What Soft Concept does

Soft Concept SAS is a privately-held French software publisher headquartered in Lyon (71 cours Albert Thomas, 69003 Lyon), founded in 1984 and controlled by its Managing Director, Steeve Gregoire. The company is self-described as the leading publisher in the survey software market, developing platforms for survey design, multi-channel data collection, and analysis serving research institutes, large enterprises, multi-site organizations, and public and private sector actors primarily in France. Its product portfolio centers on three core platforms: EthnoForms (100% SaaS survey creation, collection, and real-time analysis), Ethnos Suite (desktop-based advanced statistical analysis and multidimensional reporting), and Panel Manager (panel management for research studies). Supporting offerings include four business solutions (Customer Satisfaction, Employee Experience, Product Panel & Testing, and Mobile Field Collection), an integrated AI Module leveraging OpenAI large language models for question optimization, verbatim analysis, trend detection, and weak-signal alerting, plus services for training, technical support, and custom web application development.

The platform architecture supports multi-channel data capture (web, mobile, QR code, telephone, paper, hybrid) with real-time workflows, a published API for third-party integration, and a public SaaS access point at ethnoforms.com. Soft Concept generates revenue through four streams: annual SaaS subscriptions (advance billing), on-premises software licenses (annual subscription with maintenance), professional services (time-and-materials or fixed price for training, consulting, custom development, and integration), and optional managed hosting. Pricing is quote-based rather than publicly disclosed, with a 14-day free trial offered for self-service evaluation and SYNTEC-index-based price revisions. GTM is sales-led with specialist-led discovery sessions targeting enterprise and public sector buyers, supplemented by a content marketing engine (Survey-Magazine, webinars, white papers, newsletter). The company is GDPR-compliant, has 11-50 employees, no external funding or institutional investors, and no disclosed subsidiaries or M&A activity.

Name

Soft Concept

Legal name

Soft Concept SAS

Website

https://soft-concept.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soft Concept is a Lyon-based French software publisher (founded 1984) that develops survey data collection and analysis platforms — EthnoForms (SaaS), Ethnos Suite (desktop), and Panel Manager — with integrated AI capabilities, serving research institutes, large enterprises, and public sector organizations primarily in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survey & Data Collection Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Survey software
• Data collection platform
• Customer experience analytics
• Employee experience surveys
• Market research tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Subscription-based access to the platform in SaaS mode with annual billing, term in advance. Includes platform access, basic configuration, maintenance, and hosting.
2. On-Premises Software License: License for on-site software installation with annual subscription fees covering maintenance and updates. Major versions require separate licensing.
3. Professional Services: Training, consulting, custom application development, specific configuration, interfacing, and integration services calculated at time-and-materials or fixed price.
4. Optional Hosting Services: Dedicated or shared hosting services for on-premises software instances on provider servers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Soft Concept develops and sells survey, data collection, and analytics software — primarily EthnoForms (SaaS survey platform), Ethnos Suite (desktop survey and statistical analysis), and Panel Manager (respondent panel management) — together with an AI module, packaged business solutions (customer satisfaction, employee experience, product testing, mobile field collection), and supporting services (training, support, custom development). The platform is offered in both SaaS and on-premises deployment models and is targeted at research institutes, large enterprises, and public sector organizations.

Product overview

Soft Concept offers a unified platform portfolio comprising three main software products: EthnoForms (SaaS surveys and analysis), Ethnos Suite (desktop surveys and analysis), and Panel Manager (panel management). These core products are complemented by four integrated business solutions (Customer Satisfaction, Employee Experience, Product Panel & Testing, and Mobile Collection) and an AI Module that provides artificial intelligence at every stage of the data collection and analysis process. The offering includes supporting services such as training, technical support, and custom application development. The platform enables data collection via multiple channels (web, mobile, QR code, telephone, paper, hybrid) and transforms data into actionable insights through AI-powered analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EthnoForms: SaaS platform for creating and distributing surveys, collecting responses, and analyzing results.
• Ethnos Suite
• Panel Manager
• WebReports
• NetSurvey
• Ethnos Campus
• Survey-Magazine

Products and services

• EthnoForms
• Ethnos Suite
• Panel Manager
• AI Module
• Customer Satisfaction Solution (Satisfaction Client)
• Employee Experience Solution (Expérience Collaborateur)
• Panel & Product Testing Solution (Panel & Test Produit)
• Mobile & Field Data Collection Solution (Collecte Mobile)
• Training Services (Formations)
• Support and Assistance (Support et Assistance)
• Custom Application Development (Développement d'applications sur-mesure)

Quantifiable outcome

• Conduct dozens of studies per year with efficient questionnaire deployment and real-time results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• OpenAIcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpenAI provides LLM (Large Language Model) and/or statistical machine learning models integrated into the Soft Concept platform for data analysis assistance, content generation, and help with interpreting results. The AI systems are used for automatic analysis of responses, trend detection, and irritant identification.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• QuestionPro: QuestionPro is a survey and research platform offering SaaS survey creation, panel management, and CX/EX analytics, directly comparable to Soft Concept's EthnoForms and Panel Manager offerings across similar research and enterprise buyer segments.
• LimeSurvey: LimeSurvey is an open-source and SaaS survey application widely used in European academic and research contexts, competing head-to-head with Soft Concept's Ethnos Suite for research institutes, universities, and market research buyers.
• Forsta (formerly Confirmit): Forsta is a market research and customer experience technology platform used widely by research institutes and enterprises; its survey, panel, and text analytics capabilities overlap directly with Soft Concept's Ethnos Suite and AI-based verbatim analysis positioning.
• Alchemer: Alchemer (formerly SurveyGizmo) provides enterprise survey and feedback software with workflow automation, panel management, and CX analytics; it competes with Soft Concept's EthnoForms and Panel Manager for mid-market and enterprise research buyers in France and Europe.

Broad incumbents

• SurveyMonkey: SurveyMonkey is a global incumbent in online survey software serving both SMB and enterprise buyers; it competes with Soft Concept's EthnoForms in France for the same customer experience, employee feedback, and market research workloads at greater scale and brand reach.
• Qualtrics: Qualtrics is a leading enterprise experience management platform covering surveys, CX, EX, and product research; it competes with Soft Concept across the same customer satisfaction, employee experience, and product testing solutions, but at much larger scale and broader capability footprint.

Emerging players

• Typeform: Typeform is a conversational survey and form platform gaining traction with European marketing and product teams; it overlaps with EthnoForms' use cases for lead capture, customer feedback, and product research, particularly for design-led and digital-first buyers.

Regional players

• Sphinx (Le Sphinx Développement): Sphinx is a French survey and statistical analysis software publisher with strong adoption in French market research and academic segments; it is the most direct French-headquartered competitor to Soft Concept's Ethnos Suite for survey design, data analysis, and reporting workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soft_concept

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Soft Concept