2026 edition
2026 Findings
What the Swiss Lions 100 tells us about the brands that carry Switzerland into the world: where they come from, how old they are, who owns them and how they are changing.
- global Swiss brands ranked
- 100
- combined annual revenue
- CHF 810.2bn
- categories
- 7
- cantons represented
- 23
- oldest founding year (Vacheron Constantin)
- 1755
01
1
One new global brand in twenty years
Only On, founded in 2010, was started in the last 20 years. None of the 100 was founded in the last ten. 43 brands were founded before 1900, and they earn 52% of the combined revenue.
| Founded | Combined revenue | Share of the 100 | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1900Roche, Nestlé, Zurich Insurance and 40 more | CHF 421.4bn | 52.0% | 43 |
| 1900 to 1949Rolex, Schindler, Holcim and 16 more | CHF 104.1bn | 12.8% | 19 |
| 1950 to 1999Nespresso, MSC, Endress+Hauser and 18 more | CHF 126.0bn | 15.6% | 21 |
| 2000 to 2005Richard Mille, Mercuria, Sportradar | CHF 7.7bn | 1.0% | 3 |
| 2006 onwardsOn | CHF 3.0bn | 0.4% | 1 |
| Formed from older companiesNovartis, ABB, Adecco and 10 more | CHF 147.9bn | 18.3% | 13 |
Combined annual revenue of the brands in the Swiss Lions 100, in Swiss francs (gross profit for commodity traders). Revenue is earned worldwide and counted where each brand has its global headquarters. Companies created by a merger or spin-off are shown separately, because their roots are older than their founding date.
02
67%
Three cantons carry most of the weight
Zurich, Basel-Stadt and Geneva are home to 47 of the 100 brands and 67% of their combined revenue. Zurich alone accounts for 32%.
| Canton | Combined revenue | Share of the 100 | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZurichABB, Zurich Insurance, UBS and 23 more | CHF 260.2bn | 32.1% | 26 |
| Basel-StadtRoche, Novartis, Avolta and 4 more | CHF 153.8bn | 19.0% | 7 |
| GenevaRolex, MSC, Givaudan and 11 more | CHF 129.7bn | 16.0% | 14 |
| VaudNestlé, Nespresso, Audemars Piguet and 6 more | CHF 112.1bn | 13.8% | 9 |
| ZugHolcim, Sika, Glencore and 3 more | CHF 42.7bn | 5.3% | 6 |
| SchwyzKuehne+Nagel, Victorinox, Oerlikon | CHF 26.2bn | 3.2% | 3 |
Combined annual revenue of the brands in the Swiss Lions 100, in Swiss francs (gross profit for commodity traders). Revenue is earned worldwide and counted where each brand has its global headquarters.
03
32%
French-speaking Switzerland punches above its weight
Brands headquartered in French-speaking Switzerland earn 32% of the combined revenue, led by Nestlé, MSC and Liebherr, although French is the main language of only around a quarter of the population. Italian-speaking Switzerland is home to 1 brand in the 100.
| Language region | Combined revenue | Share of the 100 | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| German-speakingRoche, Novartis, ABB and 68 more | CHF 549.8bn | 67.9% | 71 |
| French-speakingNestlé, Rolex, Nespresso and 25 more | CHF 259.8bn | 32.1% | 28 |
| Italian-speakingMedacta | CHF 614m | 0.1% | 1 |
Combined annual revenue of the brands in the Swiss Lions 100, in Swiss francs (gross profit for commodity traders). Revenue is earned worldwide and counted where each brand has its global headquarters.
04
21
Swiss made is concentrated in watches
21 of the 100 brands make their core range in Switzerland to the legal Swiss made standard. 16 of them are watchmakers.
05
3
Owned by foundations
3 brands in the 100 are owned by charitable foundations: Rolex, Tudor and Victorinox. In all, 42 have a charitable foundation registered in Switzerland.
06
54
Most leading Swiss brands sell to other businesses
54 of the 100 sell mainly to other businesses and earn 50% of the combined revenue. 31 sell mainly to consumers, led by Nestlé, Avolta and Rolex, and 15 serve both. Many of the brands that carry Switzerland's name furthest are better known to engineers, hospitals and banks than to shoppers.
| Main customers | Combined revenue | Share of the 100 | Brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mainly businesses (B2B)Roche, Novartis, ABB and 51 more | CHF 405.4bn | 50.0% | 54 |
| Consumers and businessesZurich Insurance, UBS, MSC and 12 more | CHF 247.5bn | 30.5% | 15 |
| Mainly consumers (B2C)Nestlé, Rolex, Nespresso and 28 more | CHF 157.3bn | 19.4% | 31 |
Combined annual revenue of the brands in the Swiss Lions 100, in Swiss francs (gross profit for commodity traders). Revenue is earned worldwide and counted where each brand has its global headquarters.
07
18
Family ownership still matters
18 of the 100 are owned or controlled by families, 13 of them privately, including MSC, Audemars Piguet, Tetra Pak and Endress+Hauser. Several listed leaders, such as Roche and Schindler, remain under family control.
08
62
Most leading brands now have a validated climate target
62 of the 100 hold a climate target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative, including 36 with a validated net-zero target. 4 are certified B Corps: Nespresso, Ricola, Lombard Odier and Weleda.
Using these findings
You are welcome to quote these findings with a credit to the Swiss Lions 100, 2026 edition. Logos and background information are in the press kit.