Air Pays de la Loire

What Air Pays de la Loire does

Air Pays de la Loire is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) operating as the officially designated Association agréée de surveillance de la qualité de l'air (AASQA) for the Pays de la Loire region, France's fifth-largest administrative region by area and population. Established as an AASQA in 2001, the organization runs a network of approximately 32 measurement stations across five departments (Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Vendée), continuously monitoring particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PM1), gaseous pollutants, pollen, industrial emissions, and airborne pesticides. It serves a heterogeneous stakeholder base — regional and municipal governments, industrial operators (including Yara France), the agricultural sector, healthcare providers and patient associations, elected officials, and the general public — by issuing real-time air quality indices, pollution alerts, pollen forecasts, and regulatory emissions reports. The firmographics record year_founded as 1980, which likely reflects the predecessor association predating formal AASQA designation.

Its technology stack combines reference-grade continuous analyzers, passive sampling devices, deposition gauges, chemical characterization of air samples, a mobile measurement trailer equipped with micro-sensors deployable from ground level up to 18 meters, and the proprietary BASEMIS territorial emissions inventory methodology aligned with national Pôle de Coordination des Inventaires Territoriaux (PCIT) guidelines. The COFRAC-accredited airpl.lab, certified to ISO 17025 since 2004 for gas reference materials, anchors the technical offering. Digital products include the nationally scoped PhytAtmo Dataviz pesticide visualization tool (launched March 2026 with Atmo France), the Naonair mobile application for the Nantes area, the Diag'QAI indoor air diagnostic tool, embeddable air quality widgets, RSS feeds, and email alert services. The organization is also a research partner in the ANR-funded CITRY project (2024–2027) with École Centrale de Nantes and INRAE, studying urban vegetation effects on microclimate and pollutant dispersion.

Air Pays de la Loire operates on a public-interest non-profit business model: all services are provided free of charge to end users, with funding sourced from member contributions and public subsidies from the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Conseil régional, DREAL, DRAAF, Agence Régionale de Santé, departmental and municipal governments, plus targeted research grants from ANR and the Ministry of Agriculture. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. There is no private equity, venture capital, or public-market ownership; the organization is part of the ATMO France federation of regional air quality associations and holds statutory authority for official air quality reporting within its territory, which underpins both its funding base and its competitive position.

Name

Air Pays de la Loire

Legal name

Air Pays de la Loire

Website

https://airpl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Air Pays de la Loire is a non-profit AASQA association that monitors, models, and reports air quality across France's Pays de la Loire region, operating ~32 stations, a COFRAC-accredited lab, and digital tools for citizens, government, industry, and agriculture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Air Pays de la Loire operates a regional air quality monitoring network across the Pays de la Loire region, delivering real-time pollution indices, forecasts, and health alerts to the public while providing industrial emissions monitoring, pesticide air measurements, pollen surveillance, and territorial greenhouse gas inventories to government and business stakeholders. It also runs an accredited calibration laboratory (airpl.lab) for gas reference materials and develops interactive data tools such as the BASEMIS inventory system and the PhytAtmo Dataviz platform.

Product overview

Air Pays de la Loire operates as a regional air quality monitoring association (AASQA) offering a comprehensive suite of air quality monitoring, reporting, and citizen information services for the Pays de la Loire region. The core offerings include real-time air quality indices and forecasts, the BASEMIS territorial emissions inventory system, and the PhytAtmo Dataviz pesticide tracking tool developed with Atmo France. Supporting services include the Naonair mobile application, the Diag'QAI indoor air quality diagnostic tool, an embeddable air quality widget for websites, and an accredited calibration laboratory (airpl.lab). The organization also conducts specialized research projects like CITRY on urban vegetation and air quality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Naonair: Mobile application for air quality monitoring in the Nantes area
• BASEMIS
• PhytAtmo Dataviz
• CITRY

Products and services

• Air Quality Index and Forecasts Daily air quality indices and pollution forecasts for the Pays de la Loire region, including real-time measurements from monitoring stations, pollution alerts, and departmental-level information for citizens, government, and industry stakeholders.
• BASEMIS Territorial Emissions Inventory Regional territorial inventory of energy consumption and production, plus pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions at the regional and communal scale, with climate emissions dashboard and territorial data sheets for use in climate-air-energy planning.
• PhytAtmo Dataviz Interactive datavisualization tool presenting pesticide measurements in air across France, developed with Atmo France and the AASQA network, enabling national comparisons by year for common substances including in overseas territories.
• Naonair Mobile Application Mobile application for air quality information in the Nantes area, featuring real-time measurements, pollen forecasts, and pollution alerts for individual users.
• Diag'QAI Indoor Air Quality Diagnostic

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Atmo FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of French air quality monitoring associations (AASQA). Air Pays de la Loire is a member of the ATMO network, collaborating on national pesticide surveillance (PhytAtmo Dataviz), data harmonization, methodology standardization following PCIT guidelines, and participation in national monitoring programs.
• Association des Pollinariums sentinelles de France (APSF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pollen monitoring and the Alerte pollens newsletter service. APSF provides pollen forecast data that Air Pays de la Loire disseminates to the public in the Pays de la Loire region.
• École Centrale de NantescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in the CITRY research project (2024-2027) studying urban vegetation impacts on air quality and microclimate. Air Pays de la Loire contributes measurement expertise, mobile monitoring equipment, and air quality modeling capabilities.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in the CITRY project, contributing scientific expertise on urban vegetation and environmental science alongside École Centrale de Nantes and Air Pays de la Loire.
• Nantes MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban community collaborating on the CITRY project, providing access to the Mistral neighborhood study area near Paridis shopping center. Air Pays de la Loire contributes measurement data and leads operational recommendations for the metropolitan area.
• Association des Asthmatiques sévèresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient association co-organizing public webinars on outdoor air quality. Partnership focuses on health education regarding pollution impacts on asthma and protective measures.
• Chambre d'agriculture des Pays de la LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional agricultural chamber collaborating on the Repp'Air project (national pesticide research). Partnership includes farmer outreach, pesticide molecule selection, and interpretation of air quality data in relation to farming practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• IQAir: Commercial global air quality information platform that competes at the citizen-information layer with real-time air quality indices, low-cost sensor products, and a public map. Not a regulated AASQA, but increasingly relevant as an alternative information source for the same end users.

Direct peers

• Atmo Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: Regional AASQA for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the closest direct peer in terms of mandate, governance structure, and service portfolio (ambient monitoring, emissions inventories, citizen alerts, research partnerships). Operates under identical French regulatory framework.
• Airparif: AASQA for the Île-de-France region, monitoring air quality in the greater Paris area. The largest French AASQA by population coverage and budget, sharing the same regulatory designation, reporting obligations, and citizen-information service model as AirPL.
• Air Breizh: AASQA for the Brittany region, geographically adjacent to Pays de la Loire. Direct structural peer operating under identical French regulatory framework with comparable monitoring, reporting, and citizen-information services.
• Atmo PACA: AASQA for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, performing the same mandated air quality surveillance, industrial emissions monitoring, and public reporting services as AirPL under the French regulatory framework.
• Atmo Hauts-de-France: AASQA serving the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. Comparable in mandate and service mix—ambient air monitoring, industrial surveillance around legacy industrial zones, citizen information—making it a structurally identical peer organization.
• Atmo Occitanie: AASQA for the Occitanie region in southern France. Performs identical functions under the French AASQA framework, including ambient monitoring, emissions inventories, and citizen-facing air quality indices.
• Atmo Nouvelle-Aquitaine: AASQA serving the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region with the same regulatory mandate for air quality surveillance, citizen information, and territorial inventories. Comparable peer in coverage of a large multi-department region with mixed urban/industrial/agricultural profiles.
• Atmo Grand Est: AASQA for the Grand Est region, performing the same suite of air quality monitoring, emissions inventory, and public reporting services under the French AASQA framework. Directly comparable in scale, methodology, and stakeholder model.

Others

• Atmo France: National federation of all French AASQAs of which AirPL is a member. Acts as a coordinating body for methodology, national reporting, and collective initiatives like PhytAtmo Dataviz. Not a direct competitor but a strategic ecosystem enabler and indirect governance counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/airpl_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/airpaysdelaloire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/air-pays-de-la-loire

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Air Pays de la Loire