Wasser Fur Wasser - Wfw

What Wasser Fur Wasser - Wfw does

Wasser Für Wasser (WfW), founded in 2012 in Lucerne, is a Swiss non-profit association organized under Swiss law with operations in Switzerland, Zambia, and Mozambique. The organization channels support for fair and sustainable water use by running WASH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) projects in structurally disadvantaged peri-urban areas of Lusaka (Kanyama, Linda, Misisi, John Laing), Gondwe, Pemba Batoka, and Maputo, alongside vocational training programmes at LVTC and MTTI and WASH-in-Schools initiatives. Field infrastructure includes water kiosks, PE100 pipeline networks, household connections, boreholes (including solar-powered), and water treatment systems delivered in partnership with local utilities LWSC, SWSC, and WSUP, with co-financing from the UK FCDO.

WfW funds its international project work through a portfolio of Swiss-based revenue streams: the WfW GASTRO & HOTEL programme (sub-divided into WfW GREEN, where restaurants and hotels forego bottled water and donate a minimum 10% of tap water revenue, and WfW CLASSIC, where 100% of tap water revenue is contributed), WfW COMPANY for corporate CSR partners, an online merchandise shop where the premium above cost value is treated as a donation, monthly subscription donations, one-time Twint payments, and social business income from the NORDPOL summer bar. The lucernewater.ch web app (co-developed with the City of Lucerne) maps 200+ public fountains to drive tap water consumption, while AQUADEMIA extends water literacy into schools.

Customer reach includes over 500 Swiss hospitality and corporate partners such as Radisson Blu Hotel Luzern, Le Piaf im KKL Luzern, Tibits Oerlikon, Casa Tolone, Art Deco Hotel Montana, and Luzern cultural venues; on the impact side, WfW cites enabling clean water access for 40,000+ residents in Misisi, 65,000 in John Laing, and smaller cohorts across Linda, Kanyama, and Gondwe. The organization employs 11-50 staff under a Board chaired by Marco Schröter with a multi-disciplinary Advisory Board spanning law, theology, development cooperation, and sanitation.

Name

Wasser Fur Wasser - Wfw

Legal name

WASSER FÜR WASSER (WfW)

Website

https://wfw.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) non-profit services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Solutions (BPAGALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) (BPAGABAC), WASH & Public Health (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) (BPADAIAG), Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

Keywords

• WASH water programs
• Tap water promotion
• Sustainable hospitality partnerships
• Water infrastructure projects
• Vocational water training

Headquarters

HQ city

Luzern

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships: WfW partners with restaurants and hotels through WfW GREEN (minimum 10% of water sales) and WfW CLASSIC (100% of tap water revenue) programs. Also corporate company partnerships through WfW COMPANY for sustainable tap water consumption.
2. Merchandise Shop: Online shop selling merchandise (water bottles, etc.) where purchase price exceeds actual product value, with the difference treated as a donation. Payment via credit card or invoice.
3. Individual Donations: Individual supporters can donate via Twint payments and monthly subscription donations (cancelable anytime). Voluntary contributions are tax-deductible in Switzerland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wasser für Wasser (WfW) is a non-profit organization that funds and delivers Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects in Zambia and Mozambique—including water kiosks, household connections, and pipeline networks for underserved urban communities—through revenue generated by Swiss tap-water promotion programs. In Switzerland, WfW runs partnership programs (WfW GASTRO & HOTEL with WfW GREEN and WfW CLASSIC tiers, WfW COMPANY), the AQUADEMIA water-education curriculum, the lucernewater.ch public-fountain platform, an online merchandise shop, and the NORDPOL social business bar. The model creates a mutual-benefit cycle in which Swiss partners and individual donors fund African WASH infrastructure and vocational training while Switzerland promotes sustainable tap-water consumption.

Product overview

WASSER FÜR WASSER (WfW) is a non-profit organization founded in 2012 that focuses on water access and sustainability. The organization operates programs in three countries (Switzerland, Zambia, and Mozambique) through a portfolio of service offerings. In Switzerland, WfW provides sustainability services including WfW GASTRO & HOTEL for restaurant and hotel partnerships (with WfW GREEN, WfW CLASSIC, and WfW GREEN Hotel sub-programs), WfW COMPANY for corporate partners, and AQUADEMIA for educational water knowledge programs. The organization also operates the lucernewater.ch web application showing over 200 public fountains in Lucerne, and runs a summer bar concept called NORDPOL. In Africa, WfW supports water supply projects, vocational training programs, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) initiatives in schools. The organization also maintains a merchandise shop. All offerings are interconnected through WfW's mission to promote fair and sustainable water access, with partner programs generating funds for international development projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WfW GASTRO & HOTEL: Sustainability service for gastronomy and hotel businesses promoting tap water consumption
• WfW COMPANY
• WfW GREEN
• WfW CLASSIC
• lucernewater.ch
• NORDPOL
• AQUADEMIA

Products and services

• WfW GASTRO & HOTEL Sustainability service for gastronomy and hotel businesses in Switzerland offering innovative concepts for serving tap water in branded WfW carafes instead of bottled water, with revenue directed to WfW's water projects in Mozambique, Switzerland and Zambia.
• WfW COMPANY Corporate sustainability service enabling Swiss companies to support sustainable tap-water consumption in their operations while contributing to WfW's mission and WASH projects.
• WfW GREEN Hospitality partnership program where restaurant partners forego bottled water and exclusively serve tap water in WfW carafes, with a minimum of 10% of water revenue flowing to WfW's water, hygiene and education programs in Mozambique, Switzerland and Zambia.
• WfW CLASSIC Hospitality partnership program where restaurants sell tap water alongside bottled water, with 100% of tap water revenue flowing to WfW's water, hygiene and education programs.
• WfW GREEN Hotel Hotel partnership program within WfW GREEN where hotel partners commit to sustainable and responsible tourism by serving tap water in WfW carafes instead of bottled water.
• AQUADEMIA Educational programme strengthening water knowledge and promoting responsible water usage in everyday life and in Swiss schools through curriculum-integrated water education.
• lucernewater.ch Web application launched in 2017 in cooperation with the City of Lucerne, showing the location of over 200 public drinking-water fountains and providing historical information about Lucerne's water supply.
• NORDPOL Summer Bar Social business summer bar on the Reuss river in Lucerne, developed by WfW with restaurateurs, serving tap water from WfW carafes and donating CHF 12,000 annually to WfW project work in Switzerland.
• WfW Shop Online merchandise shop selling WfW products such as the Lucerne Water Bottle, where the purchase price exceeds the product value and the difference is treated as a donation to support WfW's water projects.
• WASH Water Supply Projects (Zambia and Mozambique) Construction and operation of safe-water supply infrastructure in underserved urban areas of Zambia and Mozambique, including water kiosks, household connections and pipeline networks (PE100 pipes), delivered with local utility partners LWSC, WSUP and SWSC.
• Water-Sector Vocational Training (LVTC and MTTI) Water-specific vocational training delivered with Lusaka Vocational and Technical College (LVTC) and Mansa Trades Training Institute (MTTI), with LVTC graduates participating in the construction of WfW water kiosks.
• WASH in Schools (Maputo and Zambia) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes delivered in schools in Maputo (Mozambique) and in Zambia, providing safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to school communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000+ people gained access to clean drinking water through Misisi project
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBritish multi-sector partnership active in seven African countries. WSUP works with urban water and sanitation providers to enable financially sustainable and affordable supply systems for poor urban areas. WfW works directly with WSUP Zambia. WSUP assumes the role of intermediary organization between WfW and LWSC, monitoring and controlling projects, and is involved in design and coordination of WfW-financed projects.
• Lusaka Water Supply & Sanitation Company (LWSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater supply company reporting to the Lusaka City Council, responsible for supplying water to the capital. The peri-urban department is responsible for the 35 poorest and least developed areas of the capital, including planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of supply systems in WfW project areas.
• Southern Water & Sewerage Company (SWSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal water utility in Livingstone, Zambia, responsible for water supply to the entire city. Strong local operator with trusted leadership, recognized as best utility in the country by national regulator NWASCO in 2017.
• City of LucernecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership for lucernewater.ch project launched in 2017. The platform makes the city's water service offerings visible, shows fountains as historical assets, and encourages residents and tourists to use fountains as drinking water sources.
• Lusaka Vocational and Technical College (LVTC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner school enabling water-specific vocational training. Graduates have been involved in construction of water kiosks, contributing to local capacity building.
• NORDPOL Summer BarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst social business concept with WfW participation. Located by the Reuss river, the summer bar focuses on homemade regional food and drink, exclusively plays African music, and donates CHF 12,000 annually to WfW project work in Switzerland.
• KKL LuzernminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCulture and convention center in Lucerne. Through WfW partnership, contributes directly to people without access to clean drinking water with every bottle filled, promoting conscious water use and improving environmental footprint.
• MTTI (Mansa Trades Training Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership enabling water-specific vocational training in northern Zambia. WfW supports vocational training in Mansa.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WaterCan / WaterAid Canada: Canadian WASH-focused non-profit funding clean water and sanitation projects in developing countries; comparable model and mission to WfW, operating at small-to-medium scale with project-based funding.
• charity: water: US-based non-profit funding clean water access projects in developing countries; directly comparable to WfW's project funding mechanism, with a similar donor/partner-driven revenue model and project-by-project reporting style.
• WaterAid: Global non-profit dedicated to providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in low-income countries; the closest functional peer to WfW's WASH delivery model, though operating at much larger scale and across more geographies.
• Water.org: Global non-profit focused on water access and sanitation through market-based financing; comparable to WfW as a water-and-sanitation non-profit working on infrastructure in low-income urban areas, though with a significantly larger footprint and budget.
• Water & Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP): Multi-sector partnership focused on WASH in low-income urban areas across seven African countries; directly comparable and an actual implementation partner of WfW in Zambia via LWSC.

Broad incumbents

• Helvetas: Swiss development cooperation organisation running WASH, water, and vocational training programmes in Africa and Asia; comparable to WfW as a Swiss-anchored development NGO with WASH in its portfolio, but with a broader thematic scope and larger institutional structure.
• Concern Worldwide: International humanitarian organisation with significant WASH programming in Africa and Asia; comparable WASH delivery mission to WfW but with much broader humanitarian mandate.
• UNICEF WASH Programme: UN agency programme driving WASH services and policy globally; comparable at the WASH-outcome level but operating as a multilateral with vastly greater funding, geographic reach, and policy influence.

Regional players

• WaterAid America: US member entity of the WaterAid federation; comparable structure to WaterAid UK and to WfW as a nationally-rooted WASH fundraising and awareness-raising entity, but operating from a different geography.
• WaterAid UK: UK member entity of the WaterAid federation running domestic fundraising and advocacy for global WASH programmes; comparable national-anchor fundraising model to WfW's Switzerland-centric approach, though active in a different donor geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wasser-fuer-wasser

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 Wasser Fur Wasser - Wfw