What iskn does

iskn is a French consumer electronics and digital interaction company, headquartered in Saint-Martin-d'Hères near Grenoble, that designs and markets creative drawing and collaboration tools powered by its proprietary GMS™ (Gradient Magnetostatic Sensing) technology. The technology, developed through years of magnetometry research at CEA LETI and protected by 24+ international patents, uses an array of magnetometers to track the position, tilt, and pressure of writing instruments equipped with a small magnetic ring — enabling real-time digitization of strokes without batteries in the pen and without requiring a proprietary stylus. The company's two product lines are Repaper, a pencil-and-paper graphics tablet priced around €199 for creatives, educators, and remote workers, and MIRRA, a digital dry-erase whiteboard (43" to 86"+ sizes) that detects BIC-compatible markers and erasers for enterprise collaboration. The Repaper Studio companion software is provided free of charge across Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, supporting layer management, export to standard creative formats, and integration with Adobe, Krita, Clip Studio Paint, Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet.

The company was founded following a 2014 crowdfunding campaign after four years of incubation, and in 2020 AMI (Advanced Magnetic Interaction) was established as the patent-holding technology entity. In September 2022, AMI was acquired by BIC Group to accelerate digital expression ambitions and provide R&D and distribution resources. Go-to-market has historically combined direct e-commerce with premium retail distribution through an exclusive partnership with MoMA Design Store in New York and Hong Kong since 2016, alongside community-driven content marketing, an Instagram-based artist showcase, and trade-show presence. As of the current period, Repaper consumer tablets have been discontinued and iskn is repositioning toward the enterprise collaboration market via the MIRRA line, while maintaining customer support for existing Repaper users. The company reports 100,000+ active users across 30+ countries in Europe, USA, and Asia.

Name

iskn

Legal name

iskn

Website

https://iskn.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

iskn is a French consumer electronics company that develops the Repaper graphics tablet and MIRRA digital whiteboard, both powered by proprietary GMS™ magnetic sensing technology, and now operates as a subsidiary of BIC Group following its 2022 acquisition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graphics Tablets and Digital Drawing Hardware

NAICS

Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Graphics Tablets, Styluses & Pen Displays (HDACAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

E-Note Devices (E-Ink Writing Tablets) (CRACAMAF)

Keywords

• Graphics tablets
• Digital drawing tools
• Magnetic sensing technology
• Digital whiteboards
• Creative hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-martin-d'heres

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales - Graphics Tablets: Primary revenue stream from sale of Repaper and Repaper xLite graphics tablets. These scanner-style tablets enable users to draw on paper while digitizing strokes in real time, competing at ~€199 price point.
2. Hardware Sales - Digital Whiteboard: MIRRA digital dry-erase whiteboard positioned for enterprise/corporate collaboration markets. Available in sizes from 43 to 86 inches and above, targeting hybrid workspace and meeting room deployments.
3. Accessories: Sale of accessories including Repaper Ring (magnetic ring in S and M sizes), Repaper Stylus, paper sheets, and compatible BIC markers and erasers for MIRRA whiteboard.
4. Software - Repaper Studio: Repaper Studio application is provided free of charge for use with iskn hardware. Serves as the software layer enabling drawing, layer management, and export functionality across desktop and mobile platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

iskn designs, manufactures, and sells hardware products that bridge traditional paper-and-pencil drawing with digital workflows. Its core product is the Repaper pencil-and-paper graphics tablet, which uses proprietary GMS™ magnetic sensing technology with a magnetic ring attached to any pencil to digitize strokes in real time. The company is expanding its lineup with the MIRRA digital dry-erase whiteboard for enterprise collaboration, supported by the Repaper Studio software application.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Repaper: Pen & paper graphic tablet that blends traditional drawing feel with digital creativity. The first and only pencil-and-paper graphics tablet designed for creatives, educators, and remote workers.
• MIRRA
• Repaper Studio

Products and services

• Repaper graphics tablet Pencil-and-paper graphics tablet that lets users draw on any paper attached to the device while GMS™ magnetic sensing technology digitizes strokes in real time via a magnetic ring on the user's pencil, offering 8,192 pressure levels, up to 70-degree tilt detection, USB and Bluetooth connectivity, and screenless standalone mode with onboard storage. Targeted at artists, illustrators, designers, educators, and remote workers. Note: Repaper products are listed as no longer available on the current website, with the company stating it is 'working on the next chapter'.
• MIRRA Digital Dry-Erase Whiteboard Digital dry-erase whiteboard for corporate and education environments that uses AMI's GMS magnetic sensing to detect BIC-compatible dry-erase markers and erasers, digitizing handwritten content in real time with automatic tool and color detection (black, red, green, blue). Available in display sizes from 43 inches to 86 inches and above, aimed at hybrid team collaboration, meeting rooms, conference halls, and classrooms.
• Repaper Ring magnetic accessory Magnetic ring accessory that slips onto any pencil or pen, allowing the Repaper tablet's magnetometers to track position, tilt, and movement without batteries inside the writing tool. Sold separately in Small (up to 7.3 mm diameter) and Medium (up to 8.1 mm diameter) sizes.
• Repaper Stylus Digital stylus offered as an alternative to a magnetic-ring-equipped pencil for use with the Repaper tablet, sold separately through iskn's e-commerce shop for users who prefer not to use the ring-and-pencil setup.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% user satisfaction rating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Mango EditionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Mango Editions is a French publisher of practical drawing books. In September 2020, they launched 3 new books based on '365 jours de dessin' and 'Le dessin facile' by Lise Herzog, using Repaper's time-lapse video feature to demonstrate drawing techniques step-by-step. Artist's hand is invisible during execution, allowing followers to watch line progress from sketch to final drawing.
• Faber-CastellcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Faber-Castell of Germany partnered with iskn to develop Repaper, with the Slate Color Edition launching in 2014. The partnership enabled iskn to leverage Faber-Castell's expertise in writing instruments and reach creative professionals. Faber-Castell's reputation in premium stationery added credibility to the iskn product line.
• MoMA Design StorecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2016The Museum of Modern Art Design Store has been the exclusive distributor of iskn products in New York (53rd St, Soho locations) and Hong Kong since 2016. MoMA curation process selects cutting-edge tech products that 'enhance everyday life' and pass rigorous design usefulness tests. Partnership provides premium retail positioning and brand credibility in the design/art community.
• DomestikaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDomestika is a learning community for creative minds where experts share knowledge through professionally produced online courses in illustration, photography, and DIY. With over 9 million enthusiasts, the partnership provides access to a large creative community. Nature of partnership appears to be educational content and community access rather than product distribution.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wacom: Wacom is the dominant graphics tablet manufacturer (Intuos, Cintiq, One by Wacom). It competes head-on with iskn's Repaper in the creative/digital drawing space but uses EMR (electromagnetic resonance) stylus technology rather than magnetic-ring sensing.
• XP-Pen: XP-Pen (Hanvon Ugee) makes affordable graphics tablets for artists and entry-level creators with similar functionality to Repaper (Artist, Deco, Innovator series). It competes on price and is one of iskn's primary lower-cost rivals in the consumer/prosumer segment.
• reMarkable: reMarkable makes E-Ink paper tablets that combine reading/note-taking with a paper-like writing feel (Remarkable 2). It overlaps with iskn's Repaper on the 'paper-and-pencil digital drawing' value proposition and was identified as a comparable price point in iskn's competitive positioning.
• Huion: Huion manufactures graphics drawing tablets (Kamvas, Inspiroy) targeting artists, illustrators, and educators. It is a direct substitute competitor to iskn's Repaper and xLite in the affordable-to-mid-range consumer tablet segment.
• SMART Technologies: SMART Technologies (now SMART Technologies ULC) makes interactive whiteboards (SMART Board) for K-12 and enterprise meeting rooms. It is a direct peer to MIRRA in the digital dry-erase collaborative whiteboard category, with established education and corporate channels.
• Wacom (Bamboo Slate / Folio): Wacom's Bamboo Slate and Bamboo Folio are the closest direct competitive products to iskn's Repaper: smartpads that digitize pen-on-paper strokes. They use EMR technology vs iskn's magnetic ring, but serve the same 'draw on paper, capture digitally' use case.

Others

• Faber-Castell: Faber-Castell is iskn's co-development partner for Repaper (Slate Color Edition launched 2014). It is an enabling channel/brand partner rather than a direct competitor, but it is a strategic OEM-style relationship that gives iskn credibility in the premium writing-instrument category.
• Miro: Miro operates a leading collaborative whiteboard SaaS platform used by enterprise teams for brainstorming and hybrid meetings. It complements rather than competes directly with iskn's hardware, but addresses the same enterprise collaboration use case via software.

Broad incumbents

• Microsoft (Surface Pen / Surface Hub): Microsoft competes on both axes: Surface Pen + Surface Pro for individual creators, and Microsoft Surface Hub / Microsoft Whiteboard for enterprise meeting rooms. It is a broad incumbent that MIRRA competes against in the enterprise whiteboard market and Repaper competes against in the stylus/input device market.
• Apple (iPad + Apple Pencil): Apple's iPad with Apple Pencil serves the same digital drawing/illustration use case as Repaper and dominates the consumer tablet+stylus category. It is the largest incumbent in the broader digital creativity input device space and sets reference expectations for pressure and tilt performance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/iskn
• Xx.com/iskn_co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors9 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about iskn