Smart Coop

What Smart Coop does

Smart Coop (legal entity Smartse AB) is a Swedish non-profit cooperative production house that provides employment-of-record, invoicing, accounting, and cultural grant administration services to freelance cultural workers in Sweden. The organization operates a web-based administration platform through which it acts as legal employer for its ~200 active members, handling assignment contracts, payroll, tax, social fees, VAT, insurance, and A-kassa (Swedish unemployment insurance) eligibility. Members pay a 300 SEK annual fee; the company charges a 6.5% commission on simple invoicing and tiered project-based pricing for larger assignments. Smart also runs Smart Redovisningstj\u00e4nst, an accounting service for cultural associations, sole proprietors, and companies, and S\u00f6k kulturst\u00f6d, a service enabling members to apply for Swedish cultural grants through Smart's administrative infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid mix of subscription (membership fees at 300 SEK individual / 1,000 SEK support tier) and transaction (commission and project fees). Distribution is primarily self-service via the account.smartcoop.se portal, supplemented by direct consultation from the Stockholm headquarters (Nytorgsgatan 15A) and event-driven community engagement. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, leveraging cultural networks, workshops, theatre performances, and advocacy events such as Spring f\u00f6r Kulturen. A five-person core team (CEO Iwona Preis, CFO Jesus Redondo, Head of Operations Shekufeh Pariab, Project Manager/Communicator Josefin Holmstr\u00f6m, advisor/assistant Elin Arvidsson) supports operations.

Beyond the core platform, Smart participates in three EU-funded collaborative projects: Resilient Threads (Erasmus+ storytelling project with PAL Network, Sep 2025–Nov 2026), Creative Communities Acceleration Program (Swedish Institute-funded Belarus-Sweden residencies in Vilnius with CreateCulture Group), and Sanningsland (a 2025 theatre co-production with Motus on disinformation, supported by the EU Commission, Konstn\u00e4rsn\u00e4mnden, and Region Stockholm). Members also gain access to the broader European Smart cooperative network of >90,000 members across Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Name

Smart Coop

Legal name

Smartse AB

Website

https://smartcoop.se

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Smart Coop (Smartse AB) is a Swedish non-profit cooperative production house that provides employer-of-record, invoicing, accounting, and cultural grant administration services to ~200 freelance cultural workers in Sweden, with access to a broader European network of >90,000 members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freelancer Administrative & Cooperative Employment Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Contractor Compliance & Classification (IC vs Employee) (BPACAGAA)

Keywords

• Freelancer invoicing services
• Cooperative employment platform
• Cultural grant administration
• Arts accounting services
• Freelancer cooperative membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Invoicing Commission: Smart Coop charges a 6.5% commission on simple invoicing services. For project-based work, three different pricing levels are offered based on project size. The platform handles contracts, invoicing, tax deductions, and insurance as part of the service.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of 300 SEK per year for individual freelancers. Corporate/organizational support members pay 1000 SEK annually. Membership provides access to all services including invoicing, culture funding applications, and administrative support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smart Coop is a Swedish cooperative production house that delivers employment, invoicing, cultural grant, and accounting services for freelancers and project-based cultural workers. Through its web-based platform, Smart acts as the legal employer, managing contracts, payroll, VAT, taxes, social contributions, and insurance, while also enabling members to apply for cultural funding without setting up their own company.

Product overview

Smart Coop is a cooperative production house operating primarily as a web-based administrative platform for freelancers in Sweden's cultural and creative sectors. The core offering combines three integrated service pillars: (1) Smart Faktura — an invoicing and employment platform where Smart acts as legal employer, handling contracts, payroll, VAT, taxes, and insurance for freelancers; (2) Smart Redovisningstjänst — an accounting service supporting cultural organisations, sole proprietors, and companies with budgeting, bookkeeping, and annual reporting; and (3) Sök kulturstöd — a cultural grant application service enabling members to apply for funding through Smart's administrative infrastructure. Access to all services requires membership in the Smart Frilanskooperativ (300 SEK/year). Beyond its core platform, Smart drives three collaborative projects: Resilient Threads (an Erasmus+-funded storytelling and Roma youth empowerment program), Creative Communities Acceleration Program (a Swedish Institute-funded Belarusian-Swedish artistic residency program across theatre, music, and film), and Sanningsland (a theatre production on disinformation and propaganda). The company also participates in the broader European Smart network with offices in Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Faktura (Invoicing Platform) Web-based invoicing platform enabling freelance cultural workers in Sweden to create, send, and manage invoices. Smart Coop acts as the legal employer/contractor, handling payment collection, tax, VAT, social contributions, and basic insurance on behalf of the freelancer.
• Smart Redovisningstjänst (Accounting Service)
• Sök kulturstöd (Cultural Grant Application Service)
• Smart Frilanskooperativ (Freelance Cooperative Membership)
• Resilient Threads Erasmus+-funded European project producing a methodology handbook, facilitator guide, Stockholm bootcamp, and four storytelling evenings across Europe to strengthen Roma and non-Roma youth voices through storytelling.
• Creative Communities Acceleration Program (CCAP) Swedish Institute-funded cross-border program connecting Belarusian and Swedish artists through three 7-day residencies in Vilnius covering theatre, music, and film, producing collaborative works and long-term partnerships.
• Sanningsland Physical theatre production exploring propaganda and disinformation and its effect on families, coproduced by Smart Coop and Motus theatre company with support from the EU Commission, Konstnärsnämnden, and Region Stockholm, presented in Stockholm and Örebro in autumn 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• Payment within 5 business days for pre-reported assignments
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PAL Network (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025International partner for Resilient Threads project. PAL Network is responsible for developing educational methodology, organizing four Storytelling Nights across Europe, and mobilizing young Roma artists from across the continent. Project runs from September 2025 to November 2026.
• CreateCulture Group (Belarus-Litauen)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partner for Creative Communities Acceleration Program (CCAP). CreateCulture Group coordinates with Belarusian and Swedish artists for theatre, music, and film residencies in Vilnius. The partnership aims to support Belarusian cultural practitioners and foster democratic values through cultural collaboration.
• Motus TeaterproduktioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Sanningsland project. Motus is a newly started independent theatre group working with physical stage language to challenge and renew theatre art. They collaborated on a performance about propaganda and disinformation.
• Teater GiljotinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Sanningsland performance. Located in Stockholm, the theatre hosted performances from September 23 to October 1, 2025.
• Teater Martin MutterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Sanningsland performance in Örebro. Performances took place October 7-10, 2025 as part of the project's mini-festival.
• IntercultcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for joint events and activities including Summer Mingel, Intercult Academy, Digital on Stage initiatives, and cultural exchange programs. Intercult operates Europa Direkt Stockholm.
• Europa Direkt StockholmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of events with Smart Coop and Intercult, including Summer Mingel 2026.
• EkobankenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEthical bank that supports Smart Coop and its members. Appears as a visitor/supporter at Smart events.
• Kungsholmens KulturhusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue and collaboration partner for dance workshops led by Smart member Teresia Björk.
• Embassy of Sweden in VilniusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwedish Embassy engagement for CCAP project visibility and international cultural exchange.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gusto: US-headquartered payroll, benefits, and HR platform serving SMBs. Addresses employer-side payroll/tax/contract administration needs similar to Smart Coop's invoicing and tax-handling services, though focused on US SMBs rather than Swedish freelancers.
• Deel: Global employer-of-record platform handling contractor-to-employee conversion and payroll for international freelancers. Addresses the same IC-classification pain point as Smart Coop but at global scale and across all sectors, not specialized in cultural freelancers.
• Remote: Global PEO and contractor management platform that helps companies compliantly employ international freelancers. Competes with Smart Coop's employer-of-record function but targets tech and SMB clients rather than cultural-sector workers.

Regional players

• Coople: Swiss-based cooperative-style staffing platform connecting flexible workers with employers. Operates a similar cooperative-adjacent model for freelancers and temps but is geographically focused on Switzerland rather than Sweden or the Nordic cultural sector.

Others

• Patreon: Creator monetization platform enabling independent artists to earn recurring income from supporters. Adjacent rather than competitive: Patreon addresses the income side of creative freelancing while Smart Coop addresses the administrative/employment side.
• Etsy: Global marketplace for creative and handmade goods, serving a similar micro/solo creative entrepreneur demographic. Not a direct competitor but a reference point for the freelance creative ecosystem Smart Coop serves.

Direct peers

• Smart Germany: German Smart cooperative serving creative freelancers with the same employment, invoicing, and administrative service stack as the Swedish entity. Same federation, same cooperative structure, same vertical focus.
• Smart Austria: Austrian Smart cooperative providing identical employer-of-record, invoicing, and cultural-sector administrative services to Austrian creative freelancers under the shared European Smart federation.
• Smart Belgium: Belgian sister organization in the same European Smart cooperative federation. Offers the same invoicing, employment-of-record, and culture-sector administration services to Belgian creative freelancers, making it the most directly comparable operating model to Smart Coop Sweden.
• Smart Italy: Italian Smart cooperative offering the same freelancer-focused employment and administrative services to Italian creative workers. Sister entity within the Smart federation; closest operational analog to Smart Coop Sweden.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smartse.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smart-coop-sweden
• Instagraminstagram.com/smart__coop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Smart Coop