What Antropia ESSEC does

Antropia ESSEC is a France-based non-profit accelerator for social associations and social enterprises, operational since 2008 and operated as the accelerator arm of ESSEC Business School's Centre Innovation Sociale et Ecologique. Headquartered on the ESSEC campus in Cergy-Pontoise, the organization runs a portfolio of stage-appropriate support programs — Start Up (model consolidation), Scale Up Entreprise and Scale Up Association (scaling strategy), Size Up (impact evaluation autonomy), and territorial programs (Expérimentation Val d'Oise, 100% Val d'Oise, Développement Cergy-Pontoise) — alongside thematic partnerships including the Epilogue program with Le Kiif (end-of-life innovations) and Territoires Nourriciers (food system transition), plus a new Intrapreneuriat offering targeting corporate intrapreneurs. A flagship co-branded annual prize, Prix 123 IM x Antropia ESSEC, is run with social investment fund 123 IM.

All programs are provided free of charge to entrepreneurs and are entirely financed by institutional and corporate partners, making the revenue model sponsor- and grant-funded rather than fee- or equity-based. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is human-led advisory and acceleration services delivered through cohorts, workshops, and community engagement. The organization serves social entrepreneurs, non-profit associations, Val d'Oise-based innovators, and (more recently) corporate intrapreneurs, with distribution driven by a direct website application process, partner referrals (Le Kiif, Makesense, Territoires Nourriciers, ESSEC ecosystem), and the 'Les Antropiens' alumni community. No revenue, headcount, funding rounds, or financial metrics are publicly disclosed.

Name

Antropia ESSEC

Legal name

Antropia ESSEC

Website

https://antropia.essec.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Antropia ESSEC is a France-based non-profit accelerator for social enterprises and associations, affiliated with ESSEC Business School since 2008. It delivers free, partner-funded stage-appropriate programs (Start Up, Scale Up, Size Up, territorial and thematic accelerators) to social entrepreneurs, with a deep focus on the Val d'Oise department.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Acceleration

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)

Keywords

• Social enterprise acceleration
• Entrepreneur support programs
• Impact evaluation consulting
• Nonprofit scaling advisory
• Social innovation incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Cergy-Pontoise

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partner-funded program delivery: Antropia ESSEC does not charge entrepreneurs for its acceleration programs. All programs are fully financed by institutional and corporate partners ('Les programmes sont entièrement financés par les partenaires d'Antropia ESSEC'). Revenue is derived from partner sponsorships and grants rather than client fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Antropia ESSEC runs free, partner-funded acceleration programs for social entrepreneurs and associations. Programs are organized by stage of development (Start Up, Scale Up Entreprise, Scale Up Association, Size Up) and by territory (Expérimentation Val d'Oise, 100% Val d'Oise, Développement Cergy-Pontoise), with additional specialized partnership programs (Epilogue, Territoires Nourriciers, Le Kiif) and an annual award with 123 IM. All programs are entirely financed by institutional and corporate partners, removing cost barriers for mission-driven ventures.

Product overview

Antropia ESSEC is an accelerator for social associations and social enterprises, operational since 2008. The offering consists of a unified platform of support programs organized by entrepreneur stage and territory. The core portfolio includes: Start Up (for early-stage entrepreneurs consolidating their model), Scale Up Entreprise and Scale Up Association (for growth-stage organizations), Size Up (for impact evaluation autonomy), and territorial programs (Expérimentation Val d'Oise, 100% Val d'Oise, Développement Cergy-Pontoise). Additional specialized programs include Intrapreneuriat, Le Kiif collective, Epilogue (end-of-life innovation), and Territoires Nourriciers (food transition). All programs are free for participants, fully funded by partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Programme Start Up Free acceleration program for early-stage social entrepreneurs to consolidate their business model and project 3 years ahead. Designed for founders of social enterprises seeking to solidify their dual social/environmental/economic mission.
• Programme Scale Up Entreprise Free acceleration program for social enterprises seeking to define a scaling strategy aimed at maximizing their social impact.
• Programme Scale Up Association Free acceleration program tailored for non-profit associations to define their scaling strategy and increase their social impact.
• Programme Size Up Free program enabling social organizations to become autonomous in their social impact evaluation process, including developing a theory of change and impact measurement methodology.
• Programme Expérimentation Val d'Oise Free program supporting entrepreneurs and innovators in developing and testing social or environmental innovation projects within the Val d'Oise department, co-developed with local territorial institutions.
• Programme 100% Val d'Oise Free program to strengthen the economic model and impact of social solutions originating from the Val d'Oise department.
• Programme Développement Cergy-Pontoise Free development program tailored to social projects located in the Cergy-Pontoise territory.
• Programme Intrapreneuriat Free program supporting intrapreneurship, helping employees and organizations develop innovative social or environmental projects from within.
• Epilogue Free partnership acceleration program accelerating social innovations addressing people in mourning, inclusive funeral practices, and end-of-life issues. Co-developed with the Collectif Le Kiif.
• Territoires Nourriciers Free partnership acceleration program accelerating solutions for the agricultural and food system transition. Co-developed with the Territoires Nourriciers collective.
• Prix 123 IM x Antropia ESSEC Annual partnership prize organized with 123 IM (a social investment fund) recognizing high-potential social enterprises through financial recognition and acceleration support.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESSEC Business School (Centre Innovation Sociale et Ecologique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntropia ESSEC is the accelerator arm of the ESSEC Business School's Centre Innovation Sociale et Ecologique. ESSEC provides institutional backing, academic credibility, infrastructure (campus in Cergy-Pontoise), and access to its broader innovation and alumni network.
• Collectif Le KiifcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Kiif is a collective focused on social innovation in the Val d'Oise region. Antropia ESSEC co-hosts the 'Epilogue' program (accelerating social innovations for bereavement, inclusive funeral practices, and end-of-life) and cross-references Le Kiif as a key community partner.
• Territoires NourricierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerritoires Nourriciers is a collective accelerating solutions for agricultural and food system transition. Antropia ESSEC partners on this program as part of its 'Accompagnements en partenariat' (partnership support) offerings, targeting food system innovators.
• MakesenseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMakesense, a social entrepreneurship platform, hosts the 'Nous rejoindre' (Join us) job board for Antropia ESSEC, facilitating talent acquisition for the organization and its community of entrepreneurs.
• Val d'Oise territorial institutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAntropia ESSEC has a deep territorial partnership with institutions and stakeholders in the Val d'Oise department. Dedicated programs — Expérimentation Val d'Oise, 100% Val d'Oise, and the Cartographie des projets à impact de Cergy-Pontoise — are co-developed with local territorial actors to foster social innovation and local economic development.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Le Mouvement Associatif: French federation representing and supporting the associative sector through advocacy and resources. Adjacent as a sector-support organization serving the same non-profit/association constituency that Antroia ESSEC accelerates.
• BNP Paribas Le Tremplin: Corporate-backed French accelerator program supporting diverse entrepreneurs, operated by a major French bank. Thematically related as a French acceleration entity, but generalist in scope rather than social-economy-focused.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global network supporting leading social entrepreneurs with fellowships, programs, and resources across multiple countries, including a strong France presence. Broader geographic scope but directly comparable in social enterprise acceleration mission.
• Yunus Social Business: Global organization promoting social business and supporting social enterprises aligned with the Mohammad Yunus social business model. Broader geographic reach but directly relevant in social enterprise acceleration.
• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused innovation hubs providing acceleration, coworking, and community for social entrepreneurs, with established Paris presence. Broader network but offers comparable acceleration services to social enterprises.
• France Active: Major French organization providing financing and support to social enterprises, associations, and social innovation initiatives. Broader in funding scope but operates in the same social economy acceleration space in France.
• Enactus: Global student organization promoting social entrepreneurship through university-based programs and competitions, with active France operations. Broader network but adjacent in social enterprise education and acceleration.

Direct peers

• Avise: French organization supporting the social economy through consulting, training, and acceleration services for social enterprises. Directly comparable in mission, French geographic scope, and acceleration/incubation service model.
• Makesense: French social entrepreneurship community that supports social entrepreneurs through programs, events, and an online platform. Directly comparable as a France-based non-profit social enterprise accelerator with a community-led GTM motion.
• La Ruche (Ecosystem): French network of social and impact-focused coworking and acceleration spaces serving social entrepreneurs. Comparable as a French non-profit/impact-oriented acceleration entity operating community-driven programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/antropia.essec
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/antropia-essec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Antropia ESSEC