MonViso Institute
MonViso Institute is a non-profit living systems lab in Ostana, Italy, co-founding the DRRS program with ETH Zurich. It delivers systemic design education, regenerative practice courses, and bioregional research to sustainability professionals, graduate students, and European communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersOstana, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What MonViso Institute does
MonViso Institute (MVI) is a non-profit research and education organization founded in 2018, operating a living systems lab and bioregional weaving hub from its campus at Serre Lamboi in Ostana, Italy, at 1,500m altitude near the source of the Po River. The institute is led by founding director Tobias Luthe (PhD, former ETH Zurich professor) and operates a dual-entity structure with an Italian association in Ostana and a Swiss association in Zurich. Its central academic offering is the Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems (DRRS) program co-developed with ETH Zurich Systemic Design Labs, combining four MOOCs on edX with three Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) programs leading to a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Regenerative Systems. Target customers include sustainability professionals, graduate students, bioregional communities, and organizations seeking regenerative transformation guidance.
MVI's intellectual foundation is the proprietary Systemic Cycles methodology, a didactic framework combining sight-seeing, inside-seeing, and insight-seeing to translate landscapes and movement into methods of inquiry. Supporting products include the DRRS Systems Sensing-Mapping Questionnaire, the Living Systems Labs Explorer data platform, the Systemic Cycles Guide Training certification pathway, and the Designing Experimental Places and Spaces (DEPS) course. The institute supplements its academic programs with experiential offerings (knife and spoon making, ski traverses, mindfulness retreats, Systemic Cycles Tours across European bioregions) and provides design consulting partnerships (e.g., Camping Ca'Savio). It also operates an open-access weather station as part of the Global Network of Mountain Observatories (GNOMO).
The business model is multi-stream non-profit: paid executive education delivered with ETH Zurich, course and retreat fees (300–1,600 EUR per participant), campus rental, donations, and design consulting. MVI is supported by a multi-year grant from Avina Stiftung (2024–2030 phase) and has received recognition including the Legambiente "Voler bene all'Italia 2021" award, a 2024 ARTE TV documentary feature, and publication in the archalp International Journal of Alpine Architecture and Landscape. The institute operates principally across Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Spain, and France.
MonViso Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MonViso Institute
- Legal name
- MonViso Institute
- Website
- https://monviso-institute.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MonViso Institute is a non-profit living systems lab in Ostana, Italy, co-founding the DRRS program with ETH Zurich. It delivers systemic design education, regenerative practice courses, and bioregional research to sustainability professionals, graduate students, and European communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MonViso Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Education and Regenerative Design Training
- NAICS
- Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI), Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)
Keywords
Where MonViso Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ostana
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
MonViso Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Education Programs: Revenue from CAS and MAS executive education programs delivered in partnership with ETH Zurich. Programs include application fees and participation costs for field design trips and immersive courses.
- Event and Course Fees: Direct participation fees for retreats, tours, workshops, and training programs including Post-RSD Retreat (285-330 EUR), Ski Traverse (400-600 EUR), Systemic Design courses (300 EUR), and craft workshops (1400-1600 EUR).
- Campus Rental: Revenue from renting the MonViso Institute campus to groups for events, workshops, and retreats.
- Donations and Contributions: Non-profit organization relying on community support through one-off donations for specific projects like weather stations, Paulownia forest research, and open access data initiatives.
- Consulting Services: Design consulting partnerships with organizations like Camping Ca'Savio, providing systemic design expertise for regenerative transitions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Post-RSD15 Retreat Group 1 (2 days) |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Post-RSD15 Retreat Group 2 (2.5 days) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | High Ski Traverse - Members |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | High Ski Traverse - Non-members |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Systemic Design for Regenerative Practice |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Forming Relationships - Knife Path |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Forming Relationships - Spoon Path |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | MVI Co-working Days |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
MonViso Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MonViso Institute operates a living systems lab and bioregional weaving hub that delivers academic programs (MOOCs, CAS, MAS) in regenerative systems design through a partnership with ETH Zurich, alongside on-campus experiential courses, retreats, guided tours, and consulting services. Offerings combine theory, embodied field practice, and inner development methodologies built around the proprietary Systemic Cycles framework.
Product overview
MonViso Institute operates as an educational ecosystem and living systems lab offering interconnected programs, methodologies, and services for regenerative systems design. The core DRRS (Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems) educational program, developed in partnership with ETH Zurich, consists of four free MOOCs serving as entry points, three Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS ETH) programs leading to a Master of Advanced Studies (MAS ETH) in Regenerative Systems, all centered around the proprietary Systemic Cycles methodology for embodied systems learning. Complementary offerings include experiential courses (DEPS, knife and spoon making), retreats (Encounters Beyond Human, mindfulness programs), adventure-based learning (High Ski Traverse, Systemic Cycles Tours), campus-based co-working experiences, and professional consulting services. Research tools include the Living Systems Labs Explorer data platform and DRRS Systems Sensing-Mapping Questionnaire, while open-access initiatives include a weather station contributing to mountain climate science.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DRRS (Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems): Academic program offered in collaboration with ETH Zurich, including MOOCs, CAS certificates, and MAS degree in Regenerative Systems.
- Systemic Cycles
- Living Systems Labs (LSL)
Products and services
- DRRS MOOCs (Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems) A series of four free Massive Open Online Courses providing foundational and advanced learning in systems thinking, regeneration, resilience, and bioregional practice, delivered with ETH Zurich. Serves as the entry funnel to the CAS and MAS programs.
- CAS ETH Beyond Systems Thinking Second Certificate of Advanced Studies in the DRRS program focusing on complexity science, systems thinking fundamentals, and real-world social-ecological challenges. Includes a field design trip to Norway and counts 12 ECTS credits.
- CAS ETH Systemic Design Third Certificate of Advanced Studies combining scientific, engineering, design, and embodied methods with inner practices. Features a field design trip to Mallorca and counts 12 ECTS credits.
- MAS ETH in Regenerative Systems Master of Advanced Studies degree awarded by ETH Zurich comprising three CAS certificates, four MOOCs, and an individual QUEST design research project focused on place-specific bioregional challenges.
- Systemic Cycles Tours Guided learning journeys offering slow, embodied explorations of landscapes, livelihoods, infrastructures, and cultures. Available in half-day to multi-day formats across European bioregions including South Tyrol, Ticino, Po Valley, Annecy, and Mallorca.
- Systemic Cycles Guide Training Multi-level certification pathway (Level I-III) training individuals to guide Systemic Cycles tours, combining technical guiding competencies, sustainability science, systemic design theory, and regenerative practice across three progressive certification levels.
- DEPS (Designing Experimental Places and Spaces) Virtual in-depth course exploring how to envision, plan, design, develop, build, govern, hold and sustain experimental places such as living labs, bioregional learning centers, and living systems labs. Delivered through 13 virtual evening sessions.
- Systemic Design for Regenerative Practice Hands-on course focusing on embodied practice of systemic design using the SD Wheel of Inquiry framework. Includes drone photogrammetry, lidar scanning, 3D printing, social network analysis, and inner development practices in real-world bioregional contexts.
- Forming Relationships (Knife and Spoon Making)
Quantifiable outcome
- Transformed former abandoned hamlet (uninhabited 40 years) into international research and education center
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use MonViso Institute
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
MonViso Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
MonViso Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- Art NowmajorPartner for RSD15 conference curated intervention integrating artistic and scientific modes of inquiry. MVI collaborator with Art Now founder Sylwia Orczykowska.
- Lerfald Gård (Norway)minorMultifunctional farm near Trondheim hosting Bioregional Sensing workshops and DRRS field design trips. Part of expanding network of Living Systems Labs.
- Camping Ca'SaviomajorDesign consulting partnership with family-owned campsite at Venice Lagoon. MVI provides systemic design expertise for transition towards regenerative practices, including #InterconnectedCaSavio initiative and stepping stones toward future-ready camping.
- ETH Zurich (Systemic Design Labs)coreMonViso Institute is co-founding partner of the Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems (DRRS) program offered by Systemic Design Labs at ETH Zurich. MVI co-designs DRRS content and contributes real-world experimentation to this high-level learning program. The partnership includes MOOC series and executive study programs (CAS/MAS).
- Daniel WahlcoreCollaborator on Mallorca bioregion, serving as DRRS lecturer and weaver for 15 years. Contributes to field design trips and regenerative futures work in the Balearic archipelago.
- GrowncoreCampus partner - an outdoor creativity lab and experience collective co-creating regenerative design solutions. Offers systemic design products and educational outdoor experiences including Systemic Cycles bicycle program.
- Systemic Design AssociationcoreMVI has been closely connected to Systemic Design discourse since early days, hosting first dedicated De-conference following RSD7 in 2018. Active engagement informing both research and practice contributions.
- Mountain Research Initiative - GNOMOminorBuilding fluid mountain data monitoring station as part of Global Network of Mountain Observatories (GNOMO), collecting weather data and air quality monitoring with open access data.
- R3.0 Global ConferenceminorBioregional Sensing workshop connected to R3.0 Global Conference on regenerative systems, featuring keynote by Dr. Lyla June Johnston on Indigeneity & Bioregioning.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
MonViso Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Commonland: Larger foundation running 4 Returns landscape restoration projects across multiple continents with systemic design methodology, overlapping with MVI's bioregional regeneration consulting work.
- CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology): Wales-based education and research center offering courses and visitor experiences on sustainability, renewables, and ecological design — a larger, more institutional analogue to MVI's campus-based model.
Direct peers
- Findhorn Foundation: Long-running intentional community and learning center in Scotland offering experiential education in sustainability, ecology, and community living, conceptually similar to MVI's living systems lab model.
- Regenerative Design Institute: California-based nonprofit teaching permaculture, regenerative design, and whole systems thinking through immersive courses and design certifications — directly comparable in curriculum scope and educational format.
- Presencing Institute (Scharmer): Founded by Otto Scharmer at MIT, it offers Theory U-based executive programs integrating systems thinking, inner development, and societal change — overlapping with MVI's DRRS focus on inner development and regenerative futures.
- Schumacher College: UK-based college offering short courses and postgraduate programs in ecological design, transition, and regenerative studies, closely matching MVI's blend of embodied learning, systems thinking, and sustainability education.
Regional players
- Inner Development Goals (IDG) Initiative: Sweden-based nonprofit developing a framework and community for inner skills relevant to sustainable development, overlapping with MVI's Inner Development Goals-informed Encounters Beyond Human retreat.
Emerging players
- Holonomics Education: Boutique consultancy and education practice working on systemic design, integral theory, and regenerative business — comparable as a small specialized player in the same systemic design conversation.
- Bioregional Learning Center: Network promoting bioregional organizing and learning in North America and Europe, sharing MVI's emphasis on bioregioning as a regenerative practice.
Others
- Politecnico di Torino (Department of Architecture and Design): Academic institution that published research on MVI's work in the archalp journal; relevant as a research partner and adjacent academic hub for alpine regenerative design study.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MonViso Institute social profiles
Digital presenceMonViso Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MonViso Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
MonViso Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MonViso Institute M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MonViso Institute
What does MonViso Institute do?
MonViso Institute operates a living systems lab and bioregional weaving hub that delivers academic programs (MOOCs, CAS, MAS) in regenerative systems design through a partnership with ETH Zurich, alongside on-campus experiential courses, retreats, guided tours, and consulting services. Offerings combine theory, embodied field practice, and inner development methodologies built around the proprietary Systemic Cycles framework.
Is MonViso Institute a public or private company?
MonViso Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MonViso Institute founded?
MonViso Institute was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MonViso Institute based?
MonViso Institute is headquartered in Ostana, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does MonViso Institute make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Professional Education Programs are the primary driver. The others are event and Course Fees, campus Rental, donations and Contributions and consulting Services.
Who are MonViso Institute's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Commonland and CAT (Centre for Alternative Technology). Direct peers are Findhorn Foundation, Regenerative Design Institute, Presencing Institute (Scharmer) and Schumacher College. Inner Development Goals (IDG) Initiative is listed as a regional player. Emerging players are Holonomics Education and Bioregional Learning Center. Politecnico di Torino (Department of Architecture and Design) is listed as an others.
Does MonViso Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for MonViso Institute.
What industry is MonViso Institute in?
MonViso Institute's product category is Sustainability Education and Regenerative Design Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAF, Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling), with a secondary code of EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming). Its NAICS code is 551114 and its SIC code is 8742.