France
VEJA
Known for: Stylish, minimalist sneakers made with an eco and fair trade ethos.
Employees: ~500
Manufacturing: Produced in Brazil with strong supplier relationships.
Sustainability: Uses organic cotton, wild Amazon rubber, and recycled materials. Strong transparency and traceability focus. Certified living wages and fair trade sourcing.
Salomon
Known for: Trail running shoes and mountain-ready gear, popular with endurance athletes. Competes with Merrell and The North Face.
Employees: ~3000
Manufacturing: Designed in France, produced in Asia with selected EU assembly.
Sustainability: Runs the Play Minded Program for product durability, waste reduction, and chemical safety. Member of Fair Labor Association.
Stellantis
Brands: Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel/Vauxhall, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Jeep.
European Manufacturing: France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Slovakia, UK.
Battery Sourcing: ACC (France, Germany), LG Chem (Poland), some CATL (China).
Estimated nr. of European Jobs: ~250,000+ (direct and supply chain).
Privacy Concerns: Low – European-based management and infrastructure.
Café
The word, the lifestyle, the moment. A small cup, a small table, and hours of conversation. “Café” is the spirit of Europe’s cities & sidewalks.
The word café is used in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and more — this word captures Europe’s love of social sipping and slow moments.
La suite
Features: Privacy-respecting, open-source office suite for public services; includes cloud storage, document editing, email, video conferencing
Price: Free for public sector; limited availability for individuals or businesses
Our verdict: Built by the French government for the French public sector (growing also in Germany), La Suite is a shining example of European digital sovereignty. While not yet widely available for everyone, it’s a promising look at what a public cloud office suite should be.
Cdiscount
Known for: Discount e-commerce marketplace (electronics, appliances, etc.)
Employees: ~2,000
Availibility: Multiple (France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Luxembourg)
https://cdiscount.com
Renault Group
Brands: Renault, Dacia, Alpine.
European Manufacturing: France, Spain, Slovenia, Romania.
Battery Sourcing: Verkor (France), Envision AESC (France), LG Chem (Poland), some China.
Estimated nr. of European Jobs: ~130,000+ (direct and supply chain).
Privacy Concerns: Moderate – Renault EVs are Europe-made, but Dacia Spring is built in China.
Spartoo
Known for: Shoes and apparel e-commerce (marketplace for footwear/fashion)
Employees: ~408
Availibility: Most of Europe (30 countries)
https://spartoo.com
Deezer
Alternative to: Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and Spotify
Known for: Hi-Fi audio quality options, extensive library with localized content, collaborations with local artists and events. Founded in 2007, Deezer is a French music streaming service offering access to over 90 million tracks.
Availability: Operates in over 180 countries.
https://www.deezer.com
Smoby Toys
Known for: Pretend play toys, kitchens, doll prams, ride-ons. Classic European design and focus on early childhood development. Est. 1924.
Employees: ~1,100 (Simba Dickie Group)
Manufactured in: France, Spain, China
Moustache Bikes
Known for: Premium e-bikes across various categories, including urban, trekking, mountain, and cargo bikes.
Assembly Location: Assembled in Thaon-les-Vosges, France.
Motors & Batteries: Exclusively uses Bosch eBike Systems.
Availability: Sold through a network of over 500 dealers worldwide; no direct online sales.
https://moustachebikes.com
Renault 5 E-Tech Electric
Known for: Positioned as a stylish, retro and affordable European city EV.
Manufactured in: Douai, France (part of Renault’s ElectriCity hub)
40 kWh battery: ~300 km WLTP, 52 kWh battery: ~400 km WLTP
Our take: We think Renault has some of the best-looking EVs around (that don’t just look like batteries on wheels), with the Megane E-Tech, Scenic E-Tech, and now this baby.
Available now!
Withings
Known for: Hybrid smartwatches that combine classic analog design with advanced health tracking features, including ECG, SpO₂ monitoring, and sleep analysis.
Employees: Approximately 370
Manufactured in: France
withings.com
Citroën ë-C3
Known for: One of the most affordable European EVs starting around €25,000.
Manufactured in: Slovakia
44 kWh battery: ~320 km WLTP
Our take: Smaller battery, but refreshingly designed, and the cost savings don’t hurt the driving experience. We’re not fans of the new logo, though.
Available now!
Qobuz
Alternative to: Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and Spotify
Known for: Qobuz is a French music streaming and download service offering over 100 million tracks in lossless FLAC format. Qobuz provides a unique combination of streaming and downloadable content, catering to audiophiles seeking superior sound quality.
Availability: Available in 18 European countries
https://www.qobuz.com
L’Oréal
Known for: brands like L’Oréal Paris, Garnier, Maybelline, Lancôme
Employees: ~90,000
Manufactured in: France and 40+ countries
Sustainability: “L’Oréal for the Future” plan, carbon neutral sites by 2025
LVMH
Known for: Dior Beauty, Guerlain, Givenchy Beauty
Employees: ~215,000
Manufactured in: Mainly France
Sustainability: LIFE 360 plan, 1.5°C alignment, circular packaging
Chanel
Known for: Chanel No. 5, Rouge Coco, Sublimage
Employees: ~32,000
Manufactured in: France
Sustainability: Net-zero by 2040, eco-designed product lines
L’Occitane
Known for: Shea Butter creams, Almond oil, Lavender products
Employees: ~8,700
Manufactured in: France and Brazil
Sustainability: Certified B Corp, 100% renewable electricity
arte.tv
Known for: Documentaries, films, series, concerts, magazine shows: watch thousands of programmes for free.
Availibility: Available across most of Europe, with full access in France and Germany, and around 85% of content accessible in other EU countries.
https://www.arte.tv/
Yves Rocher
Known for: Botanical skincare, body care
Employees: ~13,500
Manufactured in: France
Stance on Russia: Continued full operations and paid local taxes
Clarins
Known for: Premium skincare, Double Serum
Employees: ~8,000
Manufactured in: France
Stance on Russia: Selling online, operations ongoing