What Cheer Up does

Cheer Up (Fédération Cheer Up) is a French non-profit association founded in 2003 by Pierre Janicot, a former ESSEC student who conceived the organization during his own cancer treatment, together with co-founder Marc Sudreau of EDHEC. Registered under French association law (loi 1901) and headquartered at the ESSEC campus in Cergy-Pontoise, the federation supports young adults aged 15-30 diagnosed with cancer by helping them define and realize personal projects during treatment and remission.

The federation operates a volunteer-driven, hub-and-spoke model built around 21 antennes at French grandes écoles across 11 cities, drawing on approximately 500 active student volunteers who visit 28 hospitals weekly. Its service surface comprises five offerings: the core hospital accompaniment service, the Rebonds 3-month remission program co-developed with the On est Là association, individualized youth projects (e.g., Formula 1 experiences, sailing regattas, monument visits), collective group projects (ski trips, Disneyland visits, Amsterdam trips), and national awareness campaigns including Octobre Rose, Movember, and Course Contre le Cancer. All services are free to beneficiaries, and volunteers are trained and supervised by professional psychologists, including through biannual WEFF training weekends.

There is no proprietary technology stack, no application, and no AI capability disclosed. The business model is donation-based, drawing on individual giving via the Hello Asso platform, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events, with no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no private equity ownership. Governance is provided by a Bureau led by President Clara Brabet, Vice-President Sophie Lerosey, and Treasurer Quentin Legrand, with operational leadership for network partnerships (Yann Bami-Chatenet) and the Rebonds program (Édouard Poulet).

Name

Cheer Up

Legal name

CHEER UP

Website

https://cheer-up.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cheer Up is a French non-profit federation of 500 student volunteers from 21 grandes écoles who support young adults aged 15-30 with cancer through weekly hospital visits, personal project realization, and a remission program, across 28 hospitals in 11 cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer patient support services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Youth cancer support
• Non-profit association
• Hospital volunteer visits
• Patient project accompaniment
• Cancer remission programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cergy-pontoise

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals through its Hello Asso platform. The general public can support the federation financially.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Companies can become partners of Cheer Up, joining exclusive events organized for corporate supporters. Corporate partnerships provide funding and support for the organization's mission.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual Courses Contre le Cancer (Race Against Cancer) events organized on campuses and in cities raise funds for projects and research.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cheer Up is a French non-profit federation of 500 student volunteers from 21 grandes écoles who provide weekly in-hospital visits and psychosocial accompaniment to young adults (15-30 years old) with cancer across 28 hospitals in 11 French cities. The organization helps beneficiaries realize personal projects and runs the 3-month Rebonds rehabilitation program for remission patients, in partnership with the On est Là association. All services are delivered free of charge to patients, funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Cheer Up is a federation of student volunteers operating as a non-profit association that supports young adults (15-30 years old) with cancer in hospitals across France. The organization operates through a hub-and-spoke model centered on its core accompaniment service, supported by five interconnected offerings: the Rebonds Program (a structured 3-month rehabilitation program for remission patients created in partnership with On est Là), Individual Youth Projects (personalized dreams and aspirations), Collective Projects (group activities like sailing and skiing), Awareness Campaigns (national initiatives including Octobre Rose, Movember, and Course Contre le Cancer), and On est Là (a related peer-support association). Together, these services address the full patient journey from diagnosis through remission and return to normal life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rebonds: An innovative 3-month support program for young adults in cancer remission, featuring collective and individual accompaniment through weekend retreats and workshops addressing both physical and emotional recovery.

Products and services

• Cheer Up Federation Hospital Volunteer Visits
• Rebonds Program
• Individual Youth Projects
• Collective Projects
• Awareness Campaigns

Quantifiable outcome

• 900 young patients accompanied annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lions ClubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Lions Club partnered with Neoma Rouen antenna to launch 'Cheer Hope', a cancer awareness and fundraising day featuring conferences and a gala.
• On est LàcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2013On est Là is an association for young cancer patients and survivors aged 13-30, founded in October 2013. The two organizations collaborate closely, notably on training volunteers and jointly creating the Rebonds program for young adults in remission. Both organizations share the goal of combating isolation among young cancer patients.
• French HospitalscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCheer Up partners with hospitals in 11 cities (Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nantes, Paris, Reims, Rouen, Toulouse) where volunteers provide weekly support visits to young cancer patients in adult oncology departments.
• Healthcare FacilitiescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCheer Up offers partnerships to healthcare facilities wanting volunteer support. All volunteers are insured and trained before hospital intervention. Contact: [email protected]

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Sophie la girafe Foundation / Tout le monde contre le cancer: French nonprofit improving hospital living conditions for cancer patients, particularly children and young adults. Comparable in targeting the well-being of young cancer patients in French hospitals and operating a community-led volunteer model.

Direct peers

• Petits Princes: French association that realizes the dreams of seriously ill children and adolescents, including cancer patients. Highly comparable in mission (project-realization for young patients), beneficiary age group, and French geography, with overlapping hospital-network delivery.
• Make-A-Wish France: French affiliate of Make-A-Wish International, granting wishes to children with critical illnesses including cancer. Comparable in wish/project-realization model and beneficiary focus, though skewed younger than Cheer Up's 15–30 cohort.
• Imagine for Margo: French nonprofit dedicated to fighting childhood and adolescent cancer through research funding and family support. Comparable in targeting young cancer patients in France and operating as a donation-funded nonprofit with awareness campaigns.
• A Chacun son Everest: French association running free remission/recovery programs for women who have overcome cancer, including physical and psychological support. Comparable as a French nonprofit providing structured post-treatment support programs analogous to Cheer Up's Rebonds.
• Laurette Fugain: French association supporting patients with blood cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma) and their families, funding research and patient quality-of-life programs. Comparable as a French cancer-focused nonprofit providing psychosocial support to patients and families.
• On est L\u00e0: French association for young people aged 13–30 affected by cancer, providing peer support through community exchange. Directly comparable to Cheer Up by target population, age band, geography, and service model, and notably co-created the Rebonds program with Cheer Up.

Broad incumbents

• Ligue contre le cancer: France's leading cancer nonprofit, funding research, prevention, and patient support across all cancer types and ages. Comparable as a French cancer-focused organization providing patient support services, but operates at national scale with a much broader portfolio than Cheer Up's youth-focused remit.
• Fondation Gustave Roussy: Foundation of France's leading cancer hospital, supporting young and adult oncology patients and families through funded programs. Comparable in providing patient support services in French hospitals, but anchored to a single institution rather than a multi-hospital federation model.
• Starlight Children's Foundation: International nonprofit providing programs, entertainment, and wish-granting experiences to seriously ill children and teens. Comparable in mission and beneficiary group, though broader in scope and serving multiple illness categories beyond cancer.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3anG6SB8NZhHHuorJUASfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/cheerupofficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/f-d-ration-cheer-up-
• Instagraminstagram.com/cheerupofficiel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Cheer Up