Linnea SA

Linnea SA is not a cannabis company. It is a Swiss pharmaceutical company founded in 1982 that specializes in the manufacture of botanically derived active ingredients (APIs—Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients) for over forty years, which decided in 2016 to apply the same scientific rigor to cannabis that it has applied for decades to other plant extracts such as Ginkgo biloba and vincamine.

Forty Years of Expertise in Pharmaceutical Botany

Founded in 1982 in the Swiss canton of Ticino, Linnea initially developed its first plant extracts from plants such as Ginkgo biloba and scopolamine. The company was acquired and expanded through a joint venture between the Ipsen and Dr. Willmar Schwabe groups, before being acquired in 100% by the Vivalto Partners fund and the management team.

Its infrastructure—a GMP-certified production facility in Switzerland, strict pharmaceutical-grade quality control processes, and exports to more than 70 countries—sets it apart from cannabis companies that claimed to adhere to pharmaceutical standards without having the necessary experience.

First global GMP certification for a CBD extract

In 2016, Linnea shifted her focus to cannabis. The goal is not to produce finished flowers or medications, but to supply pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturers with the high-quality raw ingredients they need: full-spectrum CBD extracts, CBD isolates with 99% purity, and CBG extracts.

Linnea has become the first company in the world to obtain a GMP certificate from Swissmedic—the Swiss equivalent of the ANSM—for a cannabidiol extract. This certification allows the company to supply ingredients for human medications, not just dietary supplements.

In 2023, Linnea obtained a narcotics license from Swissmedic to produce and export APIs with a high THC content—one of the first companies in Switzerland to hold this authorization. Today, it exports its standardized cannabinoids to all countries where importation is legal.

Linnea operates upstream in the value chain from drug manufacturers: it does not sell to the general public but to pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and nutraceutical companies that incorporate its ingredients into their finished products.