La Nef
La Nef is a French cooperative bank founded in 1988 that exclusively finances ecological, social, and cultural projects. Owned by 50,347 sociétaires under one-person-one-vote governance, it serves 80,000+ individual and professional clients through ethical savings products, lending, and a crowdfunding platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersVaulx-en-velin, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What La Nef does
La Nef (Société Financière de la Nef) is a French cooperative bank founded in 1988 in Vaulx-en-Velin that exclusively finances ecological, social, and cultural projects. It is structured as a société anonyme coopérative à directoire et conseil de surveillance, owned and democratically governed by 50,347 sociétaires under a 1-person-1-vote model, and is regulated by the Banque de France as a specialized credit institution. The bank holds the ESUS (Etablissement Solidaire d'Utilité Sociale) certification, reportedly unique among French banks, and has been recognized by Oxfam France with a 10/10 climate score (2019) and by Les Amis de la Terre (2022) for ethical banking transparency.
The platform offers savings products for individuals (Livret B la Nef, Compte à terme, Parts sociales, Nef+) and a €12/month professional current account (Nef Pro), backed by an online and mobile banking interface and integrations such as Smile&Pay for card acceptance and WEBEDI for teletransmission. Lending products include investment credit, treasury loans, and confirmed credit lines for TPE, independent professionals, enterprises exceeding €3M in revenue, and local authorities. Two wholly-owned subsidiaries extend the platform: Zeste, an ethical crowdfunding platform, and Nef Lab, a digital-transformation vehicle created in 2024 from the acquisition of OnlyOne's assets.
La Nef generates revenue primarily through net interest income on loans funded by collected deposits (a short-circuit savings-to-lending model), supplemented by recurring subscription fees on professional accounts and ancillary services. Distribution combines a national network of itinerant bankers (banquiers itinérants) and dedicated grand-compte advisors across 15+ French cities with a self-serve digital channel. The bank has cumulatively disbursed €1.7B across 8,500 projects since inception, financed 504 projects in 2025, and raised €25M through the 2022-2024 BIG BANQUE capital campaign to fund its transition to full independence.
La Nef firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Nef
- Legal name
- Société Financière de la Nef
- Website
- https://lanef.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- La Nef is a French cooperative bank founded in 1988 that exclusively finances ecological, social, and cultural projects. Owned by 50,347 sociétaires under one-person-one-vote governance, it serves 80,000+ individual and professional clients through ethical savings products, lending, and a crowdfunding platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Nef industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ethical Cooperative Banking
- NAICS
- Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Credit Unions (52213)
- SIC
- State Commercial Banks (6022), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cooperative Banks (Member-Owned Commercial/Retail) (FSABAEAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Green/Ethical/Sustainable Neobanks (FSABAFAI)
Keywords
Where La Nef is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vaulx-en-velin
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
La Nef business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Interest Income from Loans: Traditional banking model generating revenue from interest spreads on loans extended to ecological, social and cultural projects.
- Savings Deposit Mobilization: Collects savings from individuals and professionals through Livret B Nef, term accounts, and social shares, then lends to certified impact projects.
- Account Services and Transaction Fees: Monthly subscription for current accounts (€12/month for Nef Pro), payment terminal services, tele-transmission services for professionals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Nef Pro Current Account for TPE/Indépendants |
| Subscription | Monthly | Livret B Nef for Individuals |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
La Nef product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Nef is a French cooperative bank that collects savings and livrets from individuals and professionals, and lends exclusively to ecological, social, cultural, and solidarity-based projects. The institution publishes the complete list of financed projects for full transparency and operates as a member-owned cooperative governed by sociétaires (member-shareholders).
Product overview
La Nef is a cooperative banking institution offering a unified portfolio of ethical financial products. The core offering centers on savings products (Livret B, Compte à terme, Parts sociales, Nef+) for individuals and current accounts (Nef Pro) for professionals, complemented by lending solutions (Crédit d'investissement, Prêt de trésorerie, Lignes de trésorerie) for businesses. The platform includes the Zeste crowdfunding platform for direct project investment, Club Nef for ethical consumption benefits, and Nef Lab for digital innovation initiatives. All products exclusively finance ecological, social, or cultural projects with full transparency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Nef Lab: Digital innovation subsidiary created from acquisition of OnlyOne's assets, focused on accelerating digital transformation for ethical finance.
- Zeste
- Nef Pro
- Club Nef
Products and services
- Compte à terme Nef (Savings Account)
Quantifiable outcome
- 50,347 sociétaires and 80,000+ clients as of 2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use La Nef
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
La Nef technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
La Nef partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- BiocoopflagshipMajor organic retail chain partnership strengthened in 2025. La Nef has been a partner of Biocoop for supporting the organic sector through financing.
- Énergie Partagée Investissement (EPI)coreLa Nef co-created Solaire Investissement Rhône-Alpes (SOLIRA) in 2008-2010, which became Énergie Partagée Investissement (EPI) in 2010 as part of the Énergie Partagée movement for citizen-owned renewable energy projects.
- EnercoopcoreCo-founded by La Nef in 2005, Enercoop is a renewable energy cooperative. La Nef has maintained a close partnership supporting Enercoop's energy projects and citizen energy initiatives.
- SORA EquityminorPartnership for fundraising advisory services, helping clients with capital raise operations and innovative financing structures.
- FEBEA (Fédération Européenne des Banques Ethiques et Alternatives)coreFounding member of European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks, helping define ethical banking standards.
- Les LicoornescoreCollective of cooperatives for transition, including La Nef and other cooperatives building a cooperative economy.
- OnlyOneminorLa Nef acquired OnlyOne's assets and created Nef Lab to accelerate digital transformation for ethical finance.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
La Nef competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Banque Alternative Suisse: Swiss ethical bank and minority equity investor in La Nef. Operates a directly comparable ethical banking model with focus on ecological, social, and cultural projects.
- Qonto: French SMB-focused neobank offering subscription-based business accounts. Directly competes with La Nef's Nef Pro account for the TPE/independent professional segment, though without the ethical lending mandate.
- Banca Etica: Italian ethical cooperative bank financing environmental and social projects. Comparable cooperative governance and exclusive project-based lending model within the FEBEA network alongside La Nef.
- Ulule: French ethical crowdfunding platform aligned with La Nef's Zeste subsidiary. Both platforms enable project-level financing for socially and environmentally positive projects, competing for the same impact-driven entrepreneur base.
- GLS Bank: German ethical cooperative bank (Gemeinschaftsbank für Leihen und Schenken). Directly comparable member-owned cooperative model serving impact-driven sectors with a similar savings-to-loan intermediation model.
- Crédit Coopératif: French cooperative bank serving ethical, social, and environmental economy actors. Closest direct peer as a French cooperative bank with a similar impact-oriented mission and client base of associations, social enterprises, and ethically-minded individuals.
- Triodos Bank: European ethical and sustainable bank operating in multiple countries with a published loan portfolio. Most globally comparable ethical bank with similar transparency positioning and exclusive focus on sustainable sectors.
Emerging players
- Helios: French green neobank exclusively funding impact projects via carbon footprint tracking. Overlaps on ethical/environmental mission but operates as a digital-only neobank rather than a traditional cooperative bank.
Broad incumbents
- Caisse d'Épargne: Major French savings bank (Groupe BPCE). Same broad cooperative/mutual savings intermediation model but with general-purpose lending; competes for ethical deposits via Livret de Développement Durable.
- Crédit Mutuel: Large French cooperative banking group serving consumers and businesses. Wider scope and scale than La Nef, with overlapping cooperative ethos but significantly broader product range and no ethical-only mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
La Nef social profiles
Digital presenceLa Nef compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
La Nef financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Nef leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
La Nef subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
La Nef funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Nef M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about La Nef
What does La Nef do?
La Nef is a French cooperative bank that collects savings and livrets from individuals and professionals, and lends exclusively to ecological, social, cultural, and solidarity-based projects. The institution publishes the complete list of financed projects for full transparency and operates as a member-owned cooperative governed by sociétaires (member-shareholders).
Is La Nef a public or private company?
La Nef is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was La Nef founded?
La Nef was founded in 1988. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is La Nef based?
La Nef is headquartered in Vaulx-en-velin, France, in the Europe region.
How does La Nef make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Interest Income from Loans are the primary driver. The others are savings Deposit Mobilization and account Services and Transaction Fees.
Who are La Nef's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Banque Alternative Suisse, Qonto, Banca Etica, Ulule, GLS Bank, Crédit Coopératif and Triodos Bank. Helios is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Caisse d'Épargne and Crédit Mutuel.
Does La Nef have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Nef.
What industry is La Nef in?
La Nef's product category is Ethical Cooperative Banking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAEAF, Cooperative Banks (Member-Owned Commercial/Retail), with a secondary code of FSABAFAI, Green/Ethical/Sustainable Neobanks. Its NAICS code is 5221 and its SIC code is 6022.