We go where no one else has the courage to go, says Marco Hoffmann, CEO of Swiss Gate Ltd.
June 19, 2022
Erin Roche, Candy & Flowers
Marco Hoffmann, what is SWISS Gate AG?
SWISS Gate AG is a family-run Swiss company founded in November 2019 by my brothers Dominic, Michael Hoffmann and myself. We are specialized in the development as well as the distribution of products with hemp plant ingredients in the fields of cosmetics, nutrition and lifestyle.
Our vision is that thanks to the highest quality standards, expertise & transparency, all persons of legal age can use products with hemp plant ingredients conveniently, quickly and worry-free internationally. We see ourselves as pioneers and are therefore committed to the acceptance of cannabis as a recognized medical, therapeutic & recreational product and unfolds its health-improving potential for the benefit of society.
Can you give us an overview of the current European/Swiss hemp/cannabis market and how SWISS Gate AG fits in?
The legal cannabis market is divided into three segments: Medicinal, Therapeutic & Recreational. We as SWISS Gate AG focus on the recreational market with our current product range. In 2022, Brightfield Group (2019) European CBD Market Reported the market volume of the international Cannabis market was around USD 25 billion . The market potential as of 2025 is estimated to be around USD 47 billion, which is almost double the current market volume. In Europe, more than 70% of survey participants state that they have already heard of stimulants with hemp-derived ingredients. 26% of all consumers use products with hemp plant ingredients at least once a day. The demand for high-quality, natural products is correspondingly high on all continents.
We as SWISS Gate were active only on the Swiss market until the end of the year 2021. Since the beginning of 2022 we have started to build up our international business. We are going to be operationally active worldwide, have already customers from South America to Europe and stand for high Swiss quality, sustainability, expertise, and transparency and offer branded products as well as white & private label. Distribution is done through selected B2B partners and our own e-commerce platform cbuy.ch, on which our own product brands Herbalea (cosmetics & nutrition) and Old Donald's (lifestyle) are offered.
- What is your USP?
We are a family-run company in which three generations of the Hoffmann family are involved. We see ourselves as a Swiss pioneer in the market as we are actively involved in the further development of the cannabis market, cooperate with universities in various fields and are in active exchange with authorities. Together with partners from the cosmetic and food industry we develop unique products, which are vegan, free of animal testing, innovative and novel on the market. In addition, we offer various consulting & education services to all stakeholders.
With our sales brand cbuy.ch, we were the first company in Europe to be allowed to broadcast commercial advertising spots on state television and radio stations. In addition, cbuy.ch is partner of the Swiss Super League Club FC Lugano and thus the first cannabis brand which is allowed to appear in professional sports in Europe.
- What do you want investors to know about SWISS Gate AG?
The knowledge gained so far confirms our strategy that cannabis products are in great demand and are consumer goods with a high usage rate, but that there is still a need for education & persuasion. Therefore, it also shows that it is essential to use communication channels such as TV, radio, media stories, professional & junior sports and innovative sponsorship partnerships
that have not been used by competitors so far, as this way the share of voice is 100% and the top-of-mind status is achieved in the long run.
In support of this, it is necessary that our product range is distributed further in order to cover open needs and to be able to develop further customer segments. We have a good base already, but in order to increase scalability it is important to develop new target markets outside the cannabis industry in cosmetics, nutrition and lifestyle. In addition, the necessary personnel structures and resources must be created in the background, as the volume of work increases disproportionately and must be absorbed accordingly.
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