What Fondation MAIF does

Fondation MAIF is a French public utility foundation (reconnue d'utilité publique), established in 1989 and headquartered in Chauray, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It funds, conducts, and disseminates scientific research on risk prevention across four thematic domains: mobility, natural hazards, daily life, and digital risks. Outputs are citizen-facing and free of charge, spanning mobile applications (LastQuake, with 1.3M reported global users; Gao&Blaze; SleepTips), web platforms (Inondation Agir en Prévention, PY Guard), serious games and simulations (SIM-MANA forest-fire model with INRAE RECOVER), AI tools (PREVICHUTE fall prediction, SURICATE-NAT disaster social-media monitoring), and physical prototypes (muon cameras with CERN, helmet testing rigs, bus rearview systems).

The foundation operates through an institutional partnership model rather than a commercial pipeline. Research is co-developed with recognized French and European institutions, including CERN, INRAE, Mines Saint-Étienne, Université Côte d'Azur (LSBB), and Hôpital de Broca. Dissemination runs through its website, a YouTube channel, an itinerant Mobile Showroom, and field events.

The business model is that of a French endowment-funded nonprofit: operating budget is sustained by an endowment from MAIF (a major French mutual insurer). There is no disclosed commercial revenue, no pricing on outputs, and no customer concentration risk on the demand side — all tools and research are free to citizens. The operating constraint is therefore on the funding side (single-funder endowment), and the operating scale is small (9 disclosed employees). Leadership is provided by President Marie-Pierre ÉLIE.

Name

Fondation MAIF

Legal name

Fondation MAIF

Website

https://fondation-maif.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation MAIF is a French public-utility foundation, founded in 1989, that funds and disseminates scientific research on risk prevention across mobility, natural, daily-life, and digital risks, serving citizens through free applications, AI tools, and educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scientific Research and Risk Prevention Foundation

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Risk prevention research
• Scientific research funding
• Citizen science platform
• Natural hazard prevention
• Public utility foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Chauray, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment and Research Grants: Fondation MAIF is funded through endowment from MAIF insurance company and operates as a recognized public utility foundation (Reconnue d'Utilité Publique). It funds scientific research projects and disseminates findings to citizens at no charge.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fondation MAIF is a French public-utility foundation that funds scientific research projects at universities and laboratories to understand and prevent risks affecting daily life. It translates research outputs into free citizen-facing digital tools, mobile applications, web platforms, educational games, simulations, and a traveling mobile showroom spanning four risk domains: mobility, natural hazards, daily life risks, and digital risks.

Product overview

Fondation MAIF is a research foundation recognized as being in the public interest that finances scientific research projects focused on understanding and preventing risks that impact daily life. The foundation offers a diverse portfolio of products and tools including mobile applications (Lastquake, Gao&Blaze, SleepTips, Snowpark Challenge), web platforms (Inondation: Agir en Prévention), AI-powered prediction tools (PREVICHUTE), safety technologies (camera rearview systems, helmet testing), educational games (SIM-MANA, Casse-Cou), simulation tools (domestic fire simulator), and physical assessment tools (Becape driving evaluation bench, protective headband). These offerings span four main risk categories: mobility, daily life risks, digital risks, and natural hazards. The foundation also operates a mobile showroom featuring interactive demonstrations and prototypes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Showroom Mobile: Mobile exhibition showcasing interactive demonstrations, prototypes, and videos from scientific research projects across the foundation's four risk categories.
• Grand Angle
• LastQuake
• Sim-MANA
• PREVICHUTE
• PECHUS
• SleepTips
• Gao&Blaze
• CKFD (Connaître pour Faire Dire)
• L'Esprit Sorcier et la prévention des risques

Quantifiable outcome

• Seatbelt usage in school buses increased by 2.4x through nudge intervention
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2012Collaboration for developing muon camera prototypes for rock mass stability monitoring. CERN expertise in particle detection was applied to create specialized cameras for measuring muon flux variations to detect structural changes in geological formations.
• Laboratoire LISV (Laboratoire d'Ingénierie des Systèmes Versaillais)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on detecting hypovigilance through brain wave analysis. The laboratory worked on EEG signal acquisition using dry electrodes in moving vehicles to identify early stages of driver drowsiness.
• INRAE RECOVERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDevelopment of SIM-MANA participatory game for testing nature-based flood protection solutions. The research laboratory created a 3D collaborative planning tool for communities to explore flood mitigation strategies.
• Ecole des Mines de Saint-EtiennecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI algorithm development for PREVICHUTE fall risk prediction project. Researchers use artificial intelligence tools and pre-existing data to develop algorithms for evaluating fall risk scores for seniors.
• Hôpital de BrocacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical collaboration for digital handwriting analysis research to detect Alzheimer's disease. The hospital provided access to patients for writing tests on digital tablets to train AI algorithms.
• Télécom Sud PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch team developed hypothesis that writing patterns on digital tablets could indicate neurodegenerative diseases. Used special styluses capturing gesture dynamics including execution speed, stops, and accelerations.
• Université Côte d'Azur - LSBB (Laboratoire Souterrain à Bas Bruit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeployment of muon cameras for monitoring rock mass stability at the underground laboratory in Rustrel, Vaucluse. The laboratory hosts prototypes for detecting geological instabilities.
• Ellis Car (Start-up)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStart-up specializing in massive traffic data analysis using boxes or smartphones embedded in vehicles. Co-founded by Patrick Bibas, involved in hypovigilance research.
• Clinique Marienia, Sources thermales Sourcéo, AESIO SantéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare facilities participating in PREVICHUTE clinical study for fall risk data collection from voluntary participants across three partner establishments.
• Sytral (Syndicat Mixte des Transports pour le Rhône et l'Agglomération Lyonnaise)minorOthersPlanned deployment of camera-based rearvision systems across 1,000-bus fleet by 2027 following successful pilot in Lyon region.
• Université de Montpellier, CETMEF, BRGM,IRSTEA, CEREMA, PredictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultidisciplinary research team collaborating on Inondation Agir en Prévention web application development.
• PANGAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper of PY Guard digital vault prototype for securing connected object data, creating avatars to replace personal data across different website types.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Santé Publique France: French national public health agency running prevention campaigns and behavioral research. Comparable on citizen-facing prevention programs and applied public health research methodologies.
• Croix-Rouge française: Large French humanitarian organization with significant public-utility status and prevention/awareness programs across health and natural risks. Broader incumbent with overlapping citizen-safety mission but vastly larger scale.
• Sécurité Routière (Délégation à la Sécurité Routière): French government agency responsible for road safety policy and prevention. Comparable as the public-sector body awarding Fondation MAIF's road safety research prizes and addressing overlapping mobility risk topics.

Direct peers

• Fondation Allianz France: Allianz's French corporate foundation supporting social and environmental causes. Comparable as an insurer-founded public-interest foundation focused on prevention, citizen engagement, and applied research.
• Fondation de France: France's largest philanthropic foundation umbrella organization. Highly comparable as a French public-utility foundation that funds research, social innovation, and citizen-oriented programs across multiple risk/issue domains.
• INRAE: French national research institute collaborating with Fondation MAIF on SIM-MANA and flood risk research. Direct peer as a research partner performing the underlying scientific work that the foundation funds and disseminates.
• Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Scientific organization that developed and operates the LastQuake citizen seismology application together with Fondation MAIF. Direct peer on the LastQuake product with shared scientific mission and citizen-engagement focus.
• Fondation Groupama: Insurance-linked French corporate foundation focused on risk prevention, agricultural safety, and biodiversity. Direct peer as another insurer-backed foundation tackling accidental risks and citizen education.
• Fondation Nicolas Hulot pour la Nature et l'Homme: French public-interest foundation focused on environmental education and risk awareness. Comparable as a recognized utility foundation using content, citizen engagement, and partnerships to drive behavioral change.

Emerging players

• Fondation Pierre Fabre: French foundation funding health-related scientific research and public health programs in developing countries. Partially comparable as a corporate-backed research-funding foundation operating across public health.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJsH1URjWN4xi9UMsjJIo6A
• Facebookfacebook.com/FondationMAIF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-maif

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondation MAIF