operational infrastructure of one of Switzerland's leading insurance groups while Epona continues as a brand serving all animal owners.
• EQUINEAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpona has an exclusive partnership with EQUINEA, a specialist in equine massage therapy. Through this partnership, ULTIMA plan policyholders can access EQUINEA-certified massage therapists, with treatments prescribed by a vet and covered under the insurance policy. Epona also offers a free online EQUINEA workshop to all customers as a onboarding benefit.
• Europ Assistance (Suisse)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurop Assistance (Suisse) provides the ASSISTA assistance package for horses, which is included in ULTIMA and optional in PRIMA and OPTIMA plans. Services include 24/7 veterinary search, transport to the nearest clinic (max CHF 2,000), owner accommodation during hospitalization (max CHF 500), and emergency medical advance abroad (max CHF 3,000).
• Partner Stables (Écuries partenaires)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEpona's Partner Stables program enrolls equestrian facilities across French-speaking Switzerland to co-promote Epona insurance, sponsor competitions, and provide visibility. Benefits include Challenge Epona sponsorship, dedicated horse insurance for competitions, annual signage placement, and promotional material distribution in stables.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epona.

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 Epona