Kanopee

What Kanopee does

Kanopee SAS is a French startup studio based in Lyon that creates, incubates, and accelerates SaaS ventures addressing operational problems in the construction and real estate (BTP/Construction Immobilier) sector. Founded in 2022 via carve-out from the internal startup studio of Once For All, the company operates a vertical studio model: identifying pain points on construction sites and within construction firms, co-developing solutions with domain-experienced entrepreneurs, and taking equity stakes in the resulting portfolio companies in exchange for funding, mentorship, design-thinking workshops, and ecosystem access. The portfolio comprises 17 companies spanning delivery management (Blic), elevator lifecycle services (Arquos), KYC and compliance (Conformitee), energy planning and renovation (Lowit, Efficap, Kardino), document and delegation management (Keepéo, Kydoc, Subclic), recruitment (ClicNwork), email infrastructure (Cygogn), rental platforms (Seventee, Zen Modular), and adjacent financial and interim-worker tooling (FairCost, Skribe, Nexxio). The company is structured as a SAS with €3,748,055 in share capital, is led by co-founder Renaud Sornin (Director General), and has raised approximately $11.66M in a 2023 round led by Bpifrance with participation from Groupe SMA and Attestation Légale.

Name

Kanopee

Legal name

Kanopee SAS

Website

https://kanopee.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kanopee is a Lyon-based vertical startup studio that creates and accelerates SaaS ventures addressing operational problems in the French construction and real estate sector, currently supporting 17 portfolio companies through equity investment, mentorship, and ecosystem partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Startup Studio / Equity Investment: Kanopee operates as a startup studio that creates, incubates, and accelerates startups in the construction sector. The company takes equity stakes in portfolio companies in exchange for funding, mentorship, operational support, and ecosystem access. The model emphasizes equitable value sharing with founders.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kanopee is a startup studio that creates, incubates, and accelerates SaaS startups serving the French construction and real estate sector (BTP/Construction Immobilier). It identifies operational pain points in the industry, co-develops solutions with entrepreneurs, and supports them with mentorship, operational resources, and access to a community ecosystem of pioneer clients and partners, in exchange for equity stakes in the resulting portfolio companies.

Product overview

Kanopee operates as a startup studio focused on the construction and real estate industry (BTP/Construction Immobilier). The company does not offer a single unified product but rather incubates, accelerates, and supports a portfolio of independent startups that address various needs within the construction sector. The portfolio includes 17 companies offering solutions across delivery management (Blic), recruitment SaaS (ClicNwork), energy management (Lowit, Efficap, Kardino), document management (Keepéo, Subclic), KYC verification (Conformitee), financial processes (FairCost, Skribe), email infrastructure (Cygogn), and modular construction (Zen Modular), among others. Kanopee's role is to identify problems in the construction industry, co-develop solutions with entrepreneurs, and accelerate their growth through mentorship, coaching, and network access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kanopee Entreprendre Program for executives and senior professionals aspiring to entrepreneurship. Provides support, mentorship, transmission of know-how, and access to a community of pioneers so that individuals can leave corporate roles to build new ventures.
• Kanopee Accélérer Acceleration program for early-stage startups. Provides tailored coaching, commercial and marketing action plan support, team building, sales training, and access to a network of pioneer clients and the Kanopee ecosystem to convert commercial actions into results.
• Kanopee Innover Corporate innovation service for construction and real estate companies. Identifies problems in the sector, runs design-thinking workshops and POCs, and transforms validated problems into co-developed startup projects within the Kanopee studio.
• Kanopee Community Community platform for entrepreneurs, startups, corporate decision-makers, investors, and potential clients in the construction and real estate sector, enabling problem identification, co-development, and network-based go-to-market.
• Arquos Lifecycle partner for elevator systems, managing the complete lifecycle of elevators for construction and real estate stakeholders. Kanopee portfolio company since 2022.
• Blic Intelligent construction delivery box solution for efficient and industrial management of deliveries on construction sites. Kanopee portfolio company since 2021.
• ClicNwork SaaS solution for improved candidate base management, helping companies better manage their recruitment processes. Kanopee portfolio company since 2022 with 15 collaborators.
• Conformitee Trusted third party providing standardized and shared KYC (Know Your Customer) verification services for the construction industry. Kanopee portfolio company since 2019.
• Lowit SaaS software for energy planning of buildings and tertiary parks. Kanopee portfolio company since 2020 with 36 collaborators.
• Subclic Simplified subcontractor document management solution for SMEs in the construction sector. Kanopee portfolio company since 2017 with 23 collaborators.
• Keepéo Online DOE (As-Built Documentation) platform adapted to each trade, digitizing and publishing building documentation. Kanopee portfolio company since 2019 with 10 collaborators.
• Zen Modular All-in-one digital platform for managing modular construction projects. Kanopee portfolio company since 2021.

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Once For All (OFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Kanopee originated as a carve-out from the internal startup studio of Once For All in 2022. OFA is a European company in the construction sector with 30 years of experience. The carve-out allowed Kanopee to operate independently while maintaining strategic alignment with the parent company's ecosystem.
• StelliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective of SaaS companies with interconnected solutions to create fluid customer journeys and address excessive fragmentation in the market. Strategic ecosystem partner for the construction sector.
• Construct LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity of construction sector actors creating concrete solutions to problems encountered by the construction industry. Key co-creation partner for problem identification and solution development.
• César - Club des directeurs achats du BTPmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerClub of purchasing directors in construction and public works. Provides access to key decision-makers and procurement professionals in the sector for portfolio companies.
• French TechmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench ecosystem of startups and public initiative for promoting high-growth startups. Provides visibility and access to broader French startup ecosystem resources.
• Cercle PépitesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual aid association between executives aiming to support SMEs toward hyper-growth. Provides peer learning and executive network access.
• Digital LeagueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCluster of digital companies in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region. Provides regional network and visibility for portfolio companies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Briq: Construction financial planning and analytics SaaS. Overlaps with Kanopee portfolio companies like FairCost (prorata management) and represents a comparable contech SaaS trajectory in the broader Kanopee target vertical.
• Buildots: Construction tech startup using AI/computer vision for project tracking. Represents the type of high-growth vertical SaaS exit Kanopee aims to produce from its construction-focused studio.
• Backbone (Studio): French startup studio focused on building tech-enabled companies. Operates a similar studio model in the French ecosystem with comparable cohort-based company formation approach.

Direct peers

• Antler: Global startup studio/early-stage VC that identifies and supports founders from idea stage, taking equity and providing mentorship and capital. Comparable in studio model mechanics though broader in sector focus than Kanopee's construction vertical.
• Founders Factory: London-based startup studio and venture fund that builds and scales businesses with corporate partners. Comparable in studio-plus-corporate-partnership model, especially relevant given Kanopee's carve-out from Once For All.
• Hexa (formerly eFounders): One of Europe's most prominent startup studios, based in Paris. Operates a similar model of building SaaS companies from scratch with founders, sharing equity and providing operational support. Most directly comparable given French base and B2B SaaS focus.
• Entrepreneur First: Global talent-first startup studio that helps individuals find co-founders and build companies from scratch. Operates a similar early-stage venture formation model, with European operations overlapping Kanopee's geography.

Others

• Station F: World's largest startup campus in Paris and a key node in the French tech ecosystem. Not a direct competitor but a relevant ecosystem player where Kanopee founders/founders-of-portfolio-companies interface with the broader French startup community.

Broad incumbents

• Plug and Play: Large global innovation platform and accelerator that runs vertical-specific programs (including construction and real estate). Comparable in industry-vertical acceleration model though much larger and broader in scope.
• Procore: Leading global construction management SaaS platform. Several Kanopee portfolio companies (Keepéo, Subclic, Blic) compete in adjacent niches to Procore's workflow modules, making it the dominant incumbent reference point for the studio's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_MJ6TePL8-xUJJj_V8oTHg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kanopeestudio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kanopee