We act For Trade!

As a global leading player in trade credit risk management for nearly 80 years, Coface helps 100,000 companies grow across some 200  international markets.

As a trusted partner, our +5,200 experts give our clients the confidence they need to navigate in an uncertain and volatile environment.

We act for them. We act for trade.

Whatever their size, location or sector, we offer companies a full range of solutions: Trade Credit Insurance, Business Information, Debt Collection, Single Risk insurance, Surety Bonds, Factoring.

We empower businesses to make the right decisions and trade smarter.

Every day, we leverage our unique expertise and cutting-edge technology to make trade happen, in both domestic and export markets.

How Coface helps you trade smarter

Driven by essential values

Shared by over 5,200 employees worldwide, our company culture is built on four values.

  • Client focus: we are fully dedicated to our clients, who we see as genuine partners. We strive to develop constructive and long-term relationships with them.
  • Expertise: our expertise in credit insurance and risk management has been developed over more than 75 years. Today, it defines and positions us as a world-class player.
  • Collaboration: collaboration is essential to the success of our business. This is why we work to build strong, long-term relationships with all our stakeholders, internal and external.
  • Courage & Responsibility: In today’s uncertain economic world, our experts act as a compass for our clients. To guide them effectively, we must constantly demonstrate courage and responsibility.

Our purpose

Our guiding principle: We believe that trade is a force for good in the world, contributing to its prosperity and stability.

Our mission: To facilitate trade by supporting companies to develop their international business.

Coface works with companies wherever they operate and helps them take the right commercial decisions. The services and solutions we offer our clients consolidate their ability to sell by protecting them against the risks of non-payment in their domestic and export markets.

We share a passion for trade, working in close collaboration with our clients to build thriving, dynamic and growing businesses. By helping our clients build stronger companies, we contribute to the smooth-running of the economy – and that’s our purpose!

Our history

  • 1946

    The Compagnie française d’assurance pour le commerce extérieur (Coface) is founded by the French government, which instructs Coface to insure its political, monetary and exceptional trade risks.

  • 1992

    Coface starts to take on an international dimension: Italy (1992), United Kingdom (1994), Germany (1996), Austria (1997), United States (2002)… and in 100 countries worldwide today!

  • 1994

    Most of Coface’s capital is privatised following the privatisation of SCOR, its major shareholder, but the Compagnie continues to manage public guarantees on behalf of the French state.

  • 2002

    Natixis acquires 35.26% of Coface’s capital from SCOR, in the process becoming the majority shareholder.

  • 2006

    Delisted in 2004, Coface becomes a subsidiary of Natixis, the financing, management and financial services bank that is part of the BPCE group.

  • 2012

    Coface Global Solutions (services for multinationals) and TopLiner, additional credit insurance coverage, are launched.

  • 2014

    Coface is listed on the French stock exchange on compartment A of the regulated Euronext Paris market.

    EasyLiner - a 100% digital package for SMEs - comes online.

  • 2017

    Coface transfers the management of public export guarantees to Bpifrance.

  • 2019

    Coface seals the acquisition of PKZ, Slovenia’s leading credit insurance provider, and creates a new entity for expansion in Greece.

    COFACE SA is integrated into the SBF120, the flagship index of the Paris Stock Exchange.

  • 2020

    The Build to Lead strategic plan is launched, designed to consolidate the Group's leading role in credit insurance and develop adjacent businesses (information services, debt collection, bonds, factoring and single risk insurance).

    With the acquisition of GIEK Kredittforsikring AS, Coface strengthens its position in the Nordic market.

  • 2021

    Coface incorporates its strategy into the global framework of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

    Natixis sells part of the capital of Coface SA to the Arch Capital Group Ltd, which now holds 29.5% of the shares.

  • 2022

    Coface creates an entity so it can expand in New Zealand.

  • 2023

    Coface augments its databases with the acquisition of Rel8ed, a company specialising in data analysis in North America, and consolidates its analytical capabilities on behalf of our credit insurance and business information clients.

  • 2024

    Launch of our Power the Core 2024-2027 strategic plan, which aims to expand and strengthen Coface's franchises, with the ambition of developing a benchmark global credit risk management ecosystem.