Pile Poele

What Pile Poele does

Ulule SAS is a French crowdfunding platform founded in 2010 and headquartered in Paris at 10 rue de Penthièvre, operating as a regulated intermediary between project creators and individual contributors. The platform supports three distinct collection modes: reward-based campaigns (Collecte avec Contreparties, structured on an all-or-nothing basis), donation campaigns (Collecte de Dons), and subscription-based recurring funding (Collecte par Abonnements). Across its 15-year history, Ulule has facilitated over 50,000 funded projects and serves more than 4 million members, with the company stating that 80% of creators reach or exceed their funding objectives. Operations span France, Spain, Italy, and Canada, supported by team members distributed across Paris, Montréal, and Barcelona, plus a registered training entity (Ulule Formation).

The core technology is a web-based crowdfunding platform integrating payment processing through Mangopay for euro-denominated transactions and Stripe Connect for non-EUR currencies, with cookie consent management via Axeptio and a manual project review system vetting submissions before publication. The product surface extends beyond the core site to include Ulule Connect (Camp de Base), a community application providing expert livestreams, peer support, and exclusive deals; Ulule For Brands, a B2B partnership portal enabling corporates and foundations to organize calls for projects; Ulule Formation, a training organization offering courses for creators; and Ulule Boutique, an associated merchandise line. Ulule has been B Corp certified since 2015 and holds an Intermédiaire en Financement Participatif (IFP) registration with ORIAS (number 17003008).

Revenue is generated primarily through tiered commissions on funds successfully collected by creators (6.67% HT for card payments at 0–100K€, declining to 4.17% HT above 500K€, with lower rates for offline payment methods). Effective April 17, 2025, a contributor-side service fee of €0.10 + 2.2% TTC per contribution was introduced, shifting the model toward a dual-sided take-rate. Secondary revenue streams include training services via Ulule Formation and corporate partnership programs with brands such as ENGIE, Fondation groupe Casino, Intersport, Malakoff Humanis, Contrex France, and EPEDA, which organize branded thematic project calls on the platform. Distribution is entirely digital and self-service, combining product-led growth, community-led acquisition through Ulule Connect, and event-driven partnership programs.

Name

Pile Poele

Legal name

ULULE SAS

Website

https://fr.ulule.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ulule is a French crowdfunding platform founded in 2010 enabling creators, entrepreneurs, associations, and NGOs to raise funds via reward-based, donation, and subscription models, serving 4M+ members and 50,000+ funded projects across France, Spain, Italy, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crowdfunding Platform

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPACAFAJ

Creator Fundraising & Crowdfunding Platforms (Recurring/Project-Based)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Creator Monetization & Fan Membership Platforms

SECONDARYMPACAFAB

Creator Tipping, Donations & Micro-Payments

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Creator Monetization & Fan Membership Platforms

SECONDARYMPACAFAF

Creator Commerce & Affiliate Monetization Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Creator Monetization & Fan Membership Platforms

Keywords

• Crowdfunding platform
• Reward-based fundraising
• Creator economy
• Subscription donations
• Community pre-sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Platform Commission on Creator Collections: Ulule charges creators a commission on successfully collected funds. Commission rates are tiered based on total funds raised and payment method. For EUR collections: 6.67% HT for card payments (0-100K€), decreasing to 4.17% HT for amounts above 500K€. For offline contributions (cheques/virements): 4.17% HT (0-100K€), decreasing to 1.67% HT above 500K€. For non-EUR currencies: 6.67% HT for cards, 4.17% HT for other methods.
2. Contributor Service Fees: Service fees charged to contributors: 10 cents + 2.2% TTC on each contribution. Applied only to contributions created from April 17, 2025 onwards.
3. Training Services: Ulule operates as a training organization (organisme de formation) providing programs for project creators and entrepreneurs, including professional development and project development courses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ulule operates an online crowdfunding marketplace where individuals, associations, NGOs, and businesses can launch campaigns to pre-sell products, fund creative projects, or collect donations and recurring contributions. The platform supports three funding modes — reward-based all-or-nothing, free donations, and recurring subscription donations — and combines campaign hosting, KYC-compliant payment processing, and an in-house team of analyst advisors to guide project creators from setup through collection.

Product overview

Ulule is a unified crowdfunding platform offering three distinct funding models: reward-based campaigns (Collecte avec Contreparties) on an all-or-nothing basis, donation campaigns (Collecte de Dons) with immediate fund transfer, and subscription-based campaigns (Collecte par Abonnements) for recurring support. The platform is complemented by Ulule Connect (Camp de Base), a community app for creators featuring expert content and peer support, and Project Calls (Appels à Projets) enabling brand partners to organize grant programs. Ulule also provides training services through its dedicated formation offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ulule Connect: A community platform for creators and entrepreneurs offering expert lives, deals, and peer support to help boost projects.
• Ulule Boutique
• Ulule For Brands
• Ulule Formation

Products and services

• Ulule Crowdfunding Platform Online crowdfunding marketplace offering three funding modes — reward-based all-or-nothing pre-sales, free donations, and recurring subscription donations — to individual creators, associations, NGOs, and businesses seeking to finance creative, cultural, product, or solidarity projects.
• Ulule Connect (Camp de Base) Companion community mobile app for Ulule members to follow creators, discover projects, engage with campaigns, and participate in the platform's contributor community.
• Project Calls (Appels à Projets) Branded project call programs operated in partnership with corporations, foundations, public institutions, and NGOs to source and finance projects aligned with the partner's innovation, CSR, or societal-impact objectives.
• Ulule Formation Training and learning programs that teach individuals and organizations how to design, launch, and run successful crowdfunding campaigns on Ulule.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of creators reach and often exceed their funding objectives

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KissKissBankBank.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUlule and KissKissBankBank.com announced a strategic alliance to combine their crowdfunding expertise and reach.
• ENGIEmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerENGIE organizes calls for projects on Ulule under the 'Appel à projets ENGIE' channel, supporting projects engaged in energy transition.
• Fondation groupe CasinomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Casino Group Foundation supports associations promoting mutual aid and social connection for people affected by ordinary precarity, with a dedicated channel on Ulule.
• Contrex FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerContrex France sponsors the 'Projets féminins' (Women's Projects) channel promoting gender-inclusive and egalitarian projects.
• Intersport FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIntersport France supports sports accessibility projects through a dedicated channel on Ulule.
• Malakoff HumanisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMalakoff Humanis supports projects related to aging well, caregiver support, and inclusion of people with disabilities.
• EPEDAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEPEDA reveals, celebrates, and rewards talents perpetuating French artisan excellence through a dedicated channel.
• MANGOPAY SAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment services provider for EUR-denominated transactions. Licensed payment institution regulated by ACPR. Handles payment processing and collection for EUR transactions.
• Stripe ConnectcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment services provider for non-EUR currency transactions. Handles payment processing for donations and contributions in other currencies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GoFundMe: Largest donation-based crowdfunding platform globally. Comparable to Ulule's donation mode (Collecte de Dons) but with much broader scale and primarily personal-cause rather than creative-project focus.

Direct peers

• Indiegogo: Global crowdfunding platform supporting both donation and reward-based campaigns. Comparable to Ulule in offering multi-mode funding for creators and entrepreneurs internationally.
• Kickstarter: Global reward-based crowdfunding pioneer with creative-project focus. Directly comparable to Ulule's reward-based (Contreparties) mode and creator audience, though at significantly larger scale and broader geography.
• Patreon: Subscription-based creator monetization platform. Closely comparable to Ulule's Collecte par Abonnements funding mode and shared target audience of independent creators seeking recurring supporter income.
• HelloAsso: French association and nonprofit fundraising platform with a free, payment-fee-only model. Comparable to Ulule's nonprofit/NGO segment and donation-mode offerings in the same French market.
• Ko-fi: Creator tipping, donation, and membership platform. Comparable to Ulule's micro-payment and subscription features targeting independent creators globally, with overlapping donation and membership functionality.
• Tipeee: French creator tipping and donation platform. Comparable to Ulule in French market focus, creator-monetization orientation, and tip/donation functionality, though narrower in product scope.
• Buy Me a Coffee: Creator micro-payment and membership platform. Comparable to Ulule's donation/tipping and subscription modes for independent creators, with overlapping features and a global creator base.
• KissKissBankBank: Leading French reward-based crowdfunding platform serving creators in France and Belgium. Directly comparable to Ulule in product, geography, and target creator base; now a strategic alliance partner of Ulule.

Emerging players

• Fundable: US-based crowdfunding platform supporting both rewards and equity campaigns for small businesses. Comparable to Ulule's entrepreneur-facing offering but smaller in scale and US-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ululeFR
• Facebookfacebook.com/ulule
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulule
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulule
• TikToktiktok.com/@ulule_off
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ-XQzCxApXdS9UzlLVgHCA

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Pile Poele