L'Internaute Copains
L'Internaute Copains is a French web-based alumni and former-colleague reunion network serving 15+ million registered French-speaking users with a directory of 3 million establishments and 1.3 million class photos. It operates as a freemium, advertising- and data-monetized property within CCM Benchmark Group under Groupe Figaro.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersBoulogne-billancourt, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What L'Internaute Copains does
L'Internaute Copains, also branded as "Copains d'avant," is a French online social network focused on reconnecting former classmates, school friends, and former colleagues. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt (Paris), the platform targets French-speaking users seeking nostalgia-driven reconnections rather than active daily social networking. The service is part of CCM Benchmark Group, which sits within the Groupe Figaro media conglomerate, positioning it alongside other editorial properties in the Linternaute.com network.
The core product is a web-based directory and search platform built around an archive of educational and professional establishments and a large library of class photos. The platform claims 15+ million registered members, 1.3 million class photos, and 3 million establishments in its directory. It operates as a freemium service without a dedicated mobile application, meaning the user experience is constrained to desktop and mobile-web browsers. Underlying functionality centers on people search, profile pages, photo hosting, and establishment-based grouping.
The business model relies on three monetization streams: advertising, commercial data partnerships, and partner offers. There is no consumer subscription fee. Revenue is therefore a function of the addressable advertising and data-buying demand routed through the Groupe Figaro ecosystem rather than direct user payments. With a stated headcount of 1-10 employees, the operation is run as a lean, maintenance-oriented asset within a larger media group rather than as an independently scaling product company.
L'Internaute Copains firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L'Internaute Copains
- Legal name
- CCM Benchmark Group
- Website
- https://copainsdavant.linternaute.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- L'Internaute Copains is a French web-based alumni and former-colleague reunion network serving 15+ million registered French-speaking users with a directory of 3 million establishments and 1.3 million class photos. It operates as a freemium, advertising- and data-monetized property within CCM Benchmark Group under Groupe Figaro.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where L'Internaute Copains is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boulogne-billancourt
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
L'Internaute Copains business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advertising: Advertising revenue generated through the Linternaute.com media network. Users are exposed to targeted advertising based on browsing behavior and profile information.
- Data Partnerships: User data (email addresses in hashed/pseudonymized form) shared with data partners for advertising personalization and targeting purposes.
- Partner Offers: Commercial offers from partners distributed to users who opt-in during registration, generating referral or affiliate revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
L'Internaute Copains product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Copains d'avant is a French social networking platform that helps users find and reconnect with former classmates, colleagues, military peers, and old friends via searchable directories of schools, universities, companies, military services, and clubs/associations. It offers a free registration-based service, supported by an archive of 1.3 million class photos and member directory spanning 3 million establishments, with over 15 million registered members. Revenue is generated through advertising on the Linternaute.com network, data partnerships, and partner offers distributed to opt-in users.
Product overview
Copains d'avant is a comprehensive social reunions platform operated by CCM Benchmark Group as part of the Linternaute.com network. The platform consists of a core social networking product for finding and reconnecting with former classmates, friends, and colleagues, supported by multiple searchable directory modules covering educational institutions (lycées, collèges, primary schools, universities), companies, military services, and clubs/associations. The platform claims over 15 million members and maintains directories of 3 million establishments and 1.3 million class photos. The service is free for individual users with registration requiring personal information including name, birthdate, and location.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Copains d'avant
Companies that use L'Internaute Copains
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
L'Internaute Copains technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
L'Internaute Copains partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CCM Benchmark GroupcoreParent company operating Copains d'avant. CCM Benchmark Group manages the platform and user data, processes subscriptions, and enables advertising targeting within the Group and with Groupe Figaro partners.
- Groupe FigarominorCCM Benchmark Group is part of Groupe Figaro media conglomerate, enabling cross-promotion and shared advertising inventory with Figaro-branded properties.
- Data Partners (Commercial Partners)minorThird-party data partners receive pseudonymized user data (hashed email addresses) for advertising personalization and content customization purposes. Users can opt out.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights1 record
L'Internaute Copains competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- LinkedIn: Global professional network with alumni directory features, school pages, and group functionality. Serves a much broader professional networking use case but overlaps meaningfully on the alumni reconnection need.
- Facebook: Largest social network with extensive group functionality, including alumni and class reunion groups. Represents the dominant modern alternative for the nostalgia-driven reconnection use case.
Direct peers
- Viadeo: French-headquartered professional social network with strong overlap in alumni reconnection and professional networking use cases. Competed head-to-head with Copains d'avant in the French market for years.
- Spokeo: US-based people search and reunion platform monetized through advertising and data services. Comparable business model combining user directories with data monetization.
- Trombi.com: French alumni directory service allowing users to find former classmates from French schools. Directly comparable product in the same market with overlapping use cases and target audience.
- Classmates.com: US-based alumni reunion and class photo platform with a similar directory-based reconnection model. Closest direct international analog to Copains d'avant, operating the same nostalgia-driven social networking use case.
- OldFriends.com: US alumni and old friends reconnection platform with directory-based search functionality. Closely aligned product offering and target use case as Copains d'avant.
Emerging players
- Pipl: People search and identity resolution platform. Comparable in the directory/reunion category but more focused on B2B identity verification use cases than consumer nostalgia.
- MyHeritage: Genealogy and family-tree platform that overlaps with Copains d'avant's heritage discovery use case. Active in France and increasingly positioned in the broader family history and reconnection market.
Regional players
- Geneanet: French genealogy platform that overlaps with Copains d'avant's family history and heritage discovery use case. Strong French market position, complementary rather than directly competitive.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
L'Internaute Copains social profiles
Digital presenceL'Internaute Copains financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L'Internaute Copains leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
L'Internaute Copains funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L'Internaute Copains M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L'Internaute Copains
What does L'Internaute Copains do?
Copains d'avant is a French social networking platform that helps users find and reconnect with former classmates, colleagues, military peers, and old friends via searchable directories of schools, universities, companies, military services, and clubs/associations. It offers a free registration-based service, supported by an archive of 1.3 million class photos and member directory spanning 3 million establishments, with over 15 million registered members. Revenue is generated through advertising on the Linternaute.com network, data partnerships, and partner offers distributed to opt-in users.
Is L'Internaute Copains a public or private company?
L'Internaute Copains is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was L'Internaute Copains founded?
L'Internaute Copains was founded in 2000. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is L'Internaute Copains based?
L'Internaute Copains is headquartered in Boulogne-billancourt, France, in the Europe region.
How does L'Internaute Copains make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are data Partnerships and partner Offers.
Who are L'Internaute Copains's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are LinkedIn and Facebook. Direct peers are Viadeo, Spokeo, Trombi.com, Classmates.com and OldFriends.com. Emerging players are Pipl and MyHeritage. Geneanet is listed as a regional player.
Does L'Internaute Copains have an API?
No public API is recorded for L'Internaute Copains.