MakeSense
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What MakeSense does
MakeSense is a Paris-headquartered nonprofit association (loi 1901), founded in 2010 by Christian and Leila, that operates a multi-sided platform for collective action on social and environmental issues. The organization serves three primary constituencies — individual citizens, social entrepreneurs, and organizations (companies, NGOs, public authorities) — through a portfolio of open-source program formats including holdup workshops, sprints, a social-entrepreneurship incubator, the educational branch senseschool, the organizational transformation practice commonssense, and the COVID-era citizen mobilization program ré_action. Its underlying technology is a set of open-source methodologies, digital tools, and program architectures (rather than a software product) that are deployed across salaried teams in five countries (France/Mexico/Senegal/Philippines/Lebanon/Peru) and a volunteer network spanning roughly 100 cities. Over 15 years the organization reports mobilizing 300,000+ citizens, supporting 8,000 entrepreneurial projects, and engaging 15,000 employees of partner organizations, with measurable behavior-change outcomes (e.g., 75% of participants convinced action is possible, 20% creating impact projects).
MakeSense's business model combines nonprofit grant and donation funding for free citizen programs with three monetized revenue streams: (1) strategic and operational consulting/advisory for organizations seeking sustainability transformation (professional services); (2) paid incubation, sprint, and training programs for entrepreneurs and organizations; and (3) investment fund management economics from makesense Seed I (launched 2019) and the newly launched Seed II (€15M first close, December 2025, backed by the European Investment Fund and Mirova), which deploys €200k–€500k tickets into circular and socially inclusive ventures. The investment fund arm — including portfolio companies such as United Repair Center and Jay & Joy — represents a strategic shift from program operator to impact fund manager. No public pricing exists; most citizen-facing programs are free, while enterprise consulting terms are not disclosed. Distribution is community-led, combining events, regional websites, social media (the organization originated as a Facebook group in 2010), and a volunteer-led extension model, with no traditional sales motion.
MakeSense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MakeSense
- Legal name
- makesense (association loi 1901)
- Website
- https://makesense.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MakeSense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Impact and Community Mobilization Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Creator-Led Course Hosting & Monetization Platforms (EDAFAIAC)
Keywords
Where MakeSense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
MakeSense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Fund Management: Makesense manages investment funds (Seed I, Seed II) that deploy capital in social entrepreneurs. Seed II is a €15M pre-Seed fund targeting circular and socially inclusive ventures across France and Europe.
- Advisory and Consulting Services: Strategic and operational consulting for organizations, companies, NGOs and public authorities seeking to transform for sustainability and social impact.
- Incubation and Training Programs: Programs for entrepreneurs including incubation, sprints, and formations. Also includes seminars, community building, and networking with the makesense ecosystem.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
MakeSense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MakeSense is a nonprofit association that designs and runs collective-mobilisation programs — including Holdup workshops, multi-week Sprints, an Incubator, and education tracks (Senseschool, Campus) — while also deploying two seed-investment funds (MakeSense Seed I and II) for social enterprises and a dedicated commonssense practice that helps corporations, NGOs and public authorities embed social and environmental transformation. It bundles grassroots citizen engagement, entrepreneur support, and organisational consulting into a single open-source methodology stack.
Product overview
MakeSense is a nonprofit organization operating a multi-product portfolio focused on social and environmental transitions. The offering combines citizen mobilization programs (including engagement workshops called 'holdups' and action programs like Ré_action), entrepreneurial support (incubator, sprints, and investment funds—Seed I launched 2019, Seed II launched 2025), organizational transformation services (commonssense), and educational initiatives (Senseschool, Campus). The products work together to move individuals from awareness to collective action: citizens engage through workshops, entrepreneurs receive incubation and funding, organizations get consulting and training, and all stakeholders benefit from the shared ecosystem and makesense's strategic Power of 10 initiative targeting 10% of global youth by 2030.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- makesense seed II: €15 million pre-Seed investment fund targeting circular and socially inclusive ventures across France and Europe
- Seed I
- sensespace
- hold-ups / holdups
- sprints
- Puissance 10 / Power of 10
Products and services
- Holdups
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% of participants convinced it is possible to take action
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use MakeSense
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MakeSense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
MakeSense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Jay & JoycoreFrench plant-based cheese company. Newcomer investor in Jay & Joy's €2 million fundraising round alongside Demeter, Beyond Impact, Mindstone, and Vivegan. Supports commercial and operational deployment.
- United Repair CentercoreDutch social enterprise providing industrial-scale apparel repair solutions for fashion brands. First investment of makesense seed II fund. Creates employment for people excluded from the labour market.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MakeSense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ashoka: Global nonprofit supporting social entrepreneurs via fellowships, incubation, and ecosystem building. Most directly comparable to makesense's social entrepreneur incubation and ecosystem orchestration role, with similar multi-country presence.
- Acumen: Nonprofit impact investor that combines patient capital with entrepreneur support for early-stage social enterprises. Closely mirrors makesense's hybrid model of incubation plus investment, especially the recently launched Seed II fund.
- Yunus Social Business: Organization funding social businesses in developing countries, with operations across Latin America, Africa, and Asia — markets that overlap meaningfully with makesense's salaried-team geographies.
- Echoing Green: Global nonprofit identifying and funding emerging social entrepreneurs through fellowships and leadership programs. Directly comparable in mission and beneficiary base to makesense's social entrepreneur focus.
- Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused co-working spaces, incubators, and innovation programs for social entrepreneurs. Comparable to makesense's physical spaces (sensespace) and global community mobilization across multiple cities.
Emerging players
- Enactus: Global nonprofit mobilizing student-led social entrepreneurship through university programs in 30+ countries. Directly comparable to makesense's senseschool and youth-focused Puissance 10 mobilization strategy.
- Singularity University: Global impact and technology education platform running programs, incubators, and summits targeting mission-driven entrepreneurs. Overlaps with makesense's campus/educational branch and enterprise transformation services.
Broad incumbents
- Skoll Foundation: Large-scale foundation supporting social entrepreneurs through grants, investment, and storytelling. Comparable in mission and ecosystem approach but operates at significantly greater scale and capital base.
- Nesta: UK-based innovation foundation running programs on social innovation, citizen engagement, and experimental funding mechanisms. Comparable methodology and citizen-engagement focus, though focused on UK policy.
- Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship: World Economic Forum-affiliated foundation recognizing and supporting social entrepreneurs globally. Similar mission and global reach but operates with corporate/forum backing and a wider programmatic scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MakeSense social profiles
Digital presenceMakeSense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MakeSense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
MakeSense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MakeSense M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments8 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MakeSense
What does MakeSense do?
MakeSense is a nonprofit association that designs and runs collective-mobilisation programs — including Holdup workshops, multi-week Sprints, an Incubator, and education tracks (Senseschool, Campus) — while also deploying two seed-investment funds (MakeSense Seed I and II) for social enterprises and a dedicated commonssense practice that helps corporations, NGOs and public authorities embed social and environmental transformation. It bundles grassroots citizen engagement, entrepreneur support, and organisational consulting into a single open-source methodology stack.
Is MakeSense a public or private company?
MakeSense is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MakeSense founded?
MakeSense was founded in 2010. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is MakeSense based?
MakeSense is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does MakeSense make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Investment Fund Management is the primary driver. The others are advisory and Consulting Services and incubation and Training Programs.
Who are MakeSense's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ashoka, Acumen, Yunus Social Business, Echoing Green and Impact Hub. Emerging players are Enactus and Singularity University. Broad incumbents are Skoll Foundation, Nesta and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Does MakeSense have an API?
No public API is recorded for MakeSense.
What industry is MakeSense in?
MakeSense's product category is Social Impact and Community Mobilization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAG, STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAC, Creator-Led Course Hosting & Monetization Platforms. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8742.