Ex Nihilo Paris
Ex Nihilo Paris is a Parisian luxury niche perfume house founded in 2013, offering 78 fragrances across Eaux de Parfum, Extraits, Oils, Mists, Body Care, and Discovery Sets. It serves affluent fragrance enthusiasts globally through selective premium retail, duty-free, and US direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with personalization via the Osmologue system.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ex Nihilo Paris does
Ex Nihilo Paris is a luxury niche perfume house founded in 2013 in Paris by Sylvie Loday, Olivier Royère, and Benoît Verdier (Benoît Verdier). The company designs, formulates, and sells approximately 78 fragrances organized into six named collections (Initiale, Interdite, Iconoclaste, Visionnaire, Babylone, Quintessence), with product formats spanning Eaux de Parfum, Extraits de Parfum, Perfumed Oils, Perfumed Mists, Discovery Sets, Travel Sizes, Body Care, and Candles. Core technical components include the Osmologue personalization system, an in-store consultation platform, and proprietary alcohol-free formulations (e.g., the GENERATION(S) EDP launched in 2026). Pricing ranges from $50 for Discovery Sets to $490 for premium Extraits, with most EDPs priced between $180 and $385.
The business operates through a hybrid go-to-market model. Selective premium retail distribution (department stores, duty-free shops including Shinsegae in South Korea, and flagship boutiques) maintains scarcity and brand prestige, while a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (us.ex-nihilo-paris.com) handles US orders with complimentary standard delivery. Revenue streams are one-time purchases across fragrance, body care, candles, and discovery sets, supported by voucher-driven full-size conversion incentives. The legal entity is ENIES (Société par Actions Simplifiée) under French law, with a US subsidiary, Maison EX NIHILO USA Inc., handling North American operations.
Ownership is private, with co-founders maintaining majority control. Eurazeo invested €25M for a minority stake in January 2024, then exited in January 2026 to L Catterton (the LVMH-backed private equity firm) at a 2.5x+ return, with founders reinvesting significantly. The brand serves affluent fragrance enthusiasts, duty-free travelers (notably in South Korea and broader Asia), and US-based e-commerce customers seeking distinctive, non-mainstream luxury scents with personalization options.
Ex Nihilo Paris firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ex Nihilo Paris
- Legal name
- ENIES (Société par Actions Simplifiée)
- Website
- https://ex-nihilo-paris.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ex Nihilo Paris is a Parisian luxury niche perfume house founded in 2013, offering 78 fragrances across Eaux de Parfum, Extraits, Oils, Mists, Body Care, and Discovery Sets. It serves affluent fragrance enthusiasts globally through selective premium retail, duty-free, and US direct-to-consumer e-commerce, with personalization via the Osmologue system.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ex Nihilo Paris industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Niche Fragrance
- NAICS
- Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (45612)
- SIC
- Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Niche & Artisan Fragrance (CRABADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Fragrance (Women’s/Men’s/Unisex) (CRABADAA), Luxury Fragrance & Beauty (Designer/Luxe) (CRAKAFAH)
Keywords
Where Ex Nihilo Paris is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ex Nihilo Paris business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fragrance Sales: Revenue generated from selling luxury perfumes and fragrances across multiple formats including Eaux de Parfum (100ml from $180-$385, 50ml from $245-$355, travel sizes from $180), Extraits de Parfum (100ml from $240-$490, 50ml from $345-$490), Perfumed Oils (15ml at $475), and Perfumed Mists (100ml at $140).
- Discovery Sets and Gift Sets: Curated discovery sets allowing customers to explore the fragrance collection. Discovery sets come in various configurations (Iconic Scents at $55, Customizable sets at $50, Quintessence sets at $65) with voucher incentives for full-size purchases.
- Body Care and Accessories: Extended product line including body care products, candles, and body rituals products. The brand also offers gift sets and travel formats.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Eaux de Parfum - 100ml format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Extrait de Parfum - Premium concentration |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Perfumed Oils - Concentrated format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Perfumed Mists - Light format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Discovery Sets - Exploration format |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Alcohol-Free Fragrance - GENERATION(S) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ex Nihilo Paris product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ex Nihilo Paris designs, crafts, and sells luxury niche fragrances across multiple formats including Eaux de Parfum, Extraits de Parfum, Perfumed Oils, and Perfumed Mists, plus complementary discovery sets, body care, and candles. The brand offers technology-enabled personalization through its Osmologue system and private consultations, distributing selectively through premium retail doors and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Product overview
EX NIHILO is a Parisian luxury niche perfume house founded in 2013, operating as a unified brand with a portfolio of approximately 78 fragrances. The product ecosystem comprises core fragrance lines (Eau de Parfum and Extrait de Parfum), complementary formats (Perfumed Oils, Perfumed Mists, Discovery Sets, Travel Sizes), and extensions (Body Care, Candles, Gifts). The brand organizes offerings into thematic collections (Initiale, Interdite, Iconoclaste, Visionnaire, Babylone, Quintessence) and limited edition collaborations. The flagship QUINTESSENCE collection features the most concentrated extrait formats. The Osmologue personalization system provides technology-enabled customization. Products range from $55 (Discovery Sets) to $490 (Extrait de Parfum 100ml), with most Eaux de Parfum priced at $180-$385.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Eaux de Parfum Primary alcohol-based perfume line featuring approximately 78 fragrances across multiple olfactory families (floral, woody, citrus, ambery), sold in 100ml and 50ml formats to luxury fragrance consumers worldwide.
- Extraits de Parfum Highly concentrated perfume extracts offering the most intense and long-lasting fragrance experience in the QUINTESSENCE flagship collection, sold to luxury consumers seeking premium concentration formats.
- SUBLIME ESSENCE Perfumed Oils Luxury oil-based perfumed fragrances in 15ml formats (Oud, Ambre, Musc, Rose, Supernatural Oud) offering a different sensory experience compared to alcohol-based perfumes for luxury consumers.
- SUBLIME MISTS Perfumed Mists Lighter body mists designed for layering and everyday wear (Fascinate, Exalt, Magnetize, Emphasize, Galvanize) in 100ml format priced at $140 for consumers seeking lighter fragrance options.
- Discovery Sets Curated discovery sets in 6x2mL mini formats that allow customers to explore the brand's olfactory universe before committing to full-size purchases, including a gift voucher toward the next 100ml or 50ml fragrance order.
- Nomadic Formats / Travel Sets Compact travel-friendly fragrance formats including the Iconic Travel Set (5x7.5ml) and various miniature sets designed for portable fragrance discovery and travel use.
- Body Care / Bath & Body Collection Body care and bath products that complement the fragrance collection, designed as 'the art of body rituals' to extend the brand's olfactory experience into daily body care.
- Candles Home fragrance candles extending the brand's olfactory universe beyond personal wear into living spaces for luxury consumers.
- Gift Sets Pre-curated gift collections including discovery sets, miniature sets, and themed gift offerings designed for gifting occasions, available with optional gift engraving services.
- GENERATION(S) Alcohol-Free Perfume Innovative alcohol-free Eau de Parfum designed for sensitive skin, featuring fresh pear and fig notes with warm sandalwood, sold in 100ml format at $385.
Quantifiable outcome
- Eurazeo's investment returned over 2.5x in approximately two years, indicating strong brand value creation and growth trajectory.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ex Nihilo Paris
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ex Nihilo Paris technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Ex Nihilo Paris partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ex Nihilo Paris competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Le Labo: NYC-founded niche fragrance house (now under Estée Lauder, formerly under LVMH/ARMANI group), known for hand-blended perfumes and city-exclusive scents. Directly comparable as a luxury niche perfume brand with selective distribution and a craft narrative aimed at affluent consumers.
- Maison Francis Kurkdjian: Paris-based luxury niche perfumery founded by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian (now majority-owned by LVMH/CHANEL). Comparable to Ex Nihilo as a high-perfumery Parisian house with selective distribution and premium pricing ($200–$500+) across EDPs and extraits.
- Byredo: Stockholm-founded luxury niche fragrance and lifestyle brand. Compares as a contemporary niche house selling premium-priced EDPs, body care, candles and leather goods through selective doors and DTC — overlapping product categories (perfumes, oils, candles, body care) and pricing tier.
- Diptyque: Parisian luxury fragrance and lifestyle house known for eaux de toilette, candles and body care. Direct comparable given shared Paris origin, multi-format portfolio (fragrance + candles + body), selective distribution and premium positioning.
- Memo Paris: Paris-based luxury niche fragrance brand selling curated, story-driven EDPs at premium prices through selective doors. Comparable as a similarly sized Parisian niche house with comparable price points, selective distribution and travel-themed storytelling.
- Frédéric Malle: Editor-of-perfumers luxury niche house (under LVMH) selling high-end EDPs through selective doors. Directly comparable positioning: high-perfumery materials, perfumer-led creation, premium prices ($200–$400+), selective distribution.
- Serge Lutens: Paris-based niche perfumer (under Shiseido) known for extrait concentrations and selective distribution, originally via the Palais Royal salon. Comparable as a Paris-rooted, perfumer-driven niche house with premium prix-positioned extraits and limited distribution.
- Parfums de Marly: French luxury niche fragrance house with premium EDPs ($180–$400+) sold selectively and via DTC. Comparable as a similarly sized, premium-priced French niche house with selective retail and growing global presence in the same luxury niche category.
Broad incumbents
- Maison Margiela Replica: LVMH-owned luxury fashion maison whose 'Replica' line competes in the same EDP category at $130–$170 price points. Comparable as a broader luxury house with a niche-leaning fragrance line, but with the marketing scale and retail reach Ex Nihilo lacks.
- Tom Ford Beauty: Estée Lauder-owned luxury fragrance and beauty line at $100–$400 price points. Comparable as a premium luxury fragrance house with selective distribution and a celebrity/designer-driven brand narrative, but with much broader global scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ex Nihilo Paris financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ex Nihilo Paris leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Ex Nihilo Paris funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ex Nihilo Paris M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ex Nihilo Paris
What does Ex Nihilo Paris do?
Ex Nihilo Paris designs, crafts, and sells luxury niche fragrances across multiple formats including Eaux de Parfum, Extraits de Parfum, Perfumed Oils, and Perfumed Mists, plus complementary discovery sets, body care, and candles. The brand offers technology-enabled personalization through its Osmologue system and private consultations, distributing selectively through premium retail doors and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Is Ex Nihilo Paris a public or private company?
Ex Nihilo Paris is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ex Nihilo Paris founded?
Ex Nihilo Paris was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ex Nihilo Paris based?
Ex Nihilo Paris is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Ex Nihilo Paris make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fragrance Sales are the primary driver. The others are discovery Sets and Gift Sets and body Care and Accessories.
Who are Ex Nihilo Paris's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Le Labo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Byredo, Diptyque, Memo Paris, Frédéric Malle, Serge Lutens and Parfums de Marly. Broad incumbents are Maison Margiela Replica and Tom Ford Beauty.
Does Ex Nihilo Paris have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ex Nihilo Paris.
What industry is Ex Nihilo Paris in?
Ex Nihilo Paris's product category is Luxury Niche Fragrance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRABADAH, Niche & Artisan Fragrance, with a secondary code of CRABADAA, Fine Fragrance (Women’s/Men’s/Unisex). Its NAICS code is 45612 and its SIC code is 2844.