What APEX CONSULTING does

APEX CONSULTING is a France-registered société d'expertise comptable (certified accounting firm) headquartered at 24 Cours Saint-Louis in Aix-en-Provence, founded in 1969 and operating under its current managing director since the 2014 takeover by Stéphane Barbier, a former KPMG manager. The firm provides accounting, tax, social/payroll, legal, financing, M&A, and wealth management services primarily to small businesses (TPE-PME), liberal professionals (doctors, dentists, lawyers), and groups of companies / holding structures, with a stated emphasis on sector-specific expertise and proactive business steering.

The firm's core technology asset is APEX EASY, a proprietary cloud-based digital platform accessible via web, smartphone, and tablet, integrating three modules: a document deposit/electronic document management (GED) application (Appli Loop) for iOS and Android; a real-time business intelligence dashboard tracking revenue, cash flow, receivables, and payables; and a quote/invoicing module with prospect portfolio and subscription billing. APEX EASY is bundled free with any accounting pack subscription and supports document capture and upload to the firm's back office. The firm's core service architecture is operationalized through three accounting subscription packs (Pack Sécurité, Pack Sérénité, Pack Intégral) billed monthly, and through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: B2B SOCIAL (payroll/HR, since 2014), KAPPA-PHI CONSEILS (wealth advisory, since 2016), and APEX STRATEGY (BTP / construction sector group consolidation and M&A, since 2021).

APEX CONSULTING operates a sales-led, relationship-driven go-to-market anchored on long-tenured referrals in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The firm maintains a direct office distribution model, supplemented by APEX EASY and the Loop client portal for self-service document exchange. Revenue derives from recurring monthly subscriptions on the three accounting packs, plus add-on advisory engagements (M&A, financing, wealth, legal), with documented relationships spanning from early-stage startups (e.g., Bees Développement supported across two fundraising rounds) to enterprise subsidiaries (e.g., Hanwha Q CELLS France). No revenue figure or headcount is publicly disclosed; there is no external institutional investment, and the firm is privately owned and managed.

Name

APEX CONSULTING

Legal name

APEX CONSULTING

Website

https://apexconsulting.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APEX CONSULTING is a French société d'expertise comptable headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, founded in 1969 and led since 2014 by Stéphane Barbier. It provides accounting, tax, payroll, legal, M&A, financing, and wealth advisory services to small businesses, liberal professionals (doctors, lawyers), and corporate groups, supported by the proprietary APEX EASY digital platform and three wholly-owned subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Business Advisory

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid Advice (Advisor + Digital) Platforms (FSAAAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

M&A Advisory (Buy-Side & Sell-Side) (BPAHAOAA), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Business advisory
• Wealth management
• Tax compliance
• Payroll services

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accounting & Bookkeeping Services: Core accounting services delivered through three subscription packs (Pack Sécurité, Pack Sérénité, Pack Intégral) encompassing bookkeeping, annual accounts, tax filings, and payroll processing. Services include document digitization, electronic archiving, and real-time data sharing via the APEX EASY platform.
2. Advisory & Consulting Services: Business steering, financing advisory, M&A advisory, legal services, and wealth management offered as add-on or standalone services to existing accounting clients. Includes sector-specific advisory for doctors, lawyers, and holding groups.
3. Digital Platform Access: APEX EASY digital platform modules (document box, dashboard, invoicing) provided as part of accounting packs, enhancing client retention and differentiation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

APEX CONSULTING is a French accounting firm (société d'expertise comptable) offering bookkeeping, annual accounts, tax filings, and payroll processing through tiered subscription packs (Pack Sécurité, Pack Sérénité, Pack Intégral). It supplements these with advisory services spanning business steering, financing, M&A, legal compliance, and wealth management. The proprietary APEX EASY digital platform provides 24/7 cloud-based document management, real-time KPI dashboards, and quote/invoicing accessible via web, smartphone, tablet, and the Loop mobile application.

Product overview

APEX CONSULTING is an accounting and business advisory firm offering a digital platform plus modular services architecture. The core offering centers on APEX EASY, a digital platform with three integrated modules: Appli Loop (document deposit), Tableau de bord (real-time dashboard), and Devis/Facturation (quote/invoice management). This platform is supplemented by three subsidiaries—B2B SOCIAL (payroll/HR), KAPPA-PHI CONSEILS (wealth advisory), and APEX STRATEGY (corporate group services)—and traditional accounting services including tax, legal, M&A, and financing advisory organized in tiered subscription packs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APEX EASY: Digital platform offering document deposit (GED), dashboard for business monitoring (sales, cash flow, clients, suppliers), and quote/invoice management modules. Accessible via PC, smartphone, tablet, and mobile application.
• B2B SOCIAL
• KAPPA-PHI CONSEILS
• APEX STRATEGY

Products and services

• Accounting Packs (Pack Sécurité, Pack Sérénité, Pack Intégral) Three-tier subscription accounting service packages for small businesses and SMEs: document digitization, accounting entry processing (self-service or full-service), preparation of annual accounts, tax declarations (IS, VAT, CET, TVS, C3S), and annual review meetings with the accountant. Packs differ by level of service inclusion and advisory support.
• APEX EASY Digital Platform Proprietary cloud-based digital platform providing 24/7 real-time access to accounting information, document exchange, business intelligence dashboards, and quote/invoicing management. Accessible via PC, smartphone, tablet, and the Loop mobile application. Included as part of any accounting subscription pack.
• Patrimoine (Wealth Management) Services Comprehensive wealth management services for entrepreneur clients including personal tax optimization (IR/IFI), executive compensation strategy, social protection audit, retirement planning, and access to independent insurance and savings brokerage. Delivered by the KAPPA-PHI CONSEILS subsidiary.
• Conseil en Financement (Financing Advisory) Financing search support including funding assistance, preparation of financing and subsidy applications, initial fundraising support, and negotiation assistance with financial partners. Used by clients such as Bees Développement for two fundraising rounds.
• Fusion-Acquisition (M&A) Services M&A advisory including acquisition audits, analysis of acquisition structures, negotiation support, legal and financial structuring with partner attorneys, financing search assistance, and earn-out clause monitoring for clients undergoing mergers and acquisitions.
• Juridique (Legal Services) Legal services for businesses including recurring annual accounts approval, statutory modifications, capital operations, restructuring, dissolution/liquidation, and exceptional legal acts with specialized attorney support.
• Pilotage d'Entreprise (Business Steering) Business steering and decision support including bi-annual advisory meetings, KPI analysis, cash flow optimization, budget forecasting, and one-time decision support for investments and acquisitions. Each accounting client receives two advisory meetings per year as part of the subscription.
• Payroll and HR Services (B2B SOCIAL) Social and HR management services including payroll processing, social declarations, personnel administrative management, and human resources management. Delivered through the dedicated B2B SOCIAL subsidiary under Malaurie Guay.

Quantifiable outcome

• Digital platform enables clients to dedicate more time to core business operations rather than administrative tasks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• APEX STRATEGYcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Subsidiary created in 2021, led by Julien Dinnequin, focused primarily on serving groups of companies in the BTP (construction) sector with advanced strategic and M&A advisory.
• KAPPA-PHI CONSEILScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Dedicated advisory subsidiary established in 2016, led by Thomas Gardon, providing comprehensive wealth strategy and protection advisory for entrepreneurs. KAPPA-PHI delivers transversal advisory services complementing APEX's core accounting offering.
• B2B SOCIALcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Dedicated subsidiary created in 2014, managed by Malaurie Guay, focused on social management including payroll processing, social declarations, HR administration, and personnel management. Integrated into APEX's service offering.
• Partner Attorney (Tax and Corporate Law)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialized tax and corporate law attorney engaged for M&A transactions and complex legal restructuring operations, working jointly with APEX on deal structuring.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO France: French member of a global mid-tier accounting network, offering audit, tax, advisory, and M&A to mid-market and enterprise clients. Overlaps with APEX on advisory and M&A work but operates at materially larger scale and broader geography.
• Grant Thornton France: Global accounting network with a French practice providing audit, tax, and advisory services to mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable to APEX's higher-end advisory and group-consolidation engagements, though at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Indy: French freelancer-focused accounting automation tool offering dashboards, invoicing, and tax filing. Competes with APEX for the small-business segment and raises the digital-experience baseline that APEX EASY must match.
• Clipperton: Independent French M&A and strategic advisory boutique focused on technology and growth companies. Comparable to APEX's M&A advisory work (Fusion-Acquisition Services) at the higher end of the market.
• Dougs: Online-first French accounting firm for freelancers and small businesses, offering subscription pricing and digital dashboards. Comparable to APEX on digital-first TPE-PME positioning and subscription economics.
• Pennylane: Venture-backed French accounting and financial management platform targeting TPE-PME and accounting firms themselves. Overlaps directly with APEX EASY on document capture, dashboard, and invoicing, and represents the principal tech-enabled competitive threat.

Others

• Harvest: French software and advisory platform dedicated to wealth management and financial advisory professionals. Comparable to APEX's KAPPA-PHI CONSEILS wealth advisory subsidiary as a technology and content enabler for the patrimoine practice.

Direct peers

• In Extenso: National French accounting and consulting network with strong regional office footprint and dedicated practice areas. Comparable to APEX in offering multi-disciplinary advisory (accounting, legal, M&A, wealth) to SME and mid-market clients.
• Fiducial: France's largest accounting firm dedicated to TPE-PME and small businesses, with subscription-style service packs and a digital client portal. Directly comparable to APEX in target customer, service mix, and SME-centric positioning.
• Baker Tilly France: Mid-tier French accounting and advisory firm offering accounting, M&A, and sector-specific services to SMEs and mid-market groups. Comparable to APEX in service breadth and target client segment, though larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apex-consulting-expert-comptable

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 APEX CONSULTING