SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft

What SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft does

SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft is a Swiss non-profit cooperative founded in 1931 in Basel, headquartered at Auf der Lyss 14 with a five-person team. It operates as a federally recognized surety cooperative that issues Bürgschaften (surety bonds) to enable women entrepreneurs in Switzerland to obtain bank financing. Each guarantee covers up to CHF 1,000,000 with a maximum repayment term of 10 years; pricing comprises a one-time CHF 300 application fee, a 1.1% guarantee fee (capped at CHF 3,000), a 1.25% annual commission on the outstanding guaranteed amount, and a mandatory CHF 100 cooperative share that converts the borrower into a member-owner. Since inception, SAFFA has guaranteed approximately 2,700 loans for women-owned businesses and is the only one of Switzerland's four federally recognized surety cooperatives operating nationwide; the Swiss Confederation (SECO) acts as official reinsurer and co-finances administrative costs. Customers are Swiss SMBs across retail, gastronomy, healthcare, childcare, beauty, consulting, and design — every guarantee case studies being a small, women-owned business. Go-to-market is sales-led: entrepreneurs apply via the SAFFA website, present their project in person, receive a guarantee decision, and are then onboarded to a partner bank for loan disbursement. The organization's most consequential recent action was administering the Spring 2020 COVID-19 solidarity bond program, which facilitated approximately CHF 20 billion in guaranteed SME loan volume. Technology infrastructure is minimal and undisclosed; the website is hosted on Squarespace and uses an Adobe e-sign widget for intake, with no proprietary platform, app, or API. Management is led by President Sonja Scherer and Managing Director Andrea Theunert, supported by a board including Vice President Sylvie Hofstetter and board member Jacqueline Gasser.

Name

SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft

Legal name

Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft SAFFA

Website

https://saffa.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1931

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft is a Basel-based Swiss non-profit cooperative, founded in 1931, that issues surety bonds up to CHF 1 million to women entrepreneurs across Switzerland, enabling bank financing for women-owned SMBs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Loan Guarantee Services

NAICS

Other Insurance Funds (52519)

SIC

Surety Insurance (6351), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAEAI

SBA/USDA Government-Backed Loan Intermediation

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Mortgage Brokerage & Loan Intermediation

Keywords

• Surety bond services
• Loan guarantee cooperative
• Women entrepreneur financing
• SME credit guarantees
• Cooperative banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Guarantee Fees: SAFFA generates revenue through guarantee fees charged to women entrepreneurs. This includes a one-time application fee of CHF 300 for processing the guarantee request, and upon approval, a guarantee fee of 1.1% of the guaranteed amount (maximum CHF 3,000).
2. Annual Commission: Ongoing annual commission of 1.25% charged on the outstanding guaranteed amount, providing recurring revenue from active guarantees.
3. Cooperative Membership: Successful guarantee recipients become members of the cooperative by subscribing to a share valued at CHF 100, contributing to the cooperative's capital base.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft issues Bürgschaften (surety bonds) to women entrepreneurs in Switzerland, providing banks with security coverage so that women-owned businesses can obtain loans of up to CHF 1,000,000 with repayment terms up to 10 years. The cooperative processes guarantee applications, partners with banks to disburse the underlying loans, and monitors active guarantees with semi-annual reporting requirements. Applicants pay a CHF 300 application fee, a 1.1% guarantee fee (capped at CHF 3,000), an annual 1.25% commission on the outstanding guaranteed amount, and subscribe to a CHF 100 cooperative share upon approval.

Product overview

SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft is a single-service surety bond cooperative that provides guarantees for women entrepreneurs in Switzerland. Founded in 1931, the organization offers one core product: surety bonds (Bürgschaften) that enable women-owned businesses to access bank financing by providing collateral to financial institutions. The service includes application processing, bond issuance, and ongoing monitoring of guaranteed loans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bürgschaften (Surety Bonds) Surety bond guarantee service for women entrepreneurs in Switzerland that provides banks with collateral coverage for business loans up to CHF 1,000,000 with a maximum repayment term of 10 years. Successful applicants pay a CHF 300 application fee, a 1.1% guarantee fee capped at CHF 3,000, an ongoing 1.25% annual commission on the outstanding guaranteed amount, and subscribe to a CHF 100 cooperative share; recipients must also maintain a death risk life insurance policy and submit semi-annual reports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,700 loans guaranteed since 1931
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Staatssekretariat für Wirtschaft (SECO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSECO is listed as a key partner on SAFFA's website, representing the federal government's role in SME promotion and guarantee scheme oversight.
• BG Mitte Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft für KMUminorOthersRegional partner organization for SME guarantees in Central Switzerland, listed among SAFFA's partner links.
• BG Ost-Süd Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft für KMUminorOthersRegional partner organization for SME guarantees in Eastern and Southern Switzerland, listed among SAFFA's partner links.
• Cautionnement Romand au service des PME (CRCPME)minorOthersFrench-speaking Swiss partner for SME guarantees, listed among SAFFA's partner links for the Romandie region.
• StartzentrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss startup support organization providing resources for young entrepreneurs; listed as partner for entrepreneurial development support.
• EasyGovminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Swiss online portal for business registration and administrative procedures, linked as partner resource.
• Gemeinschaftsbank (Freie Gemeinschaftsbank)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEthical banking institution that has featured SAFFA in their Transparenz publication and supports women entrepreneurship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• British Business Bank: UK government-owned development bank operating the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme for SME loans. Comparable federal guarantee program structure to SAFFA's Swiss Confederation-backed model.
• European Investment Fund (EIF): EU-level institution providing SME credit guarantees and counter-guarantees across Europe. Comparable to SAFFA in its function as a government-backed credit guarantor, though operating at a much larger scale and broader scope.
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): Canadian federal Crown corporation providing financing and guarantees to SMEs, including dedicated women entrepreneur programs. A broader incumbent but highly comparable in mission and government-backed guarantee structure.
• Bpifrance: France's public investment bank offering SME guarantees, including women-focused programs. Broader mandate and larger scale than SAFFA, but directly comparable in providing government-backed loan guarantees to SMEs.
• KfW Bankengruppe: German state-owned development bank providing loans, guarantees, and grants to SMEs and entrepreneurs. Operates analogous guarantee programs to SAFFA through German federal-state cooperative structures.

Direct peers

• BG Ost-Süd Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft: Regional Swiss guarantee cooperative for SMEs in Eastern and Southern Switzerland. A direct peer operating the same federal surety model as SAFFA but focused on specific cantons.
• Cautionnement Romand (CRCPME): Federally recognized Swiss guarantee cooperative serving SMEs in the French-speaking Romandie region. Listed as a partner of SAFFA, it operates the same guarantee model but on a regional basis, making it the most direct peer.
• BG Mitte Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft: Regional Swiss guarantee cooperative serving SMEs in Central Switzerland. Operates the same federal surety cooperative model as SAFFA but focused on the central cantons rather than nationwide.

Regional players

• Bürgschaftsbank Baden-Württemberg: German state-level guarantee bank serving SMEs in Baden-Württemberg. Operates the same SME guarantee cooperative model supported by German state governments, closely analogous to SAFFA's federal backing structure.

Others

• Startzentrum: Swiss startup support organization and listed partner of SAFFA. Not a direct guarantee provider but a closely related ecosystem partner that channels women entrepreneurs to SAFFA's guarantee services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saffa-b%C3%BCrgschaftsgenossenschaft

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 SAFFA Bürgschaftsgenossenschaft