Paris, April 29 – Erable°, the start-up specializing in asset financing serving the ecological transition, today announces the acquisition of WE DO GOOD, the B Corp pioneer of crowdfunding based on revenue sharing. This acquisition aims to expand the range of financing solutions offered to companies with a positive impact.
Today, more than ever, the question of the impact of our financial choices on the environment occupies a central place in collective concerns. With 76% of French people sensitive to the environmental impact of their investments* and an additional annual need of 66 billion euros by 2030 to achieve the transition (Pisani-Mahfouz report), the gap between the desire to invest sustainably and the financing solutions available remain considerable.
maple° takes a crucial step in its development
This acquisition marks a significant step forward for Erable° which is continuing its development in favor of a more sustainable economy. By joining forces, erable° and WE DO GOOD are consolidating their respective expertise to offer a diversified range of impact investment solutions. Adapted to the stage of development of each project, these solutions make it possible to finance both the start-up and the growth of established companies, or assets and stock.
WE DO GOOD, founded in 2013 in Nantes, revolutionized the crowdfunding landscape in France as a pioneer of the Revenue Based Financing (RBF) model, a model which allows companies to obtain financing in return for a percentage of their future turnover. With the RBF, entrepreneurs can mobilize investors quickly and transparently, without diluting their capital. This offers a flexible alternative to traditional financing, which is often more influenced by the overall macroeconomic context than by the reality of the revenues generated by the financed company. WE DO GOOD has raised more than 12 million euros from more than 10,000 investors for the benefit of 256 companies.
Among the recent success stories, we can cite the Breton TPE Sunshine Chocolats, which manufactures solar roasters. Thanks to financing via WE DO GOOD, combined with public aid and a few business angels, it was able to raise 1 million euros in total to assemble its first model and today displays 70,000 euros in monthly turnover, in steady growth of 10%. Another success: MOBiDYS, a Nantes company which develops the offer of digital books accessible to dyslexic audiences, can also testify. In 4 years, she repaid her WE DO GOOD investors with a
200% yield. A nice remuneration for the people who enabled the development of the activity.
“Transmitting WE DO GOOD to maple° means transmitting 10 years of activism for fair finance to a team in line with the vision we have built. We hand over with the assurance of good continuity of service to customers and investors of the platform, but above all with confidence in the determination of the teams of the two companies to develop our respective achievements to put the finance in the service of the common good.” declares Jean-David Bar, CEO of WE DO GOOD.
A common DNA around impact financing
Since its launch, erable° has supported investors keen to have a positive impact by allowing them to directly finance the tangible assets of companies: electric vehicles with Revolte, water recycling machines with H20 Care, washing machines for rent with HomeCycle , … This approach encourages active and transparent participation in meaningful projects by financing assets that directly create a positive impact. Its blockchain-based revenue sharing model aligns investors' interests with the positive societal impact generated by funded companies. The maple° community currently has more than 6,000 members. With this acquisition, Erable° is committed to continuing its mission as a catalyst for positive change and redefining the notion of profit by combining environmental and social performance with financial performance.
The group's new management team is made up of Yannis BAALA, CEO, Anaïs BOUCHET, CPO and Vincent KATCHAVENDA, COO. The new maple°+ WE DO GOOD group, which now has around a dozen employees, aims to reach a cruising speed of 5 financings per month from the second half of 2024.
“We are delighted with this strategic acquisition with WE DO GOOD, a pioneer in crowdfunding and revenue sharing. This alliance reinforces our commitment to democratize access to investment in projects with high environmental and social value. We firmly believe that finance can be a powerful engine of transformation towards desirable economic models for the planet and the humans who populate it. Together, we want to become a real accelerator of the positive impact of businesses.” declares Yannis Baala, CEO of maple°.
About maple°
Erable° aims to make finance a powerful engine serving the real economy and the environmental and social transition. Via its platform, it therefore offers to invest in new investment products based on three main axes: income sharing, financing of tangible assets, transparency of financial and extra-financial flows anchored on blockchain. Beyond redirecting flows towards the financing of impact projects, erable° mobilizes a community committed to the transformation of our financial system.
About WE DO GOOD
WE DO GOOD is a French fintech certified B Corp and committed to a new economy. An economy that favors the local while being connected to globalization, favors use over ownership, and becomes more participatory. WE DO GOOD has been developing in France since 2013 a new accessible, fair and concrete financial model that allows everyone to act: income sharing.
Press contacts
Bluenne Chaye – [email protected] / 0663195087
*source: AMF, 2021 – https://www.amf-france.org/fr/actualites-publications/communiques/communiques-de-lamf/fin ance-durable-pour-76-des-francais-limpact-des- environmental-investing-is-a-topic)
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