Forum ATENA

What Forum ATENA does

Forum ATENA is a French non-profit think tank (Association loi 1901) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Paris, operating at the intersection of digital technology, businesses, and higher education. Its core outputs are a monthly newsletter distributed to an 8,000+ professional community, a quarterly "Infrastructures Numériques" newsletter co-produced with IREST and Cercle CREDO, a publications library (the "Atenathèque") of white papers and books covering digital sovereignty, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity, cloud computing, CBDC, and quantum computing, and a calendar of conferences, roundtables, networking dinners, and thematic workshops (50-400 participants per event). Notable intellectual output includes the "État Plateforme" white paper (February 2020), developed over 24 months of hearings, and an audition before the French National Assembly's information mission on national and European digital sovereignty (June 2020).

There is no commercial product, software platform, or SaaS offering. Forum ATENA's "technology" is policy research and convening — not a technology stack in the product sense. The business model is a membership-based subscription system with individual membership at €30/year and four corporate tiers ranging from €150 to €1,500/year based on company revenue, augmented by a corporate sponsorship program providing visibility and speaking opportunities at events. Distribution runs through the website, email newsletters, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and in-person events at venues including the French National Assembly and IESF headquarters, with membership registration handled via the HelloAsso platform and publications distributed free as PDFs (with paid printed editions on Lulu.com).

The customer base spans digital technology executives and professionals (primary segment), higher education and research institutions such as ISEP and Telecom ParisTech, and French/European government and policy makers. Named institutional partners include Orange (telecom operator), Cogicom (telecom training), SETICS (broadband network design), Cercle CREDO (fiber optic industry association), Eurocloud France (cloud computing association), and IREST (tourism research institute with interdisciplinary reach into digital infrastructure). The organization is governed by an elected Bureau led by President Philippe Laredo, with 6 employees overall — consistent with a lean, content-and-events-driven association rather than a scaling enterprise.

Name

Forum ATENA

Legal name

Association Forum ATENA

Website

https://forumatena.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forum ATENA is a French non-profit think tank founded in 2007 that convenes approximately 8,000 digital technology executives, academics, and policymakers through newsletters, thematic workshops, white papers, and events focused on digital sovereignty, AI, cybersecurity, and infrastructure policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Policy Think Tank Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Digital policy think tank
• Technology policy research
• Membership association
• Thematic workshops
• Digital sovereignty research

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from individual contributors (€30/year) and corporate members (€150-€1500/year based on company revenue). This is the primary revenue stream for the non-profit association.
2. Sponsorship and Partnership Programs: Corporate sponsorship program where partners gain visibility through logo placement on communications materials, speaking opportunities at events, and complimentary attendance for employees and clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forum ATENA is a French non-profit think tank that convenes digital technology executives, academics, and policymakers around topics including digital sovereignty, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, cloud computing, and central bank digital currencies. Its core deliverables are monthly and quarterly newsletters, an open-access publications library (Atenathèque) of white papers and books, regular in-person events (conferences, roundtables, networking dinners), and thematic workshops that produce research and policy output. The organization is funded through tiered individual and corporate membership dues plus corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Forum ATENA is a French professional association (think tank) organized around thematic workshops that produce publications, events, and newsletters at the intersection of digital technology, business, and higher education. Its core offerings consist of: the monthly 'Newsletter Forum ATENA' and quarterly 'Infrastructures Numériques' newsletter; the 'Atenathèque' — a repository of books and white papers covering topics such as digital sovereignty, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, and cloud computing; regular conferences and networking dinners organized through its thematic workshops; and thematic working groups focused on 'Etat Plateforme', economic intelligence, AI, and security. There is no commercial product, software platform, or SaaS offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newsletter Forum ATENA Monthly newsletter distributed to members, sponsors, and subscribers covering digital policy topics including digital sovereignty, AI, cybersecurity, blockchain, central bank digital currencies, and economic intelligence. The organization also co-produces the quarterly 'Infrastructures Numériques' newsletter in partnership with IREST and Cercle CREDO.
• Atenathèque (Publications Library) Open-access repository of books and white papers published by Forum ATENA's thematic workshops. Covers digital sovereignty, cloud computing, cybersecurity, blockchain, AI, quantum computing, and enterprise architecture. Publications are available as free PDF downloads and printed copies via Lulu.com.
• Événements (Events & Conferences) Regular in-person events including conferences, roundtables, networking dinners, and workshops on digital topics such as AI, digital sovereignty, fiber optics, blockchain, central bank digital currencies, and economic warfare. Events range from 50 to 400 participants and are held at venues including the French National Assembly, IESF headquarters in Paris, and other professional locations.
• Thematic Workshops (Ateliers Thématiques) Thematic working groups organized around Forum ATENA's key topics, including 'État Plateforme' (Platform State), economic intelligence, AI, and security. Each workshop conducts in-depth research, proposes events, and publishes articles and white papers, drawing on members and external contributors from industry, academia, and government.

Quantifiable outcome

• Forum ATENA was officially auditioned by the French National Assembly's information mission on digital sovereignty

Named customers7 records

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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cercle CREDOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Cercle CREDO is a partner association that brings together all professions and expertise related to fiber optic technology, very high-speed broadband networks, and digital uses. The partnership includes joint conferences, such as the April 2022 fiber optic conference held at the French National Assembly, and joint newsletter production.
• SETICScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007SETICS is an independent firm specialized in the design and management of very high-speed broadband network projects and digital territorial development, in France and internationally. Contributes expertise to Forum ATENA workshops on broadband infrastructure.
• CogicomminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Cogicom is a training organization specializing in telecommunications. Provides expertise and participates in Forum ATENA events and workshops on telecom topics.
• OrangecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Orange is a major French telecommunications operator and corporate member of Forum ATENA. Participates in events and supports the organization's activities on digital infrastructure and sovereignty topics.
• ISEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007ISEP (Institut Supérieur d'Électronique de Paris) is a higher education institution and academic partner of Forum ATENA, contributing to dialogue between industry and academia.
• TelecomParisTechcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Telecom ParisTech (now Institut Polytechnique de Paris) is a premier engineering school and academic partner of Forum ATENA, providing research expertise and academic perspective on digital policy topics.
• Eurocloud FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Eurocloud France is a cloud computing industry association and partner of Forum ATENA, contributing expertise on cloud infrastructure and European digital policy.
• IRESTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007IREST (Institut de Recherche et d'Études Supérieures du Tourisme) partners with Forum ATENA to co-produce the quarterly 'Digital Infrastructure' newsletter, bringing interdisciplinary academic perspective to technology topics.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DigitalEurope: Brussels-based trade association representing the digital technology industry in Europe. Comparable as an industry-policy interface organization on digital sovereignty topics, though operating as an industry advocacy group rather than a think tank.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank covering EU policy including digital transformation and technology governance. Comparable as a policy think tank producing publications and events on digital policy, though with broader EU policy scope.
• Fondation pour l'Innovation Politique (Fondapol): French policy think tank producing reports on digital, economic, and societal issues. Comparable as a French think tank producing publications and policy analysis, with overlapping digital policy themes though broader mandate.
• Institut de l'Entreprise: French think tank focused on enterprise competitiveness and economic policy including digital transformation. Comparable as a French business-focused policy organization producing publications and convening executives.
• IRIS (Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques): Paris-based strategic research think tank covering defense, security, and digital sovereignty topics. Comparable as a French policy think tank with thematic overlap on digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and economic intelligence.
• Institut Montaigne: One of France's largest and most influential independent think tanks, with a digital economy and technology policy program. Comparable as a French policy think tank producing research and recommendations, but with a much broader policy scope and larger resources than Forum ATENA.

Direct peers

• Renaissance Numérique: Leading French think tank dedicated to digital transformation and internet policy. Directly comparable to Forum ATENA as a Paris-based digital policy association producing publications, events, and policy recommendations on technology topics.
• CERRE (Centre on Regulation in Europe): European think tank focused on regulation in digital, energy, and transport sectors. Directly comparable to Forum ATENA as a digital policy research organization producing academic-quality publications, but operating at the pan-European level.

Others

• Eurocloud France: French cloud computing industry association and partner of Forum ATENA. Comparable as a French digital infrastructure association with overlapping policy interests on cloud sovereignty.
• Cercle CREDO: Partner association representing fiber optic and very high-speed broadband industry professionals. Comparable as a French digital infrastructure industry association partnering with Forum ATENA on joint conferences and newsletters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/forumatena
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forum-atena

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Forum ATENA