What Autonomie et Solidarité does

Autonomie et Solidarité is a solidarity finance cooperative headquartered in Lille, France, founded in 1990, that mobilizes citizen savings to finance and accompany social and environmental impact businesses in the Hauts-de-France region. Citizens, public entities, and private organizations subscribe to non-tradable social shares priced at €77 each, and the pooled capital is deployed through four complementary instruments: capital participation (€5,000–€75,000 equity stakes held for five years), current account contributions (up to €75,000 at 5% interest with one-year deferral), convertible bonds, and participatory loans (up to €60,000 at 5% with six-month deferral), capped at €210,000 per project. Backing from BPIfrance guarantees provides institutional risk mitigation, and a 1.5% guarantee fee plus tiered file processing fees (€300 or 1.5%) generate transactional revenue alongside interest income.

Every financing is paired with a free five-year accompaniment program delivered by volunteer associates, including quarterly strategic meetings and ESG impact measurement against six criteria selected by the funded company. The model is volunteer-intensive: a small paid team of charged d'affaires and administrative staff (reported headcount 1–10) is supported by an administrator in charge of volunteers (Jean-Jacques Riomet) and a broader pool of several thousand member-investors. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: afterwork pitch sessions with JUNIA ALUMNI, workshops at MEL business hives, Salon Made in Hainaut presence, a monthly newsletter (L'Actionneur, 100+ issues), and a 1,500+ LinkedIn following drive entrepreneur deal flow within Hauts-de-France.

Cumulatively, the cooperative has financed more than 430 enterprises, deployed over €20 million, and claims to have created or maintained more than 4,000 jobs. Arnaud Bernard serves as Président-Directeur Général. The organization is geographically restricted to Hauts-de-France but increasingly participates in co-investment syndicates (IRD INVEST, R3e Investissement, La Cordée, Samuel Gorillot) to support portfolio companies expanding nationally.

Name

Autonomie et Solidarité

Legal name

Autonomie & Solidarité

Website

https://autonomieetsolidarite.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Autonomie et Solidarité is a Lille-based solidarity finance cooperative, founded in 1990, that pools citizen subscriptions to social shares to finance and accompany impact-driven businesses in Hauts-de-France, combining equity, debt, and volunteer mentorship over a five-year cycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solidarity Finance / Impact Investing

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Transition / Engagement & Stewardship Funds (FSANAJAO)

Keywords

• Solidarity finance
• Impact investing
• Social economy financing
• Citizen savings cooperative
• Entrepreneur accompaniment

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Social share subscriptions: Associate-investors subscribe to social shares at 77€ per share. This capital forms the pool used for financing ESS businesses. The shares are not tradable and represent ownership in the cooperative.
2. Capital participation returns: Returns from equity stakes in portfolio companies (capital participation of 5,000€ to 75,000€). The company becomes an associate of funded businesses for 5 years with potential capital gains upon exit.
3. Shareholder account interest: Shareholder accounts (compte courant d'associé) generate 5% annual interest income, repaid quarterly with 1-year capital deferral. Up to 75,000€ per project.
4. Convertible bonds: Financing in fine with interest rate plus non-conversion premium. Part of the financing mix up to overall 210,000€ limit per project.
5. Participatory loans: Participatory loans (prêt participatif) up to 60,000€ at 5% annual rate with 6-month deferral, repaid quarterly. Generates interest income.
6. File processing fees: Application processing fees charged upon fund disbursement: 300€ for amounts 5k-20k€, 1.5% for amounts exceeding 20k€ (cumulative capital+shareholder account+convertible bonds+participatory loan). BPIfrance guarantee fees of 1.5% also charged.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Autonomie et Solidarité mobilizes citizen savings subscribed as €77 social shares and deploys them as combined financing packages (capital participation, shareholder current accounts, convertible bonds, participative loans) up to €210,000 per project, exclusively for ESS enterprises in Hauts-de-France. Every financing is paired with a mandatory 5-year human accompaniment program delivered by volunteer associates, including quarterly follow-up meetings and ESG impact measurement.

Product overview

Autonomie & Solidarité is a cooperative organization that operates as a solidarity finance vehicle, mobilizing citizen savings to finance and accompany enterprises in Hauts-de-France committed to sustainable economy and positive impact. The organization offers a comprehensive financing solution combining capital participation (€5,000–€75,000), current account contributions (up to €75,000), convertible bonds, and participative loans (up to €60,000), with a total maximum capacity of €210,000 per project. All financing is coupled with a 5-year human accompaniment program delivered by volunteer associates, including quarterly meetings and ESG impact measurement support. Additionally, citizens can become associates by subscribing to social shares at €77 per share, participating collectively in financing impact-driven enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Participation Equity investment of €5,000 to €75,000 per project, positioning Autonomie et Solidarité as a shareholder in the funded ESS enterprise for a 5-year period. Targeted at ESS enterprises in Hauts-de-France at creation, development, or takeover stage.
• Current Account Contributions (Compte Courant d'Associé) Short-term shareholder advance of up to €75,000 per project, with quarterly reimbursement, a 5% annual interest rate, and a one-year capital grace period. Targeted at ESS enterprises in Hauts-de-France.
• Convertible Bonds (Obligations Convertibles) Finite-term financing instrument with an interest rate plus a non-conversion premium, providing a flexible debt instrument that can convert to equity. Offered as part of the combined €210,000-per-project package to ESS enterprises in Hauts-de-France.
• Participative Loans (Prêt Participatif) Loan of up to €60,000 per project with quarterly reimbursement at a 5% annual interest rate and a 6-month deferral period, designed to support the growth of ESS businesses in Hauts-de-France.
• 5-Year Entrepreneurial Accompaniment Free human accompaniment delivered by volunteer associates throughout the 5-year intervention period, including quarterly meetings, strategic guidance, and ESG impact tracking. Bundled with every financing delivered by Autonomie et Solidarité to ESS entrepreneurs in Hauts-de-France.
• Social Shares Subscription (Parts Sociales) Subscription of cooperative social shares at €77 per share, enabling citizens, public entities, and private structures to participate in financing ESS enterprises in Hauts-de-France. Shares are non-tradable and represent cooperative ownership.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 430 enterprises financed since 1990
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JUNIA ALUMNIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organized afterwork pitch events with Junia Lille Études, Junior-Entreprise de Junia, and R3e Investissement at Junia Engineers facilities.
• Junia Lille ÉtudesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEngineering school partner for afterwork pitch events. Provides venue and student entrepreneurship engagement.
• Club Réussir ValenciennesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional business network met during Salon Made in Hainaut. Part of ongoing relationship building for regional ESS ecosystem.
• Les Alchimistes Hauts-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio company providing food waste collection and composting services. Foucauld Watine, co-founder, has spoken at A&S assemblies. Partnership extends to employee engagement (Energic challenge).
• Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulien Specq presented financing solutions at MEL business hive workshops. Regular partner for entrepreneur accompaniment through hive business centers.
• Village by CAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted table ronde on 'Impact & Investment' with start-ups from four incubators (Bio Incubateur, Euralimentaire, Eurasenior, Vivalley).
• EurasantéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized 'Finance en action' workshop and table ronde on impact investing with four biotech/health incubators.
• Les EnchanteursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital agency that redesigned A&S website and brand identity in 2024, launching new visual universe.
• Bien fait pour ta Com'minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunication agency involved in creating A&S new visual identity and brand elements.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• France Active: National network of solidarity finance companies financing ESS entrepreneurs across France with capital and accompaniment. Most direct comparable to A&S in mission, instruments, and target segment, but operating at national scale versus A&S's Hauts-de-France focus.
• Initiative France: Federation of local non-profit associations financing business creation and takeover with zero-interest loans and accompaniment. Comparable mission of supporting new ESS entrepreneurs with patient capital and non-financial support.
• Cigales: National network of citizen investment clubs pooling personal savings to finance local ESS business creation and development. Closely comparable grassroots, citizen-driven solidarity finance model to A&S.
• ESFIN Gestion: Asset manager specializing in solidarity finance and ESS investments, managing FCP 90/20 funds and similar vehicles. Comparable as a French solidarity finance fund manager, though more institutional and capital-markets oriented than A&S's cooperative.
• Garrigue: Cooperative venture capital structure financing French ESS businesses with patient capital and active engagement. Highly comparable in cooperative form, equity-and-debt mix, and ESS focus, though operating across multiple French regions.
• Investir&+: Solidarity investment vehicle enabling citizen-investors to finance French ESS businesses, pooling savings similarly to A&S's social-share model. Direct competitor for solidarity savings across France.

Broad incumbents

• La Nef: French ethical cooperative bank offering savings accounts, deposit products, and loans to ESS and sustainability-focused projects. Comparable cooperative ethos and impact-orientation, but operates as a broader incumbent with full banking license.
• Crédit Coopératif: Major French cooperative bank serving ESS, social economy, and sustainable economy clients nationwide. Comparable cooperative DNA and ESS focus, but at materially larger scale with a full banking product suite.

Regional players

• IRD INVEST: Northern France regional development investor, an A&S co-investment partner (e.g., Citéliv). Comparable in financing regional growth businesses, but with broader geographic scope and a more institutional mandate.
• FINORPA: Regional development capital provider for Hauts-de-France SMEs and startups, partnering with A&S on co-investments. Comparable in funding regional businesses but operates more broadly (equity across the region) and is not cooperative-structured.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autonomie-et-solidarit%C3%A9
• Xx.com/AetS_HDF
• Facebookfacebook.com/Autonomieetsolidarite

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments5 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Autonomie et Solidarité