ProTier

What ProTier does

ProTier – Stiftung für Tierschutz und Ethik is a Swiss charitable foundation headquartered at Alfred-Escher-Strasse 17, 8002 Zürich, founded in 1949 as the Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Tierschutz (SGT) and converted from an association into a foundation in 2010. It is supervised by the Eidgenössische Stiftungsaufsicht (ESA) and operates with 1-10 direct employees, drawing the bulk of its operational capacity from a verified network of 35+ life and sanctuary farms (Lebens- und Gnadenhöfe) across German, French and Italian-speaking Switzerland, plus partner veterinarians and corporate volunteers.

Its core offerings are charitable services rather than technology products: emergency animal rescue (Tier in Not), sanctuary placement through the Lebenshoffonds, long-running cat neutering campaigns (Heimatlose Katzen, 40+ years), farm conversion programs including the MUKA mother-calf dairy initiative, pig rescue (Schweinerettung mit Herz), public education through the quarterly Tier & Mensch magazine, blog, newsletter, and the annual Hoftage open-farm event. No software platform, API, or proprietary technology is operated.

The revenue model is donation- and sponsorship-driven: general donations (Allgemeinspende), annual patronage (Gönnerschaft), farm sponsorship (Hofpatenschaft), the Lebenshoffonds, and legacy bequests — all tax-deductible in Switzerland — supplemented by a merchandise shop and event/tourism revenue at partner farms. The primary customer segment is individual donors and supporters; secondary segments are corporate partners (L'Oréal Switzerland, Siemens Switzerland, Tertianum) using ProTier for employee volunteering and CSR, and sanctuary farm operators receiving advisory and financial support.

Name

ProTier

Legal name

ProTier – Stiftung für Tierschutz und Ethik

Website

https://protier.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ProTier is a Swiss charitable foundation, founded in 1949 and based in Zürich, that promotes animal welfare and ethics through rescue, a network of 35+ sanctuary farms, neutering campaigns, advocacy, and public education, funded primarily by tax-deductible individual donations and corporate volunteering partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: ProTier generates revenue primarily through charitable donations including general donations (Allgemeinspende), annual sponsorships (Gönnerschaft), farm sponsorships (Hofpatenschaft), and the Lebenshoffonds. All donations are tax-deductible.
2. Shop Sales: ProTier operates a shop selling various items to supporters.
3. Event Revenue: The network of sanctuary farms hosts events including farm tours, workshops, team events, and the annual Hoftage, which generate some revenue for participating farms.
4. Farm Events and Programs: Some sanctuary farms like Vaikuntha Farm generate revenue through events, tours, school visits, and their own biological vegetable garden for direct sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ProTier is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers animal welfare services including emergency animal rescue, operation of and support for a network of sanctuary farms (Lebens- und Gnadenhöfe), cat neutering programs, advocacy campaigns (e.g., Schweinerettung mit Herz, MUKA), public education through its «Tier & Mensch» magazine and events, and corporate volunteering opportunities. Funding is raised through donations, annual patronage (Gönnerschaft), farm sponsorships (Hofpatenschaft), legacy giving, the online shop, and event income.

Product overview

ProTier is a nonprofit Swiss foundation (Stiftung für Tierschutz und Ethik) offering a portfolio of animal welfare services rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include animal rescue services, a network of over 30 partner sanctuaries (Lebens- und Gnadenhöfe), campaigns like Schweinerettung mit Herz (pig rescue) and MUKA (mother-calf rearing), educational programs including the quarterly magazine «Tier & Mensch», and public engagement through events like the annual Hoftage. The organization also facilitates donations, sponsorships, corporate volunteering, and legacy giving. No technology product, API, or software platform is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tier in Not (Emergency Animal Rescue)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million people voted for the Massentierhaltungsinitiative, demonstrating broad public support for ProTier's advocacy positions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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 and minor.

• TertianumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 February 2026ProTier and Tertianum entered into a partnership in February 2026 to promote life joy, mindfulness, and respectful treatment of humans and animals. The focus is on special encounters between seniors and animals - moments that touch,唤醒 memories, and bring movement to everyday life. Media contact: Aldo Hitz, CEO of ProTier.
• Fachstelle MUKA (Fachstelle für Mutter-Kalb-Haltung)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProTier collaborates with the MUKA Fachstelle (Expert Center for Mother-Calf Management) on the MUKA campaign for mother-bonded calf rearing. The partnership provides free conversion consultations for farmers and financial support for farm conversions. Cornelia Buchli and Julia Rell from MUKA provide on-site advisory services.
• VGT SchweizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProTier coordinated with VGT Schweiz to find new homes for 8 sheep from Tierpark Kreuzlingen that were destined for slaughter due to ongoing foot rot. VGT organized placement with a farmer in St. Gallen where sheep can receive care until natural end of life.
• Network of Sanctuary Farms (Lebens- und Gnadenhöfe)coreOthersProTier supports a verified network of 35+ life and sanctuary farms in Switzerland that it regularly visits and exchanges with. The network includes farms across German-speaking, French-speaking, and Italian-speaking regions. Farms receive advice, financial support, and coordination through ProTier's Lebenshoffonds.
• CowpassionminorOthersThe MUKA Hof Jost farm was inspired by Cowpassion, an organization promoting mother-calf bonding in dairy farming, which prompted farmer Lukas Jost to consider the transition to MUKA practices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Stiftung.ProTier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/protier

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ProTier