What Diafora does

Diafora SAS is a France-based leadership consulting and professional training firm founded in 2008 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, specializing exclusively in gender diversity and women's leadership development. The firm operates as a subsidiary within the Humans Matter Group, drawing on neuroscience-based organizational transformation methodologies developed at the parent level. Diafora does not operate a technology platform; its core offering is structured human-delivered training and consulting services organized around six service lines: executive committee support (Accompagnement Comex), cross-company training programs for female talent, mixed-gender training programs (including the 2024-launched Mix & Matter workshop), a structured mentoring programme pairing senior executives with high-potential employees, manager and HR workshops, and gender diversity conferences.

The firm's customer base comprises more than 170 corporate clients including Accenture, Assystem, Eramet, Metro, Oddo BHF, Pierre Fabre, Swiss Life, and Whirlpool, with primary target segments being large enterprises (CAC 40, SBF 120, multinationals), high-potential female talent, and managers/HR professionals. The business model is professional services fee-for-service: bespoke in-company programs are priced per engagement on multi-year contracts (invoices payable within 30 days), while inter-company open enrollment programs are priced per participant on a pay-as-you-go basis. Programs are delivered in French or English, in-person or remote, and are eligible for OPCO funding due to the firm's Qualiopi certification.

Diafora reports training approximately 1,500 women per year across 100+ cross-company sessions, with 600+ executive committee members supported, 5,600+ mentoring pairs facilitated, 12,000+ female talents mobilized cumulatively, and 6,800+ managers and HR professionals sensitized. The firm maintains a 4,000+ woman alumni community spanning 60+ countries and reports a 100% satisfaction rate among trained talents, 9.0/10 mentee satisfaction, and 9.2/10 recommendation score on its mentoring program.

Name

Diafora

Legal name

DIAFORA SAS

Website

https://diafora-leadership.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Diafora is a France-based leadership consulting firm founded in 2008 that delivers gender diversity and women's leadership training to large enterprises and high-potential female talent, operating as a subsidiary of the Humans Matter Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development & Diversity Consulting

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

Keywords

• Leadership consulting
• Gender diversity training
• Executive coaching
• Women's leadership
• Corporate mentoring programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Neuilly-sur-seine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: Diafora generates revenue through fee-for-service training programs delivered to corporate clients. Programs include tailored in-company workshops (Accompagnement Comex, Ateliers Managers & RH), cross-company open-enrollment training (formations inter-entreprises), and mentoring programs. Programs are priced per session or per participant and are eligible for OPCO financing (France's professional training funding scheme). Revenue is recognized upon delivery of training sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Diafora is a B2B leadership consulting firm that designs and delivers gender diversity and women's leadership programs for large enterprises. Offerings include executive committee advisory (Accompagnement Comex), tailored in-company workshops for managers and HR, cross-company open-enrollment training, structured mentoring, and conferences, with delivery in French and English. Programs are OPCO-funded and backed by Qualiopi certification.

Product overview

Diafora offers a comprehensive portfolio of gender diversity and women's leadership services organized around six core offerings: Executive Committee Support (Accompagnement Comex) for senior leadership transformation, Cross-Company Training Programs for Female Talent and Mixed-Gender Audiences, a Mentoring Programme for career acceleration, Inclusive Management Workshops for managers and HR professionals, and Gender Diversity Conferences. The company has also recently launched Mix & Matter as a new immersive workshop format. The training programs are structured along career stages, including Young Female Talent (3-10 years), Marketing de Soi (10+ years), and Leadership programs (Leadership 1 and Leadership 2 for senior managers). All offerings are available in French and English, with both in-person and remote delivery options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accompagnement Comex Tailored executive team support service that helps executive committees and senior leadership make gender balance a strategic transformation lever, providing workshops and strategic alignment sessions.
• Programme de Mentoring Structured mentoring program that pairs high-potential employees (mentees) with senior executives (mentors) to accelerate professional development and support gender balance goals.
• Ateliers Managers et RH Interactive workshops for managers and HR professionals providing practical tools to promote gender balance in daily management practices and corporate culture.
• Formations Inter-entreprises Cible Féminine Cross-company training programs for female talent at all career stages, including Young Female Talent, Marketing de Soi, Leadership 1 (Lead with Intention), and Leadership 2 (Master Executive Impact) programs.
• Formations Inter-entreprises Cible Mixte F/H Cross-company training programs for mixed-gender audiences including Tomorrow's Inclusive Leaders, Signature, Mix & Matter, and Momentum 45+ programs.
• Formation Mix & Matter Immersive, participative workshop format for mixed-gender audiences (managers, leaders, and employees) designed to challenge assumptions and shift mindsets on diversity and inclusion.
• Conférences Mixité Interactive conferences on gender diversity that provide concrete perspectives on workplace gender balance challenges and opportunities, designed to engage participants and drive action.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% satisfaction rate among trained female talents
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered parent and core.

• Scientific Brain Training (SBT)parentOthersDiafora SAS is under the presidency of Scientific Brain Training (SBT). SBT appears to be the parent company or majority shareholder controlling Diafora. The relationship is structural/corporate rather than operational.
• BoardWomen PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded and co-led by Diafora founder Véronique Préaux-Cobti and Marie-Claude Peyrache for 10 years. The program was based on cross-mentoring between chairpersons of major companies and senior women leaders. It brought together 130+ participants including 60 CEO mentors, forming 120 mentoring pairs and leading to 105 women appointed to corporate boards. 48 major companies participated.
• Humans Matter GroupparentOthersDiafora is part of the Humans Matter Group. Olivier Fronty serves as President of Humans Matter and plays a central role in synergy between Diafora and the group. The group specializes in organizational transformation with a human-factor focus. Diafora's trainers draw on neuroscience-based methodologies from Humans Matter.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BetterUp: Tech-enabled leadership coaching and development platform serving enterprise clients. Comparable as an alternative leadership development channel for the same enterprise buyers, delivered via a different (digital) modality.

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with leadership development, executive coaching, and D&I advisory practices. Overlaps with Diafora on executive-level leadership and inclusion advisory to large enterprises.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with leadership assessment, succession, and DEI advisory practices. Adjacent competitor for executive-level leadership and inclusion engagements.
• McKinsey & Company (D&I Practice): Global management consultancy with a dedicated D&I practice (Women in the Workplace, etc.) advising large enterprises on gender strategy. Competes with Diafora for board-level D&I advisory mandates.

Direct peers

• Catalyst: Global nonprofit dedicated to workplace gender equity, providing research, advisory and member services to large enterprises on advancing women into leadership. Closely comparable mission and enterprise client base to Diafora.
• Cegos: Leading French and international professional training and leadership development provider. Direct overlap with Diafora on corporate leadership training, management development, and bilingual FR/EN delivery across France and internationally.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global nonprofit specializing in leadership research, executive education, and leadership development programs. Comparable in serving large enterprises with customized leadership training and D&I-adjacent programming.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership development and talent assessment firm offering leadership training, executive development, and D&I programs to multinational enterprises. Direct competitor in corporate leadership development.
• International Women's Forum (IWF): International membership organization advancing women leaders through peer networks, leadership programs, and board-ready talent pipelines. Directly comparable mission and cross-company cohort model to Diafora's.
• Dale Carnegie Training: Long-established global corporate leadership and professional development training franchise. Comparable in offering structured leadership, communication, and confidence-building training to professionals and executives.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diafora

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Diafora