GensDeConfiance

The platform functions as a generalist marketplace for a wide array of goods and services, including real estate sales, long-term and vacation rentals, job postings, and personal services like childcare. What distinguishes GensDeConfiance is its membership model, which is based on sponsorship. To post or respond to an ad, a user must be sponsored by at least three existing members, who act as moral guarantors. This co-sponsorship system creates a self-regulating community, as both the member and their sponsors can be removed if rules are violated. While viewing ads is open to the public, interaction is exclusive to this vetted community, which by August 2022 had grown to 1.4 million members.

GensDeConfiance's business model is a hybrid. Initially funded by optional ad-boosting fees and member donations, it has evolved to generate a significant portion of its revenue from real estate listings. The company charges a fee for posting vacation rental ads and, more recently, has started to operate as a transaction intermediary for these rentals, taking a 9% commission. For professionals, particularly in real estate, the company offers dedicated profiles and features for a fee. The firm secured early-stage funding in 2016 and has since raised a total of $7.7 million through various venture capital and equity crowdfunding rounds. The company achieved profitability in early 2022.