What Efma does

Efma, which rebranded to Qorus in 2023, operates a global digital community platform serving senior professionals at banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. The platform is built around six integrated modules — Qorus Communities (peer-to-peer forums), Qorus Content (news, case studies, podcasts), Qorus Events (conferences and webinars), Qorus Awards (industry recognition program), Qorus Learning (masterclasses and executive programs), and Qorus Collaboration (member-to-member problem-solving via the 'Share Your Challenge' initiative) — unified under a single web and mobile hub called the Qorus Central Hub.

The underlying technology is a multi-tenant community platform with peer-matching logic, content management for a 6,000+ case study library, and cross-module user state that allows members to move between discussions, content, events, and advisory consultations without losing context. Distribution is hybrid: a self-serve freemium tier with free account creation and resources, paired with enterprise field sales via a 'Get a demo' CTA and a Qorus advisory team for premium contracts.

The business model combines subscription revenue from tiered premium memberships with event and awards program revenue. The company is privately held, headquartered in Paris, and operates with a 11-50 person staff while serving 1,200 financial brand members across 120+ markets and 80,000+ finance professionals. The organization has been operating since 1971 (originally as Efma, a European banking association), which underpins the depth of its member relationships and content library.

Name

Efma

Legal name

Qorus

Website

https://efma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Efma (operating as Qorus) is a Paris-based global community platform serving 80,000+ finance professionals and 1,200 financial institutions across 120+ markets with integrated peer forums, content, events, awards, learning, and collaboration modules on a freemium-plus-premium membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Services Community Platform

NAICS

Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Q&A Knowledge Communities (MPACAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finance & Investment Conferences (MPAGAGAG), Financial Education & Coaching (Digital Programs, Tools) (FSAGADAH)

Keywords

• Financial services community
• Banking innovation network
• Peer-to-peer forums
• Retail finance association
• Executive learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Premium Memberships: Tiered membership model offering premium access to the full Qorus ecosystem including all solutions, expert consultations, and advisory support. Free tier provides basic resources and tools, while premium memberships unlock full platform capabilities.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from conferences, webinars, and industry events focused on AI, ESG, digital reinvention, and other financial services topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Efma (Qorus) operates a global membership-based community platform for retail finance and insurance professionals, providing peer-to-peer forums, industry content, conferences, awards, executive learning, and member-to-member collaboration. The platform serves 1,200 financial brands and 80,000+ professionals across 120+ markets, monetized primarily through premium memberships and event participation.

Product overview

Qorus is a unified platform serving as the leading global community for finance professionals and organizations to solve challenges and transform themselves. The platform integrates six core modules: Qorus Communities for peer discussions and collaboration; Qorus Content delivering news, articles, studies, podcasts and videos on financial services topics; Qorus Events hosting conferences and webinars on AI, ESG and digital transformation; Qorus Awards celebrating innovation achievements in banking and insurance; Qorus Learning offering masterclasses and executive programs; and Qorus Collaboration featuring the 'Share Your Challenge' initiative for member-to-member problem solving. More than 80,000 finance professionals use this integrated ecosystem across 1,200 financial brands in 120+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Qorus Content: News, articles, and studies in financial services covering topics like cybersecurity and embedded finance through expert interviews, podcasts, and videos.
• Qorus Events
• Qorus Awards
• Qorus Communities
• Qorus Learning
• Qorus Collaboration

Products and services

• Qorus (formerly Efma) Community Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000+ finance professionals leverage the platform ecosystem
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• La Banque PostalecoreOthersLa Banque Postale, a French financial institution, actively participates in Qorus peer-to-peer forums. Directeur de la Stratégie et du M&A Vincent Menvielle takes part in regular peer-to-peer forums to discuss key industry topics with senior participants from global financial institutions.
• CreandcoreOthersCreand, a financial institution, leverages Qorus to connect with peers for sincere feedback and insights on banking innovation challenges. Head of Innovation Santiago de Larrea Teruel values the ability to contact peers and discuss marketing matters in a non-competitive environment.
• DesjardinscoreOthersDesjardins, a major Canadian financial cooperative, has been instrumental in bridging Bank-Insurance with Mobility through Qorus's diverse network, practical workshops, and collaborative platforms. Vice-President Dominic Larivée participates actively in Qorus communities.
• Axa FrancecoreOthersAxa France participates in Qorus communities. Hadrien Lefebvre, Directeur de la Stratégie, engages with major players and leading brokers in comprehensive and insightful discussions supported by quality presentations.
• Christophe Di PernaminorOthersGlobal expert in Mobility & Automotive contributes to Qorus communities as a subject matter expert, finding Qorus club valuable for peer-to-peer exchange on industry shaping issues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• TMI (Treasury Management International): TMI is a community and content platform for treasury and corporate finance professionals, with a peer-focused membership model similar in concept to Qorus' Communities module.
• Tearsheet: Tearsheet is a media and community platform for financial services practitioners, offering research, podcasts, and events. Comparable content-and-community model focused on financial services professionals.
• InsurTech Insights: InsurTech Insights runs conferences and content for the global insurance innovation ecosystem, an audience segment that Qorus explicitly serves (insurance members such as Axa France and Fidelidade).

Broad incumbents

• Finextra: Finextra is a long-established financial industry news, views, and community platform serving banks, fintechs, and technologists. Comparable audience and content/community blend, though more journalism-led than Qorus' curation-led model.
• Sibos (SWIFT): Sibos is SWIFT's flagship annual financial services conference and exhibition, serving wholesale banking, payments, and securities professionals. Compares to Qorus Events in audience and convener role.
• Money 20/20: Money 20/20 is the leading global conference and media brand for the payments and financial services ecosystem. Directly comparable in event/content model and institutional audience.
• LinkedIn (Finance Communities / Newsletter ecosystem): LinkedIn is the largest horizontal professional network and increasingly hosts financial services content, newsletters, and communities. It competes for attention, though it lacks Qorus' curated non-competitive peer-forum differentiator.
• London Stock Exchange Group Events / Financial Times Live: FT Live produces finance-sector conferences, briefings, and awards, comparable to Qorus Events and Qorus Awards in audience and content production.

Direct peers

• BAI (Bank Administration Institute): BAI is a non-profit providing research, training, and peer networking for banking executives. It is a direct peer: similar institutional banking audience, content/research focus, and event-driven engagement model.
• The Financial Brand: The Financial Brand is a media and community platform focused on retail banking and credit union marketing, digital transformation, and innovation. Overlapping audience with Qorus' Banking vertical and similar editorial/community format.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHUspbEKr_akCuA6K13vy-Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/efma
• Xx.com/efma_news

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Efma