Mäder Kräuter AG

What Mäder Kräuter AG does

Mäder Kräuter AG is a family-owned Swiss organic herb producer founded in 1980 by Ueli Mäder in Boppelsen, canton of Zurich. The company cultivates, processes, and distributes fresh culinary herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, chives and others), specialty herbs (shiso, Epazote, curry herb, multiple mint variants, seasonal Bärlauch and elderflower), and Thai vegetables (Kaffir lime, lemongrass, hot chili) under Bio Suisse (Bio Knospe) certification, which it has held since 1998 and which it leverages as a structural differentiator because the standard excludes air-freighted products.

Production spans Swiss facilities in Boppelsen (Zurich) and two Ticino sites (S. Antonino and Sementina, acquired 2008 and expanded 2023) supplemented by operations in Morocco (initiated 2021 and expanded 2024) that enable land-based import with an uninterrupted cold chain to the Swiss processing hub. Core production technology relies on protected cultivation (greenhouses), Bio Suisse organic inputs, batch-level traceability, plus an extensive sustainability infrastructure — most notably the Boppelsen eco-building (2021) which generates 161,000 kWh/a from 1,700 sqm of PV versus only 6,400 kWh/a of consumption, and a 5 million liter rainwater harvesting basin supplying drip irrigation.

The company operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market, supplying major Swiss retailers (Grossverteiler, including Coop as a named strategic partner), gastronomy and hospitality businesses, and other commercial customers under negotiated transactional pricing; a small additional revenue stream comes from direct-to-consumer sales through the 24/7 self-service Chrütli Kiosk at the Boppelsen headquarters, offering approximately 25 herb varieties. Long-term partnerships with retailers and foodservice operators, extensive SKU breadth, and 45 years of cultivation know-how anchor the customer relationships. Following the 2025 transition of operational leadership to co-CEOs Jael Mäder and Tobias Wölfel, with founder Ueli Mäder remaining as Chairman, the company continues to operate as a private, family-controlled Swiss Aktiengesellschaft headquartered in Boppelsen.

Name

Mäder Kräuter AG

Legal name

Mäder Kräuter AG

Website

https://maeder-kraeuter.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mäder Kräuter AG is a Swiss organic herb producer founded in 1980 that cultivates, processes, and distributes Bio Suisse-certified fresh culinary herbs, specialty herbs, and Thai vegetables to major Swiss retailers, gastronomy businesses, and direct consumers via a 24/7 self-service kiosk.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Organic Herbs

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Fruit and Vegetable Retailers (445230)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic Herb, Spice & Medicinal/Aromatic Plant Farming (AFAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Fresh organic herbs
• Kitchen herbs production
• Bio Suisse cultivation
• Specialty culinary herbs
• Herb processing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boppelsen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fresh Herb Sales to B2B Customers: Sale of fresh kitchen herbs to major retailers (Grossverteiler), gastronomy businesses, and other commercial customers. Year-round supply through Swiss and international production facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Mäder Kräuter AG produces and distributes fresh, Bio Suisse-certified organic culinary herbs year-round from Swiss and Moroccan production sites. The portfolio comprises standard kitchen herbs (Küchenkräuter such as basil, thyme, rosemary, mint), specialty herbs (Spezialkräuter including seasonal varieties and Thai varieties) and Thai vegetables (Thai Gemüse), bundled with in-house processing, sorting, cleaning and packaging services for full batch traceability. Customers are major Swiss retailers, gastronomy operators, and direct local consumers purchasing through the 24/7 self-service Chrütli Kiosk.

Product overview

Mäder Kräuter AG is a Swiss organic herb producer specializing in fresh kitchen herbs. The company operates a unified product portfolio comprising three core product lines: Küchenkräuter (standard kitchen herbs such as basil, thyme, rosemary, and mint varieties), Spezialkräuter (specialty herbs including unique mint varieties, shiso, and seasonal items like Bärlauch), and Thai Gemüse (Thai vegetables including hot chili and lemongrass). Processing services (Verarbeitung) are bundled with herb production to ensure quality from harvest through packaging. The company distributes products through a self-service kiosk (Chrütli Kiosk) at its Boppelsen headquarters and supplies directly to major retailers and gastronomy partners. Production spans Swiss facilities in Boppelsen (Zürich) and Sementina (Tessin), supplemented by international production in Morocco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Küchenkräuter (Kitchen Herbs) Year-round fresh standard kitchen herbs including basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, chives, dill, oregano, marjoram, sorrel, lemon balm, tarragon, coriander, bay laurel, lovage, sage, and other culinary varieties. Produced under Bio Suisse organic standards for B2B retail and gastronomy customers.
• Spezialkräuter (Specialty Herbs) Specialty and seasonal herbs including multiple mint varieties (Thai, After-Eight, Ananas, Apfel, Hugo, Marokkanische, Mojito, Orange, Schokolade, Spearmint 'Swiss'), shiso (green and red), curry herb, lavender, stevia, woodruff, hyssop, lemon verbena, bronze fennel, borage, nettle, and seasonal items such as Bärlauch (March-April), Holunderblüten (May-June) and Vietnamesischer Koriander (May-October).
• Thai Gemüse (Thai Vegetables) Year-round Thai specialty vegetables including Hot Chili, Kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass for B2B retail and gastronomy customers requiring Asian culinary ingredients.
• Verarbeitung (Processing Services) In-house processing services for the harvested herbs, including careful harvesting, sorting, cleaning and packaging, regular product and quality analysis, strict hygiene concepts, and full batch-level traceability from field to plate.
• Chrütli Kiosk 24/7 self-service herb kiosk at Buchserstrasse 2, Boppelsen offering approximately 25 different fresh herb varieties for direct consumer purchase in flexible quantities with continuous restocking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Boppelsen eco building achieves 2,515% energy self-sufficiency with 154,600 kWh/a solar surplus
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CoopcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Coop is a major Swiss retail partner and co-host of sustainability business partner meetings. Mäder Kräuter participates in Coop's sustainability initiatives and supplier programs, working together on sustainable agriculture practices.
• MarinellominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarinello invited Mäder Kräuter to participate in the Frühlingsgarten event at Zürcher Engrosmarkt, providing a platform to showcase fresh herbs to hospitality and retail professionals.
• Gault Millau ChannelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGault Millau Channel featured Mäder Kräuter in an article with chef Michaela Frank visiting the herb fields, providing culinary media exposure and credibility.
• Josef Lehmann Holzbau AGminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWood construction company that built the eco building (Ökonomiegebäude) in Boppelsen completed in 2021.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves19 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vitacress Real: Vitacress Real is one of Europe's largest producers of fresh-cut herbs, leafy salads, and specialty greens, supplying major UK and European retailers year-round from UK and Iberian glasshouses. It is the closest large-scale analog to Mäder Kräuter's B2B fresh-herb production and retail-channel business model.
• Florette: Florette, owned by Agrial, produces packaged fresh salads, ready-to-eat vegetables, and fresh culinary herbs for European supermarket chains. It overlaps directly with Mäder Kräuter on year-round retail-supply of fresh herbs, processing/packaging, and private-label SKUs.
• Naturkost Ernst Bauer: Naturkost Ernst Bauer is a German organic fresh-produce and herb supplier focused on organic cultivation and B2B delivery of fresh herbs to retail and foodservice. It is directly comparable to Mäder Kräuter in organic fresh-herb production for B2B customers in the DACH region.

Emerging players

• Sonnentor: Sonnentor is an Austrian organic herb and spice specialist operating through a network of contracted organic farmers and selling certified-organic dried herbs, teas, and seasonings across Europe. It overlaps with Mäder Kräuter on organic culinary herbs and on European organic retail distribution, though it operates in dried rather than fresh.

Broad incumbents

• Bonduelle: Bonduelle is a large French-headquartered vegetable and plant-based food group whose portfolio spans canned, frozen, and fresh produce, including fresh culinary herbs for retail in Europe. It is a broadly overlapping incumbent rather than a direct like-for-like fresh-herb competitor.
• Agrial: Agrial is a French agricultural cooperative whose Fresh Produce division owns Florette and operates across Europe in fresh-cut salads, vegetables, and herbs. It is comparable as a broad incumbent supplying major grocers with fresh plant-based products.

Others

• Bio Suisse: Bio Suisse is the Swiss organic farmers' association that issues the Knospe certification which underpins Mäder Kräuter's regulatory moat. Included as an ecosystem participant — not a commercial competitor — because its standards directly shape the addressable market and competitive structure for Knospe-certified herbs.

Regional players

• Gärtnerhof Holzmann: Gärtnerhof is a German organic farm specializing in culinary herbs and greenhouse vegetable production, supplying regional wholesale and retail. Comparable to Mäder Kräuter in organic herb cultivation expertise but at a smaller, regionally focused scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maeder-kraeuter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Mäder Kräuter AG