What Sezame does

Sezame SAS is a Paris-based French proptech founded in 2022 that operates a residential leasing (location-accession) platform under the framework of France's July 12, 1984 location-accession law. The company purchases residential properties on behalf of aspiring homeowners who cannot obtain traditional mortgages — typically due to insufficient down payment, variable income (entrepreneurs, freelancers with less than three years of balance sheets), or lack of credit history — and leases them back as tenant-buyers (locataires-accédants). Customers pay monthly rent that is 100% recoverable as down-payment savings held in escrow, and the purchase price is locked at contract signing, with the pathway to full ownership capped at 12–24 months. Required buyer contribution is a minimum 4% of property value, materially below the typical 10% threshold for French mortgages.

The underlying technology stack is composed of off-the-shelf SaaS components — HubSpot CRM, Typeform for data collection, Google Analytics/Tag Manager for web analytics, Facebook/Meta and LinkedIn advertising tools, and OVH hosting in France — with open banking used to securely access and analyze customer banking data for personalized financial coaching. The customer-facing surface consists of a self-service eligibility simulator and registration funnel on hellosezame.com, a client portal at app.hellosezame.com, and human advisor-led accompagnement. Reported outcomes include 90%+ of families repurchasing within the contractual period and 55% repurchasing faster than expected.

Sezame generates revenue primarily through a 3% accompaniment fee on the buyback price (covering consulting, project study, and acquisition support), notary fees at purchase, and a Club Deal Immobilier investment vehicle structured as an SCA (Société en Commandite par Actions) that finances the leasing book with outside capital — minimum €10,000 ticket, target 10% annual TRI over three years, with no fixed management fees. Distribution relies on a 1,000+ partner network of mortgage brokers, real estate agents, banks, and property developers, supplemented by content marketing, SEO, social media, and 100+ earned-media appearances. The company reports 20,000+ dossiers submitted since launch, operates exclusively in metropolitan France (excluding DOM-TOM and Corsica), and is led by founders Charles Ruelle (CEO), Clara Tairraz (CMO), and Benjamin Hubert (COO). The firm raised approximately €1.13 million in a February 2022 seed round led by Altur Investissement with participation from Super Capital VC.

Name

Sezame

Legal name

Sezame SAS

Website

https://hellosezame.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sezame is a Paris-based French proptech that purchases residential properties and leases them to aspiring homeowners unable to obtain traditional mortgages, enabling them to occupy the home immediately and purchase it within 12–24 months through rent-converted savings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Leasing

NAICS

Lessors of Real Estate (5311)

SIC

Finance Lessors (6172)

akta.pro primary industry

Rent-to-Own / Lease-to-Own Short-Term Credit (FSAKAMAK)

Keywords

• Residential leasing services
• Location-accession housing
• Rent-to-own real estate
• Proptech leasing platform
• Alternative mortgage financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Accompaniment Fees: Sezame charges accompaniment fees of 3% of the property buyback price. This covers consulting, project study and validation, and property acquisition support. This is the primary revenue stream from customers using the leasing service.
2. Club Deal Investment Management: Sezame operates a club deal investment vehicle (SCA structure) where investors contribute capital starting at 10,000 euros to finance a portfolio of residential leasing operations. Target TRI is 10% per year over 3 years. Sezame earns fees aligned with the success of operations, with no fixed management fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sezame purchases residential properties and leases them to aspiring homeowners (locataires-accédants) who cannot secure traditional mortgages, with the option to purchase the property within 12–24 months at a pre-agreed price. The customer pays monthly rent that is fully recoverable as savings toward their down payment, while receiving personalized financial coaching and partner ecosystem support to prepare for traditional mortgage approval. A complementary investment product (club deal SCA structure) allows outside investors to finance the leasing operations starting at €10,000 per ticket, targeting 10% TRI over 3 years.

Product overview

Sezame operates as a leasing-based property access platform offering a single core product: the leasing immobilier (location-accession) service. This solution enables customers who cannot obtain traditional mortgages to rent properties with an option to purchase, supported by personalized financial coaching and a customer portal. The company also offers a complementary club deal investment product for investors seeking exposure to residential leasing operations. The portfolio consists of the core leasing service, the investment vehicle, and associated support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leasing Immobilier (Location-Accession) Sezame's primary offering under which the company purchases a residential property and enters a leasing contract with an aspiring homeowner who cannot obtain a traditional mortgage. The customer pays monthly rent (100% recoverable as savings toward a down payment) and becomes full owner within 12-24 months at a pre-agreed price. Designed for French residents in property values ranging from €130,000 to €600,000 who are rejected by banks due to insufficient down payment, variable income, or lack of credit history.
• Club Deal Immobilier An SCA-structured collective real estate investment vehicle that allows investors to participate in Sezame's leasing portfolio starting from €10,000 per ticket. The vehicle targets a 10% internal rate of return per year over a 3-year horizon, with fees aligned to the success of operations rather than fixed management fees. Designed for individual investors and family offices seeking diversified residential real estate exposure.
• Accompagnement Personnalisé (Personalized Coaching) Step-by-step advisory service accompanying leasing customers throughout the property ownership journey. Includes financial coaching, budget optimization, and support preparing the customer for traditional mortgage approval at the end of the leasing period. Provided as a paid accompaniment service bundled with the leasing immobilier offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90%+ of families successfully repurchase their property within the contractual period
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Courtiers (Mortgage Brokers)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of over 1,000 mortgage brokers who refer clients unable to secure traditional bank financing to Sezame's leasing solution. These partners help customers who have been rejected by banks access property ownership through the location-accession model.
• Real Estate AgentscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 1,000 real estate agents partner with Sezame to offer leasing options to buyers who cannot immediately secure traditional mortgages, enabling property sales that would otherwise fail due to financing issues.
• BankscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBanking partners collaborate with Sezame to support customers in eventually obtaining traditional mortgages after the leasing period. Sezame works with over 200 partners committed to democratizing property access.
• Property Developers (Promoteurs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProperty developers partner with Sezame to sell properties using the leasing model, reaching buyers who cannot obtain traditional financing and ensuring secured sales with rental income during the transition period.
• NotariesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNotarial partners handle the legal documentation for leasing contracts and property transfers, operating under the location-accession law framework.
• Insurance Providers (Assureurs)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInsurance partners provide coverage solutions for properties during the leasing period and for customers transitioning to ownership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Crédit Agricole: Crédit Agricole is a major French retail bank with one of the largest residential mortgage books in France. Comparable to Sezame as the traditional mortgage counterparty for first-time buyers, and a potential B2B partner for hand-offs after the leasing period.
• BNP Paribas: BNP Paribas is one of the largest French mortgage lenders and the primary incumbent whose mortgage-rejection decisions create the customer pool that Sezame serves. Comparable as the dominant alternative financing channel for French home buyers, and a natural partner or competitor depending on product strategy.
• Caisse des Dépôts: Caisse des Dépôts, via its CDC Habitat subsidiary, is the dominant French public institution financing social housing and traditional location-accession (accession sociale à la propriété) programs. Comparable to Sezame in that it operates within the same 1984 location-accession legal framework, but as a public, social-housing incumbent rather than a private-market offering.
• Crédit Foncier de France: Crédit Foncier, historically France's specialist mortgage lender, was merged into the BPCE group (parent of Natixis and Caisse d'Épargne). Comparable to Sezame as the legacy French institution that defined mortgage and housing-finance products for the country and a benchmark for the size of the mortgage market Sezame addresses as an alternative.

Direct peers

• Anaxago: Anaxago is a French real-estate investment and crowdfunding platform offering individual and club-deal participations in property projects. Comparable to Sezame's investor-facing club-deal vehicle in terms of structure, ticket size, and target returns, making it a direct competitor for retail-investor real-estate capital.
• Prello: Prello is a French residential real-estate investment platform where investors purchase individual properties to rent out, generating rental yield and a target return on resale. Comparable to Sezame's club-deal investor product (SCA structure, €10,000 ticket, target 10% TRI) and its buy-to-rent mechanics, though Prello does not offer the lease-to-own consumer pathway.

Emerging players

• Fundimmo: Fundimmo is a French real-estate crowdfunding platform that connects individual investors with property developers and real-estate projects. Comparable to Sezame's club-deal investment product in terms of structure and investor target, though Fundimmo focuses on development financing rather than lease-to-own housing access.
• Hosman: Hosman is a French proptech offering a flat-fee, technology-enabled real-estate transaction and accompaniment service. Comparable to Sezame in its mission to lower friction and cost for French property buyers, and as a peer French proptech targeting the same customer dissatisfaction with traditional real-estate workflows.
• MeilleursAgents: MeilleursAgents is a leading French proptech providing property valuations, agent matching, and transaction tooling. Comparable to Sezame as a fellow French proptech serving the consumer property journey, with potential adjacency in the data, valuation, and partnership layer supporting Sezame's customer funnel.
• Masteos: Masteos is a French proptech acquiring residential rental property, renovating it, and operating it as a managed rental — with an investor product offering yields. Comparable to Sezame in its buy-to-rent economics, French focus, and reliance on individual investors, though without the lease-to-own exit pathway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@hellosezame
• Facebookfacebook.com/helloSezame
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hellosezame
• Instagraminstagram.com/hellosezame

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Sezame