Cap Services
CAP Services is France's first Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi, providing legal hosting, employee status, shared administrative services, and coworking to 300+ independent professionals in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region via a 12% cooperative contribution model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersChazelles-sur-lyon, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cap Services does
CAP Services, founded in 1995 by Elisabeth Bost in Lyon, is the first Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) in France and operates as a Société Coopérative de Production (SCOP) — a worker cooperative democratically governed by its entrepreneur-salaried members on a one-person-one-vote basis. The company provides legal hosting, shared administrative services (accounting, fiscal, social declarations), coworking spaces, training workshops, and sector-specific groups to approximately 304 independent professionals and freelancers in 2023, allowing them to operate under full employee social protection (CDI-equivalent health, unemployment, pension) via the CESA contract while maintaining entrepreneurial autonomy. Entrepreneurs may also test business ideas during a CAPE phase of up to three years while preserving unemployment and social benefits (ARE, RSA).
The business model is anchored by a 12% cooperative contribution on member gross margin (voted by members themselves), supplemented by a Qualiopi-certified training organization offering turnkey certification kits for trainer-entrepreneurs and bilans de compétences, a small WooCommerce-based merchandise boutique, and structural co-financing from the European Social Fund (FSE+), Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and the Métropole de Lyon. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight — a web-based cooperative management and member portal, Matomo open-source analytics, SSL-secured website, and standard WooCommerce e-commerce — reflecting the cooperative's ESS-aligned and cost-disciplined operating philosophy rather than a tech-platform thesis.
Distribution runs through weekly collective information meetings across six regional locations (Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Roanne, Montbrison, Monistrol-sur-Loire, Andrézieux-Bouthéon), institutional referral pipelines with France Travail, CIDFF, LYVE, and local social centers, plus co-marketing through the Co'Hop network of six Lyon-metro CAEs. Following the 2021 acquisition of Talents Croisés, CAP Services Loire in Roche-la-Molière became a second hub. Reported revenue reached 4.8 million EUR in 2023, served by a 12-person équipe d'appui, with a client portfolio exceeding 5,000 private and public organizations (some sources cite 6,000+ references) across CAC 40 enterprises, museums, universities, ministries, and local authorities.
Cap Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cap Services
- Legal name
- CAP Services, Société Coopérative de Production, anonyme, à capital variable
- Website
- https://cap-services.coop
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- CAP Services is France's first Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi, providing legal hosting, employee status, shared administrative services, and coworking to 300+ independent professionals in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region via a 12% cooperative contribution model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cap Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cooperative Employment Services
- NAICS
- All Other Business Support Services (561499), All Other Support Services (561990)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Business Services, Nec (7389)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contractor of Record (COR) / Global Contractor Management (BPACAHAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)
Keywords
Where Cap Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chazelles-sur-lyon
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Cap Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Cooperative Contribution (Contribution Coopérative): A 12% contribution on gross margin is charged to entrepreneur-members. The rate is voted on by the entrepreneur-members themselves (for CESA-contract holders). This is the primary revenue stream sustaining the cooperative's operations.
- E-commerce Boutique Sales: Sale of branded merchandise (badges, caps, t-shirts) through the online boutique at boutique.cap-services.coop. Products are sold at fixed unit prices. Payments are processed via secure credit card (SG bank) with 3D Secure fraud protection.
- Formation Qualiopi Services: CAP Services acts as a Qualiopi-certified training organization, offering a 'clé en main' certification kit for trainers within the cooperative, plus bilans de compétences (skills assessments). Revenue from training activities funded by public co-financing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Pay-as-you-go | CAPE (Contrat d'Appui au Projet d'Entreprise) - Test Phase |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | CESA (Contrat d'Entrepreneur Salarié Associé) - Salaried Phase |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Branded Merchandise - E-commerce |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Qualiopi Training & Skills Assessment Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Cap Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cap Services is a French Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) that legally hosts independent professionals under an employee status framework, while providing shared administrative services (accounting, invoicing, contract management), Qualiopi-certified training, and an internal e-commerce channel. The cooperative enables freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs to develop their commercial activity under a SCOP structure, paying the cooperative a percentage-based contribution rather than bearing the full cost and risk of self-employment.
Product overview
CAP Services operates as a Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE), a cooperative business platform that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for entrepreneurs. The core offering centers on the CAE model which combines legal hosting, employee status, and shared administrative services. Entrepreneurs access the platform through CAPE (test phase) or CESA (permanent employment contract) arrangements. The cooperative also includes a Qualiopi-certified training organization, free coworking spaces, and sector-specific working groups. An e-commerce boutique sells branded merchandise (badges, caps, t-shirts). The platform does not offer an API or AI capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CAE Legal Hosting and Employment Status Cooperative employment hosting that gives independent freelancers the legal employee status of a SCOP, including social protection and a single cooperative framework for invoicing clients.
- Shared Administrative Services for Hosted Entrepreneurs Back-office support covering accounting, invoicing, contract management, and administrative follow-up for entrepreneurs hosted inside the cooperative.
- Qualiopi-Certified Training Programs Qualiopi-certified professional training delivered to hosted entrepreneurs and external clients, enabling them to monetize certified training in France.
- Internal E-Commerce Channel Online commercial channel operated by Cap Services to market and sell products from hosted entrepreneurs, providing them with a built-in distribution platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 27% revenue growth since 2016
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cap Services
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cap Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cap Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- France TravailcoreFrance Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi) is the primary public employment service that refers job seekers and unemployment benefit recipients to CAP Services. This institutional referral relationship is a core member acquisition channel for the cooperative.
- LYVE (Lyon Ouest et Lyon Nord Neuville-sur-Saône)coreLYVE is a Métropole de Lyon initiative to support entrepreneurs and business development. CAP Services participates as an entrepreneurial support partner, referring mutual clients and collaborating on local entrepreneurship promotion.
- Co'Hop (6 CAE Cooperative Network)coreCo'Hop is a network of six CAEs in the Lyon metropolitan area: Cabestan, Elycoop, Escale Création, Graines de Sol, CAP Services, and Oxalis. They unite to promote cooperative entrepreneurship as an alternative to traditional self-employment.
- Centre d'information sur les droits des femmes et des familles (CIDFF)minorCIDFF refers women entrepreneurs and job seekers to CAP Services for cooperative entrepreneurship support, particularly targeting people facing professional transitions or discrimination.
- Centres sociaux de Rillieux-la-PapeminorLocal social centers that refer community members to CAP Services for entrepreneurial support, extending the cooperative's reach into priority urban areas.
- CGSCOP (Confédération Générale des SCOP)coreSince 1937, CGSCOP federates and animates all SCOPs (sociétés coopératives et participatives) in France. CAP Services is a member, affiliated to the Union Régionale des SCOP and the Fédération des CAEs, providing the cooperative with a national voice and institutional framework.
- Union Régionale des SCOP Auvergne Rhône-AlpescoreRegional federation of SCOPs in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. CAP Services adheres and participates in regional cooperative events, training, and advocacy.
- Fédération des Coopératives d'Activité et d'EmploicoreNational federation specifically representing CAEs. CAP Services is a member, enabling participation in national ESS policy advocacy and peer learning across CAEs.
- Saint-Étienne MétropolecoreMetropolitan authority of Saint-Étienne partners with CAP Services Loire to support entrepreneurship and economic development in the Loire department, particularly following the 2021 absorption of Talents Croisés.
- Métropole de Lyon (Grand Lyon)coreThe Lyon metropolitan area is both a client and institutional partner of CAP Services. The Métropole supports the cooperative through initiatives like LYVE and provides visibility as a reference client.
- Ville de LyonminorThe City of Lyon partners with CAP Services through the 'Engagé à Lyon' label and as a client. It also co-finances cooperative activities through structural funds.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cap Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Elycoop: Lyon-based CAE and Co'Hop network member providing the same CESA/CAPE legal-hosting, accounting, and shared-services model as CAP Services. Competes for the same freelance and job-seeker audience in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
- Cabestan: Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) based in Lyon, member of the Co'Hop network alongside CAP Services. Offers identical entrepreneur-hosting services in the same geography, making it the closest direct competitor for new Lyon-area freelancers choosing a CAE.
- Oxalis: SCOP-format CAE in the Rhône-Alpes region and Co'Hop network member, offering parallel entrepreneur-employment services. Directly comparable in cooperative structure, member contracts, and target freelancer segments.
- Graines de Sol: Lyon-metro CAE and Co'Hop network peer operating the same CESA hosting framework for independent professionals. Competes for institutional referrals from France Travail and Métropole de Lyon.
- Escale Création: CAE in the Co'Hop Lyon network providing equivalent CAPE/CESA legal-hosting and administrative services to freelancers. Comparable in scale, cooperative model, and target member profile.
Broad incumbents
- Fédération des Coopératives d'Activité et d'Emploi: National federation representing all CAEs in France, of which CAP Services is a member. Provides national policy advocacy, peer learning, and shared standards — both an ecosystem partner and a broader-incumbent representing the entire CAE category in which CAP Services competes.
- CGSCOP (Confédération Générale des SCOP): National federation of all French SCOPs (worker cooperatives) since 1937. CAP Services is affiliated via Union Régionale des SCOP ARA. CGSCOP represents the broader cooperative movement that frames CAP Services' regulatory and political environment.
Others
- France Active: National network financing and supporting social-economy entrepreneurs in France, including cooperatives. Adjacent enabling player that funds and accompanies similar ESS entrepreneurs but does not directly compete with CAP Services' legal-hosting service.
Emerging players
- Deel: Global Employer-of-Record and Contractor-of-Record platform providing digital legal-employment wrappers for freelancers and remote workers. Functionally overlaps CAP Services' legal-hosting role but at a global, fully-digital scale — representing the digital competitive threat to the CAE model.
- Remote.com: International EOR/COR platform automating employer-of-record services across jurisdictions. Comparable to CAP Services in the legal-employment-wrapper category but targeting cross-border remote workers rather than French regional freelancers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cap Services social profiles
Digital presenceCap Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Cap Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cap Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cap Services subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cap Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cap Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cap Services
What does Cap Services do?
Cap Services is a French Coopérative d'Activité et d'Emploi (CAE) that legally hosts independent professionals under an employee status framework, while providing shared administrative services (accounting, invoicing, contract management), Qualiopi-certified training, and an internal e-commerce channel. The cooperative enables freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs to develop their commercial activity under a SCOP structure, paying the cooperative a percentage-based contribution rather than bearing the full cost and risk of self-employment.
Is Cap Services a public or private company?
Cap Services is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Cap Services founded?
Cap Services was founded in 1995. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cap Services based?
Cap Services is headquartered in Chazelles-sur-lyon, France, in the Europe region.
How does Cap Services make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Cooperative Contribution (Contribution Coopérative) is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Boutique Sales and formation Qualiopi Services.
Who are Cap Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Elycoop, Cabestan, Oxalis, Graines de Sol and Escale Création. Broad incumbents are Fédération des Coopératives d'Activité et d'Emploi and CGSCOP (Confédération Générale des SCOP). France Active is listed as an others. Emerging players are Deel and Remote.com.
Does Cap Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cap Services.
What industry is Cap Services in?
Cap Services's product category is Cooperative Employment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAHAE, Contractor of Record (COR) / Global Contractor Management, with a secondary code of BPACAHAL, Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration. Its NAICS code is 561499 and its SIC code is 8600.