Gutsch

What Gutsch does

Gutsch Genossenschaft is a Swiss cooperative founded in 2021 that produces a single organic oat drink (Gutsch Haferdrink) specifically formulated for barista use in coffee bars. The product is composed of 10% Swiss Bio-Hafer, 3.3% organic sunflower oil, salt, red algae, and water sourced from Schlieren, with no chemical additives, and is contract-manufactured by partner Soyana in Schlieren from oats processed by Steiner Mühle in Zollbrück. The recipe is engineered to foam on espresso machines like cow's milk with a neutral taste profile that harmonizes with different coffee types.

The cooperative's go-to-market is exclusively community-led and member-gated. Businesses (coffee bars, roasteries, gastronomic venues) join as members for 500 CHF and purchase product at wholesale of 2.55-2.75 CHF/litre with a 720-litre minimum; private supporters join for 250 CHF and access the drink at partner establishments at 3.70-3.95 CHF/litre. Statutory rules explicitly prohibit retail sales, with the sole exception of cooperatively organized member stores. Distribution is operated through designated HUB locations and over 100 partner establishments across Switzerland and Liechtenstein, with logistics handled by Galliker Transport AG. Supply is sourced from four Swiss organic farms (Biohof Eisenmoos, Biohof Roth, Biohof Dietenrain plus a fourth) covering 10.2 hectares and producing 50 tonnes of oats as of harvest 2025.

The company is governed by co-CEOs Mathias Bühler (Adrianos) and Philipp Schallberger (Kaffeemacher:innen), alongside six additional co-founders drawn from the Swiss specialty coffee ecosystem (ViCAFE, algrano, unternehmen mitte, Crowd Container, Kaffeehaus SG, val&tin's garden). The full operating team is effectively two people at approximately 0.6 FTE combined. Gutsch describes itself as a "Community Project" focused on meaning-maximization rather than profit-maximization, with a disclosed cost stack (2.06 CHF/litre production cost and ~20% gross margin) published in a transparency section on its website.

Name

Gutsch

Legal name

Gutsch Genossenschaft

Website

https://gutsch-drink.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gutsch Genossenschaft is a Swiss cooperative producing a single barista-optimized organic oat drink from Swiss Bio-Hafer, distributed exclusively through 100+ partner coffee bars and roasteries via a member-gated model in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nuglar

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Oat drink product sales: Gutsch sells its Swiss Bio oat drink through a cooperative membership model. Businesses purchase membership (500 CHF) and buy product at wholesale prices (2.55–2.75 CHF/l). Private members pay 3.70–3.95 CHF/l at partner establishments. No retail sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Gutsch produces and distributes a Swiss organic oat drink (Haferdrink) made from 10% Swiss Bio oats, organic sunflower oil, red algae, salt, and Schlieren water, with no chemical additives. The product is specifically formulated for barista use in coffee bars, foaming on espresso machines like cow's milk with a neutral taste. Distribution is restricted to cooperative members—businesses and private supporters—through over 100 partner establishments across Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Product overview

Gutsch is a single-product Swiss organic oat drink company organized as a cooperative (Genossenschaft). The company produces one core product: Gutsch Haferdrink, which is distributed exclusively through cooperative member establishments (cafes, coffee bars, restaurants) in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. The cooperative model allows members to purchase the drink at wholesale prices and resell it to private consumers at their preferred retail price within a specified range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gutsch Haferdrink A Swiss organic oat drink containing 10% Swiss Bio oats, 3.3% organic sunflower oil, 1.2% red algae, 0.5% salt, and water from Schlieren. Contains no chemical additives and is developed specifically for coffee bars as an alternative to cow's milk—foaming on espresso machines like cow's milk with a neutral taste that harmonizes with all coffee types. Distributed exclusively to cooperative members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Swiss organic oat production from 4 farms covering 10.2 hectares, yielding 50 tonnes of oats annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and founding.

• Steiner Mühle (Zollbrück)coreTechnology or IntegrationSteiner Mühle in Zollbrück (Emmental) processes oats for Gutsch. The mill specializes in processing oats suitable for Gutsch's production requirements.
• Soyana (Schlieren)coreTechnology or IntegrationPartner Soyana produces Gutsch oat drink locally in Schlieren. Soyana handles the production of the oat drink using Swiss organic ingredients.
• Galliker Transport AGsupportingOthersProducts are transported to Galliker Transport AG for storage and distribution to partner establishments.
• Biohof Eisenmoos (Adrian & Karin Stucki)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organic farm producing oats specifically for Gutsch. Located in Tägertschi. Featured in oliv magazine (October 2025) for their commitment to soil-connected organic farming.
• Biohof Roth (Patrick & Stefanie Roth)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organic farm in Altwis that cultivates oats for Gutsch production.
• Biohof Dietenrain (Christoph Steiner)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss organic farm in Uster that produces oats for Gutsch.
• Marisa Munz (Crowd Container)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents Crowd Container.
• Gallus Hufenus (Kaffeehaus SG)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents Kaffeehaus SG.
• Pascal Herzog (ViCAFE)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents ViCAFE.
• Raphael Studer (algrano)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents algrano.
• Theresa Prüssen (unternehmen mitte)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents unternehmen mitte.
• Andrew Katumba (val&tin's garden)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founding member of Gutsch Genossenschaft. Represents val&tin's garden.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Minor Figures: Minor Figures produces a barista-optimized oat milk specifically designed for coffee applications, with a similar specialty-coffee-channel focus as Gutsch. Comparable product positioning, target customer (independent cafés, baristas), and brand ethos around plant-based alternatives.
• Oatly: Oatly is the global leader in barista-formulated oat milk, the same core product category as Gutsch. Both target coffee professionals and emphasize foaming performance on espresso machines, making Oatly the dominant direct competitor even within the Swiss specialty coffee channel.
• Bonsoy: Bonsoy produces premium organic soy and plant-based drinks with a specialty-coffee following. Comparable as a plant-based milk targeted at baristas and cafés seeking a high-quality alternative to dairy.
• Rude Health: Rude Health makes premium plant-based drinks including oat milk, distributed through specialty retail and foodservice. Comparable product range, premium positioning, and organic/clean-label emphasis mirror Gutsch's value proposition.
• Plenish: Plenish (Britvic) produces plant-based milks including oat, distributed in cafés and retail. Comparable product category with focus on clean-ingredient formulations targeted at coffee and foodservice customers.

Broad incumbents

• Joya: Joya (Eckes-Granini) is one of Europe's established plant-based beverage brands, including oat drinks sold in Swiss retail and foodservice. Comparable as a European plant-based competitor though broader in portfolio and mass-market positioning.
• Califia Farms: Califia Farms is a broad plant-based beverage company offering oat and almond milks, including barista versions. Comparable in product category though with much larger scale, broader SKU range, and North American market focus.
• Alpro: Alpro (Danone) is the largest plant-based beverage brand in Europe, offering oat, soy, almond, and other dairy alternatives. While far broader in scope than Gutsch, Alpro competes in the same Swiss barista channel and represents the mainstream incumbent Gutsch positions against.
• Provamel: Provamel (Alpro/Danone) offers organic plant-based drinks including oat milk with a focus on European markets. Comparable as an established organic plant-based beverage brand competing in similar retail and foodservice channels.

Emerging players

• Mooala: Mooala produces plant-based beverages including oat milk with a clean-ingredient positioning. Comparable niche emerging player in the dairy-alternative category though with a different geographic focus (US).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gutsch.drink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gutsch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Gutsch