La Manivelle

What La Manivelle does

La Manivelle is a non-profit cooperative (Coopérative La Manivelle – Bibliothèque de Partage d'Objets) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, that operates Switzerland's first and largest object lending library. Founded in 2018 by an individual named Robert after bringing the concept from Canada, the cooperative allows members to borrow rather than purchase tools, equipment, and household objects, addressing overconsumption, household storage waste, and the environmental footprint of single-use purchases. Governance is provided by a board and members at the annual general meeting, with Philippe Nussbaum serving as Director and Arnaud Jolif as President.

The cooperative runs a catalog of 4,500+ items across DIY, kitchen, sport, events, travel, multimedia, electrical, cleaning, transport, and gardening categories, supported by five branches across Greater Geneva (Charmilles/MACO, Lancy, Meyrin, Pâquis, Thônex) and four partner pickup points (Comptoir immobilier, Foound, Meyrinroule, Katimavik). The underlying technology is the third-party MyTurn inventory management platform, which handles catalog browsing, reservations, and account management; the organization also operates a dedicated repair management system (atelierreparation.ch). Beyond lending, La Manivelle runs L'Atelier Réparation (a repair shop led by Yannick with an 80% repair success rate), a Pôle Formation training and professional reintegration center in partnership with PPE+, Travail+ (Armée du Salut), AI (Assurance Invalidité), and Hospice général, and PAMOS, a 1,200+-item scenic and performance objects library launched in June 2026.

La Manivelle generates revenue through annual Unlimited Borrowing Pass subscriptions, per-item borrowing fees, repair service charges (20 CHF estimate fee plus parts/labor), home delivery fees (free in Onex), grants, and donations; La Loterie Romande is named as a financial supporter. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer channels (branches, partner pickup points, home delivery) with a B2B2C Partner Pass program that sells annual access to companies, housing cooperatives, and associations for redistribution to their employees or members. The customer base is segmented horizontally into Geneva-area individuals and households (primary) and organizations purchasing Partner Passes (secondary), with annual Unlimited Pass pricing and per-item pricing structured to maximize accessibility rather than monetization.

Name

La Manivelle

Legal name

Coopérative La Manivelle – Bibliothèque de Partage d'Objets

Website

https://manivelle.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Manivelle is a Geneva-based non-profit cooperative operating Switzerland's first and largest object lending library, allowing members to borrow 4,500+ items across five branches. Revenue comes from annual subscription passes, per-item fees, repair services, home delivery, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Object Lending Library / Sharing Economy Services

NAICS

Home and Garden Equipment Repair and Maintenance (811411)

akta.pro primary industry

Parts Harvesting & Component Reuse (EUAIANAF)

Keywords

• Object lending library
• Sharing economy services
• Repair workshop services
• Professional reintegration training
• Circular economy cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Borrowing Passes (Unlimited Pass): Customers purchase a 1-year unlimited borrowing pass that allows them to borrow as many objects as they want from the catalog with no per-item rental charges. This is the primary revenue stream and operates on a subscription model.
2. Per-Item Borrowing: Individual items can be borrowed separately without a full Pass, providing a flexible, per-transaction revenue option for occasional users.
3. Repair Services: The Atelier Réparation charges 20 CHF for repair estimates. Actual repair costs depend on parts and labor. A 50 CHF deposit is required for large appliances.
4. Home Delivery: A paid delivery service is offered, with free delivery in Onex. Revenue from delivery fees supplements the membership/pass revenue.
5. Grants and Donations: La Manivelle is primarily funded through grants. Employee shares and financial donations from members and supporters provide supplementary income. La Loterie Romande is mentioned as a supporter.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

La Manivelle is a non-profit cooperative that lends a catalog of more than 4,500 everyday objects (tools, kitchen, sports, travel, gardening, cleaning, and event equipment) to members through an annual subscription Pass or per-item borrowing, with pickup at 5 branches and 4 partner locations across Greater Geneva. The cooperative also operates L'Atelier Réparation (a repair workshop with an 80% repair success rate), the Pôle Formation (a professional reintegration and training center), and PAMOS (a dedicated library of more than 1,200 stage and performance objects).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L'Atelier Réparation: A repair workshop service that repairs small appliances, DIY tools, luggage, and major appliances for both library items and personal objects. Managed by Yannick, the repair technician.
• Pôle Formation
• PAMOS

Products and services

• Object Lending Library Core lending service offering members access to a catalog of more than 4,500 everyday objects (DIY tools, kitchen equipment, sports gear, travel items, cleaning, gardening, multimedia, and event supplies) reserved through the MyTurn platform and picked up at any of 5 branches or 4 partner pickup points. Items are loaned for a default period of one week, with late fees of 1 CHF per day per item.
• Annual Borrowing Pass (1-Year Unlimited) Subscription product that grants the holder one year of unlimited borrowing from the 4,500+ object catalog with no per-item rental charges. Discounted rates are available for eligible members and dedicated Partner Pass rates are offered to organizations.
• Per-Item Borrowing Transactional borrowing option that lets customers borrow individual items from the catalog without purchasing a full Annual Pass, targeting occasional users who only need a single item (e.g., a screwdriver). Security deposits are required for certain specific items.
• L'Atelier Réparation (Repair Workshop) Repair service operated by Yannick that diagnoses faults, sources spare parts, and performs repairs on small appliances, DIY tools, luggage, and major appliances, both for La Manivelle's catalog and for individuals' personal items. Charges a 20 CHF fee for repair estimates and a 50 CHF deposit for large appliances, with an 80% repair success rate. Located at the Charmilles/MACO branch.
• Pôle Formation (Professional Reintegration Center) Training and professional reintegration program offering pathways to workforce re-entry through theory, supervised practical experience, and gradual empowerment, delivered in collaboration with PPE+, Travail+ (Armée du Salut), AI (Assurance Invalidité), and Hospice général. The program places trainees across operations, logistics, administration, and communication at La Manivelle.
• PAMOS (Performance and Stage Objects Library) Dedicated sub-library offering more than 1,200 stage and performance objects and scenic accessories for borrowing, targeting performers, event organizers, and stage productions. Operates as a separate device at the Charmilles site.
• Partner Pass Program B2B offering in which companies, housing cooperatives, associations, and other organizations purchase annual Partner Passes granting their employees, members, or residents direct access to the 4,500+ object catalog as a benefit, sustainability initiative, or community service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of items brought to the repair shop are successfully repaired, diverting them from waste.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PPE+ (Programme pour les Places d'Exercice et les Parcours d'Employabilité)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPE+ is a primary program partner for La Manivelle's training and professional reintegration center. The program places trainees at La Manivelle for work experience and skills development in operations, logistics, administration, and communication.
• Travail + (Armée du Salut)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravail + is a key program partner providing trainees for La Manivelle's reintegration and training center, supporting people in their return to employment through practical work experience.
• AI (Assurance Invalidité)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Swiss disability insurance (AI) refers and supports individuals who can benefit from La Manivelle's training programs as part of their professional rehabilitation measures.
• Hospice général (Geneva)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice général collaborates with La Manivelle on social insertion programs, referring individuals who can benefit from training and professional experience opportunities at the cooperative.
• Fondation Meyrinoise du CasinominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of free Repair Café events at the Meyrin branch. Provides support for community repair activities that complement La Manivelle's sustainability mission.
• Global Object Library NetworkminorOthersLa Manivelle is part of a global movement of more than 100 similar object library projects worldwide. The concept originated in Canada and has spread internationally.
• Comptoir immobilier (Thônex)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner pickup location for La Manivelle reservations in Thônex. Acts as a drop-off point for pre-reserved items.
• Foound - GrottesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner pickup location for La Manivelle reservations in the Grottes neighborhood of Geneva.
• MeyrinrouleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner pickup location for La Manivelle reservations in Meyrin, operated as part of the Genèveroule mobility network.
• Katimavik (Carouge)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner pickup location for La Manivelle reservations in Carouge, operated in connection with Trajets citizen mobility programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Peerby: Dutch-founded peer-to-peer platform for borrowing everyday items from neighbors. Comparable to La Manivelle in promoting access-over-ownership and reducing overconsumption, though Peerby operates a marketplace model rather than maintaining a centralized inventory.
• Repair Café International: Global foundation coordinating volunteer-led repair events where broken items are fixed free or at low cost. Closely aligned with La Manivelle's Atelier Réparation mission and 80% repair success rate, and with the cooperative's community Repair Cafés hosted at Meyrin and other branches.
• Fat Llama: UK-based peer-to-peer rental marketplace for cameras, tools, and other equipment. Overlaps with La Manivelle in circular-economy framing and tool/equipment lending use cases, with broader geographic ambition and venture backing.
• Berkeley Tool Lending Library: Public-library-operated tool lending service in Berkeley, California, lending a wide range of home and garden tools to residents. Comparable to La Manivelle in catalog breadth, lending-model economics, and community-sustainability mission.
• Hygglo: Swedish peer-to-peer rental marketplace for consumer goods, tools, and equipment. Similar sharing-economy positioning to La Manivelle but with a distributed asset model and digital-first booking flow rather than physical branches.
• Toronto Tool Library: Community-run tool lending library in Toronto offering members borrowing access to a catalog of hand and power tools. Closest operational analogue to La Manivelle: subscription-based lending, mission-driven non-profit structure, community workshops, and emphasis on reuse over ownership.

Emerging players

• Stuffstr: App-based circular-economy service that helps users resell, repair, or recycle idle household items. Adjacent to La Manivelle in promoting reuse and reducing overconsumption, but operating via a digital marketplace model rather than physical inventory.

Broad incumbents

• Grover: Berlin-headquartered consumer electronics and small-appliance subscription rental company. Comparable to La Manivelle in subscription-based access-over-ownership for physical goods, but with a much broader catalog focus on tech and venture-backed scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/manivelle.geneve
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-manivelle-gen%C3%A8ve
• Instagraminstagram.com/la.manivelle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 La Manivelle