FH SCHWEIZ

What FH SCHWEIZ does

FH SCHWEIZ is a Swiss non-profit umbrella association (Dachverband) headquartered in Zürich that represents over 80,000 graduates of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) across more than 40 member alumni organizations. Founded over 20 years ago and operating under the legal name Dachverband Absolvent:innen Fachhochschulen, it is the only national-level body unifying all FH graduates across disciplines (business, engineering, health, social work, design, hospitality). The organization operates under the trilingual brands FH SCHWEIZ (German), HES SUISSE (French), and SUP SVIZZERA (Italian), with a 33-person staff and an active governance structure led by President Benjamin Mühlemann (Ständerat) and an incoming Managing Director Sabine Östlund (effective September 2026).

The association runs an integrated digital platform ecosystem serving as the primary value delivery layer for members. Core platforms include fhconnect.ch (alumni network/membership management), fhjobs.ch (job portal with 50,000+ listings for FH graduates), fhmaster.ch (master program search), fhlohn.ch (salary benchmarking built on 12,000+ salary profiles), fhnews.ch (content/news platform), meindschungel.ch (career orientation for prospective students), and titelumwandlung.ch (retroactive FH title acquisition). Technology is delivered through third-party partners including Strichpunkt GmbH (design/development), Brevo/Sendinblue (email and CRM communications), and VGS Datenschutzpartner (EEA GDPR representation). No proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.

FH SCHWEIZ generates revenue through four primary streams: (1) individual and organizational membership fees (annual subscriptions, with free SKV co-membership bundled); (2) advertising and media sales across newsletter (40,000 subscribers), website (20,000 monthly visitors), and themed publications like the Karriere-Special eSpecial; (3) corporate partnerships including the fhfriends program (CHF 1,500/year for employer visibility) and Club 500 premium membership; and (4) partnership/affiliate arrangements with insurance (Sanitas, Helsana, SWICA, CSS, Visana, ÖKK, Protekta/Mobiliar), banking (Bank Cler, Valiant, VIAC), media (NZZ at CHF 486/year member rate), and credit card (alumniCARD by BonusCard) providers that yield referral economics. The organization complements operating revenue with the affiliated Stiftung FH SCHWEIZ foundation. The 2026 period is characterized by significant leadership transition (new President, new Managing Director) and expansion via four new member organizations.

Name

FH SCHWEIZ

Legal name

Dachverband Absolvent:innen Fachhochschulen

Website

https://fhschweiz.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FH SCHWEIZ is a Swiss non-profit umbrella association headquartered in Zürich that represents over 80,000 graduates of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences across 40+ member alumni organizations, providing membership services, a job portal, master program search, salary benchmarking, and federal-level policy advocacy for the FH title.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual membership fees, alumni organization membership fees, and Club 500 premium membership (CHF 1500 annually for corporate fhfriends supporters).
2. Advertising & Media: Revenue from advertising across multiple digital platforms (fhschweiz.ch, fhnews.ch, fhjobs.ch, fhmaster.ch), newsletter placements to 40,000 subscribers, special themed publications (eSpecial branded content), and event sponsorships.
3. Member Benefits & Partnerships: Partnership arrangements with insurance providers (Sanitas, Helsana, ÖKK, SWICA, Protekta/Mobiliar, CSS, Visana), banks (Bank Cler, Valiant, VIAC), and corporate partners providing commissions or referral fees to members.
4. FH-Lohnstudie (Salary Study): Access fees for detailed salary data from approximately 12,000 profiles, sold as logins for market benchmarking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

FH SCHWEIZ is a national non-profit umbrella association serving graduates of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen), offering individual and organizational membership, advocacy for FH title recognition, an integrated digital ecosystem of career and education platforms (fhjobs.ch, fhmaster.ch, fhlohn.ch, fhconnect.ch, fhnews.ch), signature networking events (FH-Forum, FH-Nacht, Delegiertenversammlung, Nationaler Bildungspreis), and partner benefits spanning insurance, banking, and discount programs.

Product overview

FH SCHWEIZ operates a unified platform ecosystem serving as the national umbrella association for graduates of Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen). The portfolio centers on member services including the fhconnect.ch alumni network platform, complemented by specialized web platforms: fhnews.ch for news, fhjobs.ch for job search, fhmaster.ch for master program discovery, fhlohn.ch for salary research, and meindschungel.ch for career orientation. Additional services include title conversion (titelumwandlung.ch), exclusive Club 500 membership, corporate fhfriends partnerships, and the alumniCARD benefit program. These interconnected platforms serve over 80,000 members across the FH graduate community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• fhnews.ch: News platform featuring stories, faces and opinions from the FH world
• fhjobs.ch
• fhmaster.ch
• fhlohn.ch
• FH-NTE / Titelumwandlung
• meindschungel.ch
• fhconnect.ch
• Club 500
• fhfriends
• alumniCARD by BonusCard

Products and services

• fhnews.ch News platform featuring stories, perspectives, and opinions from the FH (University of Applied Sciences) world, serving as a central news hub for members and the broader FH community.
• fhjobs.ch Job portal for FH graduates, offering 50,000+ job listings and career opportunities specifically targeting University of Applied Sciences graduates in Switzerland.
• fhmaster.ch Master program search platform allowing users to search and compare continuing education programs across Swiss Universities of Applied Sciences, with an integrated info events calendar.
• fhlohn.ch (FH-Lohnstudie) FH salary study platform providing salary information and data analysis based on approximately 12,000 profiles, evaluated by industry, function, and region. Access via subscription with member discount.
• FH-NTE (titelumwandlung.ch) Platform for the retroactive acquisition of FH titles, providing official information and counseling for individuals seeking to obtain recognized FH credentials under the Professional Bachelor title framework.
• meindschungel.ch Career orientation platform for students, teachers, and companies, helping prospective students explore educational and career paths in the FH system through ambassador profiles and resources.
• fhconnect.ch Alumni network platform enabling members to connect, access exclusive events, and maintain professional relationships within the FH graduate community.
• Club 500 Exclusive membership circle for personal supporters who wish to demonstrate deeper commitment to FH SCHWEIZ, offering exclusive invitations to fireside chats and special events.
• fhfriends corporate partnership Corporate partnership program allowing companies to support FH SCHWEIZ's national activities and gain visibility through portrait display and national positioning for CHF 1,500 annually.
• alumniCARD by BonusCard Co-branded credit card with BonusCard offering no annual fee, bonus program, travel insurance, and welcome bonuses, available to alumni of participating universities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80,000 FH graduates represented through 40+ member organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Google SwitzerlandflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Google Switzerland hosted the FH SCHWEIZ Delegiertenversammlung 2026 at their Zürich office (Europaallee). Country Director Christine Antlanger-Winter provided insights on AI and Google's role in Switzerland. Event included AI demonstrations by Anton Aschwanden and networking opportunities for 200+ attendees.
• SwissSkillscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwissSkills partnership for promoting professional skills competitions and vocational/professional education recognition. FH SCHWEIZ participates in SwissSkills 2025 initiatives.
• swissuniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on doctorate cooperation programs between FH/PH and universities, BFI messaging advocacy, and higher education policy coordination. FH SCHWEIZ actively advocates for independent doctorate programs at FH institutions.
• Bank Cler (Zak)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive banking partnership offering FH-SCHWEIZ members CHF 50 starting credit with Zak banking app. No account fees, free debit card, no charges for account statements or tax documents.
• Protekta Rechtsschutz (Mobiliar)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegal insurance partnership offering members up to 15% discount on private and traffic legal protection. New Comfort package includes personality rights/internet protection, copyright, tax law, building law, marriage law, and inheritance law coverage.
• SanitasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth insurance partnership offering attractive rates on supplementary insurance for members and their families.
• ÖKKminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing insurance partner offering favorable conditions to FH SCHWEIZ members on health and related insurance products.
• SWICAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealth insurance partnership providing preferential conditions for FH SCHWEIZ members.
• BonusCard (alumniCARD)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded alumniCARD with no annual fee, built-in bonus program, travel insurance, and welcome bonuses (e.g., CHF 75 for FHNW alumni). Available with logos of ZHAW Alumni, HSLU Alumni, alumniHWZ, and FHNW.
• Schweizerischer Kaderverband (SKV)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree SKV membership for FH-SCHWEIZ members (saving CHF 50 entry fee), offering access to attractive BVG solutions, risk insurance, daily sickness benefits, and accident insurance for management and self-employed.
• NZZminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive NZZ subscription offers for members: NZZ Pro at CHF 486/year (regular CHF 540) and NZZ U30 at CHF 99/year (regular CHF 130).
• RandstadminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIT career webinar partnership providing members with insights on CV optimization, soft skills importance, and converting market uncertainty into personal advantage.
• Doctor of Business Administration Association Switzerland (DBA-AS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated organization representing DBA program interests and providing Q&A resources about Doctor of Business Administration programs.
• Stiftung FH SCHWEIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFH SCHWEIZ Foundation supporting the association's mission and activities through dedicated funding and initiatives.
• LAAXminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for summer contest giving away two exclusive overnight stays in LAAX and various Pilatus experiences.
• Brands for StudentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive 100 CHF voucher for student shopping deals, featured in summer contest.
• solution+benefit GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMember benefits development partner creating solutions tailored to FH SCHWEIZ member needs with market expertise and expert network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EPFL Alumni: Alumni association for EPFL, providing a national umbrella for engineering graduates with similar membership, events, and career services. Directly comparable to FH SCHWEIZ in scope and structure but serves a different Swiss tertiary population.
• UZH Alumni: Alumni association for the University of Zurich, offering comparable membership tiers, networking events, and career services. Shares the same Swiss alumni market and targets a similar graduate demographic with lifelong-learning and professional development benefits.
• Alumni Universität Bern: Alumni network for the University of Bern, providing membership services, events, and networking benefits to graduates. Comparable in business model and target audience to FH SCHWEIZ, focused on a single Swiss university rather than the applied sciences segment.
• ETH Alumni: Alumni association for ETH Zürich, the most prestigious Swiss university, operating a comparable membership, networking, and lifelong-learning model for a similar premium graduate audience. Both are the national umbrella for their respective graduate populations and provide news, jobs, and events.

Others

• economiesuisse: Swiss Business Federation, the leading umbrella organization for the Swiss economy. Operates a similar membership-based advocacy model targeting policy and stakeholder engagement, though at a national industry level rather than a graduate-alumni level.
• Avenir Suisse: Swiss think tank for economic and social policy, sharing the same national policy advocacy orientation as FH SCHWEIZ. Both engage in long-form publication, events, and thought leadership aimed at influencing Swiss education and labor policy.
• SwissSkills: Foundation promoting professional and vocational skills in Switzerland and a strategic partner of FH SCHWEIZ. Operates in an adjacent segment of the Swiss education ecosystem (vocational/applied skills competitions) with similar event-driven policy and brand-building work.
• Swiss-American Society: Swiss membership association building cross-border professional networks among Swiss and American alumni and professionals. Comparable in its membership-driven events and networking model, though focused on Swiss-expat and binational professional networking rather than tertiary alumni.

Regional players

• Alumniportal Deutschland: Germany's national alumni network connecting graduates of German higher education institutions worldwide. Operates a comparable national umbrella model for graduates but does not compete in the Swiss market; useful as a structural model and benchmark for non-Swiss expansion.

Broad incumbents

• swissuniversities: The Rectors' Conference of Swiss Higher Education Institutions, a strategic partner of FH SCHWEIZ. Operates at the institutional rather than alumni level, but is a broader umbrella in the same higher education and policy advocacy space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fh-schweiz
• Instagraminstagram.com/fhschweiz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 FH SCHWEIZ