GSM Project

What GSM Project does

GSM Project, now operating as GSM Studios following a March 2026 rebrand, is a Montreal-headquartered multidisciplinary design and production firm specializing in experience design for museums and cultural attractions. The firm partners with government cultural departments, national museums, and private cultural organizations to conceive, design, and produce narrative-driven exhibitions, immersive digital environments, and interactive installations. Its core offering is end-to-end experience design and production — encompassing narrative development, spatial design, media integration, and fabrication — delivered through a network of four studios (Montreal, Singapore, Paris, Dubai) each rooted in local cultural context.

The company generates revenue through project-based, one-time engagements; pricing is custom-quoted per engagement and not publicly disclosed. Customers are predominantly institutional — government ministries of culture, national museums, heritage sites, and a small number of private cultural brands (e.g., House of Cointreau) — and engagement sizes are large, given the scale of permanent exhibitions and world-expo pavilions. The company operates a direct, enterprise field-sales model: projects are secured via direct relationships with museum directors, government cultural ministers, and institutional leaders, with marketing driven primarily through a portfolio website, professional social channels, and industry recognition including B Corp certification.

The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors beyond a single $5M round in 2018 from BDC Venture Capital and EDC Capital; current ownership appears founder-controlled. Leadership includes founder Jacques Guillon and President/Chief Creative Officer Yves Mayrand, with Eric Demay as Managing Director. The company is a member of the Humanise Collective, a network of human-centered design firms.

Name

GSM Project

Legal name

GSM Studios

Website

https://gsmproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

GSM Project (now GSM Studios) is a Montreal-based multidisciplinary design and production firm that designs and produces narrative-driven exhibitions and immersive experiences for museums, cultural attractions, and government cultural institutions worldwide through four studios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Experience Design and Production Services for Museums and Cultural Attractions

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Experience design services
• Museum exhibition design
• Immersive installations
• Narrative experience production
• Cultural attraction development

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Experience Design and Production Services: GSM Studios generates revenue through project-based engagements designing and producing transformative experiences for museums, cultural attractions, and exhibitions. Each project involves creative partnerships with visionary leaders to craft narrative experiences.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GSM Project (operating as GSM Studios) designs and produces transformative narrative experiences for museums, cultural attractions, and heritage institutions. The firm delivers end-to-end experience design and production services, encompassing immersive exhibitions, storytelling environments, and interactive installations, working as creative partners with government cultural departments, national museums, and private cultural organizations worldwide.

Product overview

GSM Studios operates as a single unified creative service offering, not a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company specializes in experience design and production for museums and cultural attractions, functioning as a global creative group with studios in Montreal, Singapore, Paris, and Dubai. Their core offering encompasses the entire creative partnership process with visionary leaders—from understanding their mission and values to crafting transformative journeys. While they have worked on diverse projects including pulsations exhibitions, memorial centers, natural history installations, and heritage sites, these represent client outcomes rather than distinct product lines or modules. The company's primary service is their integrated design and production expertise, delivered through a collaborative studio network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experience Design and Production Services End-to-end experience design and production services for museums and cultural attractions, creating transformative narrative experiences that examine the past, engage with the present, and offer visions of the future. The service encompasses immersive exhibitions, storytelling environments, and interactive installations delivered through a global studio network for government and private cultural institutions.

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Justine EmardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2025GSM Studios collaborated with artist Justine Emard to create the permanent exhibition for the France Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka. This partnership demonstrates their ability to work with visionary artists to create groundbreaking cultural experiences.
• Humanise CollectiveminorOthersGSM Studios is a member of the Humanise Collective, a network of companies focused on human-centered design and experiences. This affiliation aligns with their mission of cultivating empathy and meaningful connections through experience design.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mather & Co: UK-based designer of visitor attractions, museums, and themed experiences. Comparable scope and client type (institutional museums and attractions) to GSM Studios.
• Event Communications: UK museum and exhibition design firm (British Museum, Wellcome Collection). Direct comparable in narrative exhibition design and production for major cultural institutions.
• Ralph Appelbaum Associates: Global leader in museum exhibition design (US Holocaust Memorial Museum, NMAAHC). Direct comparable to GSM Studios in narrative-driven exhibition master planning and production for cultural institutions.
• Local Projects: New York-based experience design firm known for interactive museum installations (Cooper Hewitt, 9/11 Museum). Directly comparable on immersive digital + physical exhibition design for cultural clients.
• Casson Mann: London-based exhibition and museum design firm (Tate Modern, Imperial War Museum). Direct peer in narrative-led experiential design for major cultural institutions.
• Atelier Bruckner: Stuttgart-based exhibition design studio with strong portfolio in narrative and immersive museum environments. Direct comparable in storytelling-driven cultural exhibition design.
• Studio Joseph: New York-based exhibition and experience design firm (Cooper Hewitt Store, various museum projects). Comparable boutique-scale peer in cultural exhibition design.
• Luci Creative: US-based experience design firm specializing in museum, visitor center, and brand experience projects. Comparable in institutional cultural client work and experiential design scope.

Broad incumbents

• Thinkwell Group: Los Angeles-based experience design and production company serving theme parks, museums, and brand attractions. Broader portfolio than GSM but overlapping in cultural and attraction experience design.

Emerging players

• Ideum: New Mexico-based interactive exhibit and software firm specializing in touch-based museum installations. Adjacent/emerging competitor in the digital experience layer of museum design that GSM also operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gsmstudiosworld
• Facebookfacebook.com/gsmstudiosworld
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gsm-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/gsmstudios.world/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 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 GSM Project