SAWI

What SAWI does

SAWI (formally "SAWI Academy for MarCom, Sales & Multimedia Sàrl") is a Swiss professional training institute founded in 1968 and headquartered in Lausanne, with a second campus in Zürich serving German-speaking Switzerland. It specializes in marketing, communication, and sales education, offering federally recognized diplomas (Brevet fédéral, Diplôme fédéral), proprietary SAWI diplomas, and shorter certificates to individual professionals pursuing career advancement and to corporate clients seeking structured team training.

The institute's product portfolio spans multi-year federal credential tracks to short modular certificates, with published program prices ranging from CHF 1,600 to CHF 16,850. Delivery occurs through in-person classroom formats at its two campuses, complemented by an e-learning platform that extends reach beyond physical attendance. SAWI holds eduQua certification, the Swiss quality label for continuing education providers, and claims a network of over 20,000 alumni working across Swiss enterprises. The organization employs between 101 and 250 people.

SAWI monetizes primarily through tuition fees from individual enrollees and corporate-sponsored cohorts, combining professional education with regulated credentialing to position itself as a credentialed career pathway rather than a generic content provider. Recent product introductions include dedicated AI training tracks (AI Practitioner, AI Specialist in Marketing/Communication, AI Specialist in Sales) and a sustainable strategy program, signaling responsiveness to emerging skills demand in its core marcom-sales vertical and an effort to capture share of corporate AI-reskilling budgets.

Name

SAWI

Legal name

SAWI Academy for MarCom, Sales & Multimedia Sàrl

Website

https://sawi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SAWI is a Swiss professional training institute founded in 1968, headquartered in Lausanne with a Zürich campus, offering federally recognized diplomas and certificates in marketing, communication, and sales to individual professionals and corporate clients across Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne, Vaud

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Education Tuition: SAWI generates revenue through tuition fees for professional training programs in marketing, communication, and sales. Programs include federal diplomas (Diplôme fédéral), federal certificates (Brevet fédéral), and SAWI-specific diplomas. Pricing ranges from CHF 1,600 to CHF 16,850 per program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SAWI is a Swiss professional training institute that sells diploma and certificate programs in marketing, communication, and sales, ranging from short attestations (1 month) to Swiss Federal Diplomas (up to 16 months). Programs are delivered via evening and Saturday classroom sessions at campuses in Lausanne and Zürich, supplemented by a proprietary e-learning platform, and culminate in credentials recognized by the Swiss federal government and employers.

Product overview

SAWI (Swiss Academy for Marketing and Communication) is a Swiss professional training institute established in 1968, offering a comprehensive portfolio of diploma and certificate programs across three core domains: Marketing, Communication, and Sales. The institution delivers programs at multiple certification levels including Federal Diplomas (Diplôme fédéral), Federal Vocational Certificates (Brevet fédéral), and SAWI-specific diplomas and attestations. Programs range from intensive 1-month courses (30-45 hours) to comprehensive 12-16 month diploma programs (225-360 hours), with formats including evening classes, Saturday sessions, and e-learning. The portfolio includes specialized tracks in digital marketing, AI applications, sustainable marketing, e-commerce, event management, and key account management. SAWI maintains two campus locations in Lausanne and Zürich and has educated over 20,000 alumni, with partnerships including digitalswitzerland for digital skills programs. The institution holds eduQua certification and prepares students for Swiss federal professional examinations, achieving above-average pass rates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chef marketing, Diplôme fédéral et Diplôme SAWI

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% success rate at Brevet fédéral in Marketing exams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• digitalswitzerlandminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerdigitalswitzerland supports SAWI's Summer School Digital Academy with up to 50% financial support (maximum CHF 1,000) for participants. SAWI participates in Swiss Digital Days events organized by digitalswitzerland.
• swicominorOthersSAWI is associated with swico as one of its umbrella organizations (maisons faîtières).
• KSCSminorOthersSAWI is associated with KSCS (Kommission für schweizerische Zusammenarbeit?) as one of its umbrella organizations.
• Campus SwissminorOthersSAWI is associated with Campus Swiss as one of its umbrella organizations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Digital Marketing Institute (DMI): Global provider of digital marketing certifications and professional education. Comparable to SAWI's digital marketing curriculum offerings (Digital Marketing 360°, Digital Strategy) and represents the digital-first competition for the same learner.
• SAE Institute: International media and creative education provider with a Swiss presence, offering diplomas in audio, film, and digital content creation. Comparable to SAWI on the communication and content-creation side of the portfolio.

Direct peers

• AKAD University: Swiss distance-learning institution offering federal diplomas and professional certificates across business disciplines. Closest comparable in delivery model and federal credentialing focus, though with broader subject coverage than SAWI's three-domain specialization.
• IBAW Hochschule: Swiss private university of applied sciences offering business and management degrees with federal recognition. Comparable to SAWI in target audience (Swiss working professionals) and federal-credentialed professional education positioning.
• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Swiss business school offering professional degrees and continuing education in marketing, management, and digital business. Most direct comparable to SAWI in the German-speaking Swiss market, with overlapping target audience of working professionals seeking recognized credentials.

Broad incumbents

• IMD Lausanne: International business school based in Lausanne offering executive education and management development. Comparable to SAWI in target geography and professional education focus, but operates at a higher price point and broader scope (executive MBA rather than federal diplomas).
• ZHAW School of Management and Law: Swiss university of applied sciences with management and marketing programs. Comparable as a Swiss credential-granting institution for business/marketing professionals, but at undergraduate and graduate degree level rather than federal diploma level.
• Coursera: Global online learning platform offering professional certificates and degrees from leading universities. Comparable as a competing channel for working professionals seeking marketing, communication, and AI credentials at lower price points.
• Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): UK-based professional body for marketing with globally recognized credentials. Comparable as a marketing-specific credentialing body that international marketing professionals may pursue in lieu of (or alongside) Swiss federal diplomas.
• LinkedIn Learning: B2B-focused professional learning platform integrated with LinkedIn's professional network. Comparable as a competing source of affordable marketing, sales, and AI training for the same working-professional audience as SAWI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sawiacademy/?locale=fr_FR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/sawi-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SAWI