Herrikoa
Herrikoa is a Basque Country solidarity finance firm, founded in 1980, that provides patient equity and quasi-equity capital to local SMEs and is owned by thousands of individual shareholders benefiting from French tax advantages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersAnglet, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Herrikoa does
Herrikoa is a solidarity finance company (société financière) founded in 1980 and headquartered in Anglet, in the French Basque Country. It provides patient capital to small and medium enterprises in the region through four core financing instruments: direct equity contributions, shareholder current account advances, convertible bonds, and participating securities. Over four decades it has supported more than 384 SMEs and contributed to the creation or maintenance of 4,168 jobs, operating under the FINANSOL solidarity-finance label and ESUS certification.
The firm is owned by thousands of individual shareholders who subscribe to its capital at €3.33 per share, with a minimum of 40 shares (€133.20) and annual subscription caps of €50,000 for individuals and €100,000 for couples. Subscribers benefit from a 25% French income tax reduction under Article 199 terdecies-0 A of the General Tax Code. Herrikoa acquires entrepreneurs primarily through direct outreach, referrals from existing shareholders, and partnerships with local business support organizations such as Réseau Entreprendre Adour (formalized in 2013).
Herrikoa has been profitable for over 20 consecutive years. It is managed by Gérant Marie-Claire Sallaberry under President Pierre Mendiboure, operates with a team of 1-10 employees, and reports no parent company or institutional controlling investor. Portfolio companies span furniture (Alki), espadrilles (Don Quichosse), high-end audio (CCLAB - La Boite Concept), aerospace parts (Tekniaero, Akira Technologies), pharmaceuticals (Bioluz), organic farming (Garro), climbing gyms (The Roof), chocolate (Monsieur Txokola), woodworking (Sahores), cheese (Azkorria), and professional kitchens (Inoxyform). The firm maintains a bilingual French/Basque website and active social media presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Herrikoa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Herrikoa
- Legal name
- HERRIKOA
- Website
- https://herrikoa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Herrikoa is a Basque Country solidarity finance firm, founded in 1980, that provides patient equity and quasi-equity capital to local SMEs and is owned by thousands of individual shareholders benefiting from French tax advantages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Herrikoa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Solidarity Finance / Community Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type) (BPADACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD)
Keywords
Where Herrikoa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anglet
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Herrikoa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Equity Investments: Herrikoa invests equity capital in SMEs in the Basque Country in exchange for shareholdings. They provide various forms of capital including direct equity contributions, shareholder current account advances, convertible bonds, and participating securities.
- Shareholder Subscriptions: Individual and corporate investors subscribe to Herrikoa shares at 3.33€ per share with a minimum of 40 shares (133.20€ total). Shareholders receive tax advantages (25% income tax reduction) and participate in the company's governance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One-time/ perpetual license | Individual Physical Person Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Herrikoa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Herrikoa is a solidarity-based finance company that provides equity and quasi-equity financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Basque Country. Its financing solutions include direct capital contributions (apport en capital), shareholder current account advances (avance en compte-courant), convertible bonds (obligations convertibles en action), and participating securities (titres participatifs). In parallel, the company allows individual savers and legal entities to subscribe to its shares, with a 25% French income tax reduction, channeling those savings into local job creation.
Product overview
Herrikoa is a solidarity-based investment company (société financière de capital-risque) that provides equity and quasi-equity financing to small and medium enterprises in the Basque Country. The company acts as a capital partner for entrepreneurs creating, taking over, or developing businesses. Its core offerings include direct capital contributions, shareholder advances, convertible bonds, and participating securities. Individuals can also become shareholders of Herrikoa itself to participate in supporting local employment through solidarity finance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Apport en Capital (Capital Contribution)
Quantifiable outcome
- 384 SMEs supported in 40 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Herrikoa
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Herrikoa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Herrikoa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Réseau Entreprendre AdourcorePartnership agreement signed in April 2013 to formalize collaboration between the two organizations. Shared objective is to promote new project launches and support business transfers in the Basque Country economy, leveraging their respective expertise and market positioning.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Herrikoa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cigales: Federation of 'clubs d'investisseurs pour une gestion alternative et locale de l'épargne solidaire' — French regional solidarity-finance clubs that pool individual savings to fund local SMEs. Closest analog to Herrikoa in terms of solidarity-finance approach, local orientation, and individual-shareholder model.
- Réseau Entreprendre: National French network of entrepreneur-support associations, including the Adour chapter with which Herrikoa has a formal partnership. Comparable as a source-and-support pipeline for new business creation and takeover in the same regions.
- IDES: French public-private investment vehicle holding participations in cooperative and solidarity-economy enterprises. Directly comparable as a co-investor and partner in deals such as the Bioluz employee buyout alongside Herrikoa.
- SCOPINVEST: Federation-affiliated investor supporting employee buyouts (SCOPs) and worker-cooperative transitions in France. Co-invested with Herrikoa in Bioluz; comparable as a solidarity-finance/employee-ownership capital partner.
Broad incumbents
- France Active: France's leading solidarity-finance network and investor, financing tens of thousands of social and solidarity-economy enterprises. Directly comparable as a solidarity-finance institution providing equity, loan, and guarantee products to SMEs, but operating at national scale rather than a single region.
- Bpifrance: French public investment bank financing SME creation, takeover, and development across France with equity, loan, and guarantee instruments. Provides the same 'capital partner' function Herrikoa offers to Basque Country entrepreneurs, but at vastly larger scale and broader mandate.
- Crédit Coopératif: French cooperative bank serving the social and solidarity economy. Operates a similar solidarity-oriented financial-services model with individual savers and SME/association clients, albeit as a regulated bank rather than a regional equity investor.
- La Nef: French ethical cooperative bank providing solidarity-oriented banking and lending services. Comparable as a solidarity-finance institution, though structured as a bank rather than an equity-focused société financière like Herrikoa.
Regional players
- Breizh Up: Brittany-based regional venture capital fund (managed by UI Gestion) targeting innovative regional SMEs. Comparable as a regional solidarity/development-oriented equity investor, but focused on innovation-driven growth in a different French region.
- Femu Quì: Corsican solidarity-finance and SME-investment vehicle operating under similar French regional-development frameworks. Comparable to Herrikoa as a regional solidarity-finance société financière, but serving Corsica rather than the Basque Country.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Herrikoa social profiles
Digital presenceHerrikoa compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Herrikoa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Herrikoa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Herrikoa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Herrikoa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments14 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Herrikoa
What does Herrikoa do?
Herrikoa is a solidarity-based finance company that provides equity and quasi-equity financing to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Basque Country. Its financing solutions include direct capital contributions (apport en capital), shareholder current account advances (avance en compte-courant), convertible bonds (obligations convertibles en action), and participating securities (titres participatifs). In parallel, the company allows individual savers and legal entities to subscribe to its shares, with a 25% French income tax reduction, channeling those savings into local job creation.
Is Herrikoa a public or private company?
Herrikoa is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Herrikoa founded?
Herrikoa was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Herrikoa based?
Herrikoa is headquartered in Anglet, France, in the Europe region.
How does Herrikoa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Equity Investments are the primary driver. The others are shareholder Subscriptions.
Who are Herrikoa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cigales, Réseau Entreprendre, IDES and SCOPINVEST. Broad incumbents are France Active, Bpifrance, Crédit Coopératif and La Nef. Regional players are Breizh Up and Femu Quì.
Does Herrikoa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Herrikoa.
What industry is Herrikoa in?
Herrikoa's product category is Solidarity Finance / Community Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADACAJ, Private Sector & Blended Finance Arms (IFC-type), with a secondary code of FSAKAGAI, SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans. Its NAICS code is 525 and its SIC code is 6159.