Eusko
Eusko is a non-profit local complementary currency for the Northern Basque Country, operating at euro parity across 158 communes and serving 1,400+ businesses, 40 municipalities, and thousands of individual users via banknotes, debit cards, and a mobile app.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBayonne, Pays Basque, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Eusko does
Eusko is a French local complementary currency (monnaie locale complémentaire, MLC) launched on 31 January 2013 by the non-profit association Euskal Moneta, headquartered in Bayonne (Baiona), Pays Basque. It operates at parity with the euro (1 eusko = 1 euro) and circulates exclusively within the 158 communes of the Communauté d'Agglomération Pays Basque in Northern Basque Country. The association employs 12 salaried staff and is governed by its members through annual general assemblies.
The product surface consists of physical banknotes (denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 eusko) distributed through 27+ exchange offices, a digital online account system (Mon Compte) launched in 2017, the euskokart debit card, and the euskopay mobile payment application launched in 2020. A geolocated Annuaire directory lists 1,400+ network members. The currency's purpose is multi-mission: relocalizing economic activity, financing environmental projects via a guarantee fund placed at ethical banks (La Nef, Crédit Coopératif, Caisse Solidaire), and promoting the Basque language (euskara) through bilingual communication and professional challenges.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) annual professional membership fees scaled by employee count, paid by 1,400+ businesses, associations, and local authorities; (2) population-based municipal contributions from 40 communes plus the CAPB intercommunal body; and (3) a 5% commission on eusko-to-euro conversions, which incentivizes local recirculation (56% of professionals have taken new local suppliers to avoid this fee) and partially funds the Don 3% mechanism that channels 3% of every euro-to-eusko exchange to a member-selected association. Branded merchandise sales through Eusko Denda provide ancillary revenue.
Eusko firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eusko
- Legal name
- Association Euskal Moneta – Monnaie locale du Pays Basque
- Website
- https://euskalmoneta.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Eusko is a non-profit local complementary currency for the Northern Basque Country, operating at euro parity across 158 communes and serving 1,400+ businesses, 40 municipalities, and thousands of individual users via banknotes, debit cards, and a mobile app.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eusko industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Complementary Currency
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Green/Ethical/Sustainable Neobanks (FSABAFAI)
Keywords
Where Eusko is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bayonne, Pays Basque
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Eusko business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Commission on Eusko-to-Euro Conversion: When professionals convert their eusko back to euros, a 5% commission is charged. This commission funds the Don 3% donations to associations and operational costs. 56% of the 1400 professionals have taken on new local suppliers to avoid this fee, creating an estimated 500+ new commercial relationships in the territory.
- Professional Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from the 1400+ businesses, associations, and professionals in the network. Fees are scaled by number of employees.
- Municipal/Collectivity Membership Fees: Local government annual fees calculated at €0.14 per inhabitant up to 5,000, then €0.06 per additional inhabitant. Includes a free conversion allowance equal to 10x the membership fee.
- Eusko Denda Online Store: Sale of branded merchandise including foulards, tote bags, t-shirts, porte-clés, and Eusko Kutx wallets. Supports the local economy by working with network businesses for production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Members - Free Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Professional Network - Annual Fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Collectivités Locales - Population-Based Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Eusko to Euro Conversion |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Don 3% Mechanism |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Eusko product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eusko is a local complementary currency (monnaie locale complémentaire) of the Northern Basque Country, managed by the non-profit Association Euskal Moneta. The currency circulates at parity with the euro (1 eusko = 1 euro) in both physical form (banknotes of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 eusko distributed through 27+ bureaux de change) and digital form (Mon Compte online accounts, Euskokart debit cards, and Euskopay mobile payment application). A 5% commission on eusko-to-euro conversions funds the Don 3% donation mechanism to local associations and incentivizes local spending.
Product overview
Eusko is a local complementary currency (MLC) managed by the association Euskal Moneta, launched in January 2013 for the Northern Basque Country. The core product is the Eusko currency itself, which circulates in physical form as banknotes (1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 denominations) available at 27 exchange offices, and in digital form through the online account system (Mon Compte) with the associated Euskokart payment card and the Euskopay mobile payment application. The product portfolio also includes Eusko Denda, an online merchandise store selling branded items, and Eusko Eguna, an annual festive event celebrating the local currency. Together, these products form an ecosystem designed to relocalize the economy, support the ecological transition, and promote the Basque language (euskara).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Euskopay: Mobile payment application launched in 2020 allowing users to pay with eusko using their phone.
- Euskokart
- Eusko Denda
Products and services
- Eusko local currency Local complementary currency (monnaie locale complémentaire) of the Northern Basque Country, operating at parity with the euro (1 eusko = 1 euro) across 158 communes of the Communauté d'Agglomération Pays Basque. Used by individuals, businesses, associations, and local authorities.
- Eusko physical banknotes Paper currency in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 eusko, distributed through a network of 27+ exchange offices (bureaux de change) throughout the Northern Basque Country.
- Mon Compte online account Online account system launched in 2017 allowing members to exchange euros for eusko, credit their accounts, and manage their currency holdings digitally.
- Euskokart debit card Payment card linked to the Mon Compte online account, enabling holders to make purchases at participating network businesses using the eusko currency.
- Euskopay mobile payment application Mobile payment application launched in 2020 allowing users to pay for purchases directly from their phones using the eusko local currency at participating merchants.
- Eusko Denda online store
Quantifiable outcome
- 470,000+ eusko donated to 70 associations since 2013
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Eusko
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Eusko technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Eusko partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and minor.
- Communauté d'Agglomération Pays Basque (CAPB)coreThe main intercommunal body of the Northern Basque Country is a member of the Eusko network and uses the currency for collections and payments, validating the currency at the territorial level.
- Office Public de Langue Basque (OPLB/EuZko)corePartnership providing free bilingual translation services to network professionals for their signage, supporting the euskara revitalization mission of the Eusko.
- PlazaraimportantCollective promoting Basque language in commerce. Joint workshops (Hitzorduak) to help businesses implement bilingual French/Basque signage, aligned with Eusko's linguistic mission.
- Bil ta GarbiminorWaste management syndicate for the Basque Country. Participates in Eusko Eguna with waste sorting and recycling awareness activities.
- Les Carrioles VertesminorAssociation promoting local composting solutions. Participates in Eusko Eguna with composting awareness activities.
- RESAKminorAssociation fighting plastic pollution on the Basque-Landes coast by transforming waste into design objects. Listed in Eusko's gift guide and participates in Eusko Eguna.
- K-CaravaneminorCollects urine from dry toilets at Eusko Eguna to create fertilizer for the brewing sector in partnership with Laborantza Ganbara.
- AEKimportantOrganization running Korrika, the relay race promoting Basque language and funding Basque language courses. Eusko participates in Korrika events.
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine RegionminorRegional council supporting local complementary currency initiatives in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
- Katxi KlothingminorLocal clothing brand collaborating on branded merchandise (t-shirts, tote bags) sold at Eusko Denda. Graphism by Clara Lauga YOUKA featuring Amalur.
- Skandal ImpressionminorScreen printing workshop in Anglet that produces Eusko's collaborative merchandise (t-shirts, accessories).
- MintzairaminorLocal organization referenced as a partner in the footer of the Eusko website.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Eusko competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chiemgauer: German regional complementary currency operating in the Chiemgau region of Bavaria since 2003. Closely comparable to Eusko as a long-running local MLC with banknotes, digital infrastructure, a directory of accepting businesses, and conversion commission funding regional associations.
- Banco Palmas: Brazilian community bank issuing the Palmas local currency in low-income districts of Fortaleza. Comparable to Eusko as a complementary currency tied to local economic development, though focused on financial inclusion rather than cultural/linguistic identity.
- Bristol Pound: UK local complementary currency launched in 2012 to support Bristol's independent businesses. Directly comparable to Eusko as a city/regional currency combining physical notes, digital payments, and a network of accepting merchants with social and environmental missions.
- BerkShares: US regional local currency circulating in the Berkshire region of Massachusetts since 2006. Comparable to Eusko as a paper-based MLC backed by local banks with a directory of accepting merchants and a community mission.
- Sardex: Sardinian business-to-business complementary currency network. Comparable to Eusko as a regional currency platform with a strong professional-merchant base and a focus on local economic circulation, though it is digital-only and B2B-focused.
- Ithaca HOURS: One of the longest-running US local currencies, operating in Ithaca, NY since 1991. Comparable to Eusko as a community-led MLC with physical banknotes, a directory of participating businesses, and a local-economy revitalization mission.
Emerging players
- Institut des Monnaies Locales: Federating network for French complementary currencies, referenced by Eusko itself. Comparable as a coordination body for the broader French MLC movement of which Eusko is the pioneering member.
Broad incumbents
- La Nef: French ethical cooperative bank and financial partner of Eusko (holds the guarantee fund). Comparable as a values-aligned financial institution serving the local economy and ethical-banking ecosystem in France.
- WIR Bank: Swiss cooperative bank operating the WIR complementary currency for SMEs since 1934. Comparable to Eusko as a long-established complementary currency institution, though operating at much larger scale as a regulated bank rather than a non-profit association.
- Crédit Coopératif: French cooperative bank focused on social economy, associations, and sustainable development. Comparable as an ethical financial institution supporting Eusko's guarantee fund and a partner in the local/alternative-economy ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eusko social profiles
Digital presenceEusko financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eusko leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Eusko funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eusko 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 Eusko
What does Eusko do?
Eusko is a local complementary currency (monnaie locale complémentaire) of the Northern Basque Country, managed by the non-profit Association Euskal Moneta. The currency circulates at parity with the euro (1 eusko = 1 euro) in both physical form (banknotes of 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 eusko distributed through 27+ bureaux de change) and digital form (Mon Compte online accounts, Euskokart debit cards, and Euskopay mobile payment application). A 5% commission on eusko-to-euro conversions funds the Don 3% donation mechanism to local associations and incentivizes local spending.
Is Eusko a public or private company?
Eusko is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Eusko founded?
Eusko was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Eusko based?
Eusko is headquartered in Bayonne, Pays Basque, France, in the Europe region.
How does Eusko make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Commission on Eusko-to-Euro Conversion is the primary driver. The others are professional Membership Fees, municipal/Collectivity Membership Fees and eusko Denda Online Store.
Who are Eusko's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chiemgauer, Banco Palmas, Bristol Pound, BerkShares, Sardex and Ithaca HOURS. Institut des Monnaies Locales is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are La Nef, WIR Bank and Crédit Coopératif.
Does Eusko have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eusko.
What industry is Eusko in?
Eusko's product category is Local Complementary Currency. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSABAFAI, Green/Ethical/Sustainable Neobanks. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6199.