Karma Lama

What Karma Lama does

Karma Lama is a Swiss volunteering marketplace platform operated by the non-profit association Verein Helferherz, headquartered in Zürich and founded in 2022. The platform publicly launched in September 2023 and connects non-profit organizations (NPOs) with volunteers; as of the latest data, it hosts 60+ NPOs running active assignments and 1,900+ registered volunteers. Core technology consists of a web platform supplemented by native iOS and Android applications, plus a corporate volunteering dashboard aimed at employer CSR/HR buyers. Adjacent offerings include the Lama Labs content/program library, NPO advisory services, and a branded merchandise line (socks, t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, tote bags).

The business model blends commercial and non-commercial revenue streams. Commercial revenue comes from a three-tier annual subscription sold to NPOs (Starter CHF 300, Champion CHF 750, Professional CHF 1,600), merchandise sales at fixed unit prices, and a nascent corporate volunteering dashboard product. Donations are accepted via TWINT QR codes. The operating budget is materially underwritten by grants from Swiss foundations including Ernst Göhner Stiftung and Beisheim Stiftung, making Karma Lama structurally dependent on philanthropic capital rather than purely self-sustaining subscription economics. With 13 employees, the organization remains a small, early-stage operator concentrated in the Swiss market.

Name

Karma Lama

Legal name

Verein Helferherz

Website

https://freiwillig.karmalama.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Karma Lama is a Swiss non-profit volunteering marketplace, operated by Verein Helferherz, that connects 60+ NPOs with 1,900+ registered volunteers via a web platform, mobile apps, and a corporate volunteering dashboard, monetizing through NPO subscriptions, merchandise, donations, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. NPO Subscription Plans: Three-tier annual subscription model for non-profit organizations: Starter (CHF 300/year) for single organization profile with unlimited completed assignments, Champion (CHF 750/year) for up to 3 profiles with digital visibility, and Professional (CHF 1,600/year) for up to 7 profiles with digital visibility. All tiers include unlimited completed assignments.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded merchandise including socks (CHF 19), t-shirts in various colors (CHF 39), sweatshirts (CHF 69), caps (CHF 39), and tote bags (CHF 19). Products made from certified organic/recycled materials. Revenue supports the association behind Karma Lama.
3. Donations: Direct donations via TWINT QR code supporting Verein Helferherz, the non-profit association behind Karma Lama
4. Funding/Grants: Funding from foundation partners including Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Beisheim Stiftung, Cornelius Knüpffer Stiftung, MBF Foundation, Primavera Stiftung, Grütli Stiftung Zürich, Walder Stiftung, and Mobiliar

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Karma Lama operates a digital volunteering marketplace connecting individual volunteers with Swiss non-profit organizations (NPOs) across categories including inclusion, environment, integration, sport and culture, and elderly care. The platform supports NPOs with subscription-based management dashboards and corporates with employee volunteering dashboards, and is accessible via web and native mobile apps (iOS/Android).

Product overview

Karma Lama is a Swiss non-profit volunteering platform operated by the association 'Verein Helferherz' based in Zurich. The core offering is a digital marketplace connecting volunteers with non-profit organizations across Switzerland. The platform consists of the main Karma Lama Volunteering Platform (core product), NPO Dashboard & Management Tools, Corporate Volunteering Dashboard, and Lama Labs (own mission development program). The company offers tiered subscription plans for NPOs (Starter at CHF 300, Champion at CHF 750, and Professional at CHF 1,600 per year) with varying profile allowances and digital visibility features. Additional services include NPO Advisory & Training, a merchandise Shop, and a Mobile App for iOS and Android. The platform enables booking across volunteer categories including Inclusion & Social Work, Environment & Nature, Integration & Migration, Sport & Culture, and Age & Generations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Karma Lama Volunteering Platform
• NPO Dashboard & Management Tools

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ NPOs with active assignments on platform
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FNZminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner providing valuable exchange and collaboration on shared journey towards promoting volunteering in Switzerland.
• OnywaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Karma Lama's network, contributing to knowledge exchange and community building.
• MajiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Karma Lama's network, contributing to shared mission of social engagement.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Idealist: Global non-profit job and volunteer listing platform; overlaps with Karma Lama in volunteer opportunity discovery and NPO recruitment, with a more job-board-oriented interface.
• VolunteerHub: Volunteer management software for non-profits including opportunity posting, scheduling, and reporting; comparable to Karma Lama's NPO Dashboard subscription product.
• Benevity: Corporate volunteering, giving, and grant-making platform; overlaps with Karma Lama specifically in the Corporate Volunteering Dashboard product line, serving enterprise CSR buyers.
• VolunteerMatch: Long-standing US online platform connecting volunteers with non-profits via searchable listings; closely mirrors Karma Lama's core marketplace functionality and self-service volunteer experience.
• GoVolunteer: Australia-based digital platform matching volunteers with non-profits via self-service sign-up and category browsing — the closest international analogue to Karma Lama's volunteer-to-NPO marketplace model.
• Benevol Schweiz: Swiss umbrella for regional volunteer centers offering volunteer matching and NPO support services; directly comparable as a domestic incumbent in the same geography and target market as Karma Lama.

Emerging players

• HelperHelper: Volunteer engagement platform focused on student and community volunteer tracking; an emerging peer with similar self-service volunteer signup and organizational dashboards.
• Deed: Corporate impact platform offering volunteering, donations, and tracking for employees; an emerging peer in the same corporate-volunteering category that Karma Lama targets.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Large US-based volunteer infrastructure organization operating the HandsOn Network; comparable in mission to mobilize volunteers through structured programs, though at much greater scale and breadth.
• Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz Volunteer Matching: The Swiss Red Cross operates its own volunteer engagement and matching programs nationally; serves the same volunteer/NPO audience in Switzerland but as part of a much larger humanitarian organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/karmalama
• Instagraminstagram.com/karmalama_ch
• TikToktiktok.com/@karmalama_ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Karma Lama