Cap Services

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.

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

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

• Cooperative employment
• Freelance business hosting
• Entrepreneur support services
• Shared administrative services
• Cooperative consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chazelles-sur-lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• France TravailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLYVE 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo'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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDFF 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-PapeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 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-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional 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'EmploicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation specifically representing CAEs. CAP Services is a member, enabling participation in national ESS policy advocacy and peer learning across CAEs.
• Saint-Étienne MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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 LyonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@capservices3094
• Facebookfacebook.com/cae.cap.services
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cae-cap-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/capservices.coop

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 Cap Services