Association AVANE

What Association AVANE does

Association AVANE is a French nonprofit organization (association loi 1901) founded in January 2024 and headquartered in Montauban, France. It is dedicated to helping victims of unsolved criminal cases — referred to as cold cases — by providing free expert case file review, legal guidance, and procedural support. The organization serves victims of unsolved crimes and their families as its primary constituency, with secondary engagement from legal and forensic professionals, criminology students, and cold case enthusiasts. AVANE does not conduct new investigations; instead, it works in collaboration with police and judicial services at the request of victims to reopen stalled inquiries.

The association's core technical asset is the Interactive Cold Case Map and accompanying cold case list database, which catalog unsolved criminal cases and disappearances across France, Belgium, and Switzerland (with Spain and Italy also referenced). This web-based platform is paired with a formal victim case submission service, expert dossier review by volunteer forensic and legal professionals, legal rights information resources, and a referral network connecting victims with criminal defense attorneys. The association also runs academic research partnerships that place students on cold case thesis projects. Strategic partners include AMBER ALERT EUROPE (cross-border missing children and cold cases), LOCATE INTERNATIONAL (UK-based missing persons charity), and CyberNeTic (OSINT and digital investigation support).

AVANE operates a community-led, volunteer-driven model with 95 active volunteers and 60 paying members as of 2024. Its revenue derives from €30 annual membership fees and tax-deductible donations (66% deduction for French taxpayers due to public utility recognition). The organization is led by President Benoît de MAILLARD alongside a vice-president, treasurer, and four pole managers covering victims, experts, communications, and criminal memory. Activities are conducted primarily remotely via video calls and telephone, with the first disclosed paid operational hire (a part-time executive assistant) announced in August 2025.

Name

Association AVANE

Legal name

Association Avane

Website

https://association-avane.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Association AVANE is a French nonprofit founded in 2024 that helps victims of unsolved criminal cases through free expert case file review by volunteer forensic and legal professionals, supported by an interactive cross-border cold case database and a referral network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Victim Support Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer Rights & Public Interest Advocacy (BPAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Cold case assistance
• Victim support services
• Unsolved crime review
• Forensic case analysis
• Legal aid referrals

Headquarters

HQ city

Montauban

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees of 30 euros from members supporting the association's mission to help victims of unsolved crimes.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations (66% tax deduction for French taxpayers) supporting the association's operations and cold case investigations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association AVANE is a French nonprofit association that helps victims of unsolved crimes (cold cases) by providing free expert case-file reviews, legal rights guidance, and connections to criminal-law specialists. It maintains a public interactive map and database of unsolved cases across France, Belgium, and Switzerland, and supports cross-border investigations through partnerships with international organizations.

Product overview

Association AVANE is a non-profit organization (association loi 1901) dedicated to helping victims of unsolved crimes (cold cases). The organization operates a portfolio of services including an interactive map database of cold cases in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy, a victim intake and case submission service, expert dossier review by forensic and legal professionals, legal rights education, and a lawyer referral network. The association also partners with international organizations (LOCATE INTERNATIONAL, AMBER ALERT EUROPE, CyberNeTic) for cross-border investigations and OSINT support. Volunteer experts in fields including forensic science, digital forensics, legal practice, and investigative journalism provide pro bono assistance. Most association activities are conducted remotely via video calls and telephone.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interactive Map of Cold Cases A publicly accessible interactive map cataloguing unsolved criminal cases and missing persons across France, Belgium, and Switzerland, enabling victims, families, researchers, and the public to search and consult documented cold cases.
• Cold Case List Database

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• LOCATE INTERNATIONALcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024LOCATE INTERNATIONAL is a UK-registered charity dedicated to locating missing persons and identifying unidentified individuals. The partnership enables both organizations to pursue investigations abroad when necessary, combining expertise, resources, and passion for solving long-standing cases.
• CyberNeTic ProjectsupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2024CyberNeTic specializes in combating cybercrime and online violence, recognized for its commitment to a safer and more ethical digital society. The partnership strengthens victim support by providing advanced digital investigation techniques including OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) to exploit online digital data for cold case investigations.
• AMBER ALERT EUROPEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024AMBER ALERT EUROPE is a European foundation created in 2013 dedicated to better coordination and cooperation in cross-border searches for missing children. The partnership allows Association AVANE to participate in the 9th International Cold Case Analysis Project (ICCAP), bringing together students worldwide to analyze cold cases. The collaboration strengthens efforts in the fight against unsolved cases.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LOCATE INTERNATIONAL: UK-registered charity dedicated to locating missing persons and identifying unidentified individuals. Direct peer — AVANE has formalized a partnership with them in December 2024 and both serve the same victim/family constituency with cross-border case support.
• The Charley Project: US-based volunteer-run cold case database cataloging missing persons and unsolved cases. Closely comparable in mission and product (public-facing cold case database and volunteer-driven research) albeit with a US-only geographic scope.
• The Doe Network: International volunteer organization focused on identifying unidentified persons and resolving cold cases. Functionally similar to AVANE — relies on volunteer investigators and public case databases to coordinate on long-standing unsolved cases.
• AMBER ALERT EUROPE: European foundation coordinating cross-border searches for missing children. Direct peer — AVANE partnered with them in September 2024 and both operate at the intersection of missing-persons investigations, victim support, and cross-border case work across Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Missing Children Europe: European federation of missing-children NGOs. Comparable cross-border victim advocacy mandate within Europe, but is a federation of organizations rather than a grassroots case-review entity.
• International Commission on Missing Persons: Intergovernmental organization addressing missing persons from conflict, human rights abuses, and criminal cases. Comparable in cross-border missing-person mandate but operates as a treaty-based institution rather than a volunteer-driven NGO.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children: Large US-based nonprofit with a broader mandate covering missing and exploited children. Comparable mission in missing-child and victim advocacy but operates at materially greater scale and resources than AVANE.

Regional players

• Black and Missing Foundation: US-based nonprofit focused on missing persons of color and underserved communities. Comparable victim advocacy and awareness mandate, but operates in a different geography and is more media/PR-oriented than case-review oriented.

Emerging players

• CyberNeTic: French organization specializing in combating cybercrime and online violence, providing AVANE with OSINT support. An adjacent technology partner rather than direct cold case peer, but relevant as a tactical ally for digital investigation capability.
• Resolve (UK cold case advocacy): UK-based volunteer organization advocating for unresolved murder cases. Comparable grassroots volunteer-driven cold case advocacy model, though smaller and more UK-focused than AVANE's multi-country footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-avane

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association AVANE