Fondation d'Aide aux Entreprises

Name

Fondation d'Aide aux Entreprises

Legal name

Fondation d'aide aux entreprises

Website

https://fae-ge.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Financing Services

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920), Miscellaneous Intermediation (523910)

SIC

Finance Services (6199), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Supply Chain Finance (Trade Credit, PO/Inventory Financing) (FSAKAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Assistance, Policy Lending & Capacity Building Programs (BPADACAN), Supply Chain Finance (Approved Payables / Reverse Factoring) (FSABAHAC)

Keywords

• SME credit guarantees
• Business financing facilitation
• Working capital advances
• Minority equity participation
• Business succession financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Plan-les-ouates

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Credit Guarantee (Cautionnement): FAE guarantees bank credits for SMEs, partially or fully, enabling businesses that lack sufficient guarantees to access traditional banking financing. This is the core activity, accounting for approximately 30% of guarantees for business succession (transmission) operations.
2. Liquidity Advances (Avances de liquidités): FAE purchases outstanding invoices from client businesses, advancing up to 80% of the billed amount immediately to help companies manage payment delays from clients.
3. Minority Equity Participation (Prise de participation): FAE takes minority stakes in companies, provided that one or more private investors contribute at least 55% of the considered capital increase. This is targeted at innovative or transforming companies.
4. Expert Mandate Financing (Mandat d'accompagnement): FAE partially or fully finances strategic expert mandates (consulting, audit, accompaniment) for businesses that have a specific blockage preventing development or financing, often as a prerequisite for subsequent credit guarantee applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FAE is a Geneva-based public-interest foundation that facilitates SME access to bank financing through four instruments: credit guarantees (cautionnements de crédit) provided to banks, cash advances against client invoices (avances de liquidités) advancing 80% of invoiced amounts, minority equity participations in innovative companies, and financing of expert consulting mandates. It serves Geneva-based businesses at every stage of their lifecycle — creation, treasury, growth, innovation, and business transmission — and acts as the cantonal partner of the regional Cautionnement Romand network.

Product overview

FAE is a Geneva-based public-interest foundation (Institut de droit public, CHE-100.815.758) whose mission is to facilitate access to financing for businesses in the canton of Geneva. It operates as a financial intermediary, not a lender, partnering with banks and Cautionnement Romand to offer four core financial instruments: (1) Cautionnement de crédit — credit guarantees that strengthen bank loan applications, (2) Avances de liquidités — cash advances against receivables, (3) Prise de participation — minority equity stakes, and (4) Mandat d'accompagnement — financing for expert consulting mandates. FAE targets businesses at every stage (creation, treasury, growth, innovation, and transmission), with eligibility criteria including Geneva-based operations, demonstrated financial viability, job creation/maintenance impact, and subsidiarity to traditional financing sources. It has supported over 1,440 businesses, disbursed CHF 340 million, and maintained a 92% success rate over 20 years of operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cautionnement de crédit (Credit Guarantee) FAE provides credit guarantees to banks to facilitate access to bank financing for Geneva-based businesses. The guarantee can cover a loan partially or in full, and supports businesses at every lifecycle stage (creation, growth, innovation, and transmission). Approximately 30% of guarantees support business succession (transmission) operations.
• Avances de liquidités (Cash Advances on Receivables) FAE purchases outstanding invoices from client businesses or advances cash against them, immediately advancing 80% of the billed amount to help companies manage client payment delays. Both the business and its client must be Switzerland-based, with a minimum invoice threshold of CHF 2,500.
• Prise de participation (Minority Equity Participation) FAE takes a minority equity stake in businesses, provided that one or more private investors contribute at least 55% of the considered capital increase. The instrument targets innovative or transforming companies seeking growth capital alongside private investors.
• Mandat d'accompagnement (Expert Support Mandate Financing) FAE partially or fully finances external expert consulting mandates (e.g., financial, commercial, or organizational expertise) submitted alongside a guarantee application. The mandate addresses specific operational or strategic blockers preventing business development or financing eligibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• CHF 340 million+ in financing granted, 1,440+ businesses supported, 19,000+ jobs preserved or created, 92% success rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GENILEMminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGENILEM provides coaching and accompaniment throughout the business creation process. Founded over 30 years ago, it plays a key role in the Geneva entrepreneurial ecosystem, organizing events such as 'Les Game-Changeuses' on female entrepreneurship. FAE works alongside GENILEM-coached entrepreneurs who may need financing support.
• FONGITminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFONGIT provides financing and accompaniment for innovative high-tech projects. It is one of several complementary organizations in the Geneva ecosystem alongside FAE, each serving different segments of the business community.
• Relève PMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelève PME is a platform for connecting business sellers and buyers, created by FER, FPV, and FMB. FAE collaborates with Relève PME to provide financing solutions (credit guarantees up to CHF 1 million via Cautionnement Romand, up to CHF 4 million cantonal) to successful business succession candidates identified through the platform.
• Transgate SAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTransgate is a Geneva-based specialized business transmission firm, particularly active in the restaurant sector. It structures and secures business sales and refers qualified buyers to FAE for financing guarantees when banking credit requires supplementary collateral.
• FondecominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFondeco, founded in 2021 by Nadège Perdrizat, exclusively accompanies entrepreneurs in the restaurant and bar sector in Geneva. It refers buyers to FAE for financing support and helps structure transmission operations.
• FER Genève (Fédération des Entreprises Romandes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER Genève is the central business association representing Geneva employers. FAE collaborates with FER Genève on business transmission conferences, workshops, and educational programming. FAE contributes its field expertise to FER's information sessions on business succession.
• CelltrionminorOthersCelltrion is a global biosimilar platform (one of four globally). Since 2015, IQone Healthcare has been the exclusive Swiss distributor of Celltrion products. In 2023, Celltrion proposed acquiring IQone to make it its Swiss subsidiary.

Scale indicators8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Adie (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Économique): French non-profit providing microcredit and accompaniment to entrepreneurs excluded from traditional bank financing — comparable to FAE's mission of facilitating credit access for underserved SMEs and entrepreneurs.
• Transgate SA: Geneva-based specialized business transmission firm that structures SME sales in the restaurant sector and refers qualified buyers to FAE for financing guarantees — a direct pipeline partner in the same Geneva ecosystem.
• MicroStart: Belgian microcredit institution providing small loans and business accompaniment to entrepreneurs and SMEs lacking access to traditional bank financing — a comparable model focused on microenterprise credit access.
• GENILEM: Geneva-based non-profit accompanying entrepreneurs from project conception through to financing, often co-developing FAE applications — a direct peer in the business creation coaching ecosystem.
• Relève PME: Geneva platform created by FER, FPV, and FMB that connects business buyers and sellers, and refers successful candidates to FAE for financing — covering the same business succession segment that drives ~30% of FAE's guarantee activity.
• FONDETEC: Geneva-based public foundation providing direct loans (not guarantees) to small businesses in the City of Geneva, targeting the same SME segment as FAE with a complementary financing instrument.
• Cautionnement Romand: The regional cooperative of which FAE is the Geneva antenna; Cautionnement Romand provides credit guarantees up to CHF 1M to SMEs across French-speaking Swiss cantons, sharing the same core business model of facilitating bank credit for SMEs.
• FONGIT: Geneva-based foundation supporting innovative high-tech startups with financing and accompaniment, operating in the same Geneva ecosystem and serving an overlapping but more technology-focused SME base.

Broad incumbents

• Bürgschaftsbanken (German guarantee banks): Network of regional German guarantee banks providing credit guarantees to SMEs that lack sufficient collateral — analogous to FAE's Cautionnement Romand partnership but operating across multiple German federal states.
• Bpifrance: France's public investment bank providing credit guarantees, direct loans, and equity to French SMEs — a broader-scale, national version of the public-foundation SME financing model that FAE operates at cantonal level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10270122

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fondation d'Aide aux Entreprises