Hôpiclowns

What Hôpiclowns does

Hôpiclowns Genève is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1993 that delivers improvisational clown performances to pediatric, adult, and elderly patients in hospitals and care institutions across the Geneva region. Its three core programs — 'Visites magiques pour les enfants,' 'Visites surprenantes pour les adultes,' and 'Visites ensoleillées pour les aînés' — use trained clowns working in professional duos to create improvised, patient-centered encounters that are adapted in real time to medical context (including synchronization with respiratory rhythms and avoidance of interventions that could worsen breathing). The organization also offers professional training for healthcare workers ('Formation aux professionnels') on integrating humor and clown techniques into clinical care.

The underlying 'technology' is the specialized craft of medical-context clown improvisation, supported by ongoing artistic supervision (internal and external advisors) and medical-awareness training. Performances are never scripted; they are improvised based on patient reactions, which the EFHCO audit cited as a strength. The association holds the EFHCO Quality Label (June 2022, member since 2014) and is one of the few hospital clown organizations in the Geneva region with this third-party certification. Supporting offerings include the quarterly newsletter 'Nez en +,' published media (the 2026 commemorative book, the 2024 HOPISONG musical release), and an online boutique.

Hôpiclowns is funded entirely through donations and partnerships — it charges no fees to patients, families, or hospitals. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate partnerships (notably Accès Personnel, a BCorp-certified staffing agency, and Force Promotion SA, an outdoor advertising firm), recurring institutional giving (Institut International Notre-Dame du Lac contributes CHF 10 per extracurricular activity enrollment, exceeding CHF 70,000 cumulative since 2010), service-club fundraising (Kiwanis Genève Métropole operates a vin chaud stand at the Course de l'Escalade), and merchandise/book sales. Distribution is direct: teams of two clowns perform on-site at Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (Children's Hospital, Pediatric Pneumology, adult wards) and elder care institutions throughout Geneva. The 9-employee association serves patients at no cost and depends on continued donor engagement for sustainability.

Name

Hôpiclowns

Legal name

Association Hôpiclowns Genève

Website

https://hopiclowns.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hôpiclowns Genève is a Geneva-based non-profit association providing improvisational clown performances to pediatric, adult, and elderly patients in hospitals and care institutions across the Geneva region. Founded in 1993 and EFHCO quality-certified since 2022, the organization operates with a 9-person team funded entirely through donations and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Therapeutic Hospital Clown Services

NAICS

All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Entertainment Booking (Clowns, Characters, Princess Parties) (HSACAHAF)

Keywords

• Hospital clown services
• Therapeutic clowning
• Pediatric care visits
• Healthcare companion services
• Nonprofit hospital visits

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual donations: Direct donations from individuals, including special fundraising efforts such as the celebration party where parents of a former patient raised CHF 350 from friends.
2. Corporate partnerships: Regular financial support from companies like Accès Personnel (staffing agency) and Force Promotion SA (advertising), which contribute to operational funding.
3. Institutional partnerships with per-activity contributions: Notre-Dame du Lac school donates CHF 10 per extracurricular activity enrollment, totaling over CHF 70,000 since 2010. The Institut International Notre-Dame du Lac has been a partner since 2010, contributing CHF 10 per extra-curricular activity enrollment, with cumulative donations exceeding CHF 70,000.
4. Book and merchandise sales: Sale of commemorative books (such as the 30th anniversary book 'Hôpiclowns – une histoire de rencontres') and potentially other merchandise through the online boutique.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hôpiclowns is a Geneva-based non-profit association that delivers improvised clown performances in hospitals and care institutions to improve quality of life for patients. The organization fields professional duos of trained hospital clowns who perform in pediatric wards (Hôpital des Enfants), adult patient units, and elder care institutions, adapting each encounter spontaneously to the medical context and the patient's emotional state. Funding comes from donations, corporate sponsors, service clubs, and an educational partner.

Product overview

Hôpiclowns is a non-profit association providing improvisational clown performances in hospitals and care institutions across Geneva. The organization operates as a single unified service offering with three core programs: magical visits for children, surprising visits for adults, and sunny visits for seniors. The clowns create improvised game-show performances adapted to each patient encounter. Supporting offerings include professional training for healthcare workers, a quarterly newsletter (Nez en +), and commemorative publications. The organization has been operating for over 30 years and maintains quality certification through the European Federation of Hospital Clowns (EFHCO).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visites magiques pour les enfants (Magical visits for children) Improvisational clown duos visit pediatric patients in hospital wards (including H\u00f4pital des Enfants and pediatric departments at HUG) to deliver personalized, playful encounters that reduce anxiety during hospitalization and medical procedures such as blood draws and chemotherapy.
• Visites surprenantes pour les adultes (Surprising visits for adults) Clown duos visit adult patients in hospital wards to provide companionship, distraction, and emotional relief during treatment and inpatient stays.
• Visites ensoleill\u00e9es pour les a\u00een\u00e9s (Sunny visits for the elderly) Clown duos visit elderly residents of care institutions in the Geneva region, bringing joy, social connection, and emotional warmth to seniors in institutional settings.
• Formation aux professionnels (Professional training) Training services for healthcare professionals on incorporating humor and clown techniques into patient care settings, delivered to clinical staff in the Geneva region.
• HOPISONG Original song recorded collectively by the H\u00f4piclowns team with musician Christophe Magdinier at Atomic Records studio in Geneva in April 2024, released as part of the organization's artistic output.
• H\u00f4piclowns \u2013 une histoire de rencontres (commemorative book) Commemorative book celebrating 30 years of H\u00f4piclowns, containing stories and testimonials about the organization's impact on patients and families, sold via the online boutique.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,600 children-adolescents and their families have benefited from Hôpiclowns visits supported by a single corporate partner (Accès Personnel)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Federation of Hospital Clowns (EFHCO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2014Hôpiclowns has been a member of EFHCO since February 2014. The federation provides quality standards, peer recognition, and professional legitimacy for the hospital clown profession. In June 2022, Hôpiclowns obtained the EFHCO Quality Label following an independent audit confirming the association's operational excellence and financial health.
• Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing institutional partnership with Geneva University Hospitals. Hôpiclowns clowns regularly visit the Hôpital des Enfants (Children's Hospital), pediatric departments, and intensive care units. Medical staff actively refer patients and collaborate with clowns during consultations and procedures.
• Force Promotion SAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForce Promotion SA has supported Hôpiclowns since 2017. The company specializes in premium outdoor advertising space in Geneva (rooftop signs on the lake, hypercenter displays, hotels). Their support includes promotional visibility for the association.
• Kiwanis Genève MétropoleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKiwanis Genève Métropole has supported Hôpiclowns since 2011. Club members operate a vin chaud (mulled wine) stand at the Course de l'Escalade event to raise funds for Hôpiclowns.
• Sidrik BlalminorOthersSidrik Blal has been a volunteer IT professional for Hôpiclowns since October 2016. He handles design, development, and maintenance of the association's intranet, web, and database systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Red Noses International: International network of hospital clown organizations operating across multiple European countries. Comparable mission, professional clown methodology, and member-organization structure (analogous to EFHCO membership).
• Theodora Foundation: Swiss-based international foundation deploying professional clowns ('Giggle Doctors') in hospitals and care institutions across Europe. Closest geographic and operational peer, with very similar mission, performer model, and hospital partnerships.
• Hearts & Minds: UK-based charity using professional artists including clowns in healthcare settings. Comparable mission and methodology of arts-in-health intervention in pediatric and adult care.
• Docteurs Clowns: Swiss non-profit hospital clown association active in French-speaking Switzerland. Directly comparable service offering, donor-funded model, and pediatric hospital focus.
• Le Rire Médecin: Leading French hospital clown organization operating in pediatric wards across France, with a comparable model of professional duo clowns trained in medical settings and a non-profit funding base. Directly comparable mission, methodology, and patient population.
• Humorant: Swiss hospital clown association providing therapeutic clown visits in healthcare facilities. Same service offering, donor-funded structure, and EFHCO-aligned professional standards.

Emerging players

• Doutores da Alegria: Brazilian hospital clown organization operating in pediatric hospitals with a similar professional clown methodology. Comparable mission and service model but operates in a distinct geographic and healthcare context.

Broad incumbents

• Cliniclowns (CliniClowns Nederland): One of the largest and longest-established hospital clown organizations globally, active in multiple countries with a broader international footprint. Comparable service model but operates at significantly larger scale than Hôpiclowns.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSv949qw9M4-lKln1S1yTww
• Facebookfacebook.com/hopiclown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/h%C3%B4piclowns
• Instagraminstagram.com/hopiclowns/?hl=fr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hôpiclowns