# elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization

elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization is an Asset Manager based in Zurich, Switzerland.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Asset Manager
- **Headquarters:** Zurich, Switzerland
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Wiesenstrasse 7, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- **Founded:** 2006
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** www.elea-foundation.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://linkedin.com/company/eleafoundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

elea ist ein aktiver philanthropischer Impact Investor und will absolute Armut mit unternehmerischen Mitteln bekämpfen. Im Vordergrund steht die Unterstützung von sozialen Unternehmen und unternehmerischen Organisationen.

## Sectors

- AgriTech & FoodTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Education

## Offices

- Johannesburg, South Africa (elea Africa Hub)
- Mexico City, Mexico (elea Latin America Hub)

## People

- Peter Wuffli — Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees
- Andreas R. Kirchschläger — Founding Partner and CEO
- Arianne Egger-Wuffli — Member of the Board of Trustees
- Stefanie Blättler — Member of the Board of Trustees

## Questions

### Does elea invest via funds, or only directly into companies?

elea operates predominantly as a direct investor, taking equity or quasi-equity stakes in early-stage social enterprises across its four thematic corridors. The foundation does structure co-investments alongside other philanthropic investors and strategic partners, such as the Fourfold Foundation, but it does not function as a fund-of-funds.

### Who are the key investment decision-makers at elea?

CEO Andreas R. Kirchschläger leads the investment team and drives day-to-day allocation decisions. Founder Peter Wuffli, former Group CEO of UBS, chairs the Board of Trustees, which provides strategic oversight. The board also includes Arianne Egger-Wuffli and Stefanie Blättler.

### How is elea Foundation different from a traditional venture capital firm?

elea is a charitable foundation, not a for-profit fund. It raises philanthropic capital, not LP commitments, and carries no carry or management fee structure. The foundation holds positions without fund-life pressure and judges outcomes exclusively on social impact—specifically, the number of people moved out of absolute poverty—rather than financial multiples.

### What led Susanne Wuffli to leave the board in 2023?

Susanne Wuffli, a co-founder of the foundation, resigned from the Board of Trustees in 2023. The foundation has not disclosed specific reasons, but the move consolidated board oversight under Peter Wuffli and the remaining trustees.

## Related profiles

- [Eldridge Industries](https://altss.com/profile/eldridge-industries)
- [Electra](https://altss.com/profile/electra)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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