ECOTER

What ECOTER does

ECOTER (legal entity: SAS Stéphane Chemin - Ecoter) is a French ecological consulting firm (bureau d'études) founded in 2009 and headquartered in Nyons, Drôme. The firm specializes in environmental project evaluation, multi-disciplinary naturalist expertise, compensatory management, urban planning advisory, conservation management, and GIS cartography, serving project owners who must secure environmental compliance before construction or land development. Its core technology is the in-house integration of 20+ specialized ecologists covering all relevant biological domains (botany, ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology, chiropterology, entomology, arachnology, malacology, mycology), combined with GIS-based mapping and systematic application of the French environmental compliance sequence (Séquence ERC: avoidance, reduction, compensation, accompanying measures). This full-stack internal coverage eliminates reliance on external subcontractors, a key differentiator in a market where buyers often must assemble fragmented specialist teams.

ECOTER generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements, priced custom to scope and billed on multi-year contracts. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with direct engagement of both private project owners (construction, energy, transport, retail developers) and public institutions (government agencies, regional councils, municipal authorities). The named customer base includes major French infrastructure and energy operators - VINCI Autoroute, SNCF, EDF, ENGIE Green, CNR, Voltalia, RTE, EIFFAGE, BOUYGUES Travaux Publics - alongside government bodies such as DREAL PACA and CD93, indicating credibility with sophisticated regulated buyers. The firm has completed over 1,000 projects across 15 years.

The business is privately held as a SAS, founder-led (Stéphane Chemin), with 20+ employees and no disclosed external funding. Operating geographies are concentrated in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes but reach nationally through marquee client relationships. Service delivery is supported by a strategic partnership with Dryopteris for construction-phase on-site environmental implementation, and by membership in the Réseau TEE professional network for talent acquisition and visibility.

Name

ECOTER

Legal name

SAS Stéphane Chemin - Ecoter

Website

https://ecoter.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ECOTER is a French ecological consulting firm providing environmental impact assessments, multi-disciplinary naturalist expertise, and conservation management services to infrastructure, energy, construction, and public-sector project owners across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

Keywords

• Ecological consulting services
• Environmental impact assessment
• Naturalist expertise surveys
• Environmental regulatory compliance
• Compensatory ecological management

Headquarters

HQ city

Nyons

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Studies: Professional services revenue from ecological assessments, environmental impact studies, naturalist expertise, and conservation management for construction, development, and land management projects. Revenue generated through project-based consulting engagements for both public and private sector clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ECOTER is a French ecological consulting firm (bureau d'études) delivering environmental impact assessments, ecological diagnostics, and naturalist expertise surveys for construction, development, renewable energy, transport infrastructure, and conservation projects. The firm provides end-to-end services including pre-project regulatory studies, field surveys across multiple biological disciplines, environmental compensation management, GIS cartography, urban planning advisory, and training. Clients are French private project owners (construction companies, energy operators, developers) and public institutions requiring compliance with French and EU environmental regulations.

Product overview

Ecoter is a specialized ecological consulting firm (bureau d'études) providing comprehensive environmental expertise services for construction, development, and conservation projects. The firm operates as a single integrated service offering organized around core competencies including environmental project evaluation, naturalist expertise across multiple biological disciplines, compensatory management, urban planning advisory, institutional policy consulting, conservation management, professional training, and GIS cartography services. The company has served over 1,000 projects since 2009, working with both public institutions and private companies across sectors including renewable energy, urban development, transport networks, and quarry operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Environmental Project Evaluation Environmental impact assessment services covering ecological diagnostics, Natura 2000 impact studies, and regulatory compliance documentation for construction, infrastructure, and development projects. Targets project owners (private companies and public institutions) who must demonstrate environmental compliance before projects can proceed.
• Naturalist Expertise Surveys Specialized fauna and flora field expertise surveys covering habitats, botany, ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology, entomology, arachnology, pisciculture, astaciculture, and malacology. Provides the underlying biological data needed for impact assessments, regulatory compliance, and conservation planning.
• Compensatory Management End-to-end management of environmental compensation obligations including land research and negotiation, site analysis, contract establishment, measure piloting, ecological monitoring and reporting for project developers subject to ERC compensation requirements.
• Urban Planning Advisory Ecological assessments for urban planning documents including PLU (local urban planning), communal maps, and permit applications, including wetland characterization and delineation. Supports municipalities and developers integrating environmental requirements into urban development plans.
• Institutional Policy Advisory Advisory services for public policy development including RNR (Réserves Naturelles Régionales) policies, ENS (Espaces Naturels Sensibles) policies, PNR (Parcs Naturels Régionaux) creation and renewal, and strategic environmental planning for companies and government entities.
• Conservation Management Natural space management planning, ecological and scientific monitoring, decision support for public access, and environmental communication and interpretation services for protected areas and conservation projects.
• Environmental Training Expert-led training programs in naturalist expertise and ecological management, plus environmental pedagogy and awareness services for organizations seeking to build internal environmental capacity.
• Renewable Energy Environmental Services Environmental expertise tailored for renewable energy projects including photovoltaic (ground-mounted, floating, agrivoltaic), wind, methanization, and micro-hydroelectric installations, covering environmental assessments and ecological study support throughout project lifecycles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 projects completed since company founding in 2009

Named customers22 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DryopteriscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDryopteris is Ecoter's site partner for construction phase support. While Ecoter handles environmental studies and recommendations, Dryopteris provides on-site implementation support to ensure environmental measures are properly executed during construction. They help with site follow-up and operational environmental management, forming a complementary service offering for clients needing end-to-end environmental support through project completion.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Egis Environnement: International engineering group with a dedicated environment practice delivering ecological studies, impact assessments and compensatory measures for transport, energy and urban projects.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification group with environmental services including impact and biodiversity studies for infrastructure and energy clients — competes at the larger, multi-site end of Ecoter's market.
• SUEZ Consulting (Safege): Water and environmental consultancy within the SUEZ group providing ecological diagnostics, regulatory permitting and environmental studies for water, urban and infrastructure projects.
• Ginger Burgeap: Major French environmental and geosciences engineering consultancy within the Ginger Group; competes with Ecoter on environmental impact, water and biodiversity studies for infrastructure and energy projects.
• Artelia: French-origin engineering consultancy offering environmental impact assessments, biodiversity studies and ecological engineering as part of its broader infrastructure design services.

Direct peers

• Naturalia Environnement: French ecological bureau d'études offering Natura 2000 studies, impact assessments, and biodiversity expertise across fauna and flora — overlaps Ecoter's multi-disciplinary naturalist service offering.
• Alisée: French bureau d'études environnement providing impact studies, regulatory permitting and ecological expertise across multiple biological disciplines — competes head-to-head with Ecoter regionally and nationally.
• Cabinet Barbanson Environnement: Independent French ecological consulting firm delivering fauna/flora inventories, environmental impact studies and Natura 2000 assessments — directly comparable mid-sized niche competitor.
• Biotope: France's leading independent ecological consulting firm, providing environmental impact studies, naturalist expertise, and compensatory management for infrastructure and development projects — directly comparable service portfolio to Ecoter.

Emerging players

• Calidris: French ecological consulting firm focused on environmental impact assessments, biodiversity inventories and compensatory measures; smaller scope than Ecoter but with overlapping service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 ECOTER