Fairness
Fairness is a Paris-based worker cooperative of about 10-12 members that delivers responsible web and mobile development, eco-design audits, and training to French enterprises, public agencies, and associations. Its methodology centers on CNumR-aligned ecodesign, accessibility, and software craftsmanship for clients such as Radio France, SNCF, and ADEME.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersParis, Île-de-France, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Fairness does
Fairness is a Paris-based worker cooperative (SCOP/SARL) founded in 2016 and rebranded from Elao Paris in October 2019, operating with approximately 10 to 12 cooperators. It provides three interconnected service lines: responsible web and mobile application development, technical and eco-design audits, and training and awareness programs on responsible digital practices (including Symfony, Node.js, and the Fresque du numérique workshop). Service delivery is grounded in Domain-Driven Design, hexagonal architecture, software craftsmanship, and a CNumR-aligned methodology that applies 115 best practices for ecodesign, RGAA 4.1 accessibility, and GDPR-compliant ethics.
The technology stack is mainstream full-stack web and mobile: PHP/Symfony, NestJS, Svelte, React, Node.js, Flutter, Python, TypeScript, and PostgreSQL. Notable engineering work includes a Svelte migration for Radio France that reduced roughly 29,000 lines of React code to about 8,000 lines of Svelte and shortened development cycles from two months to two weeks. The firm also maintains the Permacoop open-source ERP for cooperatives on its GitHub, signaling reusable internal IP beyond pure services.
Commercially, Fairness runs a project-based and retainer professional services model with multi-year contracts and quote-driven pricing, sold primarily through direct client engagement and partner-network referrals. It serves a mix of French enterprise, public sector, and association buyers, including Radio France, SNCF, Leboncoin, ADEME, the Ministère de la transition écologique, Amnesty International, Beta.gouv, Musée de Bretagne, and MJ Conseil. Marketing is content- and community-led (blog, podcasts Techologie and Echo, conference talks) rather than demand-generation-led, consistent with a values-aligned cooperative whose growth has been intentionally measured since the 2019 transformation.
Fairness firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fairness
- Legal name
- Fairness, société coopérative exploitée sous forme de société à responsabilité limitée
- Website
- https://fairness.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Fairness is a Paris-based worker cooperative of about 10-12 members that delivers responsible web and mobile development, eco-design audits, and training to French enterprises, public agencies, and associations. Its methodology centers on CNumR-aligned ecodesign, accessibility, and software craftsmanship for clients such as Radio France, SNCF, and ADEME.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Fairness is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris, Île-de-France
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Fairness business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Web and Mobile Development Services: Responsible development of web and mobile applications. Projects include new development and improvement of existing applications for performance, ecodesign, and accessibility. Billed primarily through project-based engagements or retainer arrangements with direct client relationships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Fairness product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fairness is a French worker cooperative that designs and develops responsible web and mobile applications using technologies such as PHP/Symfony, Svelte, NestJS, React, Node.js, Python, and Flutter. It complements development with technical and eco-design audits (covering software quality, RGAA 4.1 accessibility, web performance, and GDPR compliance) and with training/awareness programs on responsible digital practices, Symfony, Node.js, and the Fresque du numérique workshop. All engagements are delivered under a software craftsmanship and ecodesign methodology grounded in Domain Driven Design, hexagonal architecture, and the CNumR 115 best-practice referential.
Product overview
Fairness is a cooperative offering three interconnected service pillars: (1) responsible development of web and mobile applications using technologies like PHP/Symfony, NestJS, Flutter, React, and Node.js, (2) technical and eco-design audits covering quality, accessibility, performance, and security, and (3) training and awareness programs on responsible digital practices including Symfony/Node.js training and the Fresque du numérique workshop. The company emphasizes sustainable development, digital emancipation, and inclusive, ethical service design.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Développement responsable d'applications web et mobile Responsible design and development of web and mobile applications using PHP/Symfony, NestJS, Flutter, React, Node.js, Python, and TypeScript, with an emphasis on eco-design, accessibility, software craftsmanship (DDD, hexagonal architecture), and co-construction with clients. Targeted at startups, SMEs, associations, and public services seeking durable, sustainable digital products.
- Audit technique et écoconception Technical audit service covering software quality, eco-design (CNumR best practices, EcoIndex evaluation), accessibility (RGAA 4.1), web performance (FCP, LCP, TTI metrics), and security/privacy (GDPR compliance). Delivered as an assessment report with prioritized recommendations for organizations seeking to improve the sustainability and accessibility of their digital services.
- Formation et sensibilisation au numérique responsable Training services in Symfony, Node.js, and agile practices, combined with awareness programs on responsible design and low-tech approaches, including facilitation of the Fresque du numérique workshop. Delivered in partnership with TheGreenCompanion for organizations seeking to build internal capability on responsible digital practices.
Quantifiable outcome
- Bing reduced server load by 80% by reducing displayed elements by only 20% (referenced in Forum PHP 2022 talk)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Fairness
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fairness technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Fairness partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- EntrelacminorAnne and Aurélie support Fairness on user research, UX and UI design, ecodesign, and accessibility. They provide complementary expertise in design thinking and sustainable design practices for client projects.
- TheGreenCompagnoncoreTraining partner for responsible digital. They help clients understand digital impacts and adopt good professional practices. Joint offerings include training on digital responsibility.
- TroopersminorNantes-based cooperative that designs and develops digital products and services respecting current social and environmental challenges. Shared values around sustainable digital design.
- MultiminorCooperative contributing to digital commons and associated services, bringing together professionals working for a digital public interest. Collaboration on shared values and common projects.
- Les TilleulscoreCooperative performing web and mobile development projects, consulting, audit, and training. Fairness collaborates on certain client projects together, leveraging complementary expertise.
- OmnicitéminorCooperative of entrepreneurs sharing a culture of autonomous work while benefiting from mutual support and attention. Shared organizational model as cooperative enterprises.
- Collectif Conception Numérique Responsable (CNumR)coreActive collective member. Contributes to the development and dissemination of 115 best practices for ecodesign of web services. Participates in collective awareness and advocacy efforts.
- Fing (Fondation Internet Nouvelle Génération)minorContributes to Fing initiatives including Numériques tous risques (Digital all risks) expedition and Tech for Good mentoring programs. Think and do tank focused on digital transformations.
- The Shift ProjectminorSupports The Shift Project's digital responsibility initiatives including Carbonalyser browser extension. Think tank advocating for digital sobriety.
- LatitudesminorParticipates in Tech for Good mentorship programs for general interest projects. Supports digital projects with positive social and environmental impact.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Fairness competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TheGreenCompanion: Responsible-digital training partner that helps clients understand digital impacts and adopt good professional practices, including joint training offerings with Fairness. Highly comparable mission and audience (sustainability-focused digital training and awareness).
- Omnicité: Cooperative of independent entrepreneurs sharing a culture of autonomous work while benefiting from mutual support. Comparable organizational model as a cooperative of small digital-services operators and explicit Fairness partner.
- Multi: French digital-commons cooperative serving public-interest digital projects with shared values on emancipation numérique and free software. Comparable cooperative governance model and value-driven, mission-aligned GTM targeting similar association and public-sector clients.
- Elao: Sister web agency from which Fairness was created in October 2019 (previously Elao Paris). Shares the same technical DNA (PHP/Symfony, e-learning, web agency roots) and overlapping talent pool, and continues to operate as a comparable French web agency.
- Zenika: French IT services firm with a strong cooperative-adjacent culture, offering web development, consulting, audit and training. Direct competitor for similar French enterprise clients with comparable agile craftsmanship positioning.
- Les Tilleuls: French web and mobile development cooperative (SCOP) offering consulting, audit and training with shared values on responsible digital. Explicitly identified as a partner cooperative on shared client projects, with directly overlapping service lines (PHP/Symfony, Node.js).
- Troopers: Nantes-based digital cooperative designing sustainable products and services. Shares Fairness's responsible-digital positioning, SCOP structure and pool of artisan-developer talent, with joint go-to-market through the cooperative partner network.
Others
- Framasoft: French cooperative promoting free software, digital emancipation and digital sobriety. Highly aligned values and ecosystem relationship with Fairness but primarily an advocacy/community organization rather than a commercial IT services competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Octo Technology (Accenture): Large French digital-transformation consultancy, now part of Accenture, with broad practices across software, cloud and data. Competes for the same enterprise and public-sector RFPs as Fairness but as a multi-practice incumbent rather than a specialist.
- Capgemini: Global systems integrator with a large French public-sector and enterprise footprint (including SNCF, ADEME-adjacent ministries). Capable of competing for responsible-digital mandates at scale as ecodesign moves into mainstream consulting offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fairness social profiles
Digital presenceFairness financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fairness leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Fairness funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fairness 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 Fairness
What does Fairness do?
Fairness is a French worker cooperative that designs and develops responsible web and mobile applications using technologies such as PHP/Symfony, Svelte, NestJS, React, Node.js, Python, and Flutter. It complements development with technical and eco-design audits (covering software quality, RGAA 4.1 accessibility, web performance, and GDPR compliance) and with training/awareness programs on responsible digital practices, Symfony, Node.js, and the Fresque du numérique workshop. All engagements are delivered under a software craftsmanship and ecodesign methodology grounded in Domain Driven Design, hexagonal architecture, and the CNumR 115 best-practice referential.
Is Fairness a public or private company?
Fairness is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Fairness founded?
Fairness was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Fairness based?
Fairness is headquartered in Paris, Île-de-France, France, in the Europe region.
How does Fairness make money?
One revenue line is on record: web and Mobile Development Services.
Who are Fairness's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TheGreenCompanion, Omnicité, Multi, Elao, Zenika, Les Tilleuls and Troopers. Framasoft is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Octo Technology (Accenture) and Capgemini.
Does Fairness have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fairness.