Monépi

What Monépi does

Monépi SAS is a French solidarity-economy company that operates monepi.fr, a multi-site web platform enabling local food cooperatives known as Épis to run collective purchasing from local producers. Founded in 2016 following the opening of the first Épi in Châteaufort, the company serves three distinct user types on a single coordinated platform: Épis (cooperatives, typically associations under French law of 1901) administer members, inventory, suppliers, and billing through a dedicated dashboard; Adhérents (individual members) place orders, recharge accounts, schedule volunteer shifts, and rate products through a free member account; and Fournisseurs (local producers) record invoices, track orders, and manage deliveries across the network through a supplier account.

The platform is built on a multi-site architecture that allows independent cooperatives to share a single IT backbone, with web hosting provided by OVH. Monépi holds registered trademarks (Monépi / monepi.fr) and, since 2023, ESUS (Entreprise Solidaire d'Utilité Sociale) certification confirming its social-utility status. The company is structured as a SAS with no dividend distribution, a flat hierarchy, rotating presidency, capped salaries, and no physical offices.

Monépi's business model is intentionally non-extractive: the platform is provided free of charge to Épis, their Adhérents, and small producers. Sustainability is funded by a 3% contribution from large suppliers — those exceeding €10,000 in annual revenue across the Épi network — on revenue above that threshold. The network spans 440+ Épis open or in project across France, 15,000+ members, 5,700+ referenced producers, and 750,000 cumulative volunteer hours. In late 2024, Monépi spun off network-development responsibilities to a newly formed association, Le Mouvement des Épis, while repositioning the SAS as an incubator of new citizen commons beyond food.

Name

Monépi

Legal name

SAS Monépi

Website

https://monepi.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Monépi operates a free multi-site web platform that enables French local food cooperatives (Épis) to manage collective purchasing from local producers, serving 440+ cooperatives, 15,000+ members, and 5,700+ producers, funded by a 3% supplier contribution above a €10,000 threshold.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Food Cooperative Platform

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Stakeholder Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Worker-Owned Grocery Cooperatives (CRAHALAC)

Keywords

• Local food cooperatives
• Collective purchasing platform
• Community food distribution
• Producer network software
• Citizen food systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Châteaufort

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Supplier Contribution (3% Fee): Large suppliers (those exceeding €10,000 annual revenue across the Épi network) contribute 3% of revenue above the threshold to fund platform maintenance and network development. Example: a supplier with €15,000 annual revenue pays €150 (3% of €5,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Monépi operates a multi-site web platform (monepi.fr) that enables local food cooperatives (Épis) in France to collectively purchase products from local producers. The platform serves three user types: cooperatives use a dashboard for member and inventory management, individual members use accounts for ordering and participation scheduling, and producers use accounts for order tracking and invoicing. The platform is provided free of charge to cooperatives, members, and small producers.

Product overview

Monépi operates as a single unified platform for citizen-led food cooperatives (Épis). The platform consists of the core Monépi Platform serving three user types: Adhérents (members) use personal accounts to order products and schedule participation; Épis use a dashboard to administer their cooperative, manage members, suppliers, and stock; and Fournisseurs (suppliers) use accounts to manage orders and invoices. The platform is provided free to Épis and funded by a 3% contribution from large suppliers. The network now encompasses over 440 Épis with 15,000+ members and 5,700+ producers across France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Monépi Platform (Plateforme Monépi) A multi-site web platform enabling Épis (community food cooperatives) across France to manage collective purchasing from local producers. Adhérents (members) can browse products, place orders, recharge accounts, schedule volunteer participation, and rate products. Épi administrators can manage members, suppliers, inventory, billing, and site configuration. Fournisseurs (suppliers) can track orders, manage invoices, and participate in the network's cost-sharing model. The platform is provided free of charge to Épis, Adhérents, and small producers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Network reached 440+ Épis open or in project across France by end of 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mouvement des ÉpiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024In late 2024, the Mouvement des Épis association was created to represent the Épi network and reflect the diversity of involved actors. Starting 2025, network development (previously carried by Monépi) becomes the association's responsibility. Tasks will be co-developed between the two entities. The association handles communication, event organization, and sharing best practices, while also promoting new platform features developed by Monépi.
• Parc Naturel Régional de ChevreuseminorOthersRegional natural park organization supporting local sustainable development initiatives in the Chevreuse valley region.
• Fondation de FranceminorOthersMajor French philanthropy foundation supporting charitable causes and organizations aligned with public interest missions.
• Terre et CitéminorOthersOrganization promoting local and sustainable food systems, particularly in the Paris-Saclay area.
• Manger Local Paris-SaclayminorOthersLocal initiative promoting local food consumption in the Paris-Saclay metropolitan area.
• Maires pour la PlanèteminorOthersNetwork of mayors committed to environmental action and sustainability at the municipal level.
• CFSI (Comité Français pour la Solidarité Internationale)minorOthersFrench committee for international solidarity supporting initiatives related to food sovereignty and sustainable development globally.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• FarmDrop: UK-based digital marketplace connecting local farmers directly to consumers via transparent supply chains; partial overlap in mission and digital short-circuit food distribution model, targeting a different geography.

Direct peers

• Cagette.net: French open-source software platform for AMAPs and food cooperatives, offering order management, member accounts, and producer relations — a direct functional and category overlap with Monépi's multi-site platform for Épis.
• La Ruche qui dit Oui!: French community-supported agriculture marketplace connecting local producers with consumer members via short-circuit logistics; targets the same small-producer-to-consumer cooperative segment that Monépi's Épis serve.
• Locavorium: French software-as-a-service tool for managing direct-sales food cooperatives (including AMAP and similar groups), providing member and order management for citizen-led local food distribution.
• Open Food Network: Global open-source cooperative platform enabling local food enterprises (farms, CSAs, hubs) to coordinate sales, ordering, and distribution — directly analogous to Monépi's role as shared infrastructure for Épis.

Others

• Terre de Liens: French civic organization mobilizing farmland for organic and peasant agriculture; adjacent to Monépi's food-sovereignty mission and a frequent collaborator in the same civic ecosystem, though its focus is land access rather than cooperative distribution infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• AMAP (MIRAMAP): National federation of French Associations pour le Maintien d'une Agriculture Paysanne — the established, broad-membership model for citizen-supported local agriculture that Monépi's Épis functionally compete with or extend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LeReseauDesEpis
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCiO99-xkmqN5v3qUaQ9IYJQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/monepi.fr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Monépi