caritas ticino
Caritas Ticino is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1942 in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, delivering social services, debt counseling, employment programs, second-hand retail (CATISHOP.CH), recycling (Cati Recycling), and organic farming (Catibio) to local residents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1942
- HeadquartersPregassona, Switzerland
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What caritas ticino does
Caritas Ticino is a Swiss nonprofit charitable association headquartered in Pregassona, Canton Ticino, and founded in 1942 under Catholic social teaching. It delivers a broad portfolio of social services to residents of Canton Ticino, including direct social-assistance casework, debt and gambling counseling, employment and occupational reinsertion programs, civil-service placements, volunteer coordination, refugee support, and furniture storage (Catidepo). Its commercial and operational arms include CATISHOP.CH, a chain of five second-hand retail stores across Pregassona, Giubiasco, Chiasso, Locarno, and Pollegio; Cati Recycling, which processes electrical/electronic waste, textiles, and furniture; and Catibio, an organic farm certified by Bio Suisse since 2013 and operating as a federal training farm since October 2014 in partnership with Azienda Agraria Cantonale di Mezzana. The organization also runs Biocassetta (an organic produce box subscription sold via the Loonity/Terranostra platform), Piantinebio (organic seedlings including rare local varieties through ProSpecieRara), and international development projects under Aiuto all'estero.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure funded through donations, cantonal public-sector contracts (notably with the Ufficio del Sostegno Sociale e dell'Inserimento), and earned revenue from second-hand retail, recycling services, and organic agricultural sales. Pricing is not applicable for most programs, which are free or donation-based; commercial lines (CATISHOP.CH, Biocassetta, Piantinebio) operate at standard retail and wholesale rates. Distribution is regionally anchored in Canton Ticino through physical storefronts, program sites, and the Catibio farm, supplemented by an online sales channel via Loonity/Terranostra. Media engagement is maintained through Caritas Insieme TV on Teleticino, a YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, a published magazine (Rivista), and a blog. Revenue figures, headcount, and audited financials are not publicly disclosed.
caritas ticino firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- caritas ticino
- Legal name
- Caritas Ticino
- Website
- https://caritas-ticino.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1942
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Caritas Ticino is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1942 in Canton Ticino, Switzerland, delivering social services, debt counseling, employment programs, second-hand retail (CATISHOP.CH), recycling (Cati Recycling), and organic farming (Catibio) to local residents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
caritas ticino industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services) (BPAGALAN), Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO)
Keywords
Where caritas ticino is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pregassona
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
caritas ticino business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
caritas ticino product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Caritas Ticino is an independent nonprofit charitable association founded in 1942 in Pregassona, Switzerland, providing social welfare services and charitable programs across Canton Ticino. Its offerings combine free or subsidized social services (debt counseling, employment support, civil service placement, foreign aid, volunteering) with revenue-generating social enterprises including second-hand retail (CATISHOP.CH), recycling operations (Cati Recycling), and Bio Suisse-certified organic farming (Cati Bio / Biocassetta). It also operates a community magazine / TV channel (Caritas Insieme TV) and serves as a federally recognized training company for apprenticeships.
Product overview
Caritas Ticino is a charitable social services organization operating as a unified portfolio of community support services rather than a technology product platform. The core offerings include social services, second-hand retail (CATISHOP.CH), recycling operations, and organic farming (Cati Bio). These services are interconnected: the CATISHOP stores sell donated goods and recycled items, the recycling division processes materials, and Cati Bio provides organic produce through Biocassetta boxes and Piantinebio seedlings. Additional services include debt assistance, employment programs, foreign aid, furniture storage (Catidepo), civil service placements, and volunteer opportunities. The organization also produces media content through Caritas Insieme TV and a published magazine. Founded in 1942, Caritas Ticino is based in Pregassona, Switzerland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Catibio: Organic farming brand of Caritas Ticino producing biological vegetables, seedlings, and aromatic plants, certified with Gemma Bio Suisse since 2013. Operates as a federal training farm since October 2014.
- CATISHOP.CH
- Biocassetta
Companies that use caritas ticino
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
caritas ticino technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
caritas ticino partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Azienda Agraria Cantonale di MezzanacoreCollaboration for federal training company certification. Catibio organic farm obtained 'azienda formatrice federale' (federal training company) status starting October 2014 through partnership with Mezzana agricultural company. Provides vocational training pathway for persons receiving social assistance to re-enter the labor market.
- FOFTcoreSales partnership for organic vegetable production. Catibio produces vegetables not available in mainstream markets and sells to FOFT for large-scale distribution. Since 2011 with specialized personnel.
- ConProBiocoreCollaboration for crop programming since 2011. Works with Catibio organic farm for vegetable cultivation planning without competing with regular market production.
- Loonity - TerranostraminorSince 2017, online sales collaboration through Terranostra market platform using Loonity.com for Biocassetta (organic box) sales.
- ProSpecieRaraminorPartnership for production and multiplication of organic seedlings of local vegetable varieties. Catibio nursery contributes to preservation of rare plant varieties.
- Cofti.ch - Erbe TicinominorProduction of organic aromatic plant seedlings in collaboration with Cofti.ch SA. Nursery produces plants for Ticino market.
- Gemma Bio SuissecoreOrganic certification received since 2013. Catibio organic farm recognized by Bio Suisse, the main Swiss organic farming association.
- Ufficio del Sostegno Sociale e dell'InserimentocoreCantonal social welfare office partnership for designing training pathways. Collaborated to create new tools for relocating unemployed persons into the labor market through vocational training.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
caritas ticino competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Caritas Schweiz: The national Swiss Caritas federation. Directly comparable mission and brand family; serves as the umbrella organization covering all cantonal Caritas entities including Caritas Ticino.
- Swiss Red Cross: National humanitarian organization operating health, social, and integration programs across Switzerland. Comparable scope of services including social assistance, refugee support, and training programs.
Direct peers
- Brücke Le Pont: Swiss social services organization providing employment programs, social integration, and refugee services. Closely comparable in the occupational reintegration programs Caritas Ticino runs.
- Pro Juventute: Major Swiss nonprofit providing social support, family services, and youth programs. Comparable nonprofit model delivering social services across Switzerland.
- Winterhilfe Schweiz: Swiss charity providing social assistance and material aid to those in need. Comparable nonprofit social services model with similar direct-aid orientation.
- HEKS/EPER: Swiss Church Aid, one of the largest Swiss social services NGOs operating domestic welfare programs and international aid. Directly comparable in mission and program breadth to Caritas Ticino.
- Salvation Army Switzerland: Operates secondhand retail stores, social services, debt counseling, and employment programs across Switzerland. Closely comparable service portfolio especially to CATISHOP.CH and Caritas Ticino's debt and employment services.
Others
- Bio Suisse: Swiss organic farming umbrella organization that certifies Cati Bio's organic production. Not a peer but the key certification and standards partner that validates Caritas Ticino's organic farm operations.
Regional players
- Pro Senectute Ticino: Cantonal-level foundation serving elderly populations in Ticino. Comparable regional focus and social service mission but specialized in a different beneficiary segment.
Emerging players
- Fondation Collective de travail: Smaller Ticino-rooted social integration and work reintegration programs. Comparable regionally focused employment and integration mission.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
caritas ticino social profiles
Digital presencecaritas ticino financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
caritas ticino leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
caritas ticino funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
caritas ticino M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about caritas ticino
What does caritas ticino do?
Caritas Ticino is an independent nonprofit charitable association founded in 1942 in Pregassona, Switzerland, providing social welfare services and charitable programs across Canton Ticino. Its offerings combine free or subsidized social services (debt counseling, employment support, civil service placement, foreign aid, volunteering) with revenue-generating social enterprises including second-hand retail (CATISHOP.CH), recycling operations (Cati Recycling), and Bio Suisse-certified organic farming (Cati Bio / Biocassetta). It also operates a community magazine / TV channel (Caritas Insieme TV) and serves as a federally recognized training company for apprenticeships.
Is caritas ticino a public or private company?
caritas ticino is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was caritas ticino founded?
caritas ticino was founded in 1942.
Where is caritas ticino based?
caritas ticino is headquartered in Pregassona, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
Who are caritas ticino's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Caritas Schweiz and Swiss Red Cross. Direct peers are Brücke Le Pont, Pro Juventute, Winterhilfe Schweiz, HEKS/EPER and Salvation Army Switzerland. Bio Suisse is listed as an others. Pro Senectute Ticino is listed as a regional player. Fondation Collective de travail is listed as an emerging player.
Does caritas ticino have an API?
No public API is recorded for caritas ticino.
What industry is caritas ticino in?
caritas ticino's product category is Social Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAGAA, Community Development & Social Impact Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGALAN, Refugee & Migrant Integration Enterprises (Livelihoods, Services). Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.