What Soléa does

Soléa is a public transport operator serving the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération (m2A) metropolitan area in France, structured as a Société Anonyme d'Économie Mixte Locale (SAEML) wholly owned by m2A. The company holds an exclusive public service delegation to operate urban and suburban mobility across the agglomeration, delivering a multi-modal network comprising tram lines (1, 2, 3), a tram-train connection, multiple urban and suburban bus routes, school transport circuits, park-and-ride facilities, on-demand transport services (Soléa à la Demande, Filéa, Chronopro), an accessible transport service for persons with reduced mobility (Domibus), and a free electric downtown shuttle (Navette électrique).

Soléa's technology stack is anchored by the Compte Mobilité m2A platform, a unified mobility account that integrates public transport ticketing with third-party mobility operators — VÉLOCITÉ (bike-sharing), CITIZ (car-sharing), MÉDIACYCLES (long-duration bike rental), and forthcoming parking integrations with Indigo and Citivia — under a single registration with consolidated billing and dematerialized tickets. The dedicated Soléa mobile application provides real-time vehicle tracking, journey planning, stop favorites, and downloadable route maps. Distribution occurs through a commercial agency at Porte Jeune in Mulhouse, authorized merchant points of sale, ticket vending machines at tram stations, onboard vehicle sales, the e-boutique online store, the Soléa and Compte Mobilité m2A mobile apps, and SMS-based ticket purchase.

The revenue model combines transactional fare revenue (single tickets at €1.50–€1.60, 10-journey carnets at €15, 24-hour tickets at €4.60, family tickets at €5.20), recurring subscription revenue (monthly passes €17–€47, annual passes €79.60–€99.50 with youth and municipal discounts), park-and-ride fees (€2/day), and fines/penalties (€45–€250). Employer transport subsidies (prime transport) cover a mandatory minimum of 50% of employee pass costs. The company serves the general public, students, persons with reduced mobility, and local employers, with a lean headcount of 51–100 employees and a share capital of €1,500,000.

Name

Soléa

Legal name

SOLEA (Société Anonyme d'Economie Mixte Locale)

Website

https://solea.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Soléa is the exclusive public transport operator for the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération in France, running trams, buses, on-demand, and accessibility services via a unified multimodal mobility platform. The SAEML is owned by the m2A metropolitan authority and serves commuters, students, employers, and persons with reduced mobility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Public Transportation

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Mixed Mode Transit Systems (485111), Special Needs Transportation (485991), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (48599)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobility Aggregation & Booking (Multi-Provider Marketplace) Platforms (THADALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multimodal Trip Planning, Routing & Journey Orchestration Platforms (THADALAA), Paratransit / Accessible Ride-Hailing (WAV & Special Assistance) (THADADAH), Mobility Identity, Profile & Entitlements Management (KYC, Eligibility, Concessions) (THADALAK), Shared Mobility Operations & Fleet Services (Charging/Swapping, Rebalancing, Maintenance) (TLAFAMAJ), Ride-Hailing / On-Demand Mobility for Business (Managed Ground Transport) (TLABALAF)

Keywords

• Urban public transport
• Multimodal mobility services
• On-demand transit
• Accessible transport
• School transport services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mulhouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single journey tickets sold at 1.60€ (1.50€ via Compte Mobilité digital platform), carnet (10 voyages) at 15.00€, 24-hour tickets at 4.60€, and family tickets at 5.20€. Revenue collected through physical points of sale, mobile apps, SMS, and onboard purchases.
2. Subscription Passes: Monthly and annual subscription passes providing unlimited travel on the network. Monthly passes range from 17.00€ (Joker reduced tariff) to 47.00€ (standard 26-64 age), with various annual pass options for different age groups and municipalities. Includes employer transport subsidies (prime transport) where employers cover 50% minimum.
3. Parking-Relais Fees: Park-and-ride facilities at 2€ per day, combining car parking with public transport access at designated stations (Parking Université, Parking Nouveau Bassin).
4. Fines and Penalties: Traffic violation fines collected for infractions on the transport network, ranging from 45€ to 250€ depending on violation type and payment timing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soléa operates the public transport network for the Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération (m2A), running tram, tram-train, and bus services along with on-demand transport, accessible transport for persons with reduced mobility (Domibus), school transport, park-and-ride facilities, and a free electric downtown shuttle. It sells single tickets, carnets, 24-hour passes, family tickets, and monthly/annual subscriptions through physical points of sale, e-boutique, mobile applications, and the unified Compte Mobilité m2A platform that integrates bike-sharing, car-sharing, and parking services.

Product overview

Soléa is a public urban transport network operated by SAEML serving Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération (m2A). The offering comprises a multi-modal transport platform combining fixed-route services (bus, tram, tram-train) with on-demand services (Soléa à la demande, Filéa, Chronopro) and specialized offerings (Domibus for PMR, Soléa scolaire for schools, parking-relais). The digital portfolio includes the mobile Application Soléa for real-time journey planning and schedules, the unified Compte Mobilité m2A platform integrating multiple mobility operators (bike-sharing, car-sharing, parking), and the E-boutique e-commerce platform for purchasing tickets and subscriptions. An electric city center shuttle operates free of charge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Compte Mobilité m2A: A unified mobility account application that integrates Soléa public transport with other mobility services including Vélocité bike sharing, Citiz car sharing, and Médiacycles bike rental.
• Domibus
• Soléa à la Demande
• Soléa Scolaire
• Navette électrique
• Filéa
• Chronopro

Products and services

• Soléa à la Demande On-demand transport service that complements and replaces regular lines, allowing users to book flexible trips through a dedicated platform within defined zones in the Mulhouse agglomeration.
• Domibus Accessible door-to-door transport service dedicated to persons with reduced mobility (PMR) within the Mulhouse agglomeration, using adapted vehicles and providing priority access.
• Soléa Scolaire School transport service serving collèges and lycées in the Mulhouse agglomeration, including dedicated school circuits (Filéa, Chronopro, circuits scolaires) coordinated with school schedules.
• Parkings-Relais (P+R) Park-and-ride facilities where drivers can park their vehicles at 2€ per day and continue journeys via the Soléa public transport network, with locations including Parking Université and Parking Nouveau Bassin.
• Navette électrique du centre-ville Free electric shuttle service operating in downtown Mulhouse, providing inner-city transportation with real-time position tracking available through the Soléa mobile app.
• Application Soléa Mobile application for iOS and Android providing real-time bus and tram arrival information, route planning, stop schedules, favorites, downloadable route maps, and digital ticketing for the Soléa transport network.
• Compte Mobilité m2A Unified mobility account platform integrating Soléa public transport with bike-sharing (Vélocité), car-sharing (CITIZ), bike rental (Médiacycles), and parking services into a single registration with consolidated billing, dematerialized tickets, and preferential digital pricing.
• E-boutique Soléa Online store for purchasing transport tickets and subscriptions including single tickets, 10-journey carnets, 24-hour passes, family tickets, and monthly/annual subscriptions, with home delivery available.
• Agence des Mobilités m2A Customer service agency located at Porte Jeune station, Mulhouse, providing in-person ticket sales, subscription management, Pass card creation and renewal, fine payment, and personalized travel information. Accessible to persons with reduced mobility.
• Filéa On-demand transport service requiring advance reservation for travel on designated routes within the m2A agglomeration, operating as part of the demand-responsive transport offerings.
• Chronopro Demand-responsive transport service operating under the Filéa and Chronopro umbrella brands, requiring advance reservation for travel on designated routes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost savings through dematerialized tickets: single ticket at 1.50€ via Compte Mobilité instead of 1.60€ standard rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VÉLOCITÉcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBike-sharing service integrated into the Compte Mobilité m2A platform, allowing users to rent electric bikes in libre-service mode across the m2A agglomeration through the unified mobility account.
• CITIZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCar-sharing service accessible through the Compte Mobilité m2A platform, enabling users to reserve and use shared vehicles in the Mulhouse area via the unified mobility account.
• MÉDIACYCLEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBike rental service for long-duration rentals, integrated into the Compte Mobilité m2A platform alongside public transport and other mobility options.
• Mulhouse Alsace Agglomération (m2A)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe metropolitan authority that owns and delegates the operation of the public transport network to Soléa. m2A also provides funding, coordinates regional mobility initiatives, and supports the unified mobility account (Compte Mobilité m2A).

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• CTS (Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois): Public transport operator for the Eurométropole de Strasbourg, neighboring Alsace region. Comparable as a similarly sized French agglomeration network with tram and bus operations.
• TAG (Transports de l'Agglomération Grenobloise): Public transport network for Grenoble-Alpes-Métropole, operating tram, bus, and on-demand services under a similar delegated public-service model. Closely comparable in scale, scope, and multi-modal integration.
• Tisséo Collectivités: Public transport authority for Toulouse Métropole operating metro, tram, bus, and demand-responsive services. Comparable as a delegated French agglomeration operator integrating multiple modes under a single brand.

Direct peers

• Keolis: Subsidiary of SNCF Group operating delegated public transport networks in France and globally under similar public service delegation contracts. Most comparable as a multi-modal urban and suburban operator integrating bus, tram, and demand-responsive services.
• Transdev: Major French and international operator of delegated public transport networks, running bus, tram, and on-demand services under public service contracts similar to Soléa's arrangement with m2A.
• RATP Dev: Subsidiary of RATP Group operating urban and interurban transit networks outside Paris under delegated public service contracts. Comparable as a multi-modal operator of bus, tram, and demand-responsive services in French metropolitan areas.

Broad incumbents

• TCL (Transports en Commun Lyonnais): Larger French metro transit network operated by Keolis for Sytral in Greater Lyon. Comparable as a multi-modal metropolitan operator with metro, tram, bus, and on-demand services under delegated management.

Emerging players

• MaaS Global (Whim): Finnish MaaS platform offering subscription-based multi-modal mobility (transit, ride-hail, bike, carshare) via a single app. Comparable to Soléa's Compte Mobilité m2A in delivering aggregated multi-modal journey and payment services.
• Moovit: Multi-modal journey planning app covering public transport, bike-share, and ride-hailing. Comparable to Soléa's mobile application for real-time information and journey planning across transit modes.
• Citymapper: Multi-modal urban mobility app providing journey planning, real-time data, and integrated payment for public transport, bike, and micromobility. Comparable to Soléa's digital ticketing and real-time schedule features.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnNXzpU5p8uiU9MZ89bCV3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Solea.transports.Mulhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soleaagglomulhouse
• Instagraminstagram.com/soleaagglomulhouse

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Soléa