L'Etoile Assurance

What L'Etoile Assurance does

L'Etoile Assurance is an independent French mutual insurance company founded in 1834 that exclusively underwrites climate-risk insurance for agricultural harvests. It serves five distinct agricultural segments: large-scale arable crop farmers (cereals, oilseeds, protein crops), vineyard owners, fruit arboriculture producers, livestock farmers with pastureland, and greenhouse/market-garden operators. Distribution is nationwide through a network of more than 1,000 insurance intermediaries (agents, brokers, mutual insurance offices) active in 90 of France's departments, supported by regional inspectors and a professional extranet portal.

The company's core product suite consists of subsidized multi-peril climate insurance contracts (AMR) covering up to 19 perils across five hazard families (hail, storm, frost, water excess, drought), plus a standalone hail-and-storm product and a multi-risk greenhouse product. Its pasture insurance (AMR PRAIRIE) is a parametric index-based contract using the IPP (Indice de Production des Prairies) national index modeled by Airbus from satellite remote sensing and weather data, which triggers automatic compensation without on-site claims adjustment. Government subsidies through the EU FEADER programme cover up to 70% of multi-peril premiums, and L'Etoile has been designated as an Interlocuteur Agréé under France's 2023 harvest insurance reform, allowing it to disburse National Solidarity Compensation (ISN) on behalf of the State for exceptional climate events.

Revenue is generated primarily through insurance premiums, paid annually (October 1st for most contracts, January 1st in advance for greenhouses), with premiums calculated by crop type, geographic zone, and coverage level. The company maintains a 490% solvency capital requirement coverage ratio, indicating capital strength well above regulatory minimums. L'Etoile is owned by its policyholders, governed by a 10-member board of agricultural professionals, and operates with no parent group, external shareholders, or venture capital backing.

Name

L'Etoile Assurance

Legal name

L'ETOILE

Website

https://etoile-assurance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1834

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

L'Etoile Assurance is an independent French mutual insurer, founded in 1834, that exclusively underwrites climate-risk crop insurance for arable farmers, vineyards, fruit growers, livestock pasture operations, and greenhouse producers, distributed through 1,000+ intermediaries across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Insurance

NAICS

Insurance Carriers (5241), Other Insurance Related Activities (52429)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331), Insurance Carriers, Nec (6399)

akta.pro primary industry

Crop & Farm Property Insurance (FSAJACAK)

Keywords

• Crop insurance
• Agricultural insurance
• Climate risk insurance
• Parametric index insurance
• Mutual insurance company

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Premiums: L'ETOILE generates revenue through insurance premiums collected from policyholders across multiple crop insurance products: multi-peril insurance (AMR) for grandes cultures, vines, fruits, and pastures, as well as hail and storm-specific coverage and greenhouse multi-risk insurance. Premiums are calculated based on crop type, geographic zone, and coverage levels. Payment terms vary: most policies are due October 1st of the exercise year, while greenhouse policies are paid in advance at January 1st.
2. Government Subsidies on AMR Contracts: The French government, through European Union funding (FEADER - European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), subsidizes up to 70% of Multi-peril insurance (AMR) premiums for eligible farmers. The subsidy is paid directly to policyholders by public authorities, provided they meet eligibility criteria including full crop coverage and PAC declaration requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

L'ETOILE is a French mutual insurance company founded in 1834 that exclusively underwrites agricultural climate risk insurance for harvests. Its portfolio covers six core products: multi-peril (AMR) insurance for arable crops, vineyards, fruit orchards, and pastures (the latter using parametric index-based coverage via the Airbus IPP), standalone hail and storm insurance, and multi-risk greenhouse insurance. Multi-peril contracts are eligible for EU/FEADER government subsidies of up to 70% of premium.

Product overview

L'Etoile Assurance operates exclusively in agricultural harvest insurance against climate risks, offering a portfolio of specialized insurance products spanning five core offerings: Assurance Multi-périls (AMR) for grandes cultures (arable crops), AMR for vignes (vineyards), AMR for fruits (arboriculture), AMR PRAIRIE (a parametric index-based grassland insurance using satellite-derived IPP data from AIRBUS), and standalone Assurance Grêle & Tempête (hail and storm only, non-subsidized). A sixth product — Assurance Multirisque Serre — covers greenhouses and the plants within them. All AMR contracts are EU-co-funded under the FEADER rural development programme, with subsidies covering up to 70% of premiums. L'ETOILE also provides two reserved-access digital platforms: a professional extranet for its intermediary network and a dedicated portal for non-insured farmers designated as Interlocuteur Agréé for prairie claims. The company acts as an Interlocuteur Agréé under France's 2023 harvest insurance reform, managing both insured claims and ISN (Indemnité de Solidarité Nationale) disbursements on behalf of the State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMR PRAIRIE: Index-based (parametric) insurance contract for pastures that guarantees a decrease in the Prairie Production Index (IPP) caused by covered perils.
• Assurance Grêle
• Multirisque Serre

Products and services

• Assurance Multi-périls (AMR) — Grandes Cultures Multi-peril crop insurance covering 19 climate perils across five hazard families (hail; storm/hurricane/tornado/sandstorm; frost/snow/ice/low temperatures/cold snap/solar radiation deficiency; water excess/humidity/heavy rain; drought/excessive temperature/heat wave/sunburn) for arable crops including cereals, oilseeds, and protein crops. Requires minimum 70% of farm's large crop area to be insured. EU-subsidized up to 70% of premium.
• Assurance Multi-périls (AMR) — Vignes Multi-peril insurance for vineyards covering storm, frost (including snow weight, low temperatures, solar radiation deficiency), water (flooding, water excess, storm rains), and drought (drought, excessive temperature, heat wave). Requires 100% of vineyard production area to be insured. Tariffs based on geographic zone and appellation value (VDQS, AOC, etc.). EU-subsidized up to 70% of premium.
• Assurance Multi-périls (AMR) — Fruits Multi-peril insurance for fruit arboriculture covering storm, hurricane, tornado, sandstorm; frost, snow and ice weight, low temperatures, cold snap, solar radiation deficiency; and drought, excessive temperature, heat wave, sunburn. Includes optional hail and storm coverage. Requires 100% of arboriculture group area to be insured. EU-subsidized up to 70% of premium.
• AMR Prairie Parametric index-based insurance (assurance indicielle) for permanent, temporary, and artificial grasslands. Indemnification is automatically triggered based on the variation of the IPP (Indice de Production des Prairies), a satellite and weather-modeled national index provided by AIRBUS, compared to a reference IPP for the insured's commune — without requiring a claim declaration or on-site expertise. EU-subsidized up to 70% of premium.
• Assurance Grêle & Tempête Standalone insurance covering only hail (mechanical impact of hailstones) and storm (per Article L.122-7 of the Insurance Code) on arable, oilseed, protein, industrial crops, and wine grapes. Optional storm deductible buyback and quality extension available. Not eligible for government subsidies.
• Assurance Multirisque Serre Multi-risk greenhouse insurance for non-public-production greenhouses meeting EN13031-1 standards. Covers fire, storm, hail, snow weight, costs and losses, glass breakage, water damage, and natural catastrophes. Optional coverage for openings damage, climate control accidents affecting plants, equipment breakage, and electrical damage. Tariffs based on property type and geographic zone.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• French Ministry of Agriculture (Plateforme IA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024The Ministry provides a platform for farmers to designate L'ETOILE as their Interlocuteur Agréé (Approved Contact), enabling L'ETOILE to manage climate claims and distribute National Solidarity Compensation (ISN) on behalf of the State.
• ROAM (Réunion des Assureurs Mutuels)minorOthersL'ETOILE is a member of ROAM, an association that brings together mutual insurance company professionals since 1855. ROAM member companies share common values expressed through commitments and a charter of mutualist values.
• AIAG (Association Internationale des Assureurs de la production agricole)minorOthersAIAG has grouped agricultural production insurers since 1951, with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. AIAG organizes regular meetings where insurers can exchange opinions, experiences, expertise methods, and statistics on agricultural insurance through seminars and congresses.
• AAM (Association des Assureurs mutualistes)minorOthersL'ETOILE is a member of AAM, the association of mutualist insurers. AAM has developed a Charter of Mutualist Values and a Manifesto of Mutualist Commitments.
• France AssureursminorOthersL'ETOILE is affiliated with France Assureurs, the French Insurance Federation, which serves as the reference organization for insurance in France.
• Reinsurance PartnerscoreOthersL'ETOILE protects against large-scale events and significant risks through various reinsurance treaties with leading companies in France and abroad.
• Airbus (IPP Index Provider)coreTechnology or IntegrationAirbus provides the IPP (Indice de Production des Prairies) - an annual national index modeled from satellite remote sensing data and weather data. L'ETOILE uses this index for automatic compensation determination in its AMR Prairie insurance product.
• OVHminorOthersOVH is the web hosting provider for L'ETOILE's website (www.etoile-assurance.fr).
• BysurminorOthersBysur is the company that developed L'ETOILE's website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Swiss Re: Swiss Re is a global reinsurer that provides treaty coverage to L'Etoile against large-scale agricultural events. It is comparable as a counterparty in crop reinsurance and a benchmark for how agricultural risk is priced and pooled at scale.
• Munich Re: Munich Re is one of the world's largest reinsurers and a recognized leader in agricultural (crop) reinsurance and parametric index solutions. It is comparable to L'Etoile as a reinsurance partner and as a reference point for advanced climate-risk modeling.

Direct peers

• Groupama: Groupama is the leading French mutual insurer specializing in agricultural risk, including crop and climate insurance. It is the most directly comparable competitor to L'Etoile, with overlapping product lines (multi-peril crop, hail, vineyard) and a similar mutual, farmer-anchored model.
• Pacifica (Crédit Agricole Assurances): Pacifica is the non-life insurer of Crédit Agricole group and a major distributor of French agricultural multi-risk crop insurance, including flagship climate products. It directly competes with L'Etoile on multi-peril crop, hail, and weather-related coverage for French farmers.

Regional players

• Prévoir: Prévoir is a smaller French mutual insurer with property and personal lines presence. While not a crop specialist, its mutual structure and French regional footprint make it a partial analogue in terms of business model and governance.
• SMACL Assurances: SMACL is a French mutual insurer focused on territorial and public-sector risks, with some agricultural and property exposure. It is comparable to L'Etoile in mutual structure and French regional focus, though less specialized in crop insurance.
• MAPFRE Agro (Spain): MAPFRE is a major Spanish insurer with dedicated agricultural insurance lines and a strong Iberian market position. It is comparable to L'Etoile as a regional specialist in agricultural climate insurance, though operating in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• Allianz France: Allianz France is a large multi-line insurer that distributes agricultural insurance, including climate and hail products, mainly via its network of general agents. It is comparable to L'Etoile as a broad incumbent offering overlapping crop and property coverage.
• AXA France: AXA France is a broad multi-line insurer offering agricultural property and climate cover as part of a wider portfolio. While not a specialist, it competes with L'Etoile in multi-peril crop and vineyard insurance from a position of much greater scale and capital.
• COVEA (MAAF, MMA, GMF): COVEA is a leading French mutual insurance group (MAAF, MMA, GMF) with property and agricultural lines. Like L'Etoile, it has a mutual DNA, but its scope is much broader, including professional and personal lines, making it an incumbent rather than a specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EtoileAssurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/etoile-assurance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 L'Etoile Assurance