Citron

Citron operates in the property technology (PropTech) sector, specializing in the digitalization of energy and technical management for real estate portfolios.

The company was founded in 2011 by Vianney Raskin and Maxime Perthu, who met as engineering students at ECE Paris. Initially established as a consulting firm named Green Alternative, the business focused on instrumented energy audits, a practice that later became mandatory for large companies in France in 2015. This early focus on energy performance consulting laid the groundwork for their technological pivot. In 2017, the founders digitized their services, leading to the creation of the Citron Energy Platform and rebranding the company to Citron. The commercial launch in 2018 proved successful. A significant milestone was achieved in April 2023, when Citron secured €20 million in a funding round from investors including Eiffel Investment Group, Entrepreneur Invest, and Bpifrance. This capital is intended to expand its offerings and recruit approximately 200 new employees. In June 2025, Citron acquired iQspot.

Citron's business model is centered around a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that enables clients to monitor and optimize the energy performance of their buildings. The company serves a diverse client base that includes large corporations like Saint-Gobain and Randstad, mid-size companies such as LeBonCoin, and public sector entities like the Île-de-France Region. Revenue is generated through subscriptions to its platform and associated consulting services. By collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data—over 10 million data points daily across 70,000 buildings—Citron helps its clients reduce energy consumption, decrease their carbon footprint, and comply with regulatory requirements.

The core offering is the Citron® platform, a big data and IoT system for managing energy consumption. It automates data collection from various sources within a building, such as energy meters, heating systems, and elevators. The platform provides tools for analysis, performance tracking, and reporting, which helps building managers identify inefficiencies and implement optimization strategies. This allows clients to not only achieve economic savings through reduced energy costs but also to improve their environmental performance and ensure occupant comfort.

Keywords: energy management, proptech, SaaS, building performance, energy efficiency, IoT, data analytics, regulatory compliance, sustainability consulting, smart building