30 Years of Help.ch: From Pioneering Portal to AI Search
What began in 1996 as a Swiss website is now a business network with more than one million company and organization profiles. Help.ch’s 30th anniversary coincides with a generational shift as we enter the age of AI.
On September 1, 1996, HELP.CH went online—at a time when search engines, online directories, and digital information services were still in their infancy. Three decades later, the Swiss business network is once again at a turning point: The way we search for information is undergoing a fundamental transformation, artificial intelligence is taking center stage, and a generational shift has taken place at the top of the company. HELP.CH’s 30th anniversary thus marks not only a milestone but also the beginning of a new chapter.
From the Early Web to the Digital Network
When Help.ch was launched, the World Wide Web was still in its early stages of development. The company has consistently built upon its original mission—making information accessible on the fledgling Internet—ever since. Over the course of three decades, the early Internet offering has evolved into a broad-based digital network: Today, HELP.CH comprises more than 200 specialized portals, around 2,500 domains, and more than one million company and organization profiles.
The network includes business and industry directories, media and press portals, specialized portals, event platforms, and extensive corporate and economic data. It is operated by HELP Media AG, headquartered in Zurich.
AI Is Changing Search Once Again
Today, people no longer search exclusively through traditional search engines. AI systems such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are increasingly being used to search directly for companies, products, and services. For Help.ch, this brings us full circle: What began in 1996 with the goal of making information discoverable on the still-young Internet is now evolving toward structured data for traditional search engines and AI systems.
Company founder Andy Rauch sums up this parallel: «The technology is completely different, but the fundamental question is surprisingly similar: How does a person find the right information? In 1996, websites and search engines were the answer. Today, AI systems have been added to the mix.»
The database built up over decades is taking on new significance thanks to artificial intelligence. To ensure that companies can be found and correctly categorized even in AI-generated responses, information must be unambiguous, up-to-date, and structured in a machine-readable format. Help Media is therefore increasingly tailoring its existing offerings to present company information in a way that is understandable to both humans and search engines and AI systems.
A Generational Transition at the Top of the Company
The anniversary coincides with a change in leadership: As of August 11, 2026, Nishan Ulagarajah has served as CEO of Help Media AG and is responsible for day-to-day operations. Company founder Andy Rauch remains with the company in a strategic role.
Ulagarajah clearly describes the new landscape for businesses: «The next generation of search no longer just returns ten links, but provides an answer right away. It will therefore be crucial for businesses that their information is actually found, understood, and correctly categorized by AI systems.»
To mark its anniversary year, HELP.CH is also launching a revamped brand identity. A new logo reading «30 Years – Since 1996» will accompany the network throughout the anniversary year.
The task remains the same; the technology is changing
Since 1996, HELP.CH has undergone several technological transformations—from the static Web to search engines and smartphones, and on to generative AI. Throughout it all, the core of the original idea has remained the same: to make information about Swiss companies, organizations, services, and current topics digitally searchable and accessible.
