Iconem
Iconem is a Paris-based startup founded in 2013 that uses photogrammetry and AI to produce 3D digital twins and immersive exhibitions of endangered cultural heritage sites for UNESCO, national governments, and world-class museums worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Iconem does
Iconem is a Paris-based private company founded in 2013 by architect Yves Ubelmann that specializes in 3D digitization of endangered cultural heritage sites using photogrammetry technology. The company deploys drones and terrestrial recording equipment to capture hundreds of thousands of high-resolution images per site, then processes these into detailed digital twins and 3D models via its Iconem Platform (app.iconem.com). It also operates an in-house studio that converts these assets into immersive exhibitions, 360-degree video tours, VR/AR experiences (including Microsoft HoloLens-based mixed-reality), and training content for heritage professionals. Iconem has documented sites across conflict zones (Syria, Iraq, Libya) and UNESCO World Heritage locations, with a flagship project being the digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica.
The company's business model is project-based professional services revenue: contracts are signed directly with international organizations (UNESCO, ALIPH, Aga Khan Trust for Culture), national governments (Sultanate of Oman, City of Paris), and world-class museums (Louvre, Grand Palais, British Museum, Smithsonian, Museum of Science Boston, National Museum of China, Aga Khan Museum, St. Peter's Basilica/Vatican). Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales through institutional relationships, supplemented by earned media, museum exhibitions, and partnerships with technology providers (Microsoft, Google Arts & Culture, Ubisoft, Sketchfab, Parrot) that extend the distribution of Iconem's assets. Approximately 10 employees work in a multidisciplinary team of architects, archaeologists, computer scientists, and 3D artists, led by a founder-CEO, CTO, CSO, CFO, and Chief of Staff.
Iconem firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Iconem
- Legal name
- Iconem
- Website
- https://iconem.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Iconem is a Paris-based startup founded in 2013 that uses photogrammetry and AI to produce 3D digital twins and immersive exhibitions of endangered cultural heritage sites for UNESCO, national governments, and world-class museums worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Iconem industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Heritage 3D Digitization Services
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Archive Restoration & Digitization (Film/Video/Audio Scanning, Remastering) (MPAHAGAI), Historic Preservation & Landmarks Conservation (BPAGAHAE), Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)
Keywords
Where Iconem is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Iconem business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Heritage Digitization Projects: Project-based contracts with international organizations, governments, and museums for 3D digitization and documentation of cultural heritage sites.
- Exhibition Design and Production: Design and production of immersive exhibitions for museums worldwide, including video production, 3D content creation, and exhibition installation.
- Professional Training Services: Training programs for local professionals in photogrammetry and 3D digitization techniques.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Iconem product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Iconem is a startup specializing in the 3D digitization of endangered cultural heritage sites. Using drone and terrestrial photogrammetry, the company captures high-resolution imagery at heritage sites and processes it into detailed digital twins and 3D models. It then transforms that data into immersive exhibitions, AR/VR experiences, and educational content for world-class museums, international organizations, and national governments.
Product overview
Iconem is a Paris-based company founded in 2013 specializing in 3D digitization of endangered cultural heritage sites. The company operates three interconnected offerings: (1) Iconem Studio produces immersive exhibitions for major museums worldwide with large-scale 3D projections and audiovisual content; (2) the Iconem Platform (app.iconem.com) provides an interactive 3D platform for specialists to access high-resolution digitized heritage data; and (3) AR/VR heritage experiences deliver mixed-reality and virtual tours using technologies like Microsoft HoloLens. The core service encompasses photogrammetry-based 3D documentation and digitization of archaeological sites, combined with professional training programs for local heritage professionals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 3D Digitization & Documentation Projects Project-based 3D photogrammetric digitization and documentation of endangered cultural heritage sites using drone-based and terrestrial image capture, producing high-resolution 3D models and digital archives for preservation, restoration planning, and educational use.
- Iconem Studio (Immersive Exhibitions) Design and production of immersive exhibitions with major museums worldwide, featuring large-scale 3D projections, 360-degree immersive experiences, and audiovisual content creation for heritage awareness and education.
- Iconem Platform Interactive 3D platform providing specialists and partners access to the highest-resolution digitized heritage data for research and exploration, supporting Iconem's broader 3D documentation practice.
- Professional Training in Heritage Digitization Training programs delivered to local professionals in photogrammetry and 3D digitization techniques, building capacity in preservation methodologies in regions where Iconem operates.
Quantifiable outcome
- Created digital twin of St. Peter's Basilica with over 400,000 high-resolution images
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Iconem
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Iconem technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
Iconem partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- MicrosoftcoreCollaboration on multiple projects including The Thread of Memory exhibition (D-Day 80th anniversary) and the Ancient Olympia digital reconstruction. Microsoft provides AI technology and platform support for heritage digitization projects.
- UNESCOcoreOfficial partnership for digitization of endangered heritage sites. Iconem conducts photogrammetric studies and 3D documentation for UNESCO, including work at Crac des Chevaliers and Beirut port explosion affected areas.
- Louvre MuseumcoreCo-production of the Eternal Sites exhibition with Réunion des Musées Nationaux - Grand Palais. Joint exhibition featuring 3D documentation of Khorsabad, Palmyra, Crac des Chevaliers, and Umayyad Great Mosque in Damascus.
- Grand Palais (Réunion des Musées Nationaux)coreCo-production of Venice Revealed immersive exhibition and Eternal Sites touring exhibition. Grand Palais Immersif subsidiary collaborates on digital heritage experiences.
- Google Arts & CulturesecondaryPartnership for Art # Connexion event at Grand Palais. Collaboration on digital accessibility of cultural heritage content.
- UbisoftsecondaryVirtual reality experiences based on Iconem data, used in multiple exhibitions including Age Old Cities and Build an Empire. Ubisoft's gaming technology enhances heritage visualization.
- Aga Khan Trust for CulturecorePartnership for documentation and preservation of Islamic and Middle Eastern heritage sites. Collaboration on Syrian Symphony exhibition at Aga Khan Museum.
- ALIPH FoundationcoreThe ALIPH Foundation (International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas) partners with Iconem on projects including Armenia exhibition and Salvaged from the Shadows exhibition at National Museum of China.
- Factum FoundationsecondaryCollaboration on preservation of endangered heritage through high-resolution documentation and digital preservation techniques.
- INRIAsecondaryResearch partnership on computational and digital technologies for heritage documentation.
- École Normale Supérieure (ENS)secondaryAcademic research partnership on heritage digitization and preservation technologies.
- Université Paris Sciences et LettressecondaryAcademic collaboration on digital humanities and heritage studies.
- Time MachinesecondaryEuropean research initiative on large-scale digitization of historical and cultural heritage.
- Vatican City / St. Peter's BasilicacoreGroundbreaking project for digital twin creation of St. Peter's Basilica, involving over a month of on-site work and 400,000+ images. Co-production of Pétros Ení immersive exhibition.
- Boghossian FoundationsecondaryPartnership on Aleppo exhibition at Villa Empain in Brussels and Armenia: Contemplating the Sacred exhibition.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Iconem competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Grand Palais Immersif: Subsidiary of Réunion des Musées Nationaux that produces large-scale immersive exhibitions in Paris and on tour, including Venice Revealed co-produced with Iconem. Directly comparable in exhibition format, institutional buyer, and immersive delivery model.
- CyArk: US-based non-profit that creates digital archives of the world's most significant cultural heritage sites using LiDAR and photogrammetry. Directly comparable mission, technology stack, and institutional buyer base to Iconem.
- ScanLAB Projects: London-based creative studio specializing in large-scale 3D scanning and immersive visualization of architecture, landscapes, and cultural sites. Comparable in applying photogrammetry to heritage and in producing museum-grade immersive outputs.
- Atelier des Lumières: Paris-based immersive art center (Culturespaces) producing large-format digital exhibitions of cultural and heritage content. Comparable business model in monetizing immersive projection experiences for cultural heritage audiences.
- Factum Foundation: Madrid- and Vienna-based non-profit specializing in high-resolution 3D recording, facsimile-making, and digital preservation of cultural heritage sites and artworks. Listed by Iconem as a partner and the closest comparable organization in scope and methodology.
Emerging players
- Smartify: UK-based cultural-tech startup offering mobile apps and digital tools for museums and heritage sites. Comparable as a digital platform serving museums, though focused on visitor-facing content rather than 3D site digitization.
- Visual Computing Lab (ISTI-CNR): Italian research lab at ISTI-CNR that develops 3D scanning, digital fabrication, and heritage reconstruction tools, including collaborations with European museums. Comparable as a heritage-focused photogrammetry and 3D-reconstruction specialist, though research-led rather than commercial.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft (Mixed Reality & Cultural Heritage): Through Microsoft AI, Azure, and HoloLens, Microsoft co-develops flagship immersive heritage experiences with Iconem. As a platform incumbent with deeper R&D budgets, Microsoft represents both the most important partner and a structural risk if it absorbs this capability.
- Ubisoft: Major games publisher whose engine and VR expertise powers Iconem's immersive heritage experiences (Age Old Cities, Build an Empire). Comparable as a technology enabler; a much larger incumbent with the resources to enter heritage VR directly.
- Google Arts & Culture: Google's cultural-heritage platform that digitizes, hosts, and distributes museum and heritage content globally. Iconem is an explicit partner; Google also represents the largest potential competitor with the distribution scale to bypass independent digitization firms.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Iconem social profiles
Digital presenceIconem financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Iconem leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Iconem funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Iconem 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 Iconem
What does Iconem do?
Iconem is a startup specializing in the 3D digitization of endangered cultural heritage sites. Using drone and terrestrial photogrammetry, the company captures high-resolution imagery at heritage sites and processes it into detailed digital twins and 3D models. It then transforms that data into immersive exhibitions, AR/VR experiences, and educational content for world-class museums, international organizations, and national governments.
Is Iconem a public or private company?
Iconem is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Iconem founded?
Iconem was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Iconem based?
Iconem is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Iconem make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Heritage Digitization Projects are the primary driver. The others are exhibition Design and Production and professional Training Services.
Who are Iconem's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Grand Palais Immersif, CyArk, ScanLAB Projects, Atelier des Lumières and Factum Foundation. Emerging players are Smartify and Visual Computing Lab (ISTI-CNR). Broad incumbents are Microsoft (Mixed Reality & Cultural Heritage), Ubisoft and Google Arts & Culture.
Does Iconem have an API?
No public API is recorded for Iconem.
What industry is Iconem in?
Iconem's product category is Cultural Heritage 3D Digitization Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAI, Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations), with a secondary code of MPAHAGAI, Archive Restoration & Digitization (Film/Video/Audio Scanning, Remastering). Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 7330.