NOVUM Nidwalden

What NOVUM Nidwalden does

NOVUM - Jungunternehmer:innen Nidwalden is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) founded in 1989 and headquartered in Stans, the capital of canton Nidwalden. The organization functions as a curated peer network for young entrepreneurs and business owners aged 25 to 38 at entry, with mandatory exit at age 48 and branch exclusivity rules to prevent overlap. As of 2025-2026 it has 49-53 members drawn from a broad cross-section of Nidwalden industries, including architecture, hospitality, automotive, insurance, construction, legal services, food and beverage, photography, sports retail, childcare, printing, and engineering. The name "NOVUM" derives from "Move on" read backwards, reflecting the founders' intent to address gaps in mutual knowledge, inspiration, and industry awareness among young Nidwalden companies.

The association's core offering is a recurring program of in-person events rather than a product or technology platform. Activities include monthly gatherings (Monats-Hock), company visits, workshops, multi-day Club Trips, and a Neumitglieder onboarding event, with a recent multi-day excursion (Clubreise 2026) and an active 2026 event calendar visible through a basic member dashboard. Beyond internal events, NOVUM is the co-organizer of two of the canton's flagship business events: the WFU (Wirtschaftsforum Unterwalden) annual business forum covering Obwalden and Nidwalden, and the Iheimisch trade and experience exhibition, whose 2026 edition attracted over 30,000 visitors with 210 exhibitors across 35,000 m².

NOVUM operates without paid employees, revenue from membership dues, and is governed by a six-member volunteer committee (President Michael Odermatt of Hochmuth Bootsbau AG; Clubmeister Michael Achermann of Ski + Sport Achermann AG; Treasurer Toni Röthlin of Nidwaldner Kantonalbank; Secretary Patrick Iten of BLÖCHLINGER ITEN FESSLER Rechtsanwälte Notare; board members Michael Barmettler of Auto Gabriel AG and Ramona Stirnemann of textart gmbh). Its technology footprint is limited to a static website, an email-based general inbox, and a lightweight token-authenticated member dashboard for event RSVP. No API, mobile app, proprietary platform, or AI capability is present.

Name

NOVUM Nidwalden

Legal name

NOVUM - Jungunternehmer:innen Nidwalden

Website

https://novum-nw.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NOVUM Nidwalden is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1989 that operates a curated peer network of approximately 49-53 young entrepreneurs and business owners in canton Nidwalden, delivering monthly networking events, company visits, and co-organized regional exhibitions such as WFU and Iheimisch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Networking Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Partner, Channel & Vendor Conferences (MPAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur networking
• Business association
• Young entrepreneurs
• Professional networking
• Business community

Headquarters

HQ city

Stans

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: NOVUM generates revenue through annual membership fees from young entrepreneurs and business leaders in Nidwalden. The association operates as a non-profit Verein (club) with membership-based financing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

NOVUM Nidwalden is a non-profit membership association (Verein) founded in 1989 that provides networking and peer exchange opportunities for young entrepreneurs in the canton of Nidwalden, Switzerland. The association offers monthly gatherings (Monats-Hock), company visits, workshops, multi-day excursions, and co-organizes regional events such as the WFU (Wirtschaftsforum Unterwalden) and the Iheimisch trade exhibition. Membership is age-gated (25-38 entry, ending at 48) with industry branch exclusivity rules to ensure a curated, continuously refreshed community of young business owners.

Product overview

NOVUM Nidwalden is a young entrepreneurs' association (Verein) founded in 1989, serving as a networking and professional development organization for young business owners in Nidwalden, Switzerland. The organization does not offer products or services in the traditional sense; rather, it provides a platform for monthly networking events (Monats-Hock), company visits, workshops, annual general meetings, and larger initiatives including co-organizing the WFU (Wirtschaftsforum Unterwalden) and the Iheimisch trade exhibition. Membership is limited to entrepreneurs aged 25-38 in their entry year, with membership expiring at age 48.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NOVUM Nidwalden Membership Annual membership in the NOVUM young entrepreneurs' association for business owners and founders aged 25-38 at entry (membership ends at 48) in Nidwalden, Switzerland. Provides access to monthly networking gatherings (Monats-Hock), company visits, workshops, multi-day excursions, and peer knowledge exchange.
• Monats-Hock (Monthly Gathering) Regular monthly networking event typically held on the third Thursday of each month for NOVUM members, featuring company visits, workshops, and presentations at member businesses across Nidwalden.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WFU - Wirtschaftsforum UnterwaldencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNOVUM is co-organizer of the WFU (Wirtschaftsforum Unterwalden), an annual business forum for the Unterwalden region (Obwalden and Nidwalden cantons). This partnership positions NOVUM as a key player in regional business networking.
• Iheimisch - Gewerbe- und ErlebnisausstellungcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNOVUM is co-organizer and initiator of the Iheimisch trade and experience exhibition, a major regional event showcasing Nidwalden's diverse craftsmanship and business sectors. The 2026 edition attracted over 30,000 visitors with 210 exhibitors across 35,000 m².

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wirtschaftsjunioren Schweiz (WJS): Swiss chapter of Junior Chambers International, a young-professional and young-entrepreneur networking and leadership organization. Directly comparable concept: age-bounded membership, monthly events, peer exchange, and leadership development for young business owners in Switzerland.

Broad incumbents

• Wirtschaftskammer Zentralschweiz: Regional chamber of commerce covering Central Switzerland including Nidwalden. Comparable as a regional business membership/advocacy organization, but operates at a larger scale, across all firm sizes, and is not age-gated like NOVUM.
• Schweizerischer Gewerbeverband (SGV): National Swiss trade and crafts association. Comparable as a membership-driven business association, but covers all trades nationally and is policy/advocacy-led rather than networking-led like NOVUM.
• Rotary International (Swiss districts): Global service-and-networking club with multiple Swiss districts including Nidwalden-area chapters. Comparable as a curated professional networking association with regular events and community involvement, but membership is professional rather than age-bounded and topic is service-oriented.
• Industrie- und Handelskammer (IHK) Zentralschweiz: Industry and commerce chamber representation in the Central Switzerland region. Comparable as a business membership and advocacy body, though typically broader in scope, larger in scale, and not age-restricted like NOVUM.
• Lions Club Switzerland: Swiss federation of Lions Clubs International, offering business and civic networking via local chapters. Comparable format (membership-based, regular meetings, regional chapters) but broader mission including charitable service and no age gate.
• KMU Schweiz: National Swiss SME association representing small and medium businesses across Switzerland. Comparable in its membership-based service model for entrepreneurs, but operates nationally without age limits and with broader advocacy focus.

Others

• Wirtschaftsforum Unterwalden (WFU): The annual business forum of which NOVUM is itself a co-organizer. Included as an ecosystem partner rather than a direct peer; comparable as a regional business event/conference vehicle and a key channel for NOVUM's regional visibility.

Regional players

• Jungunternehmerstammtisch Obwalden: Likely informal young-entrepreneur meetup in neighbouring canton Obwalden; comparable to NOVUM in concept (young business owners networking locally) but not a formal Verein. Identified only as a conceptual peer; details not independently confirmed and listing reflects thematic similarity to NOVUM's regional model.

Emerging players

• BNI Switzerland: Swiss chapter of Business Network International, a referral-based business networking organization with structured weekly meetings. Comparable networking/lead-generation model for entrepreneurs, but operates on a chapter-based paid-membership model rather than age-gated Verein structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novum-nidwalden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 NOVUM Nidwalden