Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité

What Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité does

Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité (EDLC) is a French non-profit foundation established in 2007 and headquartered in Villeurbanne, France, that operates as a solidarity-based insurance intermediary exclusively serving micro-entrepreneurs in the early stages of business creation. Its mission is to make professional insurance accessible to creators who face barriers — financial precarity, medical questionnaires, surcharges, or simple exclusion — when seeking coverage from commercial insurers. Eligibility is restricted to entrepreneurs who are accompanied by an accredited business-creation support network (réseau d'accompagnement), positioning EDLC as a partner-channel, B2B2C intermediary rather than a direct-to-consumer insurer.

EDLC's product portfolio bundles six core micro-insurance lines sourced from a consortium of partner insurers (WAKAM, APRIL, HISCOX, CNP Assurances, VIA SANTÉ) under group contracts: professional multi-risk cover (at home or with premises), professional liability (RC Pro), the mandatory 10-year liability for construction (décennale), a complementary health policy with flat-rate pricing irrespective of age, and a prévoyance product paying €30/day for up to 90 days of work stoppage. Free services — Local Secur' (on-site risk audit), recurring webinars, and legal protection via CFDP Assurances — are bundled with every policy. Pricing is publicly disclosed and flat-rate, starting from €8.50/month for the lowest multi-risk tier and reaching €56/month for décennale. The technology stack is intentionally thin: EDLC does not develop proprietary insurance platforms and operates a single web-based quote-request application (pro.v4.app.entrepreneursdelacite.org) for digital intake and eligibility checks.

Commercially, EDLC earns through insurance intermediary commissions on premiums collected under group contracts, supplemented by philanthropic donations (mécénat) from national patrons and by a strategic partnership with AGEFIPH that fully subsidizes premiums for entrepreneurs with recognized disabilities (RQTH) for two years. Distribution is exclusively partner-driven, with 20+ accredited networks (BGE, CCI, CMA, and others) acting as referral channels. The foundation is governed under French association law (loi 1901), holds ACPR-regulated intermediary status (ORIAS n°11063076), and has been recognized as a Fondation d'utilité publique. Since 2007, EDLC has cumulatively informed 38,816 entrepreneurs and insured 11,741, reporting 87% insured-confidence and 90% service-satisfaction rates.

Name

Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité

Legal name

Association des Assurés Entrepreneurs de la Cité

Website

https://entrepreneursdelacite.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité is a French non-profit foundation, founded in 2007, that operates as a solidarity-based micro-insurance intermediary, providing affordable professional liability, multi-risk, health, and prévoyance coverage exclusively to micro-entrepreneurs referred by accredited business-creation support networks across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Micro-insurance for micro-entrepreneurs

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded Insurance & Affinity Distribution Platforms (FSAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Micro-insurance intermediary
• Professional liability insurance
• Multi-risk business insurance
• Solidarity insurance pricing
• Entrepreneur risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Micro-insurance subscription premiums: EDLC generates revenue through monthly/annual insurance premium contributions collected from insured entrepreneurs. Premiums are collected on behalf of partner insurers (WAKAM, APRIL, HISCOX, CNP Assurances, VIA SANTÉ) under group insurance contracts. The foundation operates as a non-profit intermediary, with revenues funding operations and mission delivery.
2. Donations and mecénat (philanthropy): EDLC receives financial support from national patrons/mécènes (corporate and individual donors) to subsidize insurance costs for entrepreneurs in precarious situations, reducing the financial barrier to coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EDLC is a non-profit micro-insurance intermediary that bundles and distributes affordable solidarity-priced insurance products (professional multi-risk at home or with premises, professional liability, décennale construction liability, complementary health, and income protection prévoyance) to micro-entrepreneurs in France. Access is restricted to entrepreneurs accompanied by a recognized business creation support network, with full premium subsidization for disabled (RQTH) entrepreneurs via AGEFIPH. The foundation aggregates demand into group contracts with multiple commercial insurers and supplements coverage with free services (Local Secur' audits, legal assistance, webinars).

Product overview

Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité offers a portfolio of micro-insurance products and free services for micro-entrepreneurs in France. The core offering consists of professional multi-risk insurance (at home or with premises), professional liability insurance (RC Pro), 10-year liability for construction (décennale), health insurance, and income protection. Free supplementary services include Local Secur' (risk audits), webinars, and legal assistance. All products are offered at solidarity rates with the support of insurance partners including WAKAM, APRIL, HISCOX, CNP Assurances, and VIA SANTÉ. The organization also partners with AGEFIPH to provide full coverage for entrepreneurs with disabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multirisque professionnelle à domicile Professional multi-risk insurance protecting micro-entrepreneurs' professional equipment and content based at home against theft, vandalism, water damage, and fire. Three coverage tiers priced from €8.50 to €13.00/month depending on declared equipment value (€2,500 / €5,000 / €10,000), targeting home-based solo micro-entrepreneurs.
• Multirisque professionnelle avec local Professional multi-risk insurance protecting micro-entrepreneurs' business premises, equipment, and merchandise against storm, natural disasters, theft, water damage, fire, spoilage, and glass breakage. Three coverage tiers priced from €16.00 to €24.00/month depending on declared equipment value, targeting micro-entrepreneurs with dedicated business premises.
• Responsabilité civile professionnelle (RC Pro) Professional liability insurance covering errors, delays in delivery, negligence, and advice failures for micro-entrepreneurs in consulting, training, translation, marketing, communication, secretarial, and event planning activities. Priced from €9.00/month for standard activities and €16.50/month for higher-risk activities such as IT, marketing, communication, media, and cultural industries.
• Responsabilité civile décennale Mandatory 10-year professional liability insurance (responsabilité civile décennale) for construction and building-trade micro-entrepreneurs, covering material and bodily damages during and after construction work, including defense costs and legal protection. Pricing starts from €56.00/month on a quote basis, with acquisition requiring phone contact with the EDLC management platform.
• Complémentaire santé Complementary health insurance ('mutuelle responsable 100% santé') covering optical and dental basics with zero copay for insured micro-entrepreneurs and their children. Flat-rate pricing with no age-based premium adjustment: €35.00/month for adults and €21.00/month per child, with the third child onwards at no charge; AGEFIPH may fully cover the premium for RQTH entrepreneurs.
• Prévoyance - Incapacité Temporaire Totale de Travail (ITT) Income protection (prévoyance) insurance providing €30 per day for up to 90 days (with a 10-day deductible) in case of work stoppage due to illness, accident, or hospitalization. Available from the first year of business activity regardless of income level, priced at €14.50/month, targeting micro-entrepreneurs without equivalent employer-style income protection.
• Local Secur' (free risk audit) Free local security audit service helping micro-entrepreneurs assess and secure their business premises, designed as a complementary value-added service to the core micro-insurance offering and accessible to all interested entrepreneurs.
• Webinaires (free webinars) Free educational webinars for micro-entrepreneurs covering risk management and insurance topics, provided as part of the foundation's community engagement and customer education strategy.
• Assistance juridique (free legal assistance) Free legal assistance service for EDLC policyholders, including legal information and coverage of legal fees, provided in partnership with CFDP Assurances as part of the bundled micro-insurance offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of insured entrepreneurs feel well protected by EDLC
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and regional.

• WAKAMcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007WAKAM is a French insurance company (SA, capital €5,432,928, RCS Paris 562 117 085) that provides insurance products distributed through EDLC's intermediary platform. EDLC acts as a policyholder group subscriber (souscripteur d'un contrat groupe) on behalf of its members.
• APRIL PartenairescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007APRIL Partenaires (18 bis rue Jules Ferry, 35303 Fougères, RCS Rennes 349 844 746, ORIAS n°07 024 083) is an insurance intermediary providing products under EDLC's group insurance framework.
• Hiscox SAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007Hiscox SA is an insurance company licensed in Luxembourg and operating in France through its Hiscox France branch (RCS 833 546 989, 38 Avenue de l'Opéra, 75002 Paris). Hiscox provides professional liability and multi-risk insurance products distributed via EDLC.
• CNP AssurancescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007CNP Assurances (4 Promenade Cœur de Ville, 92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux, SIREN 341 737 062) is a major French insurance group (Caisses des Dépôts) that provides insurance coverage under EDLC's group policy structure.
• VIA SANTÉ (AG2R LA MONDIALE)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007VIA SANTÉ is a mutual insurance company (SIREN 777 927 120, 104-110 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris) member of the AG2R LA MONDIALE group, providing complementary health insurance and mutual coverage through EDLC.
• CFDP AssurancessupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007CFDP Assurances (62 rue de Bonnel, L'Europe, 69003 Lyon) provides free legal protection (protection juridique) to all EDLC adherents as part of the bundled service offering.
• UFA Allianz (La Réunion)regionalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2007For La Réunion island, EDLC partners with UFA Allianz to provide multirisque professionnelle products (both home-based and premises coverage), as standard EDLC pricing applies only in mainland France for these specific products.
• AGEFIPHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007AGEFIPH (Association de Gestion du Fonds pour l'Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées) is a strategic partner that fully finances EDLC micro-insurance premiums for entrepreneurs with recognized disabilities (RQTH) for 2 years. 15% of AGEFIPH-supported disabled entrepreneurs use EDLC. This is the foundation's flagship inclusion initiative.
• BGE (Boye Gestion Entrepreneurs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007BGE is a major national business creation support network that refers eligible entrepreneurs to EDLC. Multiple testimonials cite the BGE-EDLC-AGEFIPH partnership as a key trust signal for entrepreneurs.
• CCI (Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Chambers of Commerce and Industry are government-affiliated business support organizations that refer newly creating entrepreneurs to EDLC as part of their accompaniment services.
• CMA (Chambres de Métiers et de l'Artisanat)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Chambers of Trades and Crafts support artisan entrepreneurs in business creation and refer them to EDLC for micro-insurance coverage, including specific solutions for building trades (décennale insurance).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Initiative France: Initiative France is a national network of local associations supporting business creation through zero-interest loans and accompaniment. Like BGE and CCI, it is part of the same partner ecosystem EDLC draws from for referrals, with overlapping micro-entrepreneur clientele.
• Crédit Coopératif: Crédit Coopératif is a French cooperative bank serving social economy, non-profits, and small mission-driven enterprises. It shares EDLC's solidarity-economy positioning and is part of the broader ecosystem of mission-aligned financial intermediaries supporting micro-entrepreneurs.
• France Active: France Active is a national network financing and supporting entrepreneurs in precarious or social-economy situations. It shares EDLC's mission and partner-network distribution model with BGE/CCI/CMA, serving as a complementary ecosystem actor rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• MAIF: MAIF is a major French mutual insurer with a strong cooperative and social-responsibility ethos, offering professional and personal insurance to individuals and small structures. It overlaps with EDLC's customer base (independent professionals, micro-businesses) but operates as a broad-line carrier rather than a niche solidarity intermediary.
• MACIF: MACIF is one of France's largest mutual insurers, providing personal, professional and small-business coverage. As a broad-line mutual with social mission DNA, it represents an incumbent parallel to EDLC's niche solidarity micro-insurance positioning.
• Groupama: Groupama is a major French mutual insurance group with deep reach into small business, agricultural, and local professional segments. Its agricultural and crafts networks overlap with EDLC's CMA and rural entrepreneur audiences, but it serves a much broader commercial market.

Direct peers

• ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Économique): ADIE is France's leading association for micro-credit to entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking. It shares EDLC's mission of supporting micro-entrepreneurs in precarious situations and overlapping target customer base, though it focuses on credit rather than insurance.
• MicroEnsure (now MicroInsurance Centre / Milliman): MicroEnsure is one of the world's largest dedicated micro-insurance providers, distributing affordable insurance to underserved populations through partner networks. EDLC operates the same affinity-distribution micro-insurance model, albeit with a narrower geographic focus on France.

Emerging players

• BIMA (Milvik): BIMA provides mobile-delivered micro-insurance and health products to underserved customers in emerging markets. It is comparable to EDLC as a digital-first micro-insurance distributor targeting low-income customers through simplified onboarding.
• Alan: Alan is a French digital health insurance provider serving SMEs, freelancers and micro-businesses with simplified UX and flat pricing. It represents the digital-first competitive threat to EDLC's health and prévoyance offerings for healthier micro-entrepreneur segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

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 Fondation Entrepreneurs de la Cité