Petar Vojinovic
Updated on: October 13, 2025
In this week’s interview, Alexander Sommer, CEO of DSwiss, shares how the company transformed from a Zurich-based engineering startup into a leading provider of secure SaaS solutions for highly regulated industries. Speaking with SafetyDetectives, he explains how DSwiss’s commitment to digital sovereignty and Swiss precision sets it apart, how the company ensures compliance while keeping data exclusively in Switzerland, and the strategies they use to scale complex solutions for banks, insurers, and other large organizations. Alexander also outlines his vision for DSwiss’s growth as a pan-European leader in secure digital services.
How did DSwiss begin and how has the company evolved since its founding?
DSwiss was founded by computer science alumni of ETH Zurich, putting engineering into the DNA of the company. The early years were shaped by a strong focus on secure data handling, data privacy and technical excellence. Over time, we’ve evolved from that engineering foundation into a product-focused SaaS company, providing secure digital services for organizations operating in highly regulated industries. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to reliability, privacy, and Swiss precision: it’s still at the core of everything we do.
What makes DSwiss stand out from other providers of secure data and document exchange solutions?
Our key differentiator is digital sovereignty. As a starting point, our customers’ data is stored exclusively in Switzerland, under Swiss jurisdiction. From the data center upwards we operate the infrastructure to the application ourselves without any dependencies on big tech. This gives our clients the confidence that their most sensitive information remains fully under their control, protected by Swiss data protection laws and our own rigorous security standards.
How do you ensure compliance with international data protection regulations while keeping all data in Switzerland?
Many regulatory frameworks – particularly in Europe – set global benchmarks. Because Switzerland’s economy is closely linked with the European single market, we naturally keep a close eye on developments in EU data protection and digital regulation.
At the end of the day, regulations exist for a reason: to ensure trust, transparency, and security in how data is handled. Our goal is to meet not only the letter of those requirements but also their intent.
As a company built around the principle of digital sovereignty, we operate our entire infrastructure independently, without relying on large foreign providers. Our data centers are based in Switzerland, and data never leaves the country. Thanks to our architecture, we can meet – and often exceed – international compliance standards from right here in Switzerland.
What are the main challenges you face when scaling your solutions for large institutions like banks or insurers?
The larger an organization, the more complex its structures and processes become. Implementing change in such an environment requires more coordination, longer timelines, and additional resources. Every rollout needs to take into account multiple systems, stakeholders, and regulatory considerations.
That said, collaboration is key. Depending on the client’s internal capabilities, we often work in a three-party setup with specialized partners, combining our secure platform with their implementation expertise. This allows us to tailor our solutions effectively while keeping projects on schedule and compliant.
What is DSwiss’s long-term vision for growth and innovation in the secure digital services market?
I see DSwiss evolving into a leading pan-European provider of secure digital services. Our core strength lies in serving regulated industries like finance and insurance; sectors where trust, compliance, and data protection are non-negotiable.
We’re well positioned to expand further in these markets and beyond. My personal vision is for DSwiss to continue growing as a hidden champion – one that helps shape Europe’s digital transformation in a way that’s secure, sovereign, and sustainable for everyone.
