sotell

What sotell does

Sotell (legal name: SOTELL – Servizi per l'organizzazione del tempo libero e del lavoro) is a non-profit association founded in March 1999 in Lugano, Switzerland, operating under Swiss Civil Code. It functions as a personnel lending and event services organization that connects young people aged 17-35 with temporary work opportunities in the events and leisure sector, while also delivering structured occupational programs for unemployed individuals in partnership with the Canton of Ticino. The organization was established at the initiative of the City of Lugano's Youth Activities Office, and the City of Lugano — primarily through its Division of Events and Congresses — remains its anchor client, accounting for approximately 80% of work volume.

The core offering is a web-based Bacheca (job board) and an intake interview process through which young workers register and are matched to event placements across 15+ job categories (coordinator, photographer, hostess, mascot, cashier, bar staff, logistics support, etc.). In 2023, Sotell supported approximately 800 events with roughly 30,000 hours of labor, engaged 250 young people, and served 46 distinct clients. Complementary service lines include seasonal pedal boat and motorboat rental at Rivetta Tell and Riva Albertolli (operated since 2011, fleet of over 20 pedalò and 10 motorboats), an artisan gelateria (Chez Guglielm), and the Lugano Marittima summer beach club. The association also runs three Occupational Temporary Programs (POT) with the cantonal Regional Placement Office, placing approximately 160 unemployed participants per 3-month cycle for labor market reintegration.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) margin on worker wages for personnel leasing, with all compensation governed by Swiss Collective Labor Agreements (CCL); (2) direct rental fees at Rivetta Tell ranging from CHF 10 (30-minute small pedalò) to CHF 80 (60-minute large motorboat); and (3) direct retail sales at the seasonal gelateria. Pricing for personnel leasing follows applicable CCL rates determined by task category and experience level; the CCL for temporary personnel lending applies to most roles, while hospitality CCL applies to food service positions. No proprietary technology platform, mobile app, API, or AI capabilities are documented — operations rely on standard administrative systems and the website-based Bacheca. The organization operates exclusively within Ticino, Switzerland.

Name

sotell

Legal name

SOTELL – Servizi per l'organizzazione del tempo libero e del lavoro

Website

https://sotell.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sotell is a Lugano-based non-profit association, founded in 1999, that provides CCL-compliant temporary staffing for events to connect young people aged 17-35 with employers — principally the City of Lugano (~80% of work) — and operates seasonal leisure businesses including boat rental and a gelateria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Temporary Staffing Services

NAICS

Food Service Contractors (722310), Caterers (72232), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Off-Premise / Mobile Event Catering (THAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Meet & Invitational Organizers (MPAKADAC), Full-Service Catering (Off-Premise) (HSACAGAA)

Keywords

• Temporary event staffing
• Youth employment services
• Personnel leasing
• Occupational reintegration
• Seasonal boat rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Lugano

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Temporary staff leasing: Sotell provides temporary workers (personale avventizio) to event organizers, public entities, and private companies. The association is authorized by the Canton for personnel lending. Pricing is based on the applicable Collective Labor Agreement (CCL) for the specific task category. Revenue is generated through margin on worker wages paid by client organizations.
2. Pedalò and boat rental: Sotell manages the rental fleet at Rivetta Tell (over 20 pedalò and 10 motorboats). This provides stable summer employment for young people and generates direct rental revenue from tourists and residents.
3. Gelateria operations: The Gelateria artigianale Chez Guglielm operates seasonally, offering gelato made with high-quality, natural ingredients. This generates direct sales revenue and employment opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sotell is a non-profit association that provides CCL-compliant temporary staffing for events in Lugano, connecting young people aged 17-35 with public and private event organizers. The association also manages complementary seasonal businesses (pedal boat and motorboat rentals at Rivetta Tell, an artisan gelateria, the Lugano Marittima summer beach club) and runs occupational reintegration programs (POT) for unemployed participants in partnership with the Canton of Ticino.

Product overview

Sotell operates as a non-profit association providing a staffing platform that connects young people (ages 17-35) in Lugano with temporary work opportunities in the events and leisure sector. The core offering is the Bacheca (job board) and associated job type categories (Tipologie di Lavoro), which includes 15+ positions such as coordinators, photographers, hostesses, mascots, cashiers, runners, logistics support, bar staff, and technical assistants. Complementary services include the Noleggio Pedalò e Motoscafi Rivetta Tell (boat rental), Gelateria Artigianale Chez Guglielm (ice cream shop), and Lugano Marittima (summer beach club). The company also runs Programmi Occupazionali Temporanei (POT) employment programs and the Crea la Cultura cultural initiative, all under the oversight of the Divisione Eventi e Congressi of the City of Lugano.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Temporary Event Staffing Service CCL-compliant temporary staffing for event organizers, public entities, and private companies. Placements span 15+ job categories including event coordinator, photographer, hostess, mascot, cashier, runner, logistics support, bar staff, technical support, and ticketing. Workers are matched to events based on attitudes, availability, and event needs following intake interviews.
• Boat Rental at Rivetta Tell (Pedalò and Motorboats) Seasonal rental service at Rivetta Tell and Riva Albertolli in Lugano, offering over 20 pedalò (small and large, no license required) and 10 motorboats for tourists and residents on Lake Lugano, operated from approximately Easter through summer.
• Gelateria Artigianale Chez Guglielm Seasonal ice cream shop offering artisan gelato made with high-quality natural ingredients, including vegan and gluten-free options, operated by Sotell during the summer months as stable seasonal employment for young workers.
• Lugano Marittima Summer beach club event at the Cassarate river mouth in Lugano featuring music, cocktails, and summer dinners from May to August, staffed and managed by Sotell workers.
• Programmi Occupazionali Temporanei (POT) Three-month occupational reintegration programs (Squadra Logistica, Agenda Lugano, Agorateca) for approximately 160 unemployed participants per cycle, operated in collaboration with the Regional Placement Office of Canton Ticino to facilitate reintegration into the labor market.
• Crea la Cultura Cultural project enabling young people to contribute to unique and innovative cultural projects in Lugano, with educational lectures and conferences (in collaboration with Istituto di Studi Italiani at USI) for participants with educational challenges.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 young people from Lugano engaged in 25 years, plus 2,500 unemployed participants in occupational programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• City of Lugano (Divisione Eventi e Congressi)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Sotell was founded at the initiative of the City's Youth Office (Ufficio Attività Giovanili) and remains its primary client. The City's Division of Events and Congresses is the main source of event staffing demand, accounting for approximately 80% of work. The Municipality appoints 4 of the 7 committee members and ratified the founding statutes.
• Cantone Ticino (Canton of Ticino)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999The Canton granted Sotell authorization for personnel lending, akin to other staffing agencies. The Canton also works with Sotell on three Occupational Temporary Programs (POT) through the Regional Placement Office (Ufficio Regionale di Collocamento), reintegrating approximately 160 unemployed participants every three months.
• Ufficio Regionale di Collocamento (Regional Placement Office)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSotell partners with the cantonal employment office to run three Occupational Temporary Programs (POT) that provide approximately 160 unemployed participants per 3-month cycle with supervised work experience in logistics and other roles, facilitating reintegration into the labor market.
• Istituto di Studi Italiani (ISI) — USIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with ISI to offer lectures and conferences to young participants with educational challenges, providing cultural enrichment alongside employment programs.
• Local businesses, associations, and foundations in LuganosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSotell works with various private companies, associations, and foundations in the Lugano area who need temporary non-specialized staffing. These clients represent the approximately 46 different clients served in 2023.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Ufficio Regionale di Collocamento (URC): Cantonal employment office that co-runs Sotell's Occupational Temporary Programs (POT). A government partner/peer in placing unemployed individuals, sharing the same workforce-reintegration mission.
• Divisione Eventi e Congressi, Città di Lugano: Municipal events department of Lugano, which is Sotell's largest client and shares its director (Claudio Chiapparino). Functions as both anchor client and operational partner for the bulk of Sotell's staffing volume.
• Indeed Switzerland: Major online job platform active in Switzerland serving both employers and job seekers. Adjacent to Sotell's Bacheca for entry-level and temporary work, with broader reach but no staffing or payroll services.

Direct peers

• Coople: Swiss-based digital staffing platform for flexible hourly and event work. Directly comparable to Sotell on temporary event staffing in Switzerland, but with a proprietary tech platform and app-based matching that Sotell currently lacks.

Broad incumbents

• Adecco Group: Global staffing and workforce solutions giant headquartered in Switzerland. Comparable to Sotell as a CCL-compliant temporary personnel provider, though operating at vastly larger scale and across all skill levels rather than youth/event staffing.
• Gi Group Switzerland: Italian-originated staffing multinational active in Switzerland, providing temporary staffing under CCL. Similar workforce-leasing business model targeting events, hospitality, and logistics.
• Randstad Switzerland: Global staffing firm with a Swiss entity placing temporary workers across hospitality, events, and logistics. Competes for the same Swiss CCL-governed temporary labor pool that Sotell serves.
• ManpowerGroup Switzerland: Major Swiss staffing agency offering temporary and permanent placement under Swiss collective labor agreements. Overlaps with Sotell on the CCL-based personnel lending model for event and hospitality roles.

Emerging players

• JobCloud: Swiss online job marketplace operating jobs.ch and other portals. Comparable to Sotell's Bacheca job board in serving Swiss job seekers and employers, though broader in scope and commercial rather than non-profit.

Regional players

• Caritas Ticino: Swiss non-profit operating social and labor-market integration programs in Ticino. Comparable to Sotell's POT program on non-profit workforce reintegration for disadvantaged job seekers in the same canton.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sotell

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 sotell