Ynternet.org
Ynternet.org is a Swiss non-profit foundation, founded in 1998 and based in Carouge, Geneva, that promotes digital citizenship ("eCulture") through free courses, the Tous Citoyens du Net campaign, the Citoyens du Net book, TEDxGeneva conferences, and EU-funded Erasmus+ projects serving youth, educators, job seekers, SMEs, and seniors across Europe and Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersCarouge, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ynternet.org does
Ynternet.org, legally Fondation Ynternet.org, is a Swiss non-profit foundation founded in 1998 and headquartered at the Campus de Battelle in Carouge, Geneva. Its mission is to promote "eCulture," defined as citizen best practices in the digital era, through education, training, and research on topics including digital citizenship, free/libre licensing, open data, algorithmic literacy, data privacy, AI implications, and collaborative online practices. The foundation operates as a research and training institute with a team of 11-50 employees (experts, researchers, and teachers), delivering programs in schools, public conferences, and international workshops.
The foundation's core products include the "Citoyens du Net" book (a 10-year collaborative synthesis of over 100 books on digital culture, distributed free digitally under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0), the "Tous Citoyens du Net" educational campaign launched in 2017 targeting youth aged 5-30 and parents, an online course catalog covering digital citizenship, algorithms, employability, open data, and AI limitations, and the annual TEDxGeneva conference series co-organized by Ynternet.org since 2016. It also co-develops internal tools such as the CoWaBoo collaborative bookmark management platform with HEG-GE, and participates in multiple European projects under Erasmus+, Movetia, and Horizon 2020 (YouTHink, MyHood, Business2030, HEAL, OPEN-AE, Wikideal, ICT4TheElderly, Nos Jardins).
Ynternet.org generates revenue through a non-commercial mix: European project grants (as associated or coordinator partner), donations from individuals and organizations (Twint, Postfinance, PayPal, bank transfer; tax-deductible in Switzerland and EU), and institutional support from foundations and corporate donors including Loterie Romande, Fondation Wilsdorf, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Pricing is essentially freemium — all courses, conferences, and the digital book are free to end users; the foundation is sustained by grant cycles and donations rather than fee-paying customers. Its primary audiences are Swiss and European youth, parents, educators, job seekers, SMEs, and senior citizens, reached via direct event engagement, school partnerships, and European project networks.
Ynternet.org firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ynternet.org
- Legal name
- Fondation Ynternet.org
- Website
- https://ynternet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ynternet.org is a Swiss non-profit foundation, founded in 1998 and based in Carouge, Geneva, that promotes digital citizenship ("eCulture") through free courses, the Tous Citoyens du Net campaign, the Citoyens du Net book, TEDxGeneva conferences, and EU-funded Erasmus+ projects serving youth, educators, job seekers, SMEs, and seniors across Europe and Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Ynternet.org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carouge
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ynternet.org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations: The foundation accepts donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made via Twint, Postfinance, or PayPal. Donations are tax-deductible in Switzerland and EU countries.
- Project Grants: Funding from European programs including Erasmus+ (multiple projects: YouTHink, MyHood, Business2030, HEAL, OPEN-AE, DIMESCA, ICT4TheElderly), Movetia, and other international programs.
- Institutional Support: Support from foundations and organizations including Loterie Romande, Fondation Wilsdorf, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and strategic partnerships with educational institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | One time | Free digital book and educational resources |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ynternet.org product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ynternet.org is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers open-licensed educational programs on digital citizenship (eCulture), including the 'Citoyens du Net' book, the 'Tous Citoyens du Net' online course library, TEDxGeneva conferences, and a portfolio of EU-funded research projects (YouTHink, MyHood, Business2030, HEAL, Wikideal). Its offerings are aimed at citizens, schools, SMEs, job seekers, and elderly populations across Switzerland and Europe, provided free of charge under Creative Commons licensing.
Product overview
Ynternet.org is a Swiss foundation established in 1998 that operates as a research and training institute promoting eCulture (digital citizenship culture). Its portfolio consists of educational offerings including the 'Citoyens du Net' book/manual, the 'Tous Citoyens du Net' educational campaign with online courses covering digital citizenship, free/libre licenses, algorithms, open data, and AI literacy, and annual TEDxGeneva conferences. The foundation manages multiple European Erasmus+ projects (YouTHink, MyHood, Business2030, HEAL, Wikideal) and has developed internal tools like CoWaBoo for collaborative bookmark management. Content is released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Citoyens du Net (Book) The foundational manual on eCulture (digital citizenship culture) covering digital practices, free software, open data, privacy, and responsible internet use. Distributed free digitally; content released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license.
- Tous Citoyens du Net Campaign Multi-year campaign stimulating digital citizenship education through conferences, pedagogical videos, school interventions, and free workshops. Targeted primarily at youth aged 5-30 and parents of 5-18 year olds in Switzerland.
- Digital Citizenship Online Courses Free online courses covering digital citizenship, free/libre licenses, algorithms and employability, sustainable learning transition, open data and privacy, Wikidata, cookies, data protection, and AI limitations. Accessible to the general public through the foundation's website.
- TEDxGeneva Annual Conference Series Annual TEDxGeneva conferences organized by Ynternet.org featuring talks on innovation, technology, and societal topics. Editions include REBOOT, Future Crossroads, DEMOS, Breathing, and CHAOS, with bilingual (French/English) programming and hundreds of attendees per event.
- YouTHink Project International Erasmus+ project developing digital literacy and critical thinking skills for young people aged 14-19 through gamification, virtual immersive tasks, and digital tools across EU partner countries.
- MyHood Project Erasmus+ project engaging young people (ages 13-18) in active city planning and climate change awareness through a participatory online tool for urban development.
- Business2030 Project Erasmus+ project helping SMEs understand environmental sustainability risks and develop green transition capabilities through training tools and resources.
- HEAL Project Health literacy project addressing digital health skills, e-health applications, and data protection for European citizens, reducing digital health literacy gaps.
- Wikideal Project Participatory workshop project focused on collaborative approaches to digital economy and idea sharing.
- School Digital Citizenship Workshops Structured educational workshops delivered in primary and secondary schools (Ecole Mosaic, Institut Florimont, Collège Sismondi, Ecole de Commerce Persiaux) covering digital citizenship, copyright, internet safety, fake news awareness, and collaborative culture.
- Cité des Métiers Employability Workshops Joint workshops delivered at Cité des Métiers du Grand Genève on algorithms, employability, and e-portfolio development for job seekers and career changers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,500 people reached and 400 youth engaged through campaign activities (Nov 2016 - July 2018)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ynternet.org
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Ynternet.org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ynternet.org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TEDxGenevacoreLong-standing partnership organizing annual TEDxGeneva conferences. Ynternet.org co-organizes these events featuring international speakers on technology, society, and digital culture. Events attract hundreds of participants and are broadcast internationally.
- Haute Ecole de Gestion de Genève (HEG-GE)coreStrategic partnership for training and research. HEG-GE hosts Ynternet.org events and provides academic collaboration. The foundation has a research partnership with the institution for digital literacy and open culture projects.
- Erasmus+ Consortium PartnerscoreMultiple European projects under Erasmus+ including YouTHink (coordinator: Informacinių technologijų institutas, Lithuania), Business2030 (partners: People of 2050, Open Impact, CCIF Marseille), HEAL, OPEN-AE (with ALL DIGITAL, Colectic, CSF, Maks vzw), and others involving institutions across Europe.
- Cité des Métiers du Grand GenèvecoreRegular collaboration on employability workshops covering algorithms, e-portfolio development, and digital identity for job seekers. Joint events and training sessions held at the Cité des Métiers facilities.
- ALL DIGITALcoreEuropean network of digital competence centers. Ynternet.org participates through multiple projects including OPEN-AE, ICT4TheElderly, and others. Collaborates on best practices for digital education of adults.
- Wikimedia FoundationcoreConnection through Florence Devouard (former Chair of Wikimedia Foundation Board). Collaborative projects including Wiki Loves Africa, WikiChallenge Ecoles d'Afrique, and shared mission of open knowledge.
- Informacinių technologijų institutas (Lithuania)coreCoordinator of YouTHink project (2024-2026) focused on developing digital literacy and critical thinking skills for young people aged 14-19. Ynternet.org is associated partner.
- FASe (Fondation genevoise pour l'animation socioculturelle)minorCollaboration on free culture and digital citizenship events, including joint conferences on open culture and collaborative practices.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ynternet.org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- e-Enfance: French non-profit operating the national 3018 helpline for children's online safety and digital rights. Adjacent focus on youth digital citizenship and educator/parent training, with similar European advocacy positioning.
- ALL DIGITAL: European network of digital competence centers delivering non-formal digital education across the EU. Direct consortium partner on Ynternet.org's OPEN-AE and ICT4TheElderly projects, with overlapping focus on adult digital literacy and methodology sharing.
- Free Software Foundation: US-based advocacy non-profit for free software, founded and led (Scientific Council member) by Richard Stallman. Closely aligned with Ynternet.org's libre/free culture teaching and CC-BY-SA content licensing model.
- Génération Numérique: Association active on digital citizenship, screen risks, and online safety for youth in French-speaking Europe. Operates in the same prevention/education niche as Ynternet.org's Tous Citoyens du Net campaign.
- Framasoft: French non-profit association promoting free software, open education, and digital commons, with a similar mission of citizen-oriented digital literacy. Co-founder Alexis Kauffmann sits on Ynternet.org's Scientific Council, reflecting close overlap in open-culture pedagogy and values.
- Wikimedia France: French chapter of the Wikimedia movement, focused on open knowledge, free licensing education, and digital citizenship. Operates in Ynternet.org's open-culture and Wikipedia-aligned niche, frequently partnering on knowledge-sharing initiatives.
- Center for Media Literacy: US non-profit providing digital and media literacy curricula for schools and educators, focused on critical thinking about media, algorithms, and online behavior. Closely comparable in audience, pedagogy, and non-profit delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Wikimedia Foundation: Global non-profit operating Wikipedia and sister projects, with a far larger footprint than Ynternet.org. Connects through Vice-President Florence Devouard (former Wikimedia Foundation Board Chair) and shared open-knowledge mission.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ynternet.org social profiles
Digital presenceYnternet.org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ynternet.org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
Ynternet.org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Ynternet.org 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 Ynternet.org
What does Ynternet.org do?
Ynternet.org is a Swiss non-profit foundation that delivers open-licensed educational programs on digital citizenship (eCulture), including the 'Citoyens du Net' book, the 'Tous Citoyens du Net' online course library, TEDxGeneva conferences, and a portfolio of EU-funded research projects (YouTHink, MyHood, Business2030, HEAL, Wikideal). Its offerings are aimed at citizens, schools, SMEs, job seekers, and elderly populations across Switzerland and Europe, provided free of charge under Creative Commons licensing.
Is Ynternet.org a public or private company?
Ynternet.org is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ynternet.org founded?
Ynternet.org was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ynternet.org based?
Ynternet.org is headquartered in Carouge, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Ynternet.org make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are project Grants and institutional Support.
Who are Ynternet.org's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are e-Enfance, ALL DIGITAL, Free Software Foundation, Génération Numérique, Framasoft, Wikimedia France and Center for Media Literacy. Wikimedia Foundation is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Ynternet.org have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ynternet.org.