Propulse

What Propulse does

Propulse by CA is a digital banking and entrepreneurship support platform launched in 2019 by the Crédit Agricole Group, targeting French entrepreneurs, micro-businesses, and very small enterprises (TPE). It is operated by Crédit Agricole Business Digital (a société en nom collectif) with payment-account services delivered through Okali, a wholly-owned ACPR-licensed electronic money institution (REGAFI 17448). The core product is a 100% online professional payment account ("Compte Pro") priced at €8 HT/month, including a Visa Business debit card, unlimited SEPA transfers, integrated invoicing and quote management, automatic URSSAF income declaration, simplified accounting, and expense tracking with receipt attachment.

The platform is built as a cloud-native fintech product hosted on AWS infrastructure in Ireland, with mobile applications on iOS and Android and a self-serve onboarding flow that opens an account in under 5 minutes without sales intervention. Account aggregation is powered by Oxlin (another Crédit Agricole subsidiary, ACPR-licensed). Beyond banking, Propulse bundles a freemium business plan generator with sector-specific financial projections, a content library of 1500+ articles and 200+ market studies, and a moderated community forum — positioning the product as an integrated business-creation ecosystem rather than a standalone bank account.

Revenue is generated primarily through the €8/month subscription, with ancillary streams including a €70 HT capital deposit fee for company incorporation, transaction fees (foreign currency at 1.9%, excess withdrawals, SWIFT transfers), and a paid premium business plan tier with coaching, processed via Stripe. Distribution is exclusively digital (propulsebyca.fr, mobile apps) for the self-serve product, with Crédit Agricole's 39 regional banks serving as in-person channel partners for financing and advisory needs. Customer segments span first-time entrepreneurs, micro-entrepreneurs (auto-entrepreneurs), TPE/PME, VTC drivers, and digital nomads — a diversified SMB/micro-enterprise persona mix concentrated in France.

Name

Propulse

Legal name

Crédit Agricole Business Digital

Website

https://propulsebyca.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Propulse by CA is a French digital banking platform launched in 2019 by Crédit Agricole, providing online professional accounts (€8/month), Visa Business cards, invoicing, URSSAF declarations, and business plan tools for entrepreneurs, micro-businesses, and TPE in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Digital Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)

akta.pro primary industry

Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biller Direct EBPP Platforms (FSAMAJAA), A2A Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISPs) (FSAMAFAB)

Keywords

• Professional banking accounts
• Small business banking
• Online business accounts
• Business plan software
• Entrepreneur banking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Account Subscription: Monthly subscription fee for professional payment account with included Visa Business card, basic banking services, invoicing tools, and URSSAF declaration. Priced at €8 HT/month with first month free and no commitment.
2. Premium Business Plan Service: Paid service for pre-filled business plans with sector-specific financial data and telephone coaching support. Payment processed via Stripe.
3. Capital Deposit Fee: €70 HT fee for capital social deposit service required for company incorporation in France.
4. Additional Banking Services: Fees for additional services including extra card withdrawals, international payments, SWIFT transfers, and excess transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Propulse by CA provides a 100% online professional payment account (Compte Pro) with an included Visa Business debit card, unlimited SEPA transfers, integrated invoicing, automatic URSSAF declarations, simplified accounting, and expense management for entrepreneurs and small businesses in France. The platform also offers a free online business plan generator with paid premium tiers (pre-filled business plans and coaching), plus a €70 social capital deposit service for company incorporation.

Product overview

Propulse by CA is a comprehensive digital banking and entrepreneurship support platform offered by Crédit Agricole through its subsidiaries Okali and Crédit Agricole Business Digital. The core offering is the Compte Pro, a 100% online professional payment account with a Visa Business card. This is complemented by integrated business management tools including invoicing, URSSAF declarations, simplified accounting, and expense management. The platform also provides a free and paid Business Plan tool with market studies and coaching services. Additional resources include guides, a community forum, partner directory, and events. Users can also access in-person services through Crédit Agricole branches for financing and dedicated advisory support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compte Pro Propulse by CA
• Outil de Business Plan (Business Plan Tool)
• Dépôt de capital social

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caisses Régionales du Crédit AgricolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 39 regional banks of Crédit Agricole collaborate with Propulse to provide in-person banking services and financing to customers who need physical branch access. Business plan users can request their plans to be shared with regional advisors for follow-up on funding opportunities.
• OxlincoreTechnology or IntegrationOxlin provides account aggregation technology that allows Propulse users to view multiple bank accounts in a single interface. Oxlin is a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole and holds ACPR payment institution authorization.
• Destination ProminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDestination Pro designed and developed the Propulse website. Also operates the community forum service for entrepreneurs.
• Accounting and Legal Service PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of accounting experts and legal service platforms that users can connect with through the business plan tool for professional support in business creation and management.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Revolut Business: Global digital banking super-app offering multi-currency business accounts, expense management, and payments. Competes with Propulse in the French SMB market with a broader geographic reach and wider feature portfolio.
• N26 Business: European mobile-first bank offering business accounts to freelancers and SMBs across multiple EU markets. Competes with Propulse in the French market with cross-border EU capability Propulse lacks.

Direct peers

• Qonto: Leading French SMB and freelancer neobank offering professional accounts, expense management, invoicing, and accounting integrations. Direct head-to-head competitor to Propulse's Compte Pro, with substantially larger venture funding and a wider European footprint.
• Shine: French neobank for freelancers, micro-entrepreneurs, and small businesses offering professional accounts with built-in accounting and tax management. Direct competitor to Propulse, owned by Société Générale, sharing the same primary customer persona and core product offering.
• HelloBank! Pro: BNP Paribas's digital professional banking brand offering online accounts for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Direct competitor positioned similarly to Propulse, backed by a major French banking group with branch network optionality.
• BoursoBank Pro: Société Générale's BoursoBank brand offering professional banking accounts to SMBs and entrepreneurs through a fully digital experience. Direct competitor to Propulse in the French online SMB banking segment.
• Anytime: French digital banking platform offering professional accounts and payment solutions to small businesses, entrepreneurs, and associations. Direct SMB banking competitor to Propulse with a similar feature set.

Emerging players

• Indy: French all-in-one accounting, tax (URSSAF), and invoicing platform for freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs. Competes with Propulse on the integrated SMB tool stack, particularly around URSSAF declarations and simplified accounting.
• Pennylane: French financial management platform for SMBs and accountants combining banking aggregation, accounting, and invoicing. Adjacent competitor to Propulse, with deeper accounting specialization and a strong accountant-partner channel.
• Bridge: French banking-as-a-service platform providing payment accounts and payment infrastructure to fintechs and SMBs. Adjacent to Propulse as a potential partner/competitor on the banking infrastructure layer rather than the SMB front-end.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PropulsebyCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/propulse-by-ca

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Propulse