La Forge (Coopérative d’Activité et d'Emploi)

What La Forge (Coopérative d’Activité et d'Emploi) does

La Forge (Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi) is a cooperative business structure licensed as a CAE (Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi) and SCOP (Société Coopérative et Participative) under French SARL structure with variable capital, headquartered at 167 Route Nationale 10, Coignières, in the Yvelines department of Île-de-France. The cooperative's core function is to enable independent entrepreneurs to launch and grow freelance activities without forming their own legal entity; members sign a CAPE trial contract (3-6 months, renewable) and, once cash flow permits, transition to a CESA employment contract that grants them full salaried status (CDI) while they retain autonomy over their client portfolio and business strategy. The organization is positioned as the only CAE in Yvelines and operates as a micro-entity with approximately 14 entrepreneur-members ('forgerons') and roughly 8 staff, organized into thematic activity poles covering RH-Training-Coaching, Communication, Production, and Environment.

The cooperative's offering is a legal and administrative framework rather than a technology product: it mutualizes accounting, legal, training, and operational support across its members, who collectively serve enterprise and individual clients. Named end-clients surfaced across member activities include Pigier, Parrot, Toyota, Accor Arena, Tinder, LMDW, Agilent Technologies, Multiplicom, Dako Diagnostics, and Olink Proteomics, spanning sectors such as audiovisual production, training, and consulting. Revenue is generated through membership contributions and fees on the cooperative's mutualized administrative services, with no publicly disclosed pricing or financial figures. The GTM motion is community-led: prospective entrepreneur-members are acquired through local entrepreneurship events (SQY CUB, ADIE Kiosque de la Création, Big Tour, Cité des Métiers Trappes workshops), institutional referrals, and word-of-mouth within the regional ESS (économie sociale et solidaire) network.

La Forge is governed democratically by its worker-members under the 2014 French cooperative law, with Claude Bigeon serving as gérante (managing director) since 2021 following a transition from a co-gérance structure. The cooperative maintains formal affiliations with URSCOP and ESSCOOP, and operates partner relationships with ADIE, BGE Yvelines, Cité des Métiers Trappes, SQY Cub, Force Femmes, BusinESS 78, and other local ESS actors. There is no evidence of external investment, M&A activity, AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary technology platforms; the entity sustains itself as a small, regionally-anchored service cooperative rather than a venture-backed or technology-driven business.

Name

La Forge (Coopérative d’Activité et d'Emploi)

Legal name

La Forge SCOP SARL à capital variable

Website

https://laforge78.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Forge is a Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE/SCOP) in Yvelines, France, allowing freelance entrepreneurs to operate under salaried status (CDI) while retaining independence, and providing mutualized administrative, legal, and accounting support to its members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Coignières

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Cooperative membership contributions / shared administrative services: LaForge functions as a Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) and SCOP. Entrepreneur-members operate their independent activities under the cooperative's shared legal, administrative, and accounting umbrella. Revenue is generated through membership contributions and the fees charged for the mutualized administrative, legal, and accounting services provided to members. Members benefit from employee status (CDI) while retaining independence in developing their own client activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

La Forge is a Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) structured as a SCOP SARL that enables entrepreneurs to launch and develop independent freelance activities without creating their own legal company. The cooperative provides a CAPE support contract (3–6 months, renewable) for trial periods and a CESA (CDI Entrepreneur Salarié Associé) for long-term associate members, along with mutualized administrative, accounting, legal, and training services under a participatory SCOP governance model.

Product overview

La Forge is a unified cooperative structure (CAE/SCOP) rather than a modular platform. It provides a complete legal and administrative framework for entrepreneurs to launch activities as 'entrepreneur-salariés.' The core offering combines the cooperative structure itself with employment contracts (CAPE, CESA), mutualized administrative support (accounting, management), training, and collective intelligence through regular member exchanges. There are no separate software products, modules, or add-on services — the offering is the cooperative membership which gives access to shared infrastructure, support, and business development opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) Membership Structure A cooperative legal and administrative framework that enables entrepreneurs to launch and develop independent freelance activities without creating their own company, combining employee status benefits (CDI) with independent work flexibility. Members benefit from mutualized administrative, accounting, and legal support.
• Contrat d'Appui au Projet d'Entreprise (CAPE) A support contract for project entrepreneurs lasting 3–6 months (renewable), allowing testing of a business activity while maintaining unemployment benefits and access to mutualized cooperative support.
• Contrat d'Entrepreneur Salarié Associé (CESA) Long-term employment contract for associate entrepreneurs offering full employee social benefits (CDI) once the entrepreneur's cash flow permits, following the initial CAPE trial phase.
• Mutualized Administrative Support Shared administrative services including centralized accounting, management, training, and mutual aid among members, enabling entrepreneurs to focus on their core business activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Simplified business launch — from initial contact to CESA (CDI Entreprise Salarié Associé) without creating a separate legal entity

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Economique)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerADIE, a national microcredit association, partners with LaForge as a key actor in entrepreneurship creation in Yvelines. LaForge participated in ADIE's 'Kiosque de la création' event in Trappes, presenting itself as the only CAE in Yvelines alongside other local entrepreneurship support organizations.
• SQY Cub (Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Cub)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSQY Cub is a business support initiative by the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines metropolitan community. LaForge collaborates with SQY Cub on events, workshops, and free training programs (e.g., WordPress training for entrepreneurs and job seekers). LaForge maintains a regular stand at SQY Cub events.
• Cité des Métiers TrappescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLaForge conducts monthly 'CRÉER SON ACTIVITÉ SANS CRÉER SA BOÎTE' workshops at the Cité des Métiers in Trappes, reaching potential entrepreneurs who visit the center seeking information on starting a business activity.
• BGE YvelinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBGE Yvelines is a local entrepreneurship support organization. LaForge is referenced alongside BGE as an alternative business structure for aspiring entrepreneurs, and Benoit Malassigné of BGE La Couveuse co-presented at a joint webinar on alternative entrepreneurship structures.
• ESSCOOPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESSCOOP is the regional cooperative support organization for Île-de-France. LaForge is listed on the ESSCOOP website as a member CAE, providing visibility and legitimacy within the cooperative and social economy ecosystem.
• URSCOP (Union Régionale des SCOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerURSCOP is the regional union of SCOPs (worker cooperatives) for Île-de-France. LaForge is affiliated with URSCOP, which provides support, networking, and representation for cooperative businesses in the region.
• Force FemmesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerForce Femmes is an association supporting women entrepreneurs. LaForge is referenced as a resource for women entrepreneurs supported by Force Femmes, particularly member Sabine Gresse who was introduced to LaForge through the association.
• BusinESS 78minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusinESS 78 is a LinkedIn showcase and networking group for ESS businesses in the Yvelines area. LaForge is listed as a member, providing visibility within the local ESS professional network.
• GIR-VSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGIR-VS appears as a local partner organization. LaForge is listed among GIR-VS partners, indicating collaboration within the Yvelines entrepreneurship support ecosystem.
• MentorysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMentorys is a mentorship or coaching support organization. LaForge is listed as a partner, indicating referral or support relationships for entrepreneurs.
• La Ruche Saint-Germain-en-LayeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLa Ruche is a network of co-working spaces and entrepreneur support hubs in France. LaForge is listed among partner organizations in the Yvelines area.
• Positive Planet FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPositive Planet France is an entrepreneurship support organization. LaForge participated alongside Positive Planet at the ADIE Kiosque de la création event in Trappes.
• Rend FortminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRend Fort is a local partner organization whose logo appears on LaForge's website, indicating a collaborative relationship within the local entrepreneurship support ecosystem.
• Creactives / EntreprendreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCreactives (Entreprendre) is a national entrepreneurship support network. LaForge is listed as a partner organization within this network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Artemis: CAE in western France offering the cooperative employment structure with both intellectual services and crafts. Comparable cooperative model and mutualized support services.
• Grands Ensemble: Lyon-based CAE and SCOP offering cooperative employment to freelance entrepreneurs across diverse service verticals. Directly comparable structure and target market to LaForge.
• Coopaname: Paris-based CAE/SCOP providing the same cooperative entrepreneur-employment framework as LaForge, with a much larger member base across intellectual services. Direct comparable for the cooperative employment model and shared administrative mutualization.
• Oxalis: Major Rhône-Alpes CAE/SCOP offering the same CAPE-to-CESA pathway and mutualized administrative support for entrepreneurs. Comparable as a regional CAE peer serving the same target audience of independent professionals.
• L'Inter-Made: Marseille-based CAE serving independent professionals in the PACA region with the same cooperative mutualization model. Comparable cooperative structure and target entrepreneur persona.
• CAE Eclectic: Multi-regional French CAE offering the same cooperative employment structure for independent entrepreneurs. Comparable model and member onboarding journey (CAPE → CESA).
• Antigone: CAE in Montpellier/ Languedoc region offering the same cooperative entrepreneurship framework with diversified service expertise. Directly comparable as a regionally-anchored CAE.

Emerging players

• Sapie: Specialized cooperative consultancy platform serving freelance consultants and coaches. Partially comparable as a mutualized service structure for independent professionals, with a digital layer LaForge lacks.

Broad incumbents

• ITG (now Portage.com): Largest French portage salarial company, offering the more conventional alternative to CAE for independent professionals. Comparable as the primary substitute service for the same entrepreneur target market, though with a different legal vehicle.
• BGE (Boutiques de Gestion): National network of entrepreneurship support organizations (including BGE Yvelines, a LaForge partner). Comparable as part of the same ESS ecosystem helping entrepreneurs launch activities, though BGE focuses on pre-creation incubation rather than ongoing cooperative employment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cae-la-forge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 La Forge (Coopérative d’Activité et d'Emploi)