SmartGarant
SmartGarant is a Paris-based proptech providing AI-powered digital rental guarantees and tenant verification for the French market, serving tenants, landlords, and a 2,500+ agency partner network with sub-2-hour activation and up to €100,000 in unpaid-rent coverage.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What SmartGarant does
SmartGarant is a French proptech company founded in 2019 that provides AI-powered digital rental guarantees and tenant verification services to address structural barriers in the French housing market — where, per the company's framing, over 7.5 million people cannot meet landlord selection criteria due to lack of a French guarantor. The core product is a 100% digital rental guarantee accepted by 2,500+ partner real estate agencies across France, activated in under 2 hours with up to €100,000 in coverage over 24 months. The platform combines KYC biometric authentication, OCR document extraction, Open Banking (DSP2-compliant) income verification, metadata document forensics, and a proprietary multi-criteria predictive scoring model trained on millions of rental files, with human-in-the-loop validation for complex cases.
The company serves three primary customer segments — tenants (subscription guarantee at 4.3% of annual rent, or 5.3% monthly for students/interns), landlords (free guarantee paid by tenants, plus traditional GLI insurance from 2.5%), and real estate agencies (free guarantee for landlords, GLI Pro at 2%, SaaS Collecte for tenant pre-qualification, and the SmartGarant Label certification). Revenue is generated through subscription fees on tenant guarantees and agency-distributed GLI insurance products, with freemium digital rental file certification and collection SaaS tools used as top-of-funnel acquisition. Strategic insurance partners include Wakam (€1.4B premiums European digital insurer), SADA Assurances (50-year French carrier), and Mila (GLI specialist), providing ACPR-regulated and Solvency II compliant underwriting capacity. Distribution combines a self-serve online platform with a 2,500+ agency partner network (Orpi, Century 21, Guy Hoquet, Engel & Völkers, Barnes International, IAD, Stéphane Plaza Immobilier), API integrations for property management software, and a Chrome extension for browser-based workflows.
The company has scaled to 70,000+ guarantees subscribed since founding and raised €1 million in seed funding in January 2023 from MJKD, David Balland, Guillaume Sarkozy, and Marc Batty to expand teams, develop the platform, and penetrate new markets. Named customers span coliving operators (Colivys, Colonies, Cohabs), real estate networks (Century 21, Junot, Barnes), student and university housing (CROUS, emlyon, ESSEC, Artémisia), relocation services (Sofime, Santa Fe), and freelance platforms (Malt). The company is privately held, headquartered in Paris (11th arrondissement), with a headcount of 11–50 employees.
SmartGarant firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SmartGarant
- Legal name
- SMARTGARANT SAS
- Website
- https://smart-garant.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SmartGarant is a Paris-based proptech providing AI-powered digital rental guarantees and tenant verification for the French market, serving tenants, landlords, and a 2,500+ agency partner network with sub-2-hour activation and up to €100,000 in unpaid-rent coverage.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SmartGarant industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rental Guarantee Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Surety Insurance (6351), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Policy Administration, Underwriting & Rating Platforms (Core Insurance SaaS) (FSAGAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Data, Analytics & AI for Insurance (Risk, Pricing, Personalization) (FSAGAGAE)
Keywords
Where SmartGarant is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SmartGarant business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Rental Guarantee - Tenant Subscription: Tenants subscribe to the online rental guarantee service, paying 4.3% of annual rent (or 5.3% monthly for students/interns). The guarantee is accepted by all real estate professionals and landlords in France, providing up to €100,000 coverage over 24 months.
- GLI Pro - Unpaid Rent Insurance for Agencies: Real estate agencies offer traditional GLI (Guarantee Loyers Impayés) insurance to landlords starting from 2% of annual rent, in partnership with Mila insurance specialist. Includes unlimited unpaid rent coverage, property damages up to €10,000, and legal protection up to €15,000.
- GLI for Landlords: Traditional unpaid rent insurance subscribed by landlords at rates starting from 2.5% of annual rent. Covers unlimited unpaid rent, property damages up to €10,000, and legal fees up to €15,000 with compensation within 48 hours.
- Digital Rental File Certification: Free certified rental file service for tenants that centralizes, verifies and shares documents with automatic verification and professional formatting.
- Collection & Pre-qualification SaaS: Free AI-powered tool for agencies to collect, analyze and pre-qualify tenant applications with file submission portal, automatic ranking, and exports for complete tracking.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Tenant Rental Guarantee |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Tenant Rental Guarantee (Students & Interns) |
| Subscription | Annual | GLI Pro for Agencies (Partner Mila) |
| Subscription | Annual | GLI for Landlords |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Zero-Cost Rental Guarantee for Landlords |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
SmartGarant product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SmartGarant is a French proptech platform providing AI-powered digital rental guarantees and tenant verification services. It offers an Online Guarantor subscription for tenants (4.3% of annual rent, up to €100,000 coverage, activated in under 2 hours), unpaid-rent insurance (GLI) for landlords and agencies, an automated SaaS Collecte tool for tenant pre-qualification, and a certified digital rental file. The platform serves tenants, landlords, real estate agencies, and property managers through 2,500+ partner agencies across France.
Product overview
SmartGarant is a proptech platform providing AI-powered rental guarantee and verification solutions for the French real estate market. The platform operates across three main segments: Tenants (Online Guarantor, Digital Rental File, Home Insurance), Landlords (€0 Rental Guarantee, GLI from 2.5%, Pre-qualification, PNO Insurance), and Agencies (€0 Rental Guarantee, GLI Pro from 2%, SaaS Collecte, Express Eligibility AI, SmartGarant Label). Core products include the Online Guarantor (4.3% annual pricing, activated in under 2 hours, up to €100,000 coverage) and the SaaS Collecte platform for automated tenant pre-qualification. The platform leverages AI for document verification (KYC, OCR, anti-fraud), scoring, and automated collection, serving 2,500+ partner agencies with 70,000+ guarantees processed.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Guarantor (Garant en Ligne) Digital rental guarantee subscription product for tenants that replaces traditional physical guarantors. Activates in under 2 hours, covers up to €100,000 over 24 months, accepted by all French real estate professionals. Priced at 4.3% of annual rent (5.3% monthly for students/interns). Designed for tenants without a French guarantor, including students, freelancers, and expatriates.
- Digital Rental File (Dossier Locatif) Certified and verified rental file that centralizes, submits, and shares tenant documents with automatic verification. Provides structured professional file, automatic document verification, recommendations to improve the file, shareable in one click, accepted everywhere in France. Free service for tenants.
- Home Insurance (Assurance Habitation) Home insurance compatible with rental guarantee, with simplified subscription, instant activation, competitive pricing, and 100% digital onboarding. Offered in partnership with Mila insurance specialist. Targeted at tenants who already subscribe to a SmartGarant guarantee.
- Rental Guarantee for Landlords (€0) Free rental guarantee for landlords where the tenant subscribes and pays. Covers up to €100,000 for unpaid rent over 24 months with legal protection included and activation in under 2 hours. No fees, deductibles, or waiting periods for the landlord. Available to individual landlords and property investors.
- GLI (Guarantee Loyers Impayés) for Landlords Traditional unpaid rent insurance subscribed by the landlord at rates starting from 2.5% of annual rent. Provides unlimited unpaid rent coverage, property damages up to €10,000, legal protection up to €15,000, and 48-hour compensation with a 100% digital process.
- Pre-qualification Tool for Landlords AI-powered pre-qualification tool for landlords that automatically verifies tenant solvency and file authenticity. Includes automatic KYC verification, fraud detection, solvency score, detailed report, and real-time results. Helps landlords assess tenant risk before signing leases.
- PNO Insurance (Propriétaire Non Occupant) Property insurance for non-occupying landlords protecting their property when vacant, covering water damage, fire, and civil liability. Targeted at individual landlords and property investors with secondary or vacant properties.
- €0 Rental Guarantee for Agencies Premium rental guarantee offered at no cost to agencies and their landlord clients. The tenant subscribes and pays. Features activation under 2 hours, coverage up to €100,000, compensation from first unpaid rent, no deductible, no waiting period, and referral commission included for the agency.
- GLI Pro for Agencies Traditional unpaid rent insurance for agencies, subscribed by the landlord at 2% of annual rent in collaboration with Mila insurance specialist. Features unlimited duration, customizable options, simplified digital process, monthly compensation, 48-hour compensation timing, dedicated support, and real-time claim tracking. Includes exclusive 2% rate and extended eligibility.
- SaaS Collecte Collection and pre-qualification SaaS for agencies enabling automatic tenant file collection from listing platforms, centralized management, instant AI analysis, pre-qualification by agency criteria, TOP 5 candidate identification, and advanced anti-fraud verification. Features 99.7% extraction accuracy, 24/7 availability, and basic analysis free.
Quantifiable outcome
- Average processing time reduced to 4 hours
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SmartGarant
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SmartGarant technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
SmartGarant partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- WakamcoreEuropean digital insurer and market leader in embedded insurance, providing €1.4 billion in premiums. Wakam is a strategic insurance partner providing tailor-made insurance solutions for SmartGarant's rental guarantee products. Full ACPR regulated and Solvency II compliant.
- SADA AssurancescoreFrench insurance company since 1976 with 50 years of expertise. Partner insurer providing coverage for SmartGarant's rental guarantee solutions. ACPR regulated and Solvency II compliant.
- MilacoreSpecialist insurer for unpaid rent guarantees (GLI) offering SmartGarant agencies exclusive 2% rate with 48-hour compensation, extended eligibility, and 6-hour file validation through the GLI Pro product.
- Fédération Nationale des Professionnels de la Relocation (FNPR)coreOfficial partner since 2023, representing relocation professionals in France. FNPR defends member interests and SmartGarant secures housing journeys for relocations and professional mobility. Over 200 members with national coverage.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SmartGarant competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Garantme: Garantme is the closest direct competitor to SmartGarant, offering digital rental guarantees in France with similar tenant-paid subscription model, agency partnerships, and instant online activation. Both target the same pain point of tenants lacking a French guarantor.
- Unkle: Unkle is a French insurtech offering digital rental guarantee subscriptions to tenants with comparable subscription pricing and activation model. Directly competes for the same tenant and agency relationships in the French market.
- Mila Insurance: Mila is a specialist French insurer for unpaid rent guarantees (GLI) and is actually a SmartGarant partner through the GLI Pro product. While they collaborate commercially, Mila also distributes directly to landlords and agencies as a specialist GLI provider.
Emerging players
- Studapart: Studapart is a French student housing platform that offers guarantee solutions bundled with rental listings for students. Overlaps with SmartGarant in the student and international tenant segment but focuses more on the marketplace side.
- Lynn (formerly Luko): Lynn is a French home insurance insurtech with embedded digital distribution, now extending into rental-related products. Comparable in digital-first insurance distribution and AI-driven onboarding for the French rental and home market.
- Cocoon: Cocoon is a French insurtech focused on home insurance with embedded digital onboarding and partnerships with real estate platforms. Comparable in its API-driven distribution model and tenant-facing digital experience.
Broad incumbents
- Maif: Maif is a major French mutual insurer offering GLI (unpaid rent insurance) and home insurance products. Represents the established incumbent channel that SmartGarant's digital model is disrupting, with significant landlord and agency relationships.
- Matmut: Matmut is a large French mutual insurer providing traditional GLI, home insurance, and PNO products. Competes for the same landlord insurance wallet but through traditional agency and broker distribution.
- AXA France: AXA France is one of the largest general insurers in France offering GLI and home insurance through extensive broker and agent networks. A broad competitor with massive distribution but typically slower digital onboarding than SmartGarant.
Regional players
- Visale (Action Logement): Visale is the free state-backed rental guarantee scheme operated by Action Logement in France. While not a commercial peer, it is the dominant public alternative and directly competes for the same tenant guarantor need, particularly in the salaried worker segment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SmartGarant social profiles
Digital presenceSmartGarant compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
SmartGarant financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SmartGarant leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SmartGarant funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SmartGarant M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SmartGarant
What does SmartGarant do?
SmartGarant is a French proptech platform providing AI-powered digital rental guarantees and tenant verification services. It offers an Online Guarantor subscription for tenants (4.3% of annual rent, up to €100,000 coverage, activated in under 2 hours), unpaid-rent insurance (GLI) for landlords and agencies, an automated SaaS Collecte tool for tenant pre-qualification, and a certified digital rental file. The platform serves tenants, landlords, real estate agencies, and property managers through 2,500+ partner agencies across France.
Is SmartGarant a public or private company?
SmartGarant is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SmartGarant founded?
SmartGarant was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SmartGarant based?
SmartGarant is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does SmartGarant make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Rental Guarantee - Tenant Subscription is the primary driver. The others are GLI Pro - Unpaid Rent Insurance for Agencies, GLI for Landlords, digital Rental File Certification and collection & Pre-qualification SaaS.
Who are SmartGarant's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Garantme, Unkle and Mila Insurance. Emerging players are Studapart, Lynn (formerly Luko) and Cocoon. Broad incumbents are Maif, Matmut and AXA France. Visale (Action Logement) is listed as a regional player.
Does SmartGarant have an API?
Yes. API available to connect SmartGarant's existing tools with business software. The API enables integration with property management systems, allowing data synchronization for agencies managing multiple mandates.
What industry is SmartGarant in?
SmartGarant's product category is Rental Guarantee Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAGAB, Policy Administration, Underwriting & Rating Platforms (Core Insurance SaaS), with a secondary code of FSAGAGAE, Data, Analytics & AI for Insurance (Risk, Pricing, Personalization). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 6351.