Payen Clara Mariella Alizee

What Payen Clara Mariella Alizee does

CAE CLARA was a Paris-based cooperative (SCOP — Société Coopérative et Participative, operating as a Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi) founded in 2006 and operational from 2007, supporting cultural and creative entrepreneurs with shared administrative services and employment-based business incubation. Its core offering combined a permanent employment contract (CDI) with entrepreneurial autonomy, multi-activity frameworks (multi-activité), access to licenses/agréments/certifications, mutualised resources, training modules, and a structured four-stage accompaniment path (information and diagnosis → CAPE test phase → CDI CESA consolidation → societariat). The cooperative served 900 artist-entrepreneurs over 20 years and operated the CLARAbis sub-brand to extend scope.

Commercially, CAE CLARA generated revenue through fees paid by entrepreneur-salariés for the cooperative framework and shared administrative services (subscription-style recurring revenue) supplemented by public funding from the Ministry of Culture, European Union, Île-de-France Region, Ville de Paris, CCI Paris Île-de-France, and supporting partners. Only 9% of revenue came from public subsidies, and the cooperative claimed each euro of public aid generated ten euros of collective wealth, accumulating €40M of collective turnover over 20 years. Go-to-market was community-led, relying on monthly collective information sessions, an online entrepreneur directory/catalog, public showcase events (Coup de Projecteur, Pitch des entrepreneurs), and partner referral networks.

CAE CLARA ceased operations in March 2026 after 20 years following the sociétaires' (worker-member owners) rejection of economic restructuring and recovery plans, compounded by loss of European Social Fund financing, an accountant failure, and a cited "crisis of the cooperative link." At closure the website remained online as an archive and directed prospective cultural entrepreneurs to the Fédération des CAE, the national federation coordinating the broader CAE network.

Name

Payen Clara Mariella Alizee

Legal name

CAE CLARA

Website

https://cae-clara.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CAE CLARA was a Paris-based SCOP cooperative (2006–2026) that provided employment-based incubation to 900 cultural entrepreneurs via CDI contracts, shared administrative services, multi-activity frameworks, and community-led training and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Entrepreneur activity fees and shared services: The CAE generates revenue through fees paid by entrepreneur-salariés for the cooperative framework, administrative services, and shared resources. Entrepreneurs pay into the cooperative structure in exchange for CDI contracts, administrative support, and collective services.
2. Public funding and subsidies: The cooperative receives public funding from institutional partners including Ministry of Culture, European Union, and regional authorities. With only 9% of revenue from public support, the cooperative is largely self-sustaining through entrepreneur fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CAE CLARA was a cooperative (SCOP/CAE) that provided cultural entrepreneurs and artists with permanent employment contracts (CDI), administrative and financial back-office services, multiactivity management, and structured accompaniment through a 4-stage program (information/diagnosis, CAPE test phase, CDI CESA development, societariat). Members gained access to licenses, certifications, mutualised resources, training, and a community network of cultural professionals.

Product overview

CAE Clara was a cooperative (SCOP/CAE) that provided accompaniment and support services for cultural entrepreneurs in France. The company ceased operations in March 2026 after 20 years of operation. Services included entrepreneurship support through a structured 4-stage program: information and diagnosis, CAPE (test phase), CDI CESA (development/consolidation), and societariat. The cooperative offered training modules and facilitated connections between cultural entrepreneurs, but did not offer technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Entrepreneur Accompaniment Program (Parcours d'accompagnement)

Quantifiable outcome

• 900 artists achieved CDI employment through the cooperative
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Fédération des CAE (Federation of CAEs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026National federation of Coopératives d'Activité et d'Emploi to which CAE CLARA refers interested entrepreneurs after its closure in March 2026. The federation coordinates the CAE network across France.
• Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Major institutional partner providing governmental recognition and support to the cultural entrepreneurship cooperative model. The Ministry's backing validates the ESS sector's role in professionalizing cultural work.
• Région Île-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Regional authority providing institutional support and funding for cultural entrepreneurship development in the Île-de-France territory.
• CCI Paris Île-de-France (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie)supportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Regional chamber of commerce providing business support infrastructure and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs within the cooperative.
• Ville de Paris (City of Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Municipal government of Paris, the primary operating territory for CAE CLARA, providing local institutional recognition and support for cultural entrepreneurship.
• La Cité des MétierssupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Career and professional development center providing resources and referral pathways for cultural entrepreneurs discovering the CAE model.
• Les CanauxsupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Cultural venue in Paris 19th arrondissement that hosts CAE CLARA events and provides physical space for entrepreneur showcases and professional gatherings.
• CésuresupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Cultural landmark venue in Paris 5th arrondissement that hosted major CAE CLARA events including 'Coup de Projecteur' showcasing cultural entrepreneur talents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• France Active: National ESS financier and accelerator supporting entrepreneurs in the social and solidarity economy. Provides financing and accompaniment analogous to CAE CLARA's support model, but across the broader ESS sector rather than exclusively cultural.
• ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Économique): Leading French microcredit association supporting entrepreneurship among excluded populations. Comparable in mission of supporting precarious entrepreneurs but operates via micro-loans rather than CDI contracts.
• BGE Réseau (Boutique de Gestion): Largest French network supporting business creation and entrepreneurship, offering incubation, training, and follow-up services. Broader than CAE CLARA (not cultural-specific, no CDI framework) but addresses overlapping entrepreneur support needs.

Direct peers

• Fédération des CAE: National federation of Coopératives d'Activité et d'Emploi that explicitly absorbed CAE CLARA's referral pipeline after closure. Operates the same SCOP/CAE model across France and is the closest direct comparator as the network coordinator.
• CAE Elan Coopérative: Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi supporting entrepreneur-salariés across multiple sectors in France, operating the same SCOP legal structure with shared administrative services and CDI provision.
• Inter-Made (CAE Inter-Made): Marseille-based CAE focused on cultural and creative entrepreneurship, offering the same entrepreneur-salarié model with CDI contracts in the cultural ESS sector. Directly comparable in mission, structure, and target market.

Regional players

• Antigone (CAE culturelle): Cultural-sector CAE operating outside Paris (typically in southern France), serving cultural entrepreneurs with the same SCOP/CAE model. Comparable in offering but geographically distinct from CAE CLARA's Île-de-France footprint.

Emerging players

• La Générale (Coopérative culturelle): Cultural-sector cooperative operating in France with shared resources and collective governance for creative professionals. Overlaps with CAE CLARA's cultural ESS mission, though typically structured around venue/production rather than employment.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cae-clara-clarabis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 →

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