Démarche

What Démarche does

Démarche Société Coopérative is a Swiss non-profit cooperative of public utility, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It operates 13 entities across 27 sites in the cantons of Vaud and Geneva, combining 11 learning enterprises (entreprises apprenantes) and 2 service enterprises to deliver professional and social insertion for vulnerable populations. The cooperative's beneficiaries include unemployed individuals, people with disabilities under OAI mandates, at-risk youth (JAD), migrants and refugees, and young adults leaving institutional care. Specialized programs include Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union (temporary housing plus hospitality training), Connexion-Ressources (socio-professional assessment and placement), CinéProd and Scenicprod (arts-based insertion for youth with psychological or behavioral difficulties), ProJet and SemoLac (youth insertion and motivation semesters), and the Avec Toit housing support project.

The cooperative's revenue model rests on two pillars: government mandates and social contracts from cantonal agencies (OAI, DGEM, DIRIS, EVAM, DGEJ, Hospice général, BCI) that fund professional insertion measures, and commercial revenues generated by its learning enterprises — including Ateapic's seven second-hand boutiques, Textura's textile recycling operations (1.6M+ kg collected in 2023), Styyle's bicycle repair and metal construction, Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union, Eco&Home furniture operations, and SoluClean disinfection services. DFC provides customized training and fide testing to public and private clients, and the recently launched Court Circuit upcycled fashion brand (2025) adds a new commercial vertical. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; contracts operate under managed-services and transaction-fee models. Marketing is largely earned media and government referral-based rather than commercial demand generation.

Strategically, the cooperative has expanded its footprint through two recent acquisitions (ProJet in January 2024 and SemoLac in January 2025), partners with EHL, Lausanne Palace, Nespresso, Vacheron Constantin, and Romande Energie on training and circular economy initiatives, and co-leads the Interreg STAR3 cross-border textile recycling project. It has 280 collaborators as of 2025/2026, served 3,300 participants in 2023, and reports a 93% apprenticeship success rate. No AI/ML technology platform or venture funding is associated with the organization.

Name

Démarche

Legal name

Démarche Société Coopérative

Website

https://demarche.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Démarche is a Swiss non-profit cooperative operating 13 learning and service enterprises across Vaud and Geneva, delivering professional and social insertion services for unemployed individuals, people with disabilities, migrants, and at-risk youth through government-funded mandates and commercial operations like textile recycling, retail, and hospitality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Insertion and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Circular Economy & Sustainable Products (Reuse, Repair, Upcycling) (BPAGALAF)

Keywords

• Professional insertion services
• Vocational training programs
• Textile recycling services
• Social enterprise network
• Employment coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Mandates and Social Contracts: Démarche receives funding from government mandants including Office de l'Assurance Invalidité (OAI), Direction générale de l'emploi et du marché du travail (DGEM), Direction de l'insertion et des solidarités (DIRIS), Établissement Vaudois d'Accueil des Migrants (EVAM), Hospice général, Direction générale de l'enfance et de la jeunesse (DGEJ), and Bureau cantonal pour l'intégration des étrangers (BCI). These contracts fund professional insertion measures and training programs.
2. Commercial Operations of Insertion Enterprises: The 13 learning enterprises (entreprises apprenantes) generate revenue through commercial activities including second-hand retail sales (Ateapic boutiques), textile recycling and sales (Textura), bike sales and repair services (Styyle), hotel and restaurant services (L'Union), costume rental (Ateapic Location), art sales and rental (Artraction), and furniture sales (Eco&Home).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Démarche Société Coopérative is a non-profit cooperative providing socio-professional insertion (insertion socioprofessionnelle) services through 13 learning enterprises (entreprises apprenantes) and 2 service enterprises. Beneficiaries develop personal resources and professional skills via real work experience in retail (Ateapic boutiques), textile recycling (Textura, Court Circuit), hospitality (Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union), bicycle repair and metalwork (Styyle), furniture (Eco & Home), art (Artraction), and film production (CinéProd, Scenicprod), supported by coaching, training, and accompaniment services (Connexion-Ressources, DFC). Operations are funded primarily through government mandates (OAI, DGEM, DIRIS, EVAM, DGEJ, Hospice général, BCI) and commercial sales of subsidiary enterprises.

Product overview

Démarche is a non-profit cooperative providing professional insertion services through a portfolio of 13 learning enterprises and 2 service enterprises. The offering combines economic activities, training, and socio-professional support to help unemployed people develop skills and re-enter the labor market. The portfolio includes retail (Ateapic boutiques, Artraction art platform), textile recycling (Textura, Court Circuit fashion brand, Eco & Home), mobility (Styyle bicycle repair), hospitality (Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union), construction/maintenance services (SoluClean), and specialized insertion programs (CinéProd, Scenicprod, ProJet, SemoLac for youth; Connexion-Ressources for adults; Avec Toit for housing support). DFC provides customized training services. Each entity operates as both a business and a training environment, combining first-market demands with professional insertion support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Court Circuit: Upcycled fashion brand created by Ateapic, transforming collected textiles into unique fashion pieces. Launched first collection in 2025.
• Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union

Products and services

• Ateapic Network of seven physical boutiques and an online shop commercializing second-hand clothing, shoes, accessories, bicycles, creator objects, art works and atypical furniture, with Ateapic Location providing costume and accessory rental. Includes the Court Circuit upcycled fashion brand.
• Artraction Art promotion platform based in Geneva offering art rental and sales services to individuals, businesses, and shops in French-speaking Switzerland, with over 45 professional insertion places in the art promotion sector.
• CinéProd Socio-professional preparation measure for young people aged 15-25 with psychic and/or behavioral difficulties, combining short film production with cooking, artistic creation, sports and cultural visits. Capacity of 15 places.
• Styyle Bicycle recovery, repair and sale workshop combined with a metal construction atelier producing textile recovery containers for Textura, bike parks and other metal objects. Over 50 insertion places.
• Eco & Home Furniture collection and commercialization service operating professional laundry for second-hand clothing and textile collection for Textura in the Chablais vaudois and Riviera regions. Over 80 insertion places.
• SoluClean Turnkey disinfection, maintenance, and repair service for auxiliary equipment (wheelchairs, walkers) including transport, disinfection and repair for the socio-sanitary sector. About 10 insertion places.
• Textura Textile recycling enterprise collecting, sorting, and commercializing textiles in the canton of Vaud, with over 150 insertion places and apprenticeship positions in logistics, cleaning, sewing, retail, administration, IT and interactive media. Operates an industrial wiping cloth production line.
• Hôtel-Restaurant de l'Union Hotel and restaurant enterprise offering temporary housing for people without housing solutions, with restaurant and seminar rooms open to the public. Approximately 40 training places in hospitality and restaurant sectors. First insertion hotel in Vaud canton.
• Scenicprod Art-focused insertion measure for young adults aged 15-25 combining multidisciplinary artistic spectacle production with workshops (decoration, styling, web radio, multimedia) and socio-educational support. Hosts 29 young adults and produces an annual multidisciplinary spectacle.
• ProJet Professional insertion coaching program for young people aged 15-25 and adults in the Nyon region, offering over 80 insertion places and apprenticeship positions in administration, commercial and kitchen sectors.
• SemoLac (Semestre de motivation La Côte) Motivation semester (Semo) measure for young people aged 15-25 who completed mandatory schooling without an orientation solution. Helps find apprenticeship or certified training positions. Capacity of 43 places per year, operating in the Nyon region.
• DFC (Démarche Formation Conseil) Customized training services, coaching, workshops, conferences and fide language testing for public and parapublic institutions, private companies and individuals. Holds eduQua certification.
• Connexion-Ressources Socio-professional insertion service evaluating reintegration potential, orienting and preparing beneficiaries for employment or training through job coaching, short training and professional internships, with locations in Lausanne, Aigle, Geneva, Yverdon-les-Bains, Nyon and Bulle.
• Avec Toit Housing support project providing personalized socio-educational support and concrete assistance in searching and managing autonomous housing for young adults leaving residential care, operating the Résidence des Vergers in Clarens.
• Court Circuit Upcycled fashion brand developed within Démarche's Ateapic entity, transforming collected textiles and donated clothing into unique fashion pieces created in Lausanne. Two collections launched: initial collection in May 2025 and a second collection in June 2025 in collaboration with designer Justine Leiser (Serlei brand), using donations from EHL and Lausanne Palace.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,300 participants served in 2023
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Lausanne PalaceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 June 2026Uniform donations for Court Circuit upcycled fashion brand collection. Partnership demonstrates circular economy commitment.
• École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Partnership for textile donations supporting Court Circuit upcycled fashion brand. EHL provides uniforms and textiles for transformation into new fashion pieces.
• Caritas GenèvecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Partnership in Interreg STAR3 project for transboundary textile recycling solutions. Caritas brings expertise in circular economy and advocacy work alongside Démarche's textile collection operations.
• Centre Social Protestant Genève (CSP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024Partnership in Interreg STAR3 project for transboundary textile recycling. CSP contributes circular economy expertise and advocacy alongside Démarche and Caritas.
• Institut Français du Textile et de l'Habillement (IFTH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2024French project lead for Interreg STAR3, bringing textile industry technical expertise. Co-leads the project alongside Démarche for Swiss side.
• Romande EnergieminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Solar photovoltaic installer training program in collaboration with DGEM mandate. Addresses energy transition workforce needs while providing insertion pathway.
• Justine Leiser / SerleiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration with Lausanne designer Justine Leiser for Court Circuit capsule collection 'Serlei x Court Circuit'.
• Après-demain / DebiopharmminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Step challenge initiative where After-demain and Debiopharm employees' steps supported Textura's environmental actions through philanthropy program.
• Ville de LausannecoreOthers · 1 September 2023Prolonged textile collection partnership since 1999 with Service de la propreté urbaine. Textura collects textiles on behalf of the city.
• Vacheron ConstantinminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Workshop hosting at Geneva facility for Connexion-Ressources beneficiaries. HR team provided CV review and interview simulation support.
• NespressominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Coffee expertise training at L'Union restaurant. Nespresso specialists conducted coffee initiation sessions for beneficiaries and staff.
• EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2023Ongoing partnership including Masterclass collaboration at L'Union with Michelin chef Michel de Mattéis. EHL provides professional expertise for hospitality training.
• EtamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Partnership action for International Women's Day. New bras donated by Etam for sale at affordable prices supporting insertion mission.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Le Relais: French social enterprise network specializing in textile recovery, reuse, and recycling through insertion-employment programs. Directly comparable to Textura's 1.6M kg/year textile collection, the 10-tonne wiping-cloth line, and the broader learning-enterprise model.
• Habitat et Humanisme: French social enterprise providing housing and socio-professional accompaniment for people in precarious situations. Directly comparable to Démarche's Avec Toit / Résidence des Vergers project supporting young adults leaving institutional care toward autonomous housing.
• Caritas Vaud: Swiss cantonal social-services organization operating in Vaud with overlapping mandate relationships and social-insertion programs. Comparable mission of supporting vulnerable populations (migrants, low-income families), with significant overlap in beneficiary identification and cantonal funding channels.
• La Varappe: French group of social-insertion enterprises operating across logistics, recycling, cleaning, and green-space services with similar business-plus-training model. Highly comparable to Démarche's diversified portfolio of revenue-generating learning enterprises.
• Vitamine T: French social enterprise group focused on professional insertion through economic activity in logistics, retail, and recycling sectors. Comparable integration model that pairs apprenticeship-style training with revenue-generating commercial operations.
• Eben-Hézer: Swiss foundation operating professional insertion and sheltered-employment workshops for people with disabilities. Directly comparable to Démarche's OAI/AI-mandated activities and its learning-enterprise model (workshop + training).
• Ares Atelier: French association running insertion enterprises (logistics, second life goods, hospitality training) targeting long-term unemployed and refugees. Directly mirrors Démarche's multi-entity social-enterprise structure and integration-through-employment approach.
• Emmaüs France: Federation of French social enterprises running second-hand shops, textile recycling, and community insertion for vulnerable populations. Closely mirrors Démarche's Ateapic second-hand boutiques, Court Circuit upcycled fashion, and social-integration mission.
• SAH Schweiizerisches Arbeiterhilfswerk: Swiss nationwide association focused on employment integration and qualification programs for unemployed and disadvantaged persons. Comparable professional-insertion services, training offerings, and reliance on public/cantonal employment-market funding.

Broad incumbents

• Caritas Suisse: National umbrella social-services organization with broad humanitarian, migration, and poverty programs. Overlaps with Démarche's EVAM/migrant insertion work and circular-economy initiatives (Caritas Genève is also a STAR3 partner), but operates at a national scale far beyond Démarche's cantonal remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Demarchesocietecooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/demarche-societe-cooperative/mycompany/?viewAsMember=true

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries13 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 Démarche