Stelo Formation

What Stelo Formation does

Stelo Formation is a French vocational training association (Association de loi de 1901) established in 1967 by hoteliers and restaurateurs as Prom'Hôte, now operating under the unified national brand formed in 2020 after the merger of Prom'Hôte Ifitel and CEFAA. The organization delivers apprenticeship, professional development, career-path, and audit-consulting programs exclusively for the hospitality-restaurant-tourism (HCR) sector, with course catalogs ranging from CAP to BTS-level national diplomas and short professional courses of one to five days.

The core technology stack comprises two proprietary learning systems — the Ypareo apprentice portal for tracking and document management, and the Stelo Campus LMS (Moodle-based) for distance learning — supporting eight physical training centers across France plus hybrid delivery to roughly 4,500 partner companies. Practical training is delivered through "Restaurant d'Application" facilities at select sites (Villepinte, Chagny, Chanteloup-les-Vignes) where students serve real customers.

Revenue is generated primarily through publicly funded channels: apprenticeship taxes (CPF, AKTO, regional council co-funding including EU FSE+), employer training plans, and CPF-eligible certifications (€500/year individual accumulation capped at €5,000). Secondary streams include unit-priced short courses (€150-€1,080), B2B audit/consulting engagements via the Forgeco subsidiary, and VAE certification services. Customers split between individual apprentices (ages 16-29, with disability and high-level athlete exemptions), HCR industry employees seeking compliance or upskilling, career changers, and B2B accounts including Holiday Inn, Accor, Hilton, Sodexo, Air France, Servair, Disneyland Paris, SNCF, and BNP Paribas.

Name

Stelo Formation

Legal name

Stelo Formation

Website

https://stelo-formation.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stelo Formation is a 1967 French vocational training association operating 8 centers across France to deliver apprenticeship, professional development, and consulting services exclusively to the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism (HCR) sector, supported by a network of 4,500 employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality and Tourism Vocational Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality & Food Service (EDABALAO)

Keywords

• Hospitality vocational training
• Apprenticeship programs
• Restaurant training
• Tourism education
• Professional certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Training: Government-funded apprenticeship programs where employers pay salaries and training costs are covered by apprenticeship taxes and regional funding
2. Professional Development Training: Short-term skills training funded through CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation), AKTO branch actions, and company training plans
3. Enterprise Training Solutions: Customized training programs and audit/consulting services for hotels and restaurants, priced per program
4. VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience): Experience validation services allowing professionals to obtain certifications based on prior work experience

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Stelo Formation is a French vocational training organization specializing in hospitality, restaurant, and tourism (HCR) education. It delivers apprenticeship programs (CAP to BTS diplomas), short-term professional courses, long-form career path training, and audit/consulting services for hospitality businesses across eight physical training centers in France, supplemented by a distance learning platform (Stelo Campus LMS).

Product overview

Stelo Formation is a unified vocational training platform offering apprenticeship programs, short courses, and career path training for the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism industries. The core offerings include: Apprentissage (apprenticeship combining school and work-based training from CAP to BTS), Perfectionnement & Initiation (short courses of 1-5 days for skill enhancement and mandatory training), Parcours métier (long-form career programs with recognized certifications), and Audit et Conseil (professional consulting for restaurants and hotels). Supporting services include application restaurants for practical training, the Stelo Campus LMS for distance learning, VAE for validating prior experience, and CPF-certified training programs for professional certification funding. The organization operates 10 training centers across France and maintains a network of 4,500 partner companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Espace apprenti - Ypareo: Espace apprenti online platform for student portal
• LMS - Stelo Campus

Products and services

• Apprentissage (Apprenticeship Programs) Vocational training programs combining classroom instruction with on-the-job training at partner companies, covering hospitality, restaurant, and tourism trades from CAP to BTS level, designed for apprentices aged 16-29.
• Perfectionnement & Initiation (Short Courses) Short-duration training courses (1 to 5 days) for skill enhancement, mandatory compliance training (hygiene, permits), and introductory programs for hospitality professionals.
• Parcours Métier (Career Path Programs) Long-form training programs that prepare individuals for hospitality and restaurant careers through recognized state diplomas or industry certifications, including conventionally funded training.
• Audit et Conseil (Audit and Consulting) Professional consulting and audit services for hotels and restaurants covering hygiene and food safety, HACCP compliance, PMS implementation, organizational optimization, HR support, and hotel classification assistance.
• VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) Recognition of prior learning service allowing experienced professionals to obtain official certifications based on their accumulated work experience in the hospitality sector.
• Formation Certifiante CPF (CPF-Certified Training) Training programs eligible for funding through the French Personal Training Account (CPF), allowing French employees to use accumulated annual training rights (500 euros per year, up to 5,000 euros) for certified professional training.
• Stelo Campus LMS Learning management system platform used for distance learning delivery, accessible to apprentices for online course materials, video conferencing, and e-learning modules.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% exam pass rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CPNE HCR (Commission Paritaire Nationale Emploi-Formation HCR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry branch organization supporting vocational training in hotels, cafes, and restaurants. Co-funds investment projects for CFA training centers and professional development programs.
• AKTOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSkills development organization managing branch-level training actions and funding for HCR sector employees in companies with fewer than 50 employees.
• Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'AzurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council co-financing training operations with 50% European Social Fund+ (FSE+) support, covering total project cost of 154,064,780€ with 77,032,390€ EU funding.
• CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation)coreOthersFrench government individual training account system allowing employees to accumulate 500€ annually (up to 5,000€) for certified training, with 8,000€ ceiling for low-qualified workers.
• 4,500 Partner CompaniescoreOthersExtensive network of hospitality, restaurant, and tourism companies providing apprenticeship placements and employment opportunities for Stelo graduates.
• UMIH (Union des Métiers et des Industries de l'Hôtellerie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor hospitality industry union represented in Stelo Formation's board of directors, contributing to governance and industry alignment.
• GNC (Groupement National des Chaines)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational hotel chain association with representation on Stelo Formation's board of directors for industry governance.
• Mairie de VillepinteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government represented in Stelo Formation's board of directors, supporting local training center operations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Institut Paul Bocuse: Based in Lyon, Institut Paul Bocuse delivers degree programs and short professional training in hospitality, cuisine and restaurant management. Comparable to Stelo Formation because it operates in France with the same CAP-Bachelor pathway model and serves the same HCR employer and apprentice customers.
• Ferrandi Paris: Ferrandi Paris is the CCIR-chamber hospitality and culinary school delivering CAP, Bachelor and short courses in cuisine, pâtisserie and hotel management. Direct overlap with Stelo Formation on diplomas, apprenticeship pathways and Paris-based enterprise training customers.
• École Ducasse: École Ducasse is a French premium culinary and hospitality school (Paris and Rousset) offering CAP to MSc programs and short professional courses. It is a direct peer because it sells the same French HCR vocational credentials (CAP/BTS/short courses) to the same apprentice and career-changer audience.

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: AFPA is France's largest public vocational training provider, covering HCR plus dozens of other sectors. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same CPF, OPCO and apprenticeship funding pools as Stelo, although its HCR focus is less specialized.
• CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers): CNAM is a major French public higher-education institution offering professional credentials including in hospitality and tourism management. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering recognized state diplomas that overlap with Stelo's BTS-level certifications.
• AFTRAL: AFTRAL is a large French vocational training group, primarily transport/logistics but also active in adjacent service-sector programs. Comparable as a public-funding-funded vocational incumbent operating through regional centers and competing for similar Qualiopi-tagged qualifications.
• CCI Formation (CCI France réseau): The French Chambers of Commerce and Industry operate a network of hospitality and culinary training centers funded by the chamber network. Comparable as a broad incumbent sharing the same public funding sources, enterprise customers and apprenticeship programs.

Emerging players

• Le Cordon Bleu: Le Cordon Bleu is a global culinary and hospitality school present in Paris. It is an emerging/international peer for Stelo's premium chef and pâtisserie programs, attracting international students rather than competing head-on in French apprenticeship funding.

Regional players

• Greta (Groupements d'Établissements): Greta networks are public regional groupings of French high schools offering adult continuing-education courses including HCR certifications. Comparable as a public-finance-funded, region-by-region adult training competitor for Stelo's CPF/CPF+ pathways.

Others

• Pôle Emploi / France Travail (training arm): France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi) purchases training slots for job-seekers from accredited providers including Stelo. Comparable as the largest French funder/demand-side partner in vocational training rather than a direct competitor, but a critical ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CEFAA_
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7v6QsXfqaJqpbC9aGE3zlg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Steloformation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stelo-formation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 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 Stelo Formation