Prexem
Prexem is a French crowdlending platform, owned by Happy Capital, that enables individual lenders to fund French SME loans starting from €20 with rates up to 10% annually, using a proprietary credit scoring algorithm and a unique protection fund mechanism.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Prexem does
Prexem is a French direct-to-consumer peer-to-peer (crowdlending) platform that connects individual lenders with French small and medium enterprises (TPE/PME) seeking debt financing. Founded in October 2014 by two ESSEC graduates (Valéry Giard and Christophe Puyo) and acquired by Happy Capital in February 2019, the platform operates under the brand Prexem while the legal entity remains HAPPY CAPITAL SAS, registered in Bordeaux. Lenders (retail savers from France and ten other European countries) can invest starting from €20 per project up to €2,000, receiving monthly repayments of capital and interest at rates between 3.3% and 12% (average 7.60%). Borrowers are French SMEs with at least €90,000 in revenue and one closed fiscal year, accessing loans of €10,000–€500,000 over 1–5 years without personal guarantees or collateral.
The platform's core technology stack comprises a proprietary credit scoring algorithm that evaluates borrower risk and assigns ratings from A+ (100%–98.8% solvency index) to C (below 95.2%), plus a unique protection fund mechanism: 0.5% of each loan flows into a segregated escrow account at BNP Paribas managed by Lemon Way (ACPR-licensed PSP), building a collective reserve to compensate lenders in case of default. Payment processing and KYC are delegated to Lemon Way; authentication supports Google OAuth. The platform is web-only (no native mobile app), self-serve, and operates with a core management team of four people.
Prexem generates revenue through a 4% HT commission on funded project amounts and a 1% repayment management fee on remaining capital. The 0.5% protection fund contribution is not platform revenue. Over the period from May 2015 to October 2023, the platform financed 120 projects totaling €5,058,840 (average €42,127 per project), against €322 million in requested financing—indicating a very low funding conversion rate. Cumulative repayments stood at €4,225,415 (85.04% capital repaid) with €395,565 in interest paid to lenders (87.05% of expected). The default rate in value terms is 3.64%, with 90 loans fully repaid.
Prexem firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prexem
- Legal name
- HAPPY CAPITAL
- Website
- https://prexem.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Prexem is a French crowdlending platform, owned by Happy Capital, that enables individual lenders to fund French SME loans starting from €20 with rates up to 10% annually, using a proprietary credit scoring algorithm and a unique protection fund mechanism.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prexem industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Peer-to-Peer Lending
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer P2P Personal Loans (Unsecured) (FSAKAHAA)
Keywords
Where Prexem is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Prexem business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Borrower Commission (Primary): Prexem charges borrowers a commission of 4% HT (excluding taxes) of the borrowed amount, applicable only if the project is successfully funded. This is the primary revenue stream.
- Repayment Management Fee: A 1% fee on the remaining capital is charged as a repayment management service to borrowers.
- Protection Fund Contribution: 0.5% of the borrowed amount is transferred to a segregated escrow account belonging collectively to lenders (protection fund). While not directly revenue for Prexem, this demonstrates the sustainability of the platform's risk management model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lenders can invest starting from €20 per project with a maximum of €2,000 per project. No fees are charged to lenders. |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Companies can borrow between €10,000 and €500,000 with loan terms of 1-5 years. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Prexem product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prexem operates a crowdlending platform enabling direct peer-to-peer lending between individual lenders and French SMEs/TPMEs. Lenders invest starting from €20 per project (no fees charged) and earn monthly repayments of capital and interest at rates up to 10% annually; borrowers can access loans of €10,000 to €500,000 for 1-5 year terms by paying a 4% commission on funded projects plus a 1% repayment management fee. The platform uses a proprietary credit scoring algorithm and a unique Protection Fund mechanism (Fonds de Protection) to assess and mitigate default risk.
Product overview
Prexem operates as a single unified crowdlending platform offering peer-to-peer lending services connecting individual lenders with French SME borrowers. The core platform provides project financing listings, a proprietary credit scoring system (A+ to C ratings), and a unique protection fund mechanism for investor risk mitigation. Additional platform features include a financing capacity analysis tool for lenders, borrower application processing, portfolio management with CSV export, public statistics dashboard, and fiscal document management (IFU). The platform charges 4% commission on funded amounts and 1% on remaining capital for management services, with the protection fund funded at 0.5% per project.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Prexem Crowdlending Platform A crowdlending platform enabling French individuals to lend directly to TPE/PME (small and medium enterprises), with monthly repayments of capital and interest. The platform facilitates peer-to-peer lending with rates up to 10% annually, featuring a proprietary credit scoring algorithm and the Protection Fund mechanism.
- Protection Fund (Fonds de Protection) Unique investor protection mechanism where 0.5% of each loan is set aside in an escrow account at BNP Paribas managed by Lemon Way (ACPR-licensed payment service provider). The fund compensates lenders for capital losses in case of borrower default, activated within 60 days of default confirmation, with the protection percentage increasing as loans are repaid over time.
Quantifiable outcome
- 85.04% capital repayment rate for lenders
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Prexem
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Prexem technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Prexem partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Prexem competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anaxago: Anaxago is a French crowdfunding platform offering real estate and SME equity/debt investments, competing directly with Prexem for French SME borrowers and individual investors.
- Unilend: Unilend is a French P2P lending platform focused on SME and real estate projects, directly comparable to Prexem in the consumer-to-SME crowdlending category.
- Les Entreprêteurs: Les Entreprêteurs is a French crowdlending platform specifically serving SMEs and entrepreneurs, very directly comparable to Prexem in target borrower segment, ticket sizes, and D2C P2P model.
- October (formerly Lendopolis): October is a leading French P2P lending platform connecting individual and institutional lenders with European SMEs, the closest direct competitor to Prexem in the French SME crowdlending space with a much larger funded volume.
- Lendix: Lendix is a French P2P lending platform for SME loans that directly competes with Prexem for the same French SME borrower base, offering comparable crowdlending products and risk grading.
- Happy Capital: Happy Capital is the parent of Prexem and operates as a French crowdfunding platform offering actions, bonds, minibons, and loans — essentially an internal peer that shares the same regulatory framework and SME borrower base.
- ClubFunding: ClubFunding is a French real estate and SME crowdfunding platform operating under similar IFP/CIP regulation, comparable to Prexem in regulatory standing and SME-focused debt offerings.
Emerging players
- Wiseed: Wiseed is a French equity and debt crowdfunding platform with SME focus, an adjacent competitor in the French alternative-finance ecosystem that overlaps with Prexem's SME lender universe.
Broad incumbents
- Younited Credit: Younited is a large, regulated French consumer/SME credit platform operating across Europe with bank-equivalent licensing, providing a broader alternative-credit offering that overlaps with Prexem's unsecured lending model.
Others
- Lemon Way: Lemon Way is the ACPR-licensed payment service provider powering Prexem's fund flows and Protection Fund escrow; it is an enabling infrastructure partner rather than a competitor, but is highly comparable as another regulated French fintech serving the crowdfunding ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Prexem social profiles
Digital presencePrexem compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Prexem financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prexem leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Prexem funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prexem 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 Prexem
What does Prexem do?
Prexem operates a crowdlending platform enabling direct peer-to-peer lending between individual lenders and French SMEs/TPMEs. Lenders invest starting from €20 per project (no fees charged) and earn monthly repayments of capital and interest at rates up to 10% annually; borrowers can access loans of €10,000 to €500,000 for 1-5 year terms by paying a 4% commission on funded projects plus a 1% repayment management fee. The platform uses a proprietary credit scoring algorithm and a unique Protection Fund mechanism (Fonds de Protection) to assess and mitigate default risk.
Is Prexem a public or private company?
Prexem is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Prexem founded?
Prexem was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Prexem based?
Prexem is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Prexem make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Borrower Commission (Primary) is the primary driver. The others are repayment Management Fee and protection Fund Contribution.
Who are Prexem's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anaxago, Unilend, Les Entreprêteurs, October (formerly Lendopolis), Lendix, Happy Capital and ClubFunding. Wiseed is listed as an emerging player. Younited Credit is listed as a broad incumbent. Lemon Way is listed as an others.
Does Prexem have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prexem.
What industry is Prexem in?
Prexem's product category is Peer-to-Peer Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAHAA, Consumer P2P Personal Loans (Unsecured). Its NAICS code is 522310 and its SIC code is 6163.