Kickmaker
Kickmaker is a French engineering services firm that industrializes high-tech hardware products from concept to mass production for startups and large enterprises, delivered through 300+ engineers, seven offices, and three urban micro-factories.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kickmaker does
Kickmaker is a French engineering services and industrialization firm headquartered in Paris, founded in 2017 by Vincent Despatin and Eric Elmlas. The company specializes in taking high-tech hardware products from concept to mass production, integrating mechanical engineering, electronics, software/firmware development, supply-chain sourcing, and certification under a single full-stack engagement. It serves a mixed client base spanning large industrial and consumer enterprises (Bouygues, SNCF, Valeo, Nexans, Engie, L'Oréal, Technicolor, La Poste) and high-tech startups that lack in-house industrialization capacity.
Operationally, Kickmaker runs a community of 300+ engineers across seven offices (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Grenoble, Boston, San Francisco, Shenzhen) and three urban micro-factories that enable in-house prototyping and small-batch production. Revenue mechanics are project-based, structured around industrialization milestones from feasibility study through prototype, certification, and production ramp-up. The model allows clients to outsource the entire industrialization value chain rather than coordinate multiple specialized vendors, which accumulates switching cost through embedded design, supplier, and compliance context.
The firm is private, structured as a SASU, and has raised a Series A in January 2020 (Generis Capital Partners, approximately €5.5M) and a follow-on round in February 2023 (Bpifrance, Generis Capital Partners, MML Capital Partners). Reported revenue was €20M in 2020; the combination of headcount growth to 300+ engineers, three micro-factories, and a transatlantic/Asia footprint indicates substantial scaling since that baseline. Partnerships with SolidWorks (May 2024) and the French Fab ecosystem extend its tooling stack and policy-aligned referral channels.
Kickmaker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kickmaker
- Legal name
- Kickmaker SASU
- Website
- https://kickmaker.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Kickmaker is a French engineering services firm that industrializes high-tech hardware products from concept to mass production for startups and large enterprises, delivered through 300+ engineers, seven offices, and three urban micro-factories.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Kickmaker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Kickmaker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Engineering & Industrialization Services: Project-based professional services for high-tech product design and industrialization, covering strategy, product design, and product lifecycle management from prototype through mass production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based industrialization engagement |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kickmaker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kickmaker provides end-to-end design and industrialization services for high-tech hardware products, structured in three phases: (1) Design and Industrialization Strategy, (2) Product Design and Industrialization from Proof of Concept through series production, and (3) Product Lifecycle Management. The company operates three urban micro-factories co-located with engineering offices in France to enable rapid prototyping, assembly, and small-batch production for clients ranging from startups to large enterprises.
Product overview
Kickmaker is a high-tech design and industrialization partner offering comprehensive services across three phases: Strategy (design and industrialization planning), Design and Industrialization (from POC to mass production), and Product Lifecycle Management (production monitoring and quality control). The company operates urban micro-factories in seven global locations (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Grenoble, Shenzhen, Boston, San Francisco) and specializes in serving startups, mid-size companies, and large enterprises across domains including drones/robotics, new mobilities and electrification, medical devices with embedded AI, and IoT/consumer electronics. Kickmaker claims to deliver 50% risk reduction and 6-12 months faster time-to-market for clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Design and Industrialization Strategy Strategic consulting engagement to define the possibilities related to the development of a client's high-tech product and the associated industrial schemes, mapping the path from concept to production. Targeted at startups, mid-market, and large enterprises building hardware products.
- Product Design and Industrialization End-to-end product development service from Proof of Concept (POC) to series production, offered as turnkey industrialization or as targeted support on specific stages. Includes DFM, DFS, prototyping, certification, and supply chain setup. Targeted at startups, mid-market, and large enterprises across drones, robotics, new mobilities, medical devices, and IoT.
- Product Lifecycle Management Production monitoring, quality control, and end-to-end product lifecycle management service including production tracking, quality assurance, supply chain management, and end-of-life handling. Targeted at hardware companies requiring post-launch operational support.
- Urban Micro-Factories Three physical urban micro-factories co-located with engineering offices in France, enabling prototyping, assembly, and small-to-medium volume production with rapid iteration. Offered as an infrastructure capability underpinning the firm's industrialization services for hardware clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 50% reduction in project risk
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kickmaker
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kickmaker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Kickmaker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- French FabminorActive partner of French Fab, contributing to the network supporting reshoring and re-industrialization initiatives in France. Supports Made in France and localization of high-tech product manufacturing.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kickmaker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Assystem: French independent engineering firm focused on industrial project management, complex systems engineering, and product industrialization, especially in energy, transport, and defense. Closely comparable as a French mid-sized engineering services peer serving similar enterprise verticals.
- SII Group: French-headquartered technology services and engineering consulting firm providing product development, embedded systems, and industrialization support. Comparable as a peer of similar scale operating in the same French engineering services market.
- Akkodis (formerly AKKA Technologies): European engineering and digital services firm with deep roots in industrial design, embedded systems, and product development for automotive and high-tech clients. Highly comparable in service mix, vertical breadth, and European mid-market positioning.
- Eolane: French electronics manufacturing services (EMS) and industrial design firm providing electronic design, industrialization, and series production across energy, medical, defense, and rail. Comparable as a French peer combining EMS capabilities with industrial design services.
- Segula Technologies: Global French-headquartered engineering services group providing industrial design, product development, and industrialization support across automotive, aerospace, energy, and rail. Comparable to Kickmaker in offering end-to-end product engineering with multi-sector coverage.
- Lacroix Electronics: French electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider offering design support, prototyping, industrialization, and series production for industrial, automotive, and medical customers. Highly comparable as a French-headquartered peer combining design engineering with physical manufacturing infrastructure.
- ALTEN: European engineering and technology consulting firm providing design, R&D, and industrialization services across automotive, aerospace, life sciences, and energy. Comparable as a public listed engineering services peer operating in adjacent verticals with similar project-based model.
Broad incumbents
- Capgemini Engineering (formerly Altran): Global engineering services and R&D arm of Capgemini, offering product design, digital manufacturing, and industrial engineering at massive scale. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose portfolio overlaps with Kickmaker's industrialization offerings but with significantly larger scope and client base.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kickmaker social profiles
Digital presenceKickmaker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kickmaker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Kickmaker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kickmaker 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 Kickmaker
What does Kickmaker do?
Kickmaker provides end-to-end design and industrialization services for high-tech hardware products, structured in three phases: (1) Design and Industrialization Strategy, (2) Product Design and Industrialization from Proof of Concept through series production, and (3) Product Lifecycle Management. The company operates three urban micro-factories co-located with engineering offices in France to enable rapid prototyping, assembly, and small-batch production for clients ranging from startups to large enterprises.
Is Kickmaker a public or private company?
Kickmaker is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Kickmaker founded?
Kickmaker was founded in 2017. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Kickmaker based?
Kickmaker is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Kickmaker make money?
One revenue line is on record: engineering & Industrialization Services.
Who are Kickmaker's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Assystem, SII Group, Akkodis (formerly AKKA Technologies), Eolane, Segula Technologies, Lacroix Electronics and ALTEN. Capgemini Engineering (formerly Altran) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Kickmaker have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kickmaker.