IRAS COTIS

What IRAS COTIS does

IRAS COTIS (Interreligiöse Arbeitsgemeinschaft in der Schweiz) is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) founded in 1992 and headquartered in Zürich, with legal domicile in Basel. It operates as a national network of approximately 70 religious communities and organizations spanning eight faith traditions — Alevite, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, and Sikh — coordinating interreligious dialogue, reducing prejudice, and supporting social cohesion in Switzerland's multireligious society. Its core offerings include four product lines: religion.ch (an online exchange platform launched 2021 providing factual religious knowledge), Dialogue en Route (a youth-led guided site visit program launched 2017), Woche der Religionen (an annual nationwide event series with 100+ events established 2007), and Kalender der Religionen (an annual publication sold to schools and the public at 11–16 CHF per copy). Regional interreligious forums in 8+ cantons are coordinated through the headquarters secretariat.

The organization is financed through four streams: church subsidies (52% of funding) from the Swiss Bishops' Conference, Roman Catholic Central Conference, Protestant churches, and other religious bodies; member fees from ~70 organizations (17%); supporting organization contributions (14%); and donations (17%). The technology foundation is a WordPress CMS-hosted website with conventional third-party integrations (Google Analytics, AdWords, Facebook Pixel, Mouseflow) and a bimonthly email newsletter. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Governance is exercised through a board with representatives from each major faith community; Abduselam Halilovic assumed the presidency in April 2026 following Rifa'at Lenzin's 15-year tenure, with Katja Joho serving as managing director since 2013.

Name

IRAS COTIS

Legal name

IRAS COTIS (Interreligiöse Arbeitsgemeinschaft in der Schweiz)

Website

https://iras-cotis.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Interreligious Dialogue and Religious Literacy Services

NAICS

Religious Organizations (813110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

Keywords

• Interreligious dialogue
• Religious education resources
• Cultural diversity programs
• Community network coordination
• Religious literacy publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Church Subsidies: Majority funding (52%) from church organizations including the Swiss Bishops' Conference, Roman Catholic Central Conference, Protestant churches, and other religious organizations.
2. Member Fees: Annual membership fees from approximately 70 member organizations (17% of funding)
3. Organizational Contributions: Contributions from Trägerorganisationen (supporting organizations) (14% of funding)
4. Donations: Public donations and project-specific donations supporting IRAS COTIS and its projects (religion.ch, Dialogue en Route, Woche der Religionen) (17% of funding)
5. Publication Sales: Sales revenue from Kalender der Religionen (Calendar of Religions) - 16 CHF per copy with bulk discounts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IRAS COTIS operates a national interreligious network in Switzerland, coordinating dialogue, exchange, and collaboration among approximately 70 religious communities and organizations across Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Bahá'í, and Alevi traditions. It delivers this mission through four flagship programs: the religion.ch online knowledge platform, the Dialogue en Route youth-guided tour program, the annual Woche der Religionen (Week of Religions) event series, and the Kalender der Religionen (Calendar of Religions) publication.

Product overview

IRAS COTIS offers a portfolio of interreligious dialogue programs and resources rather than a traditional technology product. The core offerings include religion.ch (an online exchange platform providing religious knowledge), Dialogue en Route (a youth-focused guided tour program), the annual Woche der Religionen (Week of Religions) event, and the Kalender der Religionen (Calendar of Religions) publication. These initiatives work together to promote interreligious understanding through education, encounters, and networking across Switzerland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• religion.ch: An exchange platform providing insights into how religions are practiced in Switzerland and factual knowledge on religion-related topics from various perspectives.
• Dialogue en Route
• Woche der Religionen (Week of Religions)
• Kalender der Religionen (Calendar of Religions)

Products and services

• religion.ch An online exchange platform launched in summer 2021 that provides insights into how religions are practiced in Switzerland and offers factual knowledge on religion-related topics from multiple perspectives for the general public, schools, and authorities.
• Dialogue en Route A project launched in summer 2017 that invites youth and young adults to discover the religious-cultural diversity of Switzerland through guided visits to religious sites and urban routes, with young volunteer guides facilitating encounters, dialogue, and learning experiences.
• Woche der Religionen (Week of Religions) An annual national event series established in 2007 featuring over 100 events across Switzerland each year to promote dialogue between people of different religions and backgrounds.
• Kalender der Religionen (Calendar of Religions)

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Editions AgoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration for translation and marketing of the German edition of the Kalender der Religionen. Editions Agora (formerly Enbiro) handles publishing while IRAS COTIS provides content expertise.
• religion.ch PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange platform launched summer 2021 providing insights into how religions are practiced in Switzerland, offering factual knowledge on religious topics from multiple perspectives.
• Dialogue en RoutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject launched 2017 offering encounters, dialogue and learning experiences at religious sites with young adults as active guides, making religious-cultural diversity accessible to the public.
• Woche der Religionen (Week of Religions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual nationwide event series established 2007, featuring 100+ events across Switzerland promoting dialogue between people of different religions and backgrounds.
• Plateforme interreligieuse de Genève (PFIR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint publication of the 9 Principles for Multireligious Society (2018), building on PFIR's 2016 work to promote reflection and discussion within religious communities and public.
• Regional Interreligious Forums (Aargau, Basel, Bern, Geneva, Thurgau, Schaffhausen, Zurich, etc.)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of regional interreligious working groups coordinated by IRAS COTIS at national level, including Runder Tisch der Religionen Bern, Zürcher Forum der Religionen, Interreligiöses Forum Basel, and others.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KAICIID (King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue): A Vienna-headquartered intergovernmental interreligious dialogue centre with a similar mission of fostering dialogue between religious communities and producing educational content. Directly comparable as a national/regional interfaith convener with a programmatic portfolio.
• International Council of Christians and Jews (ICCJ): Global umbrella organization for national Christian-Jewish dialogue bodies, fostering interreligious cooperation worldwide. Comparable as a network organization convening faith communities through dialogue, education, and conferences.
• Interfaith America: US-based interfaith organization that convenes religious communities across faith traditions to build cooperation, with educational programming, convenings, and a focus on the public square. Directly comparable in mission, programmatic approach, and emphasis on pluralism.
• Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ): UK interfaith organization founded in 1942 to build Christian-Jewish relations, now expanded to multi-faith work. Closely comparable in convening, educational programming, and policy advocacy at the national level.
• Schweizerischer Rat der Religionen (Swiss Council of Religions): National-level Swiss interreligious council representing major religious communities to government and public bodies. Most direct domestic peer — both coordinate interfaith dialogue across Switzerland and serve as institutional voices on religious matters.
• Plateforme interreligieuse de Genève (PFIR): Geneva-based regional interreligious platform already partnered with IRAS COTIS (joint publication of the 9 Principles for Multireligious Society). Operates a near-identical model of interfaith convening, public statements, and dialogue at the regional level.
• Zürcher Forum der Religionen: Zurich-based regional interreligious forum coordinated under IRAS COTIS's national network. Operates with similar mandate to facilitate interfaith dialogue and understanding at the local level in Switzerland's largest city.

Broad incumbents

• Religions for Peace: The world's largest multi-religious coalition with affiliated interreligious councils in many countries, including Switzerland. Operates a global network coordinating national interfaith bodies on a much larger scale, with similar convening, dialogue, and policy advocacy functions.
• World Council of Churches: Major international ecumenical organization with hundreds of member churches; one of IRAS COTIS's largest financial supporters (via member churches) and a major interreligious convener globally. Operates at much larger scale but overlapping mission in faith-based dialogue and cooperation.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iras-cotis

Compliance2 records

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 IRAS COTIS