Save a Life

What Save a Life does

Save a Life (Fondation Save a Life) is a Swiss non-profit foundation headquartered in Geneva that operates the canton of Geneva's coordinated first responder network for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Founded operationally in 2019 under the Swiss Emergency Responders Association (SERA) and consolidated as a foundation in May 2024, the organization mobilizes approximately 2,500 trained volunteer first responders who are alerted via the Save a Life mobile app and dispatched in parallel with ambulances by the cantonal 144 emergency center (CASU 144 / HUG). The app uses geolocation to identify the nearest qualified responders and the closest available AEDs; registered first responders carry a free identification kit and intervene with CPR and defibrillation before ambulance arrival, which has translated to a median response time of about 5 minutes versus 10+ minutes for traditional ambulance response.

The core product portfolio comprises the Save a Life mobile application (iOS and Android), SRC-certified BLS-AED training courses (including public, corporate, healthcare-professional, pediatric, and sign-language variants), First Aid Level 1 IAS courses, and a hardware distribution line for ZOLL AED 3 defibrillators (supplied through Procamed AG), replacement electrodes and batteries, indoor and outdoor AED cabinets (AIVIA IN/320), and solar-powered outdoor AED stations (AIVIA SOLO) deployed in municipalities including Anières, Confignon, and on Geneva's lakefront quays. The network activated 162 times in 2021, with first responders present on site in 76.5% of interventions, and the foundation catalogs registered AEDs into the Canton of Geneva's SITG cartographic system.

The business model is donation-led: approximately 85% of funding comes from private institutional donors (including the HUG Private Foundation and Fondation Valery), supplemented by public donations (CHF 50/100/200 impact tiers), hardware sales of AED devices and accessories, paid training courses, and small merchandise revenue (CHF 40 t-shirts, CHF 60 polos). The foundation is governed by a board chaired by Pr François Sarasin (former head of HUG adult emergency services) with Anne-Lise Thomas as Director, and operates as a public utility foundation under Swiss law with no parent company. Internationally, the model is also being actively exported — notably in Haiti, where a Save a Life network has been established to strengthen the local emergency response chain.

Name

Save a Life

Legal name

Fondation Save a Life

Website

https://save-a-life.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Save a Life is a Swiss non-profit foundation operating a 2,500-volunteer first responder network in Geneva, dispatching trained citizens via a mobile app to cardiac emergencies coordinated with the 144 emergency dispatch system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Cardiac Response Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Paramedicine & Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH/CP) Programs (HLAFANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Education (CPR/First Aid/Disaster Readiness) (EDAAAFAJ), Medical Emergency Response & On-site First Aid/Paramedics (BPABANAG)

Keywords

• Cardiac emergency response
• First responder network
• AED defibrillator sales
• CPR training services
• Public access defibrillation

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Private Institutional Donations: Save a Life receives approximately 85% of its funding from private institutional donors. The foundation conducts annual fundraising campaigns, ambassador programs, and receives support from charitable foundations.
2. AED Equipment Sales and Installation: Sale of ZOLL AED 3 defibrillators, batteries, electrodes, and indoor/outdoor cabinets (AIVIA). Includes installation services for municipalities, businesses, and public spaces.
3. BLS-AED Training Courses: Certified CPR and AED training courses for individuals, healthcare professionals, and organizations. Courses include BLS-AED complete, refresher courses, pediatric first aid, and specialized training for deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals.
4. Public Donations: Direct donations from individuals via online platforms, bank transfer, TWINT, credit card, and bequests. Donation tiers of CHF 50, 100, and 200 mentioned for specific impact areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Save a Life operates a community-based first responder network in the Canton of Geneva that uses a smartphone application integrated with the 144 emergency dispatch center to alert trained citizen volunteers when cardiac arrest is reported in their vicinity, enabling CPR and AED intervention before ambulance arrival. The foundation sells ZOLL AED 3 defibrillators, accessories, indoor/outdoor cabinets, and solar-powered AED stations; delivers Swiss Resuscitation Council-certified BLS-AED and pediatric training courses; and runs public awareness and AED-cartography programs in partnership with Geneva municipalities and the Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève.

Product overview

Save a Life operates a first responder network centered on a smartphone application that alerts trained citizens (First Responders) via the 144 emergency center when cardiac arrest occurs. The organization sells ZOLL AED 3 defibrillators with associated accessories (electrodes, batteries), offers training courses (BLS-AED-SRC, child emergencies, First Aid Level 1 IAS), and provides AED installation solutions including solar-powered stations (Borne Solaire) and protective enclosures (Boitiers Aivia IN/320). The product portfolio also includes first responder identification kits and branded merchandise (t-shirts, polo shirts).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Application Save a Life Smartphone application (iOS/Android) that alerts trained volunteer first responders via the 144 emergency dispatch center when cardiac arrest occurs in their vicinity, enabling rapid citizen CPR and AED intervention before ambulance arrival. Used by BLS-AED-certified Geneva citizens.
• Formation BLS-AED-SRC Swiss Resuscitation Council (SRC)-certified cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator training courses for the general public, companies, and healthcare professionals, including complete, refresher, and sign-language variants.
• Cours Urgences chez l'enfant Three-hour emergency training course focused on pediatric emergencies (falls, wounds, fever, fractures, bites, burns), instructed by specialized nurses. Aimed at parents, caregivers, and early-childhood professionals.
• First Aid Niveau 1 IAS First Aid Level 1 certification course recognized by the Inter-Association de Sauvatage (IAS) covering basic emergency response for individuals and workplace first aiders.
• Défibrillateur AED 3 ZOLL ZOLL AED 3 automated external defibrillator with Real CPR Help technology that measures compression depth and rate and provides real-time feedback to rescuers; suitable for adults and children. Sold to municipalities, businesses, and public entities.
• Borne Solaire (AIVIA SOLO Solar-Powered Outdoor AED Station) Solar-powered outdoor AED station with photovoltaic panel and temperature regulation system for optimal electrode preservation, featuring 24/7 remote monitoring and no requirement for electrical grid connection. Dimensions 560 x 2420 mm.
• Boitiers AED (AIVIA Indoor and Outdoor AED Cabinets) AED enclosures including Aivia IN (indoor, battery-powered with integrated alarm) and Aivia 320 (outdoor with temperature regulation, 4G connectivity, automatic 144 call on opening, photo monitoring, 24/7 remote access).

Quantifiable outcome

• Survival rate improved from 14% to 50-70% when defibrillation occurs within 3-5 minutes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Commune de ConfignonsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Installed multiple AEDs at municipal sites (town hall, community hall, primary school, Cressy) with 24/7 public access.
• Ville de Genève (City of Geneva)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2022City of Geneva partnership to integrate City employees as first responders during work hours and catalog City AEDs on official Canton cartography. City has highest population density and hosts 40%+ of interventions.
• Commune d'AnièressupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021Pilot municipality for AIVIA SOLO solar-powered outdoor AED station. Testing innovative solar technology for defibrillator placement independent of electrical grid.
• Centrale Urgences Santé 144 (CASU 144) - HUGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2019Central 144 dispatches both ambulances and Save a Life first responders simultaneously when cardiac arrest is suspected. The 144 system identifies nearest qualified first responders via the Save a Life app and alerts them to provide immediate CPR and AED assistance before ambulance arrival.
• Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève (HUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneva University Hospitals - parent institution of CASU 144 and key institutional supporter. Publishes articles about Save a Life in Pulsations magazine and hosts Care Team 144 psychosocial support for first responders.
• Genève AéroportsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for awareness activities at Geneva Airport, including World Heart Day 2025 flashmob in departure hall to promote life-saving techniques.
• Association des Médecins du canton de Genève (AMGe)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation of Geneva physicians featuring Save a Life in journal and partnering on solar AED station installations on lakefront quays.
• Procamed AG (ZOLL Switzerland)coreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Swiss importer of ZOLL defibrillators. Family-owned company providing AED equipment, accessories (batteries, electrodes), cabinets, and technical support to Save a Life network.
• Swiss Resuscitation Council (SRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational body certifying BLS-AED training courses. All Save a Life first responders must have SRC-recognized BLS-AED certification.
• Service d'Information du Territoire Genevois (SITG)supportingTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Canton cartographic service displaying all registered AEDs for emergency services and public access via map.sitg.ch.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Heartrunner (Sweden): Swedish SMS-based volunteer first responder network that activates trained citizens to cardiac arrests via SOS Alarm dispatch. Same volunteer-activated CPR/AED model as Save a Life, integrated with national 112 emergency dispatch, providing the closest northern-European analogue.
• GoodSAM: UK-headquartered platform alerting nearby trained responders (medical professionals and trained citizens) to cardiac arrests and other medical emergencies via 999 dispatch. Directly comparable app-and-dispatch architecture with Save a Life, operating across the UK, Ireland, Australia, and parts of the US.
• Staying Alive Foundation: French non-profit operating a community AED mapping and volunteer first responder initiative across France. Comparable in mission and crowd-sourced approach to cardiac response, though focused primarily on AED cartography rather than integrated emergency dispatch activation.
• Mobile Retter: German non-profit operating a smartphone-based first responder network integrated with German emergency medical services (112). Directly comparable volunteer activation model for cardiac arrests, scaled across multiple German states, providing the closest DACH-region peer to Save a Life.
• PulsePoint Foundation: US-based non-profit operating the most widely deployed cardiac arrest first responder mobile app, integrated with local 911 dispatch. Directly comparable operating model, mission, and community volunteer network to Save a Life, though operating at significantly larger geographic scale across North America.
• Hartstichting (Dutch Heart Foundation) AED Network: Dutch national non-profit coordinating the country's AED and volunteer responder network (HartslagNu) with integrated 112 dispatch. Closest large-scale national analogue to the Save a Life operating model, with similar emphasis on volunteer training and AED cartography.

Broad incumbents

• Swiss Red Cross (Schweizerisches Rotes Kreuz): Switzerland's national humanitarian organization that delivers BLS-AED and first aid training nationwide. A broader incumbent in the emergency-preparedness training market that competes for corporate and individual training dollars alongside Save a Life's SRC-certified course catalog.
• Philips AED (Philips Health Systems): Global AED manufacturer and broader resuscitation solutions provider that competes with ZOLL for AED placements in Save a Life's prospective municipal and corporate accounts. Relevant comparable as the upstream alternative supplier shaping Save a Life's hardware economics.

Others

• ZOLL Medical Corporation: Manufacturer of AED devices (ZOLL AED 3) and CPR feedback technology supplied through Swiss distributor Procamed to Save a Life. Not a competitor but a critical upstream supplier whose hardware reliability and roadmap directly affect Save a Life's responder outcomes.
• Laerdal Medical: Global supplier of CPR training manikins (e.g., Brayden), AED trainers, and resuscitation education solutions. Serves as upstream supplier to Save a Life's training programs and as a strategic partner for any expansion into broader resuscitation education markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@savealife8107
• Facebookfacebook.com/savealifegeneve
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savealife-geneve

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 Save a Life