What makesense_entrepreneurs does

makesense is a French nonprofit organization founded in 2011 that supports social and environmental entrepreneurship through an integrated stack of incubation, investment, employment, and corporate transformation services. The core operating engine is a 9-month intensive incubator program selecting 10-15 projects per cohort, with bi-monthly coaching, weekly formations, and access to a 300+ expert and 450-mentor network, complemented by a coworking space at its Paris headquarters (11 rue Biscornet, 75012). Capital deployment is conducted through four vehicles totaling €113M+ AUM: makesense Seed I (€8.2M, fully invested across 21 startups in France/Spain/Belgium), Seed II (€20M, ticket €200K-€1.5M), Racine² (€85M joint with MGEN and Serena, ticket €500K-€4M at Series A), and Paris Fonds ESS (€1M/year evergreen). Revenue is generated through three streams: investment fund management fees and carried interest, incubator program fees priced at €15K HT with deferred payment, and Qualiopi-certified corporate training services on community development and shared governance. The Jobs that makesense platform (700,000 monthly visits, 30,000 annual job offers, 11,000 engaged structures) and the Chiche media brand serve as top-of-funnel content and recruitment infrastructure. Strategic partners include Ville de Paris, Bpifrance, BNP Paribas, Banque des Territoires, SAP, and MGEN, alongside ecosystem alliances with Impact France, Résiliences, Séisme, Latitudes, and Share it, plus 25+ higher-education institutions for student engagement through makesense Campus.

Name

makesense_entrepreneurs

Legal name

makesense

Website

https://france.makesense.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

makesense is a French nonprofit founded in 2011 supporting social and environmental entrepreneurs via a 9-month incubator, €113M+ across four pre-seed-to-Series-A impact funds, the Jobs that makesense platform, and Qualiopi-certified corporate transformation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Entrepreneurship Support & Impact Incubation

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• Social entrepreneurship support
• Impact startup incubation
• Impact investment funds
• Organizational transformation
• Impact career platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Fund Management: makesense manages several investment funds (Seed I €8.2M fully invested, Seed II €20M AUM, Racine² €85M AUM) that invest in impact startups. Revenue comes from carried interest and management fees.
2. Incubator Program Fees: 9-month incubator program priced at €15,000 HT per project with deferred payment model (60% at 12 months, 40% at 24 months). Revenue recognized upon program delivery.
3. Corporate Training Services: Qualiopi-certified formations for organizations on topics including community development, decentralized governance, and mental health. Training revenue from enterprise clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

makesense is a French social entrepreneurship support organization that runs a 9-month startup incubator program, manages multiple impact investment funds (Seed I, Seed II, Racine², Paris Fonds ESS) totaling over €113M AUM, operates the Jobs that makesense job-matching platform for impact careers, and delivers Qualiopi-certified organizational transformation training and team-building services to corporations, public institutions, and higher education institutions.

Product overview

makesense is a French social entrepreneurship support organization operating a multi-product portfolio structured around three core pillars: (1) an Incubator combined with investment funds (SEED I, SEED II, Racine², Paris Fonds ESS) providing financing and acceleration to impact-driven startups from pre-seed through Series A; (2) an employment and orientation platform called Jobs that makesense plus the Chiche media brand delivering content and newsletters to the broader engaged citizen community; and (3) a suite of organizational transformation services including Impact Odyssey team-building, Qualiopi-certified training programs (community development, decentralized governance), makesense Campus for higher education institutions, and the Club de la Gouvernance Partagée. These are supplemented by a rich content library of guides (Entreprendre pour le Bien Commun, IA plus qu'à entreprendre, Entreprendre sans se cramer, L'entrepreneuriat 100% vivant), a free MOOC, and a mentor network of 450+ volunteers — all unified by a mission to support entrepreneurs solving social and ecological challenges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• makesense Incubateur A 9-month intensive incubator program for social and environmental entrepreneurs, priced at €15,000 HT with deferred payment (60% at 12 months, 40% at 24 months). Includes bi-monthly coaching, 40+ group formations, access to a 300+ expert network and 450 volunteer mentors, two co-working workstations, and privileged access to makesense investment funds.
• makesense SEED II Impact investment fund supporting the seed stage of impact startups in France and Europe, with €20M under management. Investment tickets of €200K–€500K (up to €1.5M in reinvestment), focused on circular and inclusive economy models and impact ventures graduating from the makesense incubator.
• Racine² An €85M impact investment fund operated by makesense and Serena, with MGEN backing. Targets Series A impact projects across physical activity, sustainable lifestyles, education, and environmental preservation, with investment tickets of €500K–€4M.
• Paris Fonds ESS (Fonds Parisien pour l'Innovation) A Parisian evergreen fund financing early-stage ESS (Social and Solidarity Economy) projects with tickets of €100K–€200K, deploying €1M per year, operated in partnership with the Ville de Paris.
• makesense SEED I The first makesense pre-seed impact fund, fully invested at €8.2M, supporting 21 French impact startups with tickets of €100K–€600K in pre-seed and seed stages across sectors including autonomy, agriculture, circular economy, social inclusion, and education.
• Jobs that makesense An online platform listing job offers at impact-driven organizations, supporting candidates in finding meaningful work and employers in recruiting engaged talent. Includes 11,000 employer structures, 350 training organizations, monthly newsletters (e.g., "Paumé·e dans mon job"), and impact evaluation of employers; reaches 700,000 monthly visits and 30,000 annual job offers.
• Formations makesense Qualiopi-certified training programs covering community development and decentralized governance, designed for organizations seeking to build engaged communities and transform their management structures. OPCO-financed; delivered in-person and online.
• Impact Odyssey (Team Building) A team-building experience that mobilizes employees through a gamified, city-based challenge connecting participants to local sustainability actors and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Custom pricing based on number of participants, location, and personalization.
• Club de la Gouvernance Partagée A multi-session training program (delivered with partner Résiliences) for organizational leaders on shared governance models, including theory sessions, peer coaching, and expert testimonials. OPCO-financed, targeting directors and CODIR members. Pricing tiered: €2,500 HT for organizations <€2.5M revenue and €4,000 HT for larger organizations.
• makesense Campus A program for higher education institutions to embed ecological and social transition across student engagement, career orientation toward impact jobs, and curriculum certification, including the Impact Odyssey student variant and connections to Jobs that makesense. Partnered with 25+ institutions including ESSEC, ESCP, Sciences Po, TBS, and KEDGE.
• MOOC makesense A 20-hour free online course (web-series format) titled "Du réveil à l'impact" to help aspiring entrepreneurs launch their impact projects.
• Mentorat makesense A network of 450 volunteer mentors providing free support to social entrepreneurs in developing their impact-driven projects, drawn from the alumni and broader impact ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300 million meals saved from waste by Too Good To Go
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SAPcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020SAP is a key ecosystem partner providing strategic support. SAP Labs France has collaborated with makesense on multiple initiatives including the AI guide 'IA plus qu'à entreprendre'. SAP also provides pro-bono legal support to incubating startups and is a founding client for some makesense alumni companies like Greengo.
• Ville de PariscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerParis city government is a founding partner supporting the incubator and providing funding through the Fonds Parisien pour l'Innovation (FPI). Helps startups find locations and provides introductions to local ecosystem.
• French TechsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench government initiative supporting French tech startups. Affiliation provides credibility and network access for makesense startups.
• SéismesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partnered with makesense for career and impact orientation programs in higher education institutions.
• LatitudessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity of 3000+ tech actors working on responsible technology. Co-created AI guide with makesense.
• Share itsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation initiated with Ashoka supporting social entrepreneurs with digital solutions. Partnered on AI initiatives for impact.
• Impact France (Mouvement Impact France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst movement of French leaders putting ecological and social impact at the heart of their business. Co-created 'Entreprendre et Convaincre' guide on advocacy. Represents 30,000 companies.
• RésiliencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorker cooperative providing consulting to leaders on organizational and managerial transformation. Partnered with makesense on shared governance training programs.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub: Global network of impact-focused incubators, coworking spaces, and innovation programs. Closely comparable to makesense's blended incubator + community + media approach, with a broader international footprint.
• France Active: French network financing social and solidarity economy (ESS) projects via loans, equity, and engineering support. Comparable to makesense's role as a fund manager and ecosystem builder for French impact entrepreneurs.
• Simplon.co: French impact network training and supporting underrepresented populations in digital careers with an incubator-like model. Comparable to makesense's combination of impact training, entrepreneurship support, and ecosystem-driven scale.
• Ashoka: Global pioneer in supporting social entrepreneurs via fellowship, networking, and credibility. Directly comparable as a mission-aligned organization backing individual impact founders with non-financial capital — a parallel to makesense's incubator + community model.

Broad incumbents

• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder-generator with presence in France. Comparable as a cohort-based accelerator with structured programs, but for-profit and broader in thesis than makesense's impact-only mandate.
• Station F: Largest startup campus in the world, hosting programs including dedicated impact tracks. Comparable as a French-based startup ecosystem platform, but broader and for-profit in orientation.

Emerging players

• Novethic: French sustainable finance and ESG research subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts. Comparable as a French thought-leadership and training entity in the impact ecosystem, with adjacent investor and corporate training offerings.
• Antropia (ESSEC Chair): ESSEC-affiliated social-impact incubator based in the Paris region. Comparable to makesense's incubator model and connection to higher education, operating at a smaller scale and more specialized scope.

Regional players

• Make.org: French civic-tech platform mobilizing citizens on social issues and partnering with corporates. Comparable to makesense's civic-engagement and corporate-transformation work, particularly the Impact Odyssey team-building offering.
• Socialter: French media and community platform focused on social entrepreneurship and the impact economy. Directly comparable to makesense's Chiche media brand and ChicheLetter newsletter, with strong regional brand awareness.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/makesensefr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makesense-entrepreneurs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries6 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 makesense_entrepreneurs