Glaces Veneta Sàrl

What Glaces Veneta Sàrl does

Glaces Veneta Sàrl is a privately held Swiss artisan ice cream producer and retailer, operating under the legal entity formerly known as L'Artisan Glacier SA. The business traces its origins to 1935 in Tuscany, Italy, where the founder established a tradition of artisan gelato making that was carried to Lausanne, Switzerland in 1977 when the second generation opened the family's first Gelateria. Today the company is led by third-generation owner Paolo Gervasi, who joined the family business in 1985 and learned the production methods directly from his parents. The product line consists of two core offerings: handcrafted ice creams (glaces artisanales) and whole-fruit sorbets, available in over 45 flavors, all produced without artificial flavorings. Production takes place at a dedicated facility at Route de la Conversion 261 in La Conversion, opened in 2008, which introduced modern production techniques while preserving the traditional recipes passed down since 1935.

The company's go-to-market is a direct-to-consumer model with no wholesale, HoReCa, or e-commerce distribution documented. Sales occur through two physical retail points: the original Lausanne gelateria opened in 1977 and the Kiosque Ouchy lakefront location, plus the option for customers to order directly from the production laboratory. Distribution is strictly regional, limited to the Vaud canton of Switzerland, with no evidence of cross-border or international sales. The company employs 11 people and operates without any disclosed outside investors, parent company, or external capital. Its marketing footprint is minimal, consisting of a basic company website and no disclosed social media presence.

The business model is a single-product consumer retail operation with one revenue stream: artisan ice cream and sorbet sales. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue model is evident. The customer base is composed entirely of individual consumers seeking natural, traditionally produced gelato, with no B2B segment or enterprise customer identified. The company's competitive position rests on three generations of brand heritage, proprietary family recipes, and direct artisan expertise, with no technology, AI, or data-driven differentiation evident in the available data.

Name

Glaces Veneta Sàrl

Legal name

L'Artisan Glacier SA

Website

https://glaces-veneta.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Glaces Veneta Sàrl is a Swiss family-owned artisan ice cream and sorbet producer, founded in 1935 in Tuscany and operating in Lausanne, Switzerland. Serving individual consumers through two retail locations and a direct-from-laboratory order channel, it offers over 45 natural-flavor varieties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Artisan Ice Cream and Sorbet Retail: Direct retail sales of artisan ice cream and sorbets to consumers through physical gelateria locations and direct laboratory orders. Products include over 45 flavors of ice cream and sorbets made without artificial flavors, with sorbets composed of full fruits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Glaces Veneta Sàrl manufactures and retails artisan ice creams and sorbets under family recipes originating in Tuscany in 1935. The company produces over 45 flavors at its La Conversion production facility, offering handcrafted glaces artisanales and full-fruit sorbets made without artificial flavors, and sells them through its own gelateria locations and direct laboratory orders in the Vaud region of Switzerland.

Product overview

Glaces Veneta is a single-product artisan ice cream company offering handcrafted ice creams and sorbets. The company produces over 45 flavors using traditional family recipes from Tuscany, brought to Lausanne in 1977. Their product line consists of two main offerings: artisan ice creams (glaces artisanales) and whole-fruit sorbets. All products are made without artificial additives at their production facility in La Conversion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Glaces artisanales (Artisan Ice Creams)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• GROM: GROM is an Italian artisan gelato chain founded in Turin with similar heritage positioning and small-batch gelato and sorbet production. It is directly comparable to Glaces Veneta as a family-rooted Italian gelato maker that has scaled into multi-outlet retail, making it the closest direct peer for business model and craft.
• Venchi: Venchi is a historic Italian chocolate and gelato producer founded in 1878, combining traditional artisan methods with own-brand retail distribution. Comparable to Glaces Veneta on Italian artisan heritage, integrated production, and direct retail of premium frozen desserts and confectionery.
• Gelati Pepino 1884: Gelati Pepino is a Turin-based artisan gelato maker founded in 1884, famous for traditional recipes including Pinguino. Its multi-generational artisan heritage, small-batch Italian gelato production, and retail storefronts make it directly comparable to Glaces Veneta.
• Antica Gelateria del Corso: An independent artisan gelateria operating in the Ticino/Swiss Italian border region with traditional Italian gelato and sorbet production. Comparable to Glaces Veneta as a small-batch artisan Italian-style gelato maker serving the Swiss market through own retail.

Broad incumbents

• Mövenpick (ice cream): Mövenpick is a Swiss premium ice cream brand with broad retail and foodservice distribution across Switzerland. It competes in the same premium Swiss ice cream category as Glaces Veneta but operates at significantly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs is a globally established premium ice cream brand owned by Nestlé, with widespread retail and scoop-shop distribution in Switzerland. It overlaps with Glaces Veneta in the premium ice cream positioning but competes via industrial-scale manufacturing rather than artisan craft.
• Ben & Jerry's: Ben & Jerry's is an international super-premium ice cream brand sold widely through Swiss grocery and scoop shops. It shares the premium, story-driven, no-artificial-ingredients positioning with Glaces Veneta but competes as a globally distributed industrial incumbent.
• Nestlé Suisse (ice cream division): Nestlé's Swiss operations include industrial ice cream production and distribution of brands such as Häagen-Dazs, Mövenpick, and Extrême. It is the dominant incumbent shaping the competitive environment in which Glaces Veneta operates as a small artisan alternative.

Emerging players

• Amorino: Amorino is a European artisan gelato chain with multiple Swiss locations offering handcrafted gelato in a flower-petal presentation. Comparable to Glaces Veneta in product category (artisan Italian-style gelato) and DTC retail model, but with broader European scale and brand recognition.
• Cold Stone Creamery: Cold Stone Creamery is an international scoop-shop franchise specializing in customized premium ice cream. It overlaps with Glaces Veneta on the premium ice cream retail storefront model but competes on customization and brand rather than traditional artisan craft.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Glaces Veneta Sàrl