What HighCo does

HighCo is a France-headquartered, publicly-listed marketing services group (Euronext Paris: HCO, founded 1990, Aix-en-Provence) that delivers promotional activation, retail media, and data-driven targeting services to major FMCG brands and retail chains across France, Benelux, and Spain. Its operating model is organized around three complementary poles — Retail Agencies, Retail Media, and Retail Activation — and is executed through 15 wholly-owned subsidiaries and proprietary platforms covering creative production (HighCo Editing, HighCo Création et Distribution, Mindoza), data and analytics (HighCo Data, CapitalData), in-store digital screens (HighCo DOOH), collaborative planning (HighCo Merely), mobile couponing (HighCo Nifty), and connected-shopper activation (HighCo Box). The Group's flagship distribution asset is HighCo Media Cosmos, the exclusive advertising network of Casino Group, which provides privileged access to a major French retailer's in-store media inventory.

The Group generates revenue through three streams: professional-services fees for the conception, distribution, processing, and performance management of promotional campaigns; advertising/transaction fees from retail media solutions (HighCo DOOH, BudgetBox, HighCo Media Cosmos); and subscription/recurring fees for data and technology platforms (HighCo Data, CapitalData, HighCo Merely, HighCo Nifty). HighCo operates a sales-led go-to-market motion with dedicated account management targeting enterprise clients, and its customer base spans nearly every major French retailer (Carrefour, Auchan, E.Leclerc, Intermarché, Coopérative U, Franprix, Casino, Leroy Merlin, Brico Dépôt, But, Printemps, Feu Vert) and global FMCG manufacturers (Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Danone, P&G, Unilever, L'Oréal, Lactalis, Mondelez, PepsiCo, Ferrero, Heineken). WPP is the reference shareholder with approximately 37.4% ownership and two board seats.

In 2025 HighCo completed a strategic refocus: it sold HighConnexion (June 2025), acquired Sogec's promotional activities and BudgetBox (September 2025), and launched HighCo DOOH (2026). 2025 reported gross profit reached €66.65 million (+9.2% reported, +1.8% like-for-like), with adjusted headline PBIT of €8.04 million (+6.5% YoY) and adjusted EPS of €0.33 (+20.8% YoY). 2026 guidance targets gross profit above €78 million and adjusted operating margin above 12%.

Name

HighCo

Legal name

HighCo, S.A. à Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance

Website

https://highco.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Activation Services: HighCo's core revenue driver, providing promotional activation services including conception, distribution, processing, and performance management of promotional campaigns for brands and retailers.
2. Retail Media: Revenue generated through retail media solutions including HighCo DOOH (in-store digital out-of-home), BudgetBox retail media campaigns, and HighCo Media Cosmos (Casino Group advertising network), with transaction-based and campaign fees.
3. Data & Technology Services: Revenue from data-driven marketing solutions including HighCo Data, CapitalData big data integration, and platform subscriptions for HighCo Merely and HighCo Nifty solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HighCo provides end-to-end promotional activation services for brands and retailers — from campaign conception, distribution, and processing to performance management — structured around three complementary poles: Retail Agencies, Retail Media, and Retail Activation. The Group delivers omnichannel promotional campaigns, retail media (including in-store DOOH via HighCo DOOH and the exclusive Casino Group network HighCo Media Cosmos), mobile couponing (HighCo Nifty), collaborative campaign planning (HighCo Merely), connected shopper activation (HighCo Box), and data-driven targeting (CapitalData, BudgetBox, HighCo Data) primarily to enterprise FMCG manufacturers and retail chains in France, Benelux, and Spain.

Product overview

HighCo is a marketing and communication group structured around three complementary expertise areas: Retail Agencies, Retail Media, and Retail Activation. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio including both acquired subsidiaries and proprietary sub-brands. The core offering integrates conception, distribution, processing, and management of promotional activations. Key subsidiaries include BudgetBox (retail media), CapitalData (data science), Sogec (marketing solutions), HighCo Data (activation services), UserAdgents (mobile), and HighCo Merely (collaborative planning). Proprietary sub-brands include HighCo DOOH (in-store digital screens), HighCo Nifty (mobile coupons), and HighCo Venturi (startup studio). The company primarily serves the French and Benelux markets with operations in Spain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Budgetbox: Retail media solutions
• CapitalData
• HighCo Box
• HighCo Data
• HighCo Data Benelux
• HighCo Dooh
• HighCo Merely
• HighCo Nifty
• HighCo Shopper
• HighCo Venturi
• Mindoza
• Sogec
• UserAdgents
• Fonds HighCo pour Entreprendre

Products and services

• HighCo DOOH (Retail Media DOOH) The first retail media agency dedicated to in-store DOOH (Digital Out-of-Home) screens, designed store-first. Enables brands to activate promotional content on in-store digital screens across retail environments.
• BudgetBox (Retail Media Solutions) Retail media solutions provider enabling omnichannel campaigns with targeted offers based on real purchase behavior data, acquired by HighCo in September 2025.
• CapitalData (Data Science for Marketing) Data science for marketing, providing big data integration and development solutions to connect promotional activation services with consumer data.
• HighCo Box (Smart Activation for Connected Shoppers) Smart activation platform for connected shoppers enabling personalized digital engagement at point of sale, integrating with promotional campaigns and retail media.
• HighCo Création et Distribution (Creative Factory) Creative factory providing design and distribution services for promotional materials, supporting the Group's promotional activation offer.
• HighCo Data (Activation Services) Activation services that link promotional campaigns with consumer data and retail channels, enabling data-driven targeting and personalization across France.
• HighCo Data Benelux Smart promotional campaign operations for the Benelux market, extending HighCo Data's activation services to Belgium and neighboring countries.
• HighCo Editing (Graphic Production Agency) Graphic production agency providing visual content creation for promotional campaigns, supporting the Group's creative and activation services.
• HighCo Media Cosmos (Casino Group Advertising Network) Advertising agency for Casino Group, managing retail media advertising operations across the Casino store network as HighCo's exclusive media network partnership.
• HighCo Merely (Collaborative Promotional Campaign Platform) Collaborative platform enabling retailers to structure and pilot commercial animation plans across teams, adopted by accounts such as Feu Vert for cross-team commercial planning.
• HighCo Shopper (Marketing and Communication 360°) Full-service marketing and communication agency offering 360-degree marketing solutions, including branding, social media, and digital marketing through Mindoza.
• HighCo Shopper Spain Smart and innovative marketing and communication solutions for addressing the Spanish market, extending HighCo Shopper's 360° offering internationally.
• Mindoza (Branding, Social Media, Digital, Communication 360°) Creative agency specializing in branding, social media, digital marketing, and 360-degree communication, operating within the HighCo Shopper pole.
• Sogec (Marketing Solutions and Promotional Activities) Marketing solutions provider specializing in promotional activities, acquired by HighCo in September 2025 to strengthen its position in the French promotions market.
• UserAdgents (Mobile-first Digital Agency) Mobile-first and user-centric digital agency focused on mobile marketing solutions, supporting HighCo's mobile coupon and connected shopper capabilities.
• HighCo Nifty (Mobile Coupon Solution) Mobile coupon solution enabling targeted promotional campaigns, particularly deployed in pharmacy and retail environments with high utilization rates (e.g., 58% utilization on a P&G pharmacy campaign with sales uplift of +5% to +41%).
• HighCo Venturi (Start-up Studio) Start-up studio supporting innovation and new venture development within the HighCo ecosystem, incubating new promotional activation and retail media capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Q3 2025 gross profit up 8.4% year-over-year, driven by Activation and Consulting divisions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SogeccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025HighCo completed the acquisition of promotional activities from Sogec on September 30, 2025. Sogec is a French marketing solutions company, and the acquisition represents a core strategic move to strengthen HighCo's position in the promotions market as part of its refocus on promotional activation.
• BudgetBoxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025HighCo finalized the acquisition of BudgetBox on September 30, 2025. BudgetBox specializes in retail media, providing HighCo with enhanced omnichannel retail media capabilities and data-driven targeting solutions for the French market.
• Casino GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighCo operates HighCo Media Cosmos, the exclusive advertising network of the Casino Group. This long-standing partnership gives HighCo exclusive access to Casino Group's retail media inventory across its store network in France.
• Entreprendre Pour ApprendreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner of the Fonds HighCo pour Entreprendre, promoting entrepreneurship among young people (ages 8-25) through mini-company projects in schools, with support from business professionals.
• Pépite ProvenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of the Prix Frédéric Chevalier, providing one-year access to Pépite Provence resources (Aix-Marseille University's entrepreneurship program) to award winners.
• Phenix (start-up)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighCo awarded Phenix the 'Coup de Cœur du jury' at its FirstAwards competition in 2015. Phenix has since become a key player in food waste reduction and circular economy for large retailers.
• French Tech Aix-MarseilleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner of the Prix Frédéric Chevalier competition, supporting the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Aix-Marseille region.
• Pure OceanminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNon-profit ocean conservation organization, partner of the Prix Frédéric Chevalier competition.
• ThecampminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by HighCo's founder Frédéric Chevalier in 2014, Thecamp is a technology campus in Aix-en-Provence. HighCo references the association with Thecamp as part of its regional entrepreneurial ecosystem involvement.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Direct peers

• Criteo: French-founded retail media and AdTech platform that directly competes with HighCo in retail media, omnichannel commerce, and promotional targeting across European retailers and brands. Closely comparable on technology and customer base, though Criteo is significantly larger and AdTech-led.
• Catalina Marketing: Global retail media and consumer intelligence company specializing in personalized promotions, digital coupons, and shopper marketing. Directly comparable to HighCo's promotional activation capabilities and the HighCo Nifty mobile coupon platform.
• Neptune Retail Solutions: U.S. retail media network (formerly Quotient Technology) that operates digital coupons, promotional activation, and retailer media networks. Analogous to HighCo's activation and retail media stack, with comparable business model across retailer-owned media and brand-funded coupons.
• Altavia: France-headquartered retail marketing agency offering commercial activation, in-store communication, and retail media services for major retailers and brands. Closely overlaps with HighCo's Retail Agencies and Retail Activation offerings across the same French enterprise client base.

Broad incumbents

• Havas: Global French-headquartered communications group (within Vivendi) offering media planning, creative, and commerce/retail media services that overlap with HighCo's full-service activation model across French enterprise clients.
• Publicis Groupe: Paris-based global advertising and marketing services holding company with significant retail media and commerce capabilities (Publicis Commerce). Competes with HighCo at French enterprise clients but operates at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Dentsu: Global advertising and media group with significant Merkle retail media and commerce capabilities; competes with HighCo in serving large retailer and FMCG clients in France and across Europe, though at much larger scale.
• IPG Mediabrands: Media holding division of Interpublic Group operating global retail media, commerce, and shopper marketing practices that overlap with HighCo's retail media and activation services for international brands.

Emerging players

• Ogury: Paris-based mobile AdTech and data platform providing consumer targeting and advertising solutions, partially overlapping with HighCo Data, CapitalData, and UserAdgents capabilities in mobile and data-driven activation. Comparable as a French emerging player with a different go-to-market focus.

Others

• JCDecaux: Global out-of-home advertising leader including digital out-of-home (DOOH) infrastructure. Relevant adjacent comparable for HighCo DOOH's retail in-store digital screens given shared DOOH technology and media monetization dynamics, though JCDecaux is a much larger infrastructure-led player.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HighCoGroup
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/fonds-highco-pour-entreprendre
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighCoGroup

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A6 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HighCo