Version Originale

What Version Originale does

Version Originale (legal entity KVB Consulting SARL) is a French boutique professional-services firm founded in 2009 by Kim Barrett and Kirsty Voisin, headquartered in Limonest near Lyon. It delivers three interconnected service pillars to professionals and businesses operating in international contexts: bespoke language training (primarily English and Spanish, with CLOE certification eligible for CPF funding), business coaching (individual, team, and workshops, delivered by EMCC-certified coaches), and translation and proofreading across multiple language pairs (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic). Delivery is offered at client premises, online via videoconference, or at the Limonest offices.

The underlying operating model combines a small in-house team of approximately 9 employees with a curated network of independent expert translators, trainers, and coaches, allowing elastic capacity without fixed headcount scaling. Standard Computer-Assisted Translation (CAT) tools are used to maintain terminology consistency on large projects, but no proprietary technology or AI/ML capability is disclosed. Quality is anchored by the Qualiopi training certification (2024-2027) and EMCC coach memberships.

The business model is fee-for-service professional services: quote-based pricing with no public rate cards, multi-year enterprise contracts, and revenue derived from a horizontal mix of training hours, coaching engagements, and translation projects. Go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, supplemented by a bilingual blog, a LinkedIn company page, and direct outreach via website, email, and phone. Customer logos span enterprise (DHL, Duvel Moortgat France, Team Lewis, Semarchy, Kitware, Easy Skill), public sector (Hôpital de la Croix-Rousse), and SMB/NGO segments (Hydreka, SG Architecte, Triangle Génération Humanitaire), with several relationships spanning 5-10 years.

Name

Version Originale

Legal name

Version Originale KVB Consulting SARL

Website

https://voriginale.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Version Originale is a French boutique founded in 2009 in Lyon that delivers bespoke language training, business coaching, and translation/proofreading services to professionals and businesses operating internationally, leveraging EMCC-certified coaches and native-speaker translators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (541930), Language Schools (61163), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Exam Preparation Language Programs (IELTS/TOEFL/DELE/DALF/HSK, etc.) (EDAIAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accent Reduction, Pronunciation & Fluency Coaching (EDAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Corporate language training
• Professional translation services
• Business coaching services
• Multilingual document translation
• CPF language training

Headquarters

HQ city

Limonest

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Language Training Services: Customized language training in English and Spanish (other languages on request), offered to professionals and businesses. Includes CPF-eligible training courses with CLOE certification. Delivered by in-house trainers and a selected network of external expert trainers. Training is 100% bespoke in terms of objectives, scheduling, curricula, content, location and language choice.
2. Translation & Proofreading Services: Translation services covering multiple language pairs (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, etc.). Services include document translation, proofreading, and a linguistic hotline for day-to-day questions and short translations. Clients submit documents by email and receive a quote with confirmed deadline.
3. Business Coaching Services: Individual coaching, team coaching (EXCOM/COPIL/CODIR), custom training engineering with coaching/facilitation approach, and thematic workshops. Coaching areas include management posture, transition/career coaching, onboarding, post-burnout, talent, and change management. Services available in French or English.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Version Originale delivers bespoke language training (English and Spanish, with CLOE exam for CPF-funded programs), professional translation and proofreading across multiple language pairs (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic), and EMCC-certified business coaching (individual, team, and thematic workshops) for professionals and organizations operating in international contexts. Services are delivered by an in-house team supplemented by a curated network of independent expert trainers, translators, and coaches.

Product overview

Version Originale is a language services and business coaching company offering three interconnected service pillars: (1) Language Training with English and Spanish courses including CPF certification via CLOE exams; (2) Business Coaching covering individual, team, and workshop formats with university-qualified EMCC-certified coaches; and (3) Translation & Proofreading services using native translators and CAT tools. The company also provides supplementary services including a linguistic hotline and thematic workshops. Founded in 2009 and based in Lyon, Version Originale serves professionals and businesses in international contexts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formations linguistiques (Language Training) Bespoke individual or group language training in English and Spanish (other languages on request), 100% customised in objectives, scheduling, curricula, content, location and language choice, delivered by in-house trainers and a vetted network of independent expert trainers. CPF-funded training pathways are available with a CLOE certification exam at the end.
• Traduction et Relecture (Translation & Proofreading) Professional translation and proofreading services across multiple language pairs (French, English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, and more), supported by CAT tools to ensure consistency on large projects. Documents are submitted by email, with a quote and confirmed deadline provided, and the same native-speaker translators with sector expertise handle work for SMEs, large groups, NGOs, public-sector bodies, and individual researchers.
• Coaching en entreprise (Business Coaching) Individual coaching, team coaching (EXCOM/COPIL/CODIR), custom training engineering with a coaching/facilitation approach, and thematic workshops (annual appraisals, stress management, time management, assertiveness, managerial goodwill, change management, delegation), delivered by EMCC-member coaches with backgrounds in clinical psychology, HR, communications, and Transactional Analysis. Topics covered include management posture, transition/career coaching, onboarding, post-burnout, talent, and change management; services available in French or English.
• Hotline linguistique (Language Support Hotline) Subscription-style hotline providing day-to-day translation questions, short translations, and proofreading support with rapid turnaround, available to clients who need ongoing, on-demand linguistic assistance in addition to project-based translation work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94.7%–98.9% of training objectives achieved by trainees; 95%–96% of trainees progressed or maintained level
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• inlingua: International network of language schools delivering corporate and individual language training in multiple languages. Highly comparable in the corporate language training niche, with a franchise-based delivery model.
• Speexx: Provider of corporate language training and skills assessment for global enterprises. Closely comparable in the bespoke corporate English/business language training motion and enterprise customer focus, though Speexx is significantly larger and more tech-enabled.
• Acolad: European translation and localization services provider serving enterprise clients across multiple industries. Direct comparable for the translation pillar, with similar emphasis on quality and sector-specialized linguists.
• goFLUENT: Global corporate language training provider combining human coaching with a digital platform. Directly comparable business model of corporate language training, with a similar mix of trainer-led delivery and enterprise clients.

Broad incumbents

• RWS Group: Global provider of translation, localization, and intellectual property services, including language training via its FXK and SDL heritage. Comparable on the translation side with much broader scale, technology stack, and regulated-industry specialization.
• Berlitz: Long-established global language training brand offering face-to-face and online courses for individuals and corporations. Comparable offering for language training but at much larger scale and with a broader geographic footprint than Version Originale.
• Wall Street English: Global English-language training brand targeting professionals and adults. Comparable in language instruction for working adults, but primarily a standardized product rather than the bespoke, business-coaching-integrated offering Version Originale provides.
• Lionbridge: Global translation, localization, and AI training data services company. Comparable enterprise translation services and language solutions, operating at very large scale with deep technology investment.
• TransPerfect: One of the largest global language services and translation companies, offering enterprise translation, localization, and interpretation. Comparable on the translation side but operates at vastly greater scale and with broader technology investment.

Regional players

• Cegos: Major French training and consulting group offering professional development, executive education, and language programs. Comparable in the French market for corporate training and management development, though larger and broader than Version Originale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/version-originale-lyon

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Version Originale