What Soltena does

Soltena is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) and regional cluster founded in 2006, headquartered in Limoges with additional offices in Bordeaux (Darwin Ecosystème) and Poitiers (La Caserne). It operates as a network coordinator for the circular economy and ecological transition in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, connecting green-economy enterprises, public authorities, and research institutions across eight thematic sectors: Biodiversity, 3R/Waste, Water, Energy, Eco-products, Air quality, Sites and soils, and Eco-design. The organization pursues three explicit missions: developing green-sector enterprises, driving ecological transition projects, and piloting structural regional missions.

Soltena's service portfolio is structured around three flagship regional programs — Recita (circular economy network), Become (eco-design), and EITNA (Industrial and Territorial Ecology) — supplemented by a 'Biodiversité et stratégie d'entreprises' pilot operation with the Office Français de la Biodiversité and an ACT/Pacte Industrie decarbonation collective. Its core offering is membership-based: companies pay annual fees (adhésion) to access the member portal, business networking events, market intelligence (delivered via a partnership with Vecteur Plus at negotiated rates with up to 45% discount), tender alerts, technical publications (Cahiers Techniques), and collective project participation. In 2024, Soltena organized more than 40 events mobilizing 2,300 participants and added 35 new member structures.

The organization is primarily financed by public institutional partners — Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, ADEME, and DREAL — supplemented by member fees. It does not produce proprietary software products; its 'technology' consists of a membership coordination platform and content publishing infrastructure. It is governed by co-presidents Guillaume Lacour and Philippe Nouhaud and led operationally by Director Marie Kerouedan, with a 11-50 person team covering circular economy, eco-design, water, energy, biodiversity, and network/event coordination. Its strategic positioning in 2024-2025 has extended into European-funded projects (SCAIRA under Interreg SUDOE 2024-2026) and industrial decarbonation, indicating a gradual broadening of mandate beyond pure regional animation.

Name

Soltena

Legal name

Soltena – Solutions pour la transition écologique en Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Website

https://soltena.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Transition Cluster Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Circular economy cluster
• Ecological transition network
• Green economy membership
• Biodiversity advisory services
• Regional environmental consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees from member companies (adhérents): Companies and organizations pay membership fees to join the Soltena network, gaining access to business networking, market intelligence, collective projects, and visibility through the cluster's platform and events.
2. Public funding and regional missions: Soltena receives funding from Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, ADEME (French Environment and Energy Management Agency), and DREAL to animate regional programs such as Recita, Become, and EITNA, and to execute structural regional ecological transition missions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Soltena is a regional cluster network that connects and animates economic actors in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France to advance the circular economy and ecological transition. It provides paid membership services to companies and public authorities, including business development support, market intelligence, technical workshops, networking events, and thematic program animation across eight sectors: biodiversity, waste reduction, water, energy, eco-products, air quality, sites and soils, and eco-design. The cluster also executes publicly co-funded regional missions on behalf of public partners including Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, ADEME, and DREAL.

Product overview

Soltena is a regional cluster network organization for the circular economy and ecological transition in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, rather than a technology product company. It provides membership services, project animation, collective operations, and advisory services to businesses and territories. Key offerings include network membership with business development support (market intelligence, business connections, public procurement alerts), thematic sector animations (biodiversity, waste reduction, water management, energy decarbonation, air quality, eco-design), and technical resources such as guides and reports. The organization does not offer distinct named software products, digital platforms, or SaaS offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cluster Membership (Adhésion Soltena) Paid annual membership for green economy enterprises and organizations in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, granting access to the member portal (Espace adhérents), business directory, networking events, market intelligence, public/private tender alerts, and visibility through the cluster platform.
• Vecteur+ Market Intelligence Subscription Negotiated annual subscription to the Vecteur Plus public and private market intelligence tool, offered to Soltena members at up to 45% off regular tariff with different geographic packs. Used for tender monitoring and business opportunity detection.
• Recita — Circular Economy Network Regional program (network animation) connecting circular economy actors in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Provides structured framework for member engagement in circular economy initiatives.
• Become Eco-Design Program Regional eco-design program for Nouvelle-Aquitaine enterprises, providing expertise and frameworks to integrate eco-design practices into product and service offerings.
• EITNA Industrial and Territorial Ecology Program Regional program for Industrial and Territorial Ecology (Ecologie Industrielle et Territoriale) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, supporting cross-company resource optimization and industrial symbiosis projects.
• Enterprise and Biodiversity Pilot (Biodiversité et stratégie d'entreprises) Collective operation piloting biodiversity strategy development with enterprises, including the 'Entreprise Engagée pour la Nature' labeling framework. Nine enterprises piloted biodiversity strategy programs over 18 months.
• ACT and Pacte Industrie Decarbonation Operation Collective operation for the decarbonation of enterprises, providing frameworks and support for ACT (Assessing low-Carbon Transition) and Pacte Industrie decarbonation pathways.
• SCAIRA European Project (Interreg SUDOE) European collaborative project under the Interreg SUDOE programme covering 2024–2026, supporting cross-border regional ecological transition initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40+ events organized and 2,300 participants mobilized in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary regional authority supporter and funder of Soltena. Co-finances regional ecological transition programs and operations alongside ADEME. Provides strategic direction aligned with Néo Terra regional roadmap and Biodiversity Strategy.
• ADEME (Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Énergie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Environment and Energy Management Agency co-funding Soltena's regional missions and programs. Provides technical expertise and connects Soltena to national ecological transition frameworks.
• DREAL Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Directorates for Environment, Land Use Planning and Housing supporting Soltena's mission implementation and regulatory alignment in ecological transition.
• Grand PoitiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan community partner collaborating on territorial ecological transition projects in the Poitiers area.
• Communauté d'agglomération de La RochelleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgglomeration community partner collaborating on territorial ecological transition projects in the La Rochelle area.
• Eau Grand Sud OuestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater sector organization partner supporting the water and hydric transition filament, contributing expertise to the 80+ actor water network.
• Agence de l'eau Loire-BretagneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater agency partner covering part of Nouvelle-Aquitaine territory, supporting water resource management and transition initiatives.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Biodiversity Office partnering on the 'Entreprise et Biodiversité' pilot operation and biodiversity strategy programs. Supports labeling frameworks including 'Entreprise Engagée pour la Nature'.
• Agence Régionale de la Biodiversité Nouvelle-Aquitaine (ARB NA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional Biodiversity Agency co-developing biodiversity strategies and programs with Soltena, including the Biodiversity and Business Strategy experimentation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ODEYS: Regional cluster for ecological transition in Hauts-de-France, operating with similar public mandate, ADEME/Région co-funding, and multi-thematic coverage (energy, waste, biodiversity, water). Soltena itself lists ODEYS as a member and partner, validating direct structural comparability.
• Tenerrdis: Energy transition competitiveness cluster in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes that animates a regional innovation ecosystem with public co-funding, very analogous to Soltena's mission and operating model but focused on the energy vertical.
• Innov'Alliance: French cluster for natural products (cosmetics, food, ingredients) and eco-design. Operates a comparable animation role around eco-conception and bio-based materials — themes that also feature among Soltena's 8 sectors.
• AXELERA: French competitiveness cluster for the chemistry and environment sectors headquartered in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Comparable as a publicly-mandated regional cluster with multi-sectoral scope and European project engagement.
• Pôle AQUANOVA (DREAM): Nouvelle-Aquitaine water/aquaculture cluster — geographic peer in the same region, sharing memberships with Soltena and operating a closely aligned mandate around the hydric transition thematic sector.
• Xylofutur: French competitiveness cluster for the wood/forest/biomaterials value chain, headquartered in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Direct regional peer with overlapping eco-product and bio-sourced materials thematic coverage.

Broad incumbents

• France Clusters: National federation and network of French competitiveness/eco-transition clusters; sits above individual regional clusters like Soltena, representing them in policy and pan-European partnering.

Others

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank supporting innovation and ecological transition through Greentech Innovation and other programs. Indirect peer as a co-funder and aggregator of eco-transition startups that Soltena might otherwise champion regionally.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB): French Biodiversity Office co-developing Soltena's 'Entreprise et Biodiversité' pilot and 'Entreprise Engagée pour la Nature' labeling — comparable operator shaping the same ecological-transition member services.
• ADEME: French national Environment and Energy Management Agency — Soltena's primary co-funder and ecosystem orchestrator. While not a direct competitor, ADEME sets the strategic framework within which Soltena operates and could absorb some animation functions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Soltena