KOSMOS

What KOSMOS does

Kosmos is a 100% French-capital digital services company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Nantes, specializing in education technology for the French public sector. The company operates across three primary verticals: K-12 education (Enseignement Scolaire), higher education (Enseignement Supérieur), and professional training (Formation Professionnelle), serving schools, colleges, lycées, regional councils, universities, grandes écoles, and training organizations. Its flagship product is Skolengo, an Education Management Software / Digital School Environment (EMS/ENT) platform serving over 5 million users across 4,000+ schools in 21 French academies, 4 regions, and 49 departments, with international deployments in Belgium and the Netherlands. Other products include Folios (national e-portfolio serving 6 million users across all 30 French academies), K-Sup (higher education web platform), Explorasup (training pathway explorer under PIA Orientation), and GesMat (equipment distribution management).

The company operates a vertically integrated model spanning strategic consulting (AMOA), custom software development (Kosmos Solutioning), proprietary products, identity federation (CAS, SAML2, OpenId Connect via Shibboleth, integrated with EduConnect and FranceConnect), and sovereign cloud hosting via its wholly-owned NFrance subsidiary (ISO 27001 datacenter in Toulouse). Kosmos generates revenue through multi-year subscription licenses for software platforms sold to regional councils, academies, and educational institutions, plus professional services (consulting, custom development, TMA maintenance), managed hosting services, and Moodle LMS integration following the November 2023 acquisition of LMS Factory (~1,500 instances deployed). Distribution is primarily direct enterprise field sales targeting French ministries, regional councils, and academic institutions, supplemented by partnerships with Banque des Territoires, RENATER, Onisep, Réseau Canopé, and Microsoft. The company reports 25% R&D reinvestment versus a 2-5% industry average and holds the Bpifrance Excellence label since 2014. Kosmos is led by President Jean Planet, with approximately 100 employees and 18 managers, and operates internationally via subsidiaries in Toulouse (hosting) and Montreal (product development).

Name

KOSMOS

Legal name

Kosmos

Website

https://kosmos-education.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Kosmos is a French EdTech company, founded in 1998, providing vertically integrated digital solutions (Skolengo EMS/ENT, Folios e-portfolio, K-Sup, sovereign hosting) to schools, universities, and regional councils across France and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Technology Software (EdTech)

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Higher Education Course Design & Online Program Development (EDAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), Procurement Platforms, Catalogs & Contract Purchasing (Co-ops, GPOs, eProcurement) (EDAEAIAO), Data Standards & Interoperability (CEDS, Ed-Fi, IMS) (EDADAIAK), Library/Media Center & Digital Resource Management Systems (EDAJAMAN), Corporate/L&D Course Licensing from Creators (B2B Upskilling) (MPACALAH)

Keywords

• Education management software
• Digital learning platforms
• Student information systems
• School information systems
• Educational technology services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Software Licenses (EMS/ENT): Recurring subscription licenses for Skolengo and other education management software sold to regional councils, academies, and educational institutions. Contracts are typically multi-year agreements with annual billing, representing the core revenue stream. Pricing varies by institution size and scope of modules deployed.
2. Professional Services: Implementation, consulting (AMOA), custom development (Kosmos Solutioning), training, and support services. Kosmos offers comprehensive project management from strategic consulting through deployment and ongoing TMA (Third-Party Application Maintenance). These services are often bundled with software licenses or sold as standalone engagements.
3. Sovereign Hosting & Infrastructure: Data hosting and management services through NFrance (100% owned subsidiary) with datacenter in Toulouse, France. ISO 27001 certified hosting with 24/7 support, SOC/SIEM security operations center dedicated to education sector.
4. Moodle LMS Integration: Following the LMS Factory acquisition, Kosmos offers Moodle-based learning management system deployment and customization, adding LMS integration services to their product portfolio with nearly 1,500 Moodle instances deployed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Kosmos develops, sells, and operates education management software (Skolengo EMS/ENT, K-Sup, Explorasup, Folios) along with custom digital solutions, consulting, integration, third-party application maintenance (TMA), and sovereign cloud hosting for K-12 schools, universities, grandes écoles, and professional training organizations. It sells multi-year subscription licenses and professional services primarily to French regional councils, academies, and educational institutions, with all data hosted on sovereign infrastructure in France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Skolengo: Education Management Software (EMS) and Digital Work Environment (ENT) solution for schools, universities and training organizations
• K-Sup
• Kosmos solutioning
• Explorasup

Products and services

• Skolengo (Education Management Software / ENT) Complete Education Management Software (EMS) / Digital School Environment (ENT) for K-12 schools, academies, and regional councils. Modules cover student information management, scheduling, grade management, attendance tracking, parent communication, and parent portals. Deployed across 21 academies, 4 regions, and 49 departments, serving 5+ million users in 4,000+ schools, with sovereign French hosting.
• Kosmos Solutioning (Custom Software Development) Bespoke software development service for educational institutions, building customized web portals and specialized digital applications using Agile methodology and DevOps practices. Used by universities, grandes écoles, and regional councils for projects such as research portals, student services hubs, and public-facing websites.
• Explorasup (Training Pathway Explorer) Training pathway explorer designed for higher education orientation, helping students discover and navigate academic and professional training routes. Developed under the PIA Orientation programme in partnership with the French ministries and Banque des Territoires.
• Web Design and Redesign Services for Education Design, redesign, and build of modern, accessible websites for educational institutions, using the DSFR (French State Design System) and a design-thinking approach. Targets universities, grandes écoles, and regional education actors needing to modernize their public-facing web presence.
• Training Catalog Presentation Services Service for presenting and promoting training catalogs of universities and training organizations, including innovative search functionality, course simulation tools, and student-facing presentation layers. Built on the K-Sup platform and tailored per institution.
• Social Aid Request Dematerialization Dematerialization of school social aid requests (such as meal assistance and solidarity checks) for departments and regional collectivities, integrated with the Skolengo ENT platform. Reduces paper processing and accelerates aid delivery for families.
• GesMat (Equipment Distribution and Loan Management) Equipment distribution and loan management solution for IT hardware in schools, handling inventory, allocation, and tracking of laptops and tablets. Currently manages 275,000 computers for the Grand Est Region's "Mon Bureau Numérique" deployment.
• Conseil & Accompagnement (Consulting and Advisory) Strategic consulting (AMOA - Assistance à Maîtrise d'Ouvrage) and project framing services for educational institutions, including needs assessment, vendor selection support, and project oversight. Helps institutions lacking internal IT capacity to launch digital transformation initiatives.
• Développement & Intégration (Development and Integration) Custom development and systems integration services covering software factory (CI/CD), identity integration (SSO, SAML, CAS), and integration of third-party tools within educational environments. Includes Kosmos Solutioning custom builds and integrations with Microsoft Office 365, Moodle, RENATER, EduConnect, and FranceConnect.
• Tierce Maintenance Applicative (TMA - Third-Party Application Maintenance) Ongoing third-party application maintenance service covering corrective and evolutionary maintenance of Kosmos-deployed platforms and third-party educational applications. Ensures continuity, security updates, and feature evolution post-deployment.
• Hébergement & Infogérance (Sovereign Hosting and Managed Services) Sovereign cloud hosting and managed infrastructure services delivered via NFrance (wholly-owned subsidiary) with ISO 27001 certified datacenter in Toulouse, France. Includes 24/7 support, SOC/SIEM security operations center dedicated to education, and full data sovereignty for client platforms.
• R&D Services for Education Research and development services for educational digital solutions, including collaboration with academic partners such as LORIA on learning traces analytics using big data and AI. Reflects Kosmos's 25% revenue reinvestment in R&D versus the 2-5% ESN industry norm.
• Folios (National E-Portfolio) National e-portfolio solution for student orientation, deployed to 100% of French academies (30), 18 regions, and 101 departments, serving 6 million users across 11,000+ schools. Supports career exploration, skills tracking, and portfolio development across multiple educational pathways; co-developed with ONISEP.
• K-Sup (Web Platform for Higher Education) Web platform solution for universities and higher education institutions enabling website management, training catalog presentation, student services portals, and administrative portal capabilities. Deployed across institutions such as Campus Condorcet, Nantes Université, ULB, and Université Côte d'Azur.
• Moodle LMS Deployment and Integration Moodle-based learning management system deployment, customization, and integration service, expanded following the LMS Factory acquisition. Now the leading Moodle deployment in France with nearly 1,500 instances across education and professional training organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5+ million users served on Skolengo platform
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• LMS FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Kosmos acquired LMS Factory in November 2023 to become the leading Moodle™ player in the French market with nearly 1,500 Moodle instances deployed. This union strengthens Kosmos's position in the training sector by expanding customer portfolio in education and professional training, developing innovative training solutions, and reinforcing Moodle™ expertise.
• LORIA (Laboratoire lorrain de Recherche en Informatique et ses Applications)strategicTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration with LORIA (CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Inria) on learning traces (traces d'apprentissage) projects. Using big data and artificial intelligence to improve learner success. Teams collaborate on collecting and analyzing learning traces from Skolengo EMS/ENT services.
• Banque des Territoires / Groupe Caisse des DépôtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Banque des Territoires supports regional digital development. Selected Kosmos for the Explorateur de Parcours (ExP) project under PIA Orientation (Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir) launched by ministries and Caisse des Dépôts. Partnership to support educational digital projects of territorial collectivities.
• Réseau CanopécoreTechnology or IntegrationRéseau Canopé is an operator of the French Ministry of Education responsible for teacher training. Partnership provides direct access via Skolengo ENT to Canotech platform containing online training for teachers. Kosmos enables deployment of Canopé pedagogical tools and services across all ENT projects operated by Kosmos.
• OnisepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnisep (public establishment under Ministry of Education) elaborates and distributes information on studies, careers, and professions. Kosmos provides advanced integration of Folios national e-portfolio solution into Skolengo ENT. Deployed to all French establishments (30 academies, 18 regions, 101 departments) serving millions of students.
• NFrancecoreTechnology or IntegrationNFrance is a specialist in 100% French-managed secure cloud hosting with datacenter in Toulouse certified ISO 27001. Kosmos has entrusted all client platform hosting to NFrance since 2010. NFrance is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kosmos, providing sovereign hosting infrastructure.
• RENATERcoreTechnology or IntegrationRENATER manages the GAR (Gestionnaire d'Accès aux Ressources) project for the French Ministry of Education. Kosmos was selected to design, develop, and maintain the ENT identity import module for GAR, leveraging FOLIOS expertise in identity management. Kosmos also handles communication, training, and support for ENT operators and resource publishers.
• EduConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationEduConnect is the new single sign-on gateway provided by the French Ministry of Education. Kosmos Skolengo interconnects with EduConnect, enabling students and parents to use a single account to access digital services throughout their schooling even when changing classes, schools, or academies.
• FranceConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational identity federation provider. Kosmos identity federation solutions support FranceConnect integration alongside EduConnect, enabling broader authentication options for educational services.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EcoleDirecte: Cloud-based school management and communication platform serving French primary and secondary schools. Comparable to Kosmos Skolengo in providing student information management, parent portals, and gradebook functionality to the same French K-12 market.
• ManageBac: International school management platform serving IB and international schools worldwide, similar to Kosmos's AEFE deployment. Comparable in providing unified school information systems, curriculum management, and parent communication for international education networks.
• Beneylu: French provider of school intranets and digital workspaces for primary schools. Directly comparable to Kosmos's lower-secondary offerings with similar pedagogical content integration and parent communication features, serving French K-12 institutions.
• Open Digital Education: French EdTech company providing ENT/EMS platforms and digital learning environments to schools and academies. Directly comparable to Kosmos's Skolengo offering, serving the same French public-sector K-12 customer base with similar identity federation and content integration capabilities.
• Index Éducation: French vendor of Pronote, the leading school life management software deployed across French collèges and lycées. Closely comparable to Kosmos's Skolengo EMS in target market (French secondary schools), deployment model, and feature scope (grades, attendance, scheduling, parent communication).

Broad incumbents

• AMUE (Agence de Mutualisation des Universités et Établissements): French public agency providing shared IT services and software to universities and higher education institutions. Comparable to Kosmos's K-Sup offering in the French higher-education vertical with similar coverage of student information systems, research portals, and administrative platforms.
• Blackboard: Global EdTech incumbent providing LMS, virtual classroom, and student success solutions to K-12 and higher education. Comparable to Kosmos's K-Sup and LMS Factory offerings in delivering enterprise-scale learning platforms with identity federation and content integration.
• Instructure (Canvas): Global LMS provider serving higher education and K-12 institutions with the Canvas platform. Comparable to Kosmos's Moodle-based LMS Factory offering in delivering learning management at scale, though focused on higher-ed and corporate markets.
• PowerSchool: Largest North American K-12 student information system and EdTech provider, offering SIS, LMS, and assessment tools. Comparable to Kosmos's Skolengo in core student information management functionality, though operating at much larger scale and serving a different geography.

Emerging players

• 360Learning: French-founded collaborative LMS platform for corporate and educational learning. Comparable to Kosmos's LMS Factory / Moodle portfolio in the professional training segment, though focused on enterprise L&D rather than institutional education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat8 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kosmoseducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfjDIH_pQaWOmnmp63qq3EA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kosmos_2

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about KOSMOS