La Cantine
La Cantine is a Nantes-based non-profit innovation hub offering coworking, networking groups, events, and training programs to the regional startup and tech ecosystem, now operating as the merged La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes entity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersNantes, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What La Cantine does
La Cantine, now operating as La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes following its 2025 merger with La French Tech Nantes, is a non-profit association (loi 1901) headquartered at 40 Rue la Tour d'Auvergne, 44200 Nantes, France. Founded in 2008 as La Cantine Numérique, the organization functions as a regional innovation hub providing coworking space, structured networking through its "Gangs" thematic groups, events (approximately 100 per year), and training/professional services programs targeted at the Nantes startup and tech ecosystem. The organization rebranded from "La Cantine Numérique" to "La Cantine" as part of an explicit broadening of mandate beyond purely digital/tech into industry and excellence verticals.
The hub reports approximately 360 active members, 500+ participants in its Gangs network, and claims to have served more than 15,000 companies since inception. The wider Nantes innovation ecosystem it anchors is reported at approximately 34,500 jobs and €1,510 million raised across 45 schools since 2015. Recent flagship member-facing programs include IARENA (an AI literacy and experimentation initiative including AI Cafés) and Tech Care.
La Cantine generates revenue through membership subscriptions, coworking/space rentals, event services, and paid training and program offerings; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. As a non-profit, the entity does not publish audited financial statements. Anchor institutional partners include BNP Paribas, CIC Ouest, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa (financial sector), Daher (aerospace/industrial), and public actors including Nantes Métropole and Région Pays de la Loire. Following the 2025 merger, the organization is positioned as the unified Nantes node of the national La French Tech network.
La Cantine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Cantine
- Legal name
- LA CANTINE NANTES
- Website
- https://www.lacantine.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- La Cantine is a Nantes-based non-profit innovation hub offering coworking, networking groups, events, and training programs to the regional startup and tech ecosystem, now operating as the merged La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes entity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where La Cantine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nantes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
La Cantine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership fees: Association membership providing access to network, directory, and member services.
- Coworking and space rental: Revenue from operating coworking spaces, closed offices, meeting room rentals, and event spaces.
- Event services: Organization of events including French Tech Night, Les Foulées de la Tech, IARENA, Tech Care, and other ecosystem events.
- Professional programs and training: Co-creation and delivery of programs, formations, and services supporting business development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
La Cantine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes is a non-profit association that operates the iconic Tech and Innovation hub in Nantes, providing coworking spaces, meeting and event room rentals, business domiciliation, professional training, and ecosystem events. It also runs a member network directory, a job board, and programs including peer communities (Gangs), AI education (IARENA), public-service access (French Tech Central), and mutual aid (Tech Care), serving entrepreneurs, startups, freelancers, SMEs, and large enterprises in the Nantes/Pays de la Loire region.
Product overview
La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes is a nonprofit association that has been supporting entrepreneurs and innovation in Nantes since 2008. Rather than a single software product, it operates as a comprehensive innovation hub offering physical spaces (coworking, meeting rooms, event venues) combined with digital community programs. The organization serves startups, scale-ups, freelancers, and SMEs through services including business domiciliation, a member directory, job board, professional training, and programs like French Tech Central (public service access), Gangs (peer communities), IARENA (AI education), and Tech Care (mutual aid). Key events include Les Foulées de la Tech, French Tech Night, and Kokotte.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coworking Spaces
- Meeting & Event Space Rental
- Business Domiciliation
- Member Network Directory
- Job Board
- Professional Training
- French Tech Central
- Gangs (Peer Communities)
- IARENA (AI Program)
- Tech Care
- Les Foulées de la Tech
- French Tech Night
- Kokotte
Quantifiable outcome
- 15,000 companies have passed through La Cantine since 2008
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use La Cantine
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
La Cantine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
La Cantine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- La French TechcoreLa Cantine and La French Tech Nantes merged in 2025 to create La Cantine x La French Tech Nantes. The association operates as the local representative of the national French Tech initiative, providing access to French Tech Central platform and ecosystem programs.
- La Région Pays de la LoiremajorRegional government partner supporting the innovation ecosystem in Pays de la Loire.
- Nantes MétropolemajorMetropolitan area partner supporting the local innovation ecosystem.
- Crédit MutuelminorBanking partner supporting the association and ecosystem.
- SFR Groupe AlticeminorTelecom operator and digital services partner. SFR was created in 1987 and is the second largest operator in France with the largest 4G coverage.
- DahercoreAerospace manufacturer and industrial partner co-organizing Industry & Excellence operational Appel à Solutions with La Cantine. Daher had €1.3B revenue in 2022 with 10,500+ employees in 13 countries.
- SNCF Connect & TechcoreLeading digital and e-commerce company in mobility sector, with 1,300+ employees in Lille, Nantes, and Saint-Denis. Partner supporting recruitment and ecosystem events.
- Parthema AvocatscoreLaw firm partner specializing in business law including intellectual property, new technologies, tax, commercial contracts, and corporate law. Present in Nantes, Paris, and Rennes with 15 partners and 60 professionals.
- In ExtensocoreAccounting, consulting, and SME support partner. With 400+ collaborators and 13 agencies, they support startups, SMEs and large groups through creation, funding, innovation taxation, and fundraising phases. Partner since 2008.
- EPSA Innovation (Sogedev)corePublic funding consulting firm specializing in CIR/CII, Bpifrance aid, JEI status, investments, and export financing. With 100+ collaborators, they complete 1,000+ consulting missions annually for innovative companies.
- AudenciaminorBusiness school partner for educational programs and ecosystem collaboration.
- Réseau Entreprendre AtlantiqueminorBusiness network partner supporting entrepreneurship in the Atlantic region.
- SwileminorEmployee benefits platform partner providing meal vouchers and workplace benefits.
- L'Atelier TransmédiaminorContent production partner co-producing IA Inside web series.
- PonyminorMobility partner for sustainable transportation solutions.
- NUMBRminorMarketing partner supporting digital advertising and campaigns.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
La Cantine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Station F: Largest startup campus in the world, located in Paris. Operates a massive coworking and innovation hub with corporate partner programs (similar sponsor model to La Cantine), and serves as a national French Tech ecosystem gateway — comparable mission of hosting and animating the startup ecosystem, though at much larger scale.
- H7 (Lyon): Lyon-based tech and innovation hub on the Confluence campus, providing coworking, event spaces, and ecosystem programs for startups and corporates. Direct regional analogue to La Cantine within the French Tech national network.
- NUMA: Paris-based innovation hub offering coworking, acceleration programs, and corporate innovation services. Highly comparable as a French innovation network operator running programs, events, and member services for startups and corporates.
- Le Poool (Le Mans): Le Mans-based tech hub and French Tech community operator offering coworking, events, and programs for startups in Pays de la Loire region. Closest geographic peer, sitting within the same administrative region as La Cantine.
- Le Dôme (Caen): Normandy-based innovation hub offering coworking, events, and ecosystem programs through a public-private partnership model. Comparable as a regional innovation hub with French Tech network alignment and member services.
Broad incumbents
- WeWork: Global coworking operator with broad enterprise offering. Comparable on the coworking and event-space rental side but lacks the French Tech ecosystem, public sector, and member-network programming that differentiates La Cantine.
- Euratechnologies: Large-scale tech incubator and innovation campus in Lille, part of the French Tech network. Comparable as a regional tech hub operator but at significantly larger scale with broader corporate and public sector backing.
- Bpifrance: France's national public investment bank supporting innovative companies through financing, guarantees, and ecosystem programs. Comparable as a French Tech-aligned ecosystem facilitator, though at national scale and focused on capital rather than physical coworking.
Emerging players
- La Maison des Startups (Lufthansa, Paris CDG): Startup hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport connecting corporates and startups. Comparable as a physical innovation hub blending coworking, events, and corporate-startup programming, though located in a transport/airport setting.
Others
- French Tech (national): National umbrella organization under which La Cantine operates as a local chapter. Not a peer in the commercial sense but an ecosystem parent whose branding and programs (French Tech Central, FT120, Next40) shape La Cantine's service offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
La Cantine social profiles
Digital presenceLa Cantine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Cantine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
La Cantine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Cantine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Cantine
What does La Cantine do?
La Cantine X La French Tech Nantes is a non-profit association that operates the iconic Tech and Innovation hub in Nantes, providing coworking spaces, meeting and event room rentals, business domiciliation, professional training, and ecosystem events. It also runs a member network directory, a job board, and programs including peer communities (Gangs), AI education (IARENA), public-service access (French Tech Central), and mutual aid (Tech Care), serving entrepreneurs, startups, freelancers, SMEs, and large enterprises in the Nantes/Pays de la Loire region.
Is La Cantine a public or private company?
La Cantine is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was La Cantine founded?
La Cantine was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is La Cantine based?
La Cantine is headquartered in Nantes, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Cantine make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership fees are the primary driver. The others are coworking and space rental, event services and professional programs and training.
Who are La Cantine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Station F, H7 (Lyon), NUMA, Le Poool (Le Mans) and Le Dôme (Caen). Broad incumbents are WeWork, Euratechnologies and Bpifrance. La Maison des Startups (Lufthansa, Paris CDG) is listed as an emerging player. French Tech (national) is listed as an others.
Does La Cantine have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Cantine.