The saldia Story – From a Wrestling Cellar to a Software Company
The company that was born in a wrestling club – today a Swiss software platform for online shops, websites, payments and business software.
About saldia
saldia AG is a Swiss software company from Burgdorf BE, founded in 2020. We build and run online shops (saldiaShop), AI-generated websites (saldiaBuild), Swiss payment solutions (saldiaPay), business software that complements bexio (saldiaCore), plus hosting and domains – products that work together, with support from Switzerland, in German and French.
How it all began
In 2019, after a long board meeting of the Schwingklub Kirchberg, Men Wälti and Stefan Sempach once again found themselves deep in entrepreneurial thought.
"There should be a simple solution so that even Trudi from Trub can easily sell her hand-knitted socks from the Emmental to the whole world."
That's how the core idea of saldia was born. An online shop that anyone can use!
On the way to visit Trudi in Trub, they made a short stop halfway. As is their nature, they quickly struck up a conversation with a stranger who was also passing through the Emmental. The three immediately hit it off. They soon realised that fate had brought them together. The stranger was Lorenz Schmid — a man with years of experience in e-commerce who had been looking for a new challenge. In 2020, Men and Stefan brought Lorenz on board as CTO, turning the duo into a trio.
During the first concept draft — already sketched on the way to Trudi — it was clear to the trio that they wouldn't get far without the necessary seed money.
Wrestling Kings as Co-Owners
Two Swiss Wrestling Kings who brought not just seed capital, but their values and their network to saldia AG.
Christian Stucki
Co-Owner & Board Member
From Lyss, BE. Swiss Wrestling King and one of the most recognisable Swiss athletes of his generation. Brings his profile, network and grounded business mindset to the saldia AG board.
Matthias Sempach
Co-Owner
From the Entlebuch. Brother of Stefan Sempach and Wrestling King 2013. Among the first backers and helped secure both the seed capital and saldia’s regional footprint.
After the first pitch to Trudi, they drove from Trub towards the Entlebuch to visit Stefan's brother, the Swiss Wrestling King Matthias Sempach. They explained their concept and their request. Matthias was immediately captivated by the idea and their enthusiasm.
Since wrestlers like to help each other, the trio — now a quartet — drove to none other than the Wrestling King Christian Stucki in Lyss. As if written in a screenplay, he too was thrilled by the idea and the enthusiasm of his wrestling colleagues.
The quartet, now a quintet, drove back together to Burgdorf with not a single seat to spare in the car.
After the final round of that day, it was clear that the two Wrestling Kings Sempach and Stucki would provide the necessary seed capital. Inspired by the concept and the team's enthusiasm, they decided to become part of the saldia team as well. The Wrestling King of 2013 as co-owner, and the Wrestling King of 2019 as co-owner and member of the board of directors.
«Innovation, down-to-earth values and Swiss reliability.»
From online shop to platform
What started as the idea of a simple online shop is a Swiss software platform today. The key stages:
- 2019
The idea
After a board meeting of the Schwingklub Kirchberg, Men Wälti and Stefan Sempach come up with the idea: an online shop that anyone can run.
- 2020
Founded in Burgdorf
saldia is founded. Lorenz Schmid joins as CTO, and the wrestling kings Christian Stucki and Matthias Sempach come on board as co-owners. saldiaShop is the first product.
- then
From shop to suite
More products grow around the online shop: saldiaPay brings Swiss payment methods such as TWINT, PostFinance Pay and WIRpay to the checkout; saldiaSite, saldiaSocial, saldiaMaatoo, saldiaBilling, hosting & domains and saldiaTools follow – developed from our customers' everyday needs.
- 2026
AI and business software
saldiaBuild creates complete websites with AI, saldiaCore bundles CRM, support, projects and time tracking as a complement to bexio – and saldia gets a new look.
- today
A platform from Burgdorf
Online shops, websites, payments, business software and hosting from a single source – products that work together, built and supported in Burgdorf, with support from Switzerland, in German and French.
Our values — from the very beginning
From the start, everyone agreed that saldia should stand for three values: Innovation, down-to-earth attitude and Swiss reliability. With the goal of giving Swiss businesses everything they need digitally from a single source – first the online shop, today everything from the online shop to business software.
Today we are a team and a company that is young, motivated and always gives its best for our customers as a team. Always with the same standard: software that is simple, works, and is built and supported in Switzerland. Our team today includes more than just "non-wrestlers", of course. Still, the values that this sport embodies are upheld and lived by our entire team.
Your digital success starts here
We believe every Swiss business deserves the tools to succeed digitally – online shop, website, payments, business software and hosting from a single source, built and supported in Switzerland.