The driving force behind the company’s foundation was the lawyer Conrad Widmer (1818-1903), who was born in Altnau in the Canton of Thurgau and worked in Frauenfeld. He headed the company as first director for approximately 35 years, until 1892.

In accordance with the initial Articles of Association, the purpose of the "Schweizerische Rentenanstalt" was to offer:

• life annuities
• life insurance

Originally, the company was similar in form to a foundation and later became a mutual insurance company.

The company’s first decades in operation were overshadowed by the Austrian-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars and the strained economic situation. The demand for insurance products dwindled, while the number of life insurance companies in Switzerland increased. These economic developments hampered operations for the "Schweizerische Rentenanstalt".