Social Trade Organisation
Social Trade Organisation (STRO) is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops the Cyclos payment software and 'Social Trade Methodology' to enable municipalities, SMEs, community banks and cooperatives to run local and circular money systems across Europe, Latin America, and beyond.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Social Trade Organisation does
Social Trade Organisation (Stichting STRO) is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 1970 and headquartered in Utrecht, with staff distributed across the Netherlands, Uruguay, Brazil and Italy (11-50 employees). Its mission is to develop monetary innovations that enable local economies to retain and recirculate money, addressing what STRO characterizes as the systemic scarcity of money in regions caused by leakage to financial markets and interest-bearing debt.
STRO's core technology asset is Cyclos, a proprietary payment software platform that supports digital payments via internet, apps, bank cards, SMS and mobile applications, and is engineered for local, circular and complementary-currency use cases rather than general retail payments. Cyclos is used both by community-currency networks (United Economy, MokumPay, Eusko, Sardex, Tradaq) and by mainstream banks as ordinary payment infrastructure; STRO also runs a free Cyclos4Communities tier to lower adoption barriers for new initiatives. Around the software, STRO has codified the 'Social Trade Methodology' and 'Social Trade Booster approach,' documented across 56 years of implementations and published in books such as 'Making Money Virtuous' and 'De Koop Lokaal Booster.'
Revenue is generated primarily through tax-deductible donations (STRO holds ANBI status), bequests, sales of physical and digital publications via its own webshop, and undisclosed Cyclos licensing/services income. Distribution is community-led via showcase pilots, volunteer advocates, free online courses, newsletters and a 'Comité van Aanbeveling' of senior endorsers, supplemented by direct sales for Cyclos implementations and e-commerce for publications. Customer segments span municipalities (Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Sint-Niklaas), SMEs participating in circular money networks, community banks and cooperatives in Latin America (Banco Palmas, Honduras and Costa Rica cooperatives), and fairtrade organizations (SEKEM in Egypt).
Social Trade Organisation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Social Trade Organisation
- Legal name
- Stichting Social Trade Organisation
- Website
- https://socialtrade.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Social Trade Organisation (STRO) is a Dutch non-profit foundation that develops the Cyclos payment software and 'Social Trade Methodology' to enable municipalities, SMEs, community banks and cooperatives to run local and circular money systems across Europe, Latin America, and beyond.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Social Trade Organisation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative Payment Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Payment Gateways & Orchestration (BPAMAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF), Payouts, Disbursements & Mass Payments Infrastructure (FSAGABAN)
Keywords
Where Social Trade Organisation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Social Trade Organisation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and charitable contributions: STRO is an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling — Public Benefit Organisation) recognized by the Dutch tax authorities. Donations are tax-deductible. STRO actively solicits donations via iDEAL, bank transfer (Triodos), SEPA direct debit, and periodic gift agreements. Donations can also be made in circular euros via United Economy.
- Legacies and bequests: STRO accepts bequests and legacies through testament (legaat or erfstelling). As a public benefit organisation, no inheritance tax is due on bequests to STRO.
- Publications and books sales: STRO sells physical books and publications through its webshop (e.g., 'Making Money Virtuous' at €19.95, 'De Koop Lokaal Booster' at €19.95, 'Hoe kun je de lucht bezitten?' at €19.95, smaller titles at €4.50–€5.00). An ebook version of 'De Koop Lokaal Booster' is available for a voluntary contribution of €0–€10.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Major publications (physical) |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | De Koop Lokaal Booster e-book |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Making Money Virtuous hard copy |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Social Trade Organisation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Social Trade Organisation (STRO) develops and operates the Cyclos fintech payment software platform, which enables digital transactions (internet, apps, bank cards, SMS, mobile) and is purpose-built to power local and circular money systems. STRO also produces and sells educational publications — including the book 'Making Money Virtuous' and the 'De Koop Lokaal Booster' guide — that explain its Social Trade Methodology for municipalities, SMEs, and individuals. Its flagship initiative is the Cyclos platform, complemented by showcase networks such as United Economy, MokumPay, and the Utrechtse Euro.
Product overview
Social Trade Organisation (STRO) offers a portfolio of products centered on its core fintech payment platform Cyclos and educational publications. Cyclos is a payment software enabling digital transactions via internet, apps, bankcards, SMS and mobile applications, powering local and circular money networks like United Economy and MokumPay. Complementing the software are publications including 'Making Money Virtuous' (explaining how to make money work for local communities), 'De Koop Lokaal Booster' (guide for municipalities on local purchasing), and various books on monetary alternatives and economic philosophy. The product suite is designed to facilitate the Social Trade Booster approach to making money work more intensively for local/regional communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cyclos: Open-source payment platform developed by STRO enabling community-focused monetary systems. Used by millions of people worldwide including major banks.
- United Economy
- MokumPay
- Utrechtse Euro
- De Koop Lokaal Booster
Products and services
- Cyclos STRO's proprietary fintech payment software platform enabling digital transactions via internet, apps, bank cards, SMS, and mobile applications. Purpose-built with innovative features that alter the characteristics of money (interest-free credit, faster circulation, local retention) to power local and circular money systems for communities, banks, telecom companies, municipalities, and SMEs.
- Making Money Virtuous STRO's flagship publication — a book explaining how money flowing into financial markets causes scarcity in regions and how local communities can build wealth collaboratively by increasing money circulation within their own communities. Available as a free PDF/e-pub download and as a paperback (€19.95). Targeted at general readers interested in alternative monetary systems.
- MokumPay Local payment system for the Amsterdam Nieuw-West district, enabling residents and businesses to make local payments and strengthen the local economy. Built on the Cyclos platform as part of STRO's Social Trade Methodology.
- United Economy Circular money network connecting approximately 2,000 entrepreneurs and individuals in the Netherlands, facilitating local economic circulation through circular euro transactions powered by the Cyclos platform.
- De Koop Lokaal Booster Guidebook helping Dutch municipalities, local authorities, and businesses implement local purchasing strategies to support small businesses and strengthen the local economy. Available in print (€19.95) and ebook (voluntary contribution €0–€10) editions.
- Over een ander soort geld Book featuring an interview with Henk van Arkel about breakthroughs in money and banking systems that serve human and environmental interests, sold for €19.95.
- Hoe kun je de lucht bezitten? Book containing three versions of Chief Seattle's famous speech on indigenous perspectives on humans and the environment, illustrated and sold for €19.95.
- Het wondereiland Barataria Dutch translation of Silvio Gesell's story about an island with innovative economic systems, illustrating how money types play a key role in the economy. Sold for €4.50.
- Naar een filosofie van verbondenheid Book exploring ecological paradigm shifts and how changing underlying conditions (such as money systems) can transform society. Sold for €4.50.
- Bolderende Korhoenders Collection of bird stories by Guus Peterse, a STRO staff member, about nature observation and freedom of thought. Sold for €4.50.
- Voor hetzelfde geld Book by Henk van Arkel and Guus Peterse on how money directs the world and what alternatives exist. Sold for €5.00.
- Muntstickers Pack of 20 'Buy Local' coin stickers in various languages for promoting local currency initiatives. Sold for €1.00.
Quantifiable outcome
- Development money achieves 3× the impact using the Banco Palmas/Fomento approach in Brazil
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Social Trade Organisation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Social Trade Organisation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Social Trade Organisation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Stichting Ons GeldcoreDutch foundation with which STRO collaborates on developing a cooperative credit institution based on circular money. Also collaborated on fairer and more sustainable monetary systems.
- Dutch Universities and Universities of Applied SciencescoreEight Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences sought collaboration with STRO to support four circular money initiatives. This reflects growing academic interest in STRO's monetary innovations.
- Santa Coloma de Gramanet (Spain)flagshipSpanish municipality near Barcelona that, as part of the European Digipay4growth project (2013–2016) initiated by STRO, developed the Grama local currency to give its expenditures more impact for small local companies. The municipality directed 1 million in support (including monthly payments to low-income citizens) in Grama.
- United EconomycoreUnited Economy is STRO's own circular money project in the Netherlands, a large cooperative network of individuals and companies working on the transition to a sustainable and social world. 2000 entrepreneurs and individuals participate. The network uses Cyclos for its circular euro transactions.
- Sardex (Sardinia, Italy)coreRegional mutual credit system in Sardinia, Italy, using Cyclos. Sardex was a partner in the European Digipay4growth project (2013–2016) initiated by STRO. Sardex passed 500 million in cumulative transactions and supported small businesses during COVID. STRO and Sardex remain strongly connected.
- Eusko (French Basque Province)coreLocal complementary currency in the French Basque province. One of the largest local currencies in Europe with nearly 2 million in circulation by mid-2020. Uses Cyclos for its payment infrastructure.
- Tradaq (Brazil)coreLarge-scale local currency network in Brazil, building on the Banco Palmas community bank model. Uses Cyclos. Active in Brazil on a larger scale than Punto Transacciones in El Salvador.
- Banco Palmas (Brazil)coreCommunity bank in Fortaleza, Brazil. STRO's work with Banco Palmas (from 2003, Fomento approach) demonstrated that development money can have 3× the impact. The Banco Palmas model inspired the C3 network approach and has been replicated as 'Community Banks' across Brazil.
- Cooperatives in Honduras and Costa RicacoreCooperatives using the C3 (Consumer and Company Network) approach — internal settlement between participating companies where almost no interest-bearing money is needed. These cooperatives need far less influx of outside money.
- Cyclos4CommunitiescoreFree tier within the Cyclos platform allowing new initiatives to freely run their networks. Serves as the entry point for community and local currency projects to adopt the Cyclos platform.
- SEKEM (Egypt)coreEgyptian fairtrade organisation that uses the Cyclos payment software developed by STRO. Supports fairtrade transactions and supply chains in Egypt.
- Sint-Niklaas (Belgium)coreBelgian municipality that selected Cyclos, the payment software developed by STRO, as the best program for its local currency initiative.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Social Trade Organisation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chiemgauer: Regional complementary currency in the Chiemgau region of Germany. Direct competitor in the European local-currency space, though running on different rails — useful for sizing the addressable market.
- SEKEM: Egyptian fairtrade/development organization using Cyclos for fairtrade payment support. Comparable as a values-aligned, mission-driven customer running Cyclos for non-Western emerging-market use cases.
- WIR Bank: Switzerland's century-old WIR Economic Circle Cooperative — a complementary currency clearing system for SMEs. Closest large-scale, mature peer in the complementary-currency space and a natural benchmark for what a long-running alternative-currency infrastructure looks like at scale.
- Eusko: Local complementary currency of the French Basque Country, using Cyclos as its payment infrastructure. Reached ~€2M in circulation by mid-2020, making it one of Europe's largest active local currencies — directly comparable in mission and tech stack.
- BerkShares: Local currency in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts, USA. Closest US analogue to STRO's United Economy network in design and community-banking mission.
- Sardex: Sardinian mutual-credit B2B network running on Cyclos. STRO and Sardex were both partners in the EU Digipay4growth project (2013–2016); Sardex surpassed €500M cumulative transactions and is the flagship commercial proof point of the Cyclos platform.
- Banco Palmas: Community development bank in Fortaleza, Brazil, whose 'Palmas' social currency and C3 network approach was co-developed with STRO from 2003. Provides the foundational case study for STRO's methodology and the 3x development-money impact claim.
- Tradaq: Brazilian local-currency network built on the Banco Palmas model and powered by Cyclos. Functions as STRO's direct customer/partner in Brazil and a live LATAM deployment of the same playbook.
Broad incumbents
- Ripple Labs: Enterprise-grade cross-border payment and digital-asset infrastructure provider. Not a local-currency competitor, but a benchmark for what a scaled, venture-backed payment-rails company looks like in terms of global bank distribution.
- Circle: USDC stablecoin issuer and digital-dollar payments infrastructure. Useful as a broader-payments peer that has successfully bridged regulated fintech rails with community/mission-driven use cases at scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Social Trade Organisation social profiles
Digital presenceSocial Trade Organisation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Social Trade Organisation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Social Trade Organisation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Social Trade Organisation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Social Trade Organisation 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 Social Trade Organisation
What does Social Trade Organisation do?
Social Trade Organisation (STRO) develops and operates the Cyclos fintech payment software platform, which enables digital transactions (internet, apps, bank cards, SMS, mobile) and is purpose-built to power local and circular money systems. STRO also produces and sells educational publications — including the book 'Making Money Virtuous' and the 'De Koop Lokaal Booster' guide — that explain its Social Trade Methodology for municipalities, SMEs, and individuals. Its flagship initiative is the Cyclos platform, complemented by showcase networks such as United Economy, MokumPay, and the Utrechtse Euro.
Is Social Trade Organisation a public or private company?
Social Trade Organisation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Social Trade Organisation founded?
Social Trade Organisation was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Social Trade Organisation based?
Social Trade Organisation is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Social Trade Organisation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and charitable contributions are the primary driver. The others are legacies and bequests and publications and books sales.
Who are Social Trade Organisation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chiemgauer, SEKEM, WIR Bank, Eusko, BerkShares, Sardex, Banco Palmas and Tradaq. Broad incumbents are Ripple Labs and Circle.
Does Social Trade Organisation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Social Trade Organisation.
What industry is Social Trade Organisation in?
Social Trade Organisation's product category is Alternative Payment Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAFAA, Payment Gateways & Orchestration, with a secondary code of FSAGAAAF, Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.