ZEBUNET

What ZEBUNET does

Zebunet is a French non-profit solidarity microfinance association founded in 2005, headquartered on Péniche India Tango, a barge on the Seine River at Port des Champs Élysées in Paris. The organization finances income-generating activities for rural farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar through solidarity microcredit, providing loans of approximately €150–€350 per beneficiary for livestock (zebu, goats, pigs, poultry, sheep), market gardening, and small commerce. The core platform, branded Microcrédit Solidaire, connects French individual donors and members directly with rural beneficiaries across Madagascar, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Vietnam, with each repayment cycling back into new loans to create a revolving fund.

Revenue is generated through a direct-to-consumer model consisting of one-time donations, annual memberships at €40/year, recurring monthly donations starting at €10/month, and project-specific financing plans ranging from €14 to €600 after France's 66% tax deduction. The organization is recognized as a French 'association reconnue d'intérêt général', qualifying it for that tax deduction. Operations are coordinated by a small 6-person team led by coordinator Yasmine Harras-Pelletier, with technical delivery delegated to a network of local implementation partners in each field country.

Zebunet engages its community through the 'Les Zebuniouzes' newsletter, a blog featuring beneficiary testimonials, annual general assemblies with member voting, and in-person events at the Paris headquarters such as 'Péniche Ouverte' open days and solidarity concerts. In 2025, the organization reported supporting more than 450 families and is a member of Coordination SUD and FORIM within the French international solidarity NGO ecosystem.

Name

ZEBUNET

Legal name

Zebunet

Website

https://zebu.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zebunet is a French non-profit solidarity microfinance association that funds income-generating activities (livestock, market gardening, small commerce) for rural farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar via tax-deductible individual donations and €40/year memberships from French sympathizers, coordinated by a 6-person Paris-based team through local implementation partners across 7+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solidarity Microfinance

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural & Rural Microfinance (FSAKAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Microenterprise Group Lending (Joint Liability) (FSAKAGAH), Agricultural & Rural Cooperatives (Farm Credit/Co-op Banks) (FSABAEAG)

Keywords

• Solidarity microcredit
• Rural microfinance
• Livestock microcredit
• Non-profit association
• Donation platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: One-time donations from sympathizers supporting Zebunet's mission. Donations are tax-deductible at 66% in France, making them effectively 34% of actual cost to donor. Donations support operational coordination and project supervision.
2. Membership fees: Annual membership at 40€/year provides access to personal space, project certificates, project tracking, and fiscal receipts. Membership fees finance the association's operations and team salaries.
3. Project financing: Direct financing of specific projects where donors fund animals or equipment for rural farmers. Each plan ranges from 14€ to 600€ after tax deduction. Repayments from farmers create a revolving fund for new projects.
4. Monthly donations: Regular monthly support starting from 10€/month via SEPA direct debit or HelloAsso platform. Includes permanent membership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zebunet operates a solidarity microcredit platform that connects French donors and members with rural farmers in Africa and Madagascar. Users browse specific livestock and small-commerce projects on zebu.net, finance a farmer directly (€40–€600 per project), and receive follow-up photos, project updates, and a support certificate. Repayments from beneficiaries cycle back into new loans, creating a revolving microfinance fund managed in partnership with local NGOs.

Product overview

Zebunet is a solidarity microfinance platform for rural development in Africa and Madagascar, operating as a single unified digital platform with multiple engagement products. Its core offering is the Microcrédit Solidaire — a marketplace connecting donors and members with rural farmers, enabling direct financing of livestock and small-business microcredit projects. Supplementary service products include one-time donations (Don ponctuel), annual membership (Adhésion 40€/an), monthly recurring donations (Don mensuel 10€/mois), and life insurance designation (Assurance-vie solidaire). Projects span livestock (zebu, goats, pigs, poultry, sheep) and small commerce, across Madagascar, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Vietnam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Microcrédit Solidaire Core platform that lets sympathizers browse microcredit projects and finance individual rural farmers in Africa and Madagascar for livestock, market gardening, or small commerce activities. Donors receive follow-up photos, project updates, and a certificate of support; reimbursements finance new loans in a revolving cycle.
• Don ponctuel
• Adhésion annuelle (40€/an)
• Financement de projet
• Don mensuel (10€/mois)
• Assurance-vie solidaire
• Fiompiana Fanantenana
• Fandrosoana Maitso - Madagascar
• Projet Cassou Sama Tu Gey 2024 - Caprins
• Omby Maitso - Zébu 2025
• Dialakoroba Chèvres 2024 - Mali
• Tordione Ovins 2024 - Sénégal
• Ogou Poules 2024 - Togo
• Agblélouvé Commerces 2022, 3ème cycle - Togo

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 450 families supported in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• AVSF Madagascar (Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner providing agricultural and veterinary expertise. AVSF Madagascar provides technical support and supervision for livestock breeding projects. Partnership celebrated at June 2, 2026 event on Péniche India Tango with notable guests Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Martin Hirsch, and Allain Bougrain Dubourg.
• FANAEVA (Cooperative)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal cooperative in Madagascar's Analamanga region. 42 producers from FANAEVA develop pig and poultry farming through solidarity microcredit. Partner for Fiompiana Fanantenana project ('Pig breeding of hope').
• Esperanza Joie des EnfantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Madagascar piloting Income Generating Activities (AGR) financed by Zebunet in three schools since May 2025. Manages microcredit programs at EPP Vohijanahary and Collège Saint-Francisco-Marto.
• ActhumadacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner in Madagascar providing rigorous monthly follow-up of beneficiary families. Works with Esperanza on school-linked microcredit programs, ensuring proper committee selection and ongoing support.
• APAF Burkina FasocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Cassou Sama Tu Gey 2024 project in rural commune of Cassou, Burkina Faso. Supports 30 women through goat microcredit with sustainable techniques training (silvo-pastoralism, reforestation) and environmental protection. Project budget 13,835€ running June 2024 to November 2026.
• ESF-T (Élevage et Solidarité des Familles au Togo)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociation partner in Togo since 2017. Supports families in five villages (Adakakpé, Kpéwa, Koumondè, Kadjaloua, Alédjo) with livestock and sustainable agriculture projects. Provides training, technical advice, and regular follow-up visits.
• Fiavotra MadacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal partner for Omby Maitso 2025 zebu project. Supports 30 farmers in rural communes of Ambatomirahavavy and Ambohydrabiby, Madagascar. Project budget 24,647€ running August 2025 to August 2028. Technical expertise provided by Paulin Rakotoarisoa, former AVSF Madagascar technical director.
• WOATminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Agblélouvé Commerces 2022 project in Togo. Third cycle of working capital financing for women traders.
• ACATBLIminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Ogou Poules 2024 project in Togo. Improved poultry breeding with new techniques and valorization of local know-how.
• CERFLAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Tordione Ovins 2024 project in Senegal. Sheep fattening project for women of Tordione village.
• AMPDRminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for Dialakoroba Chèvres 2024 project in Mali. Supports goat breeding development for families in Dialakoroba commune.
• Coordination SUDminorOthersNational coordination of French international solidarity NGOs. Zebunet is a member, lending credibility and network access within the French NGO ecosystem.
• FORIMminorOthersForum des organizations de solidarité internationale issues de l'immigration. Zebunet member providing network access.
• Note et BienminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural association that organized December 11, 2025 solidarity concert of Elias oratorio by Mendelssohn at Saint-Jean de Montmartre church, Paris. Raised over 2,000€ entirely dedicated to financing a solidarity breeding project for 42 rural families in Madagascar.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kiva: US-headquartered global microloan crowdfunding platform enabling individuals to fund micro-entrepreneurs. Closest functional analogue to Zebunet's project-financing marketplace model, with a much larger global footprint.
• myAgro: Mobile-based savings platform enabling smallholder farmers in West Africa to purchase agricultural inputs. Operates in Mali (a Zebunet geography) and shares the agricultural microfinance-for-rural-families mission.
• Babyloan: France-based crowdfunding platform connecting individual donors with micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. Highly comparable to Zebunet's model of intermediating small French donations into microcredit for rural beneficiaries.
• MicroStart: Belgian/French microcredit institution providing small loans and coaching to underserved entrepreneurs. Comparable in mission and beneficiary targeting, though with more institutional lending structure than Zebunet's crowdfunding model.
• One Acre Fund: NGO financing smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with inputs, training and crop purchase. Highly comparable on rural/agricultural financial inclusion for African farmers, though via a different delivery mechanism (field officers vs. NGO partners).
• Entrepreneurs du Monde: French NGO supporting financial inclusion and small enterprises in developing countries via solidarity microfinance and social business. Operates with similar donor-funded model targeting rural entrepreneurs in Africa and Asia.

Broad incumbents

• PlaNet Finance: International microfinance group founded in France to promote financial inclusion globally. Overlapping mission with Zebunet on rural microfinance, with a much broader institutional and consulting footprint.
• ADIE: France's largest microcredit association, supporting entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking. Larger, urban-focused and structurally different, but the most natural French incumbent in the solidarity microcredit space.

Others

• Handicap International / Humanity & Inclusion: Major French international solidarity NGO and member of Coordination SUD alongside Zebunet. Not a microcredit peer but a relevant benchmark for scale, donor base and operational structure of established French NGOs.
• AVSF (Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières): French agricultural development NGO and direct partner of Zebunet in Madagascar. Adjacent rather than competitive, but operates in the same geographies with overlapping livestock-farming-development mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zebunet

Compliance2 records

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 ZEBUNET