Liberales Institut

What Liberales Institut does

Liberales Institut is a Swiss non-profit foundation (Stiftung) established in 1979 and headquartered in Zurich, with regional offices in Lausanne and Lugano to serve the country's German, French, and Italian-speaking populations. It operates as a classical liberal think tank that produces publications, hosts conferences, and runs educational programs, including the annual Liberty Summer School for 25 young talents aged 18-30. Core products include a multilingual publication shop selling physical books and e-books (ePUB, PDF), three proprietary indexes (International Property Rights Index, Index of Economic Freedom, Index of International Tax Competitiveness), the Bibliothek der Freiheit library of over 2,000 books in four languages, and a content ecosystem spanning the LI-Perspektiven newsletter, Denkanstösse articles, YouTube videos, and an active presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Spotify, and TikTok.

The institute's technology stack is a WordPress-based website with an integrated AI chatbot (KI-Chatbot, launched 2025) for knowledge retrieval about liberalism and the institute's offerings. E-commerce payments are processed via PayPal and Zahls.ch, email campaigns via Mailchimp, and analytics via Google Analytics. As a tax-exempt foundation under Swiss Civil Code Art. 80 ff., it operates exclusively on private support.

Its business model combines four revenue streams: (1) one-time book and e-book sales at tiered pricing (CHF 0-29.80, with discounts for students and Friends Circle members), (2) recurring annual memberships ranging from Student (CHF 60) to Patron of Liberty (CHF 50,000), (3) event and conference fees (e.g., Liberty Summer School at CHF 150 per participant, heavily subsidized by sponsors), and (4) tax-deductible donations via direct bank transfer, with donations up to CHF 999 qualifying for Friends Circle membership. Customer segments include the general public of liberal-minded supporters, young students aged 18-30, and major donors/sponsors, primarily served through the institute's own website, event channels, and a partner network of Swiss foundations that underwrite key programs.

Name

Liberales Institut

Legal name

Liberales Institut

Website

https://libinst.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Liberales Institut is a Swiss non-profit think tank founded in 1979 that promotes classical liberal ideas through publications, conferences, and the annual Liberty Summer School, serving German-, French-, Italian-, and English-speaking audiences across Switzerland via offices in Zurich, Lausanne, and Lugano.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: The institute operates an online shop selling books and e-books on liberal philosophy, economics, and political topics. Physical books and e-books (ePUB and PDF) are available at various price points.
2. Membership and Sponsorship Fees: Annual membership tiers including Friend (CHF 95-350), Patron, Student (CHF 60), and Sponsors (Bronze CHF 1,000 to Patron of Liberty CHF 50,000). Higher tiers receive expanded benefits including invitations to exclusive events and publications.
3. Donations: The institute relies exclusively on private support as a non-profit foundation. Donations can be made via direct bank transfer (IBAN: CH38 0023 5235 8401 5401 B) and are tax-deductible. Donations up to CHF 999 qualify for Friends Circle membership.
4. Event Fees: Revenue from conference attendance, with discounted rates for members and supporters. The Liberty Summer School charges CHF 150 per participant (heavily subsidized).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Liberales Institut is a Swiss non-profit think tank that publishes books, articles and indexes on classical liberal economics and political philosophy, operates an online shop, and runs educational programs including the annual Liberty Summer School and a series of conferences. It is funded by private donations and tiered memberships (Friend, Patron, Student, Sponsor), and serves as the Swiss partner institution of the International Property Rights Index.

Product overview

The Liberales Institut operates as a multi-product platform centered around classical liberal education and advocacy. The core offering includes an AI-powered chatbot for knowledge retrieval, a publication shop selling physical books and e-books on liberal economics and philosophy, the annual Liberty Summer School educational program, regular conferences and events, and three indexes tracking property rights, economic freedom, and tax competitiveness. Additional offerings include the Library of Liberty (with 2,000+ books), video content, a quiz, and newsletter subscription. The institute also offers tiered membership programs (Friends Circle and Supporters Circle) providing access to events and publications at various contribution levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bibliothek der Freiheit: The institute's own library comprising over 2,000 books in four languages offering intensive engagement with liberal intellectual tradition. Geared toward students and researchers for promotion of young talents.
• Liberty Summer School
• International Property Rights Index

Products and services

• Bücher (Books) Publication Shop Online shop selling physical books and digital e-books (ePUB and PDF) covering classical liberal thought, economics, and political philosophy. Includes multiple titles with tiered pricing for regular customers, students, Friends Circle, and Supporters Circle members.
• Liberty Summer School Annual four-day educational program for 25 young talents aged 18-30, providing an introduction to the history of classical liberal ideas and their relevance to current problems. Includes lectures, workshops, discussions, and social activities. Participant fee is CHF 150, heavily subsidized by sponsors.
• LI-Conferences and Events Recurring conferences and events on liberal topics with discounted rates for members and supporters. Topics include currency reform, Bitcoin and AI, property rights, and economic freedom.
• LI Friends Circle Membership Annual supporter membership tier providing invitations to regular institute events, information on current publications, and discounted access to paid events. Available as Friend (from CHF 95/year), Patron (from CHF 350/year), and Student (CHF 60/year).
• LI Supporters Circle - Sponsor Membership Major-donor sponsor membership tier providing event invitations, latest publications, and exclusive benefits for promoting a free society. Five contribution levels: Bronze (CHF 1,000+), Silver (CHF 5,000+), Gold (CHF 10,000+), Platinum (CHF 20,000+), and Patron of Liberty (CHF 50,000+).
• Bibliothek der Freiheit (Library of Liberty) An institute-owned multilingual library of over 2,000 books in German, French, Italian, and English covering liberal philosophy, political economy, and policy analysis. Accessible to students, researchers, and interested individuals for intensive engagement with the liberal intellectual tradition.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Property Rights IndexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Liberal Institute serves as the Swiss partner institution for the International Property Rights Index. Since 2007, this index surveys the situation and development of property rights worldwide, drawing attention to this critical fundamental right.
• Brüggli MedienminorOthersHandles postal mailings including activity reports, event invitations, book order forms, LI-Perspectives, payment slips, and books from Hofstrasse 5, 8590 Romanshorn.
• cubemediaminorOthersHandles book shipments in individual cases from Binzstrasse 9, 8045 Zürich.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Avenir Suisse: Switzerland's largest independent economic think tank, also based in Zurich and producing policy research, publications, and events on market-liberal reform — the closest direct domestic comparable to Liberales Institut.
• Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit: German liberal foundation affiliated with the FDP that runs educational programs, scholarships, and publishes classical-liberal content in German — directly comparable mission and programming model.
• Property Rights Alliance: International organization publishing the International Property Rights Index, in which Liberales Institut is the Swiss partner — direct overlap on policy research output and global network.
• Hayek Gesellschaft: Austrian/Swiss society dedicated to disseminating Friedrich Hayek's ideas through events, publications, and a young-economists program — closely comparable classical-liberal education focus.

Emerging players

• Bonny Foundation for Freedom: Swiss foundation sponsoring liberal education and Liberty Summer School programming — a mission-aligned peer funder in the same ecosystem.
• Libertatem Foundation: A named financial partner/sponsor of Liberales Institut's Liberty Summer School, active in the European classical-liberal philanthropic ecosystem — comparable mission and overlapping programs.

Broad incumbents

• Cato Institute: A large, established US classical-liberal think tank producing books, policy papers, indexes, and educational events — overlapping mission and product mix but with vastly greater scale.
• Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA): UK free-market think tank publishing books, papers, and running student programs in classical-liberal economics — overlapping publishing and educational programming model.
• Mont Pelerin Society: International classical-liberal academic society founded by Hayek and others, focused on intellectual exchange and publications — a peer in ideological mission and intellectual tradition.

Others

• Reinventing Bretton Woods: International monetary-reform discussion forum whose topics (currency reform, central banking) overlap directly with Liberales Institut's LI-Conference series on currency and Bitcoin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/LiberalesInstitut
• Facebookfacebook.com/LiberalesInstitut
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/libinst
• Instagraminstagram.com/lib_inst
• TikToktiktok.com/@liberalesinstitut

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 Liberales Institut