What Humanoid.fr does

Humanoid is a Paris-based digital media group founded in 2010 that publishes a portfolio of independent French-language online media brands focused on technology, digital society, and lifestyle. Its core brands are Frandroid (technology news, reviews, and buying guides; 23M monthly page views, ranked #1 Tech Media in France for 2024 by Médiamétrie), Numerama (technology and society coverage with the group's first premium tier, Numerama+), Lemon.fr (telecom service comparison and statistics, acquired 2024), Survoltés (electric mobility, launched 2023), and Madmoizelle (women's lifestyle, acquired 2020). The group operates an integrated creative agency, Humanoid XP, which produces branded content, video, and community activations for enterprise advertisers including Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, and Whirlpool.

The underlying platform combines SEO-optimized editorial publishing, large social media distribution (YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, WhatsApp channels totaling 4M+ fans), and advertising infrastructure including display, native, programmatic, and affiliate formats. Numerama+ introduces AI-assisted reader features (article summaries, ad-free reading, personalized RSS), with content verified by the editorial team. Since 2022 Humanoid has been a pure-player subsidiary of EBRA Group, itself owned by Crédit Mutuel; in May 2025 it extended its distribution via Orange Tech on Orange.fr, reaching 24M unique monthly visitors.

The business model is multi-stream: advertising (display, brand content, programmatic via the Régie Mad network), affiliate commissions (notably through Lemon.fr's comparison tools driving 30,000 annual transactions), premium consumer subscriptions (Numerama+, €4.90/month to €1,000 VIP), and professional services through Humanoid XP. The company targets two distinct customer segments — French-speaking tech-curious consumers (18–44, CSP+ demographic) and enterprise advertisers seeking access to engaged French tech audiences — and operates primarily in France with broader Francophone reach.

Name

Humanoid.fr

Legal name

Humanoid

Website

https://humanoid.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Humanoid is a Paris-based digital media group operating French-language technology, society, and lifestyle brands (Frandroid, Numerama, Lemon, Survoltés, Madmoizelle), serving French-speaking consumers with editorial content and enterprise advertisers via its Humanoid XP creative agency. Since 2022 it has been a subsidiary of EBRA Group (Crédit Mutuel).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising (Display & Brand Content): Display advertising, native advertising, branded content, and custom campaigns through Humanoid xp agency. The company offers advertising formats including habillage (1920x1080), parallax (320x480), and mobile-specific formats. Commercial teams provide tailored strategies for highly engaged affinity audiences.
2. Premium Subscriptions (Numerama+): Premium membership offering ad-free reading, exclusive AI-curated newsletters, Zen mode, personalized RSS feed, and exclusive promotional offers. Launched December 2023.
3. Affiliate & E-commerce: Price comparison tools and affiliate commissions from product recommendations. The company integrates comparators for tech products and telecom services, earning transaction fees.
4. Professional Services (Humanoid xp): Custom creative agency services including video production, brand content, community management, influencer campaigns, and event activations for enterprise partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Humanoid.fr is a French digital media group that operates four online media brands — Frandroid (tech news, reviews, and buying guides), Numerama (technology and society journalism), Lemon (telecom comparison and statistics), and Madmoizelle (women's lifestyle) — plus the Survoltés electric-mobility sub-brand. It monetizes these audiences through advertising (Régie Mad and custom campaigns via Humanoid XP creative agency), affiliate commerce, and a premium subscription (Numerama+).

Product overview

Humanoid is a French online media publishing group operating a portfolio of distinct media brands. The core offering consists of four media brands—Frandroid (technology reviews and buying guides), Numerama (technology and society news with premium tier Numerama+), Lemon (telecom comparison and statistics), and Survoltés (electric mobility sub-brand of Frandroid)—complemented by advertising and creative agency services (Humanoid XP creative agency and Régie Mad advertising network). The company generates revenue through advertising, affiliate marketing, and premium subscriptions. In 2022, Humanoid became a subsidiary of EBRA (Crédit Mutuel group). Total reach: 4 recognized media brands, 30 million monthly readings across the portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frandroid: Top 1 French tech media - technology news, reviews, comparisons, and buying guides for consumers
• Numerama
• Lemon
• Survoltés
• Madmoizelle
• Humanoid XP
• Cyberguerre

Products and services

• Frandroid Leading French technology media brand providing technology news, product reviews, comparisons, and buying guides across 9 product universes (smartphones, PCs, TVs, wearables, AR/VR, smart home, cameras, gaming consoles). Top 1 Tech Media in France for 2024 per Médiamétrie with 23 million page views per month and over 1 million qualified outbound clicks per month from product recommendations.
• Numerama French technology and society media covering innovation, science, society, economy, culture, and digital policy across 6 editorial universes. Generates 7 million monthly sessions and 7-10 million monthly page views; flagship premium brand of Humanoid group.
• Lemon Service comparison media specializing in telecom statistics and recommendations. Provides comparison tools for internet Box, 4G/5G plans, and VPN services with data-driven statistical information. Facilitates 30,000 transactions per year.
• Madmoizelle Women's media and lifestyle content platform within the Humanoid group, covering topics aimed at a female French-speaking audience.
• Survoltés Frandroid sub-brand covering 100% electric mobility and sustainable energy, including electric vehicles (cars, bikes, scooters, motorcycles), charging stations, renewable energy services, and solar panels.
• Numerama+ Premium subscription service for Numerama offering ad-free reading, AI-generated article summaries verified by editors, exclusive 'Toujours Plus' newsletter, Zen mode, personalized RSS feed, and exclusive promotional offers. Pricing: Founder Pack €69.90 for 2 years, annual €39.90, monthly €4.90, VIP Numerama++ €1,000.
• Humanoid XP Integrated creative agency of the Humanoid group providing brand content creation, video production (studio and location), social media management, influencer marketing, event websites, and community activation campaigns. Produced 666 content pieces in 2022. Named clients include Samsung, Huawei, OPPO, and Canal+.
• Régie Mad

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 1 tech media in France (2024)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orange AdvertisingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025Humanoid partnered with Orange Advertising to launch Orange Tech, a technology content channel on tech.orange.fr. Frandroid and Numerama editorial teams supply 150+ exclusive content pieces monthly including articles and video. The partnership leverages Orange.fr's 24 million unique monthly visitors and 9 million daily consultations, expanding Humanoid's distribution reach significantly.
• Lemon.fr (Guillaume Debreu, Founder)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2024Humanoid acquired Lemon.fr, a specialist in telecom service recommendations backed by statistical data. Lemon was originally launched as internet-sans-engagement.fr in 2014 and rebranded to Lemon.fr in July 2020. Founder Guillaume Debreu joined Humanoid. The acquisition strengthens Humanoid's telecom expertise (4G, 5G, fiber) and comparison capabilities.
• NordPassminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 December 2023NordPass is a launch partner for Numerama+ premium subscription offering, providing exclusive promotional offers to Numerama+ members.
• Canal+minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 December 2023Canal+ is a launch partner for Numerama+ premium subscription offering, providing exclusive promotional offers to Numerama+ members.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clubic: Leading French-language technology news and reviews site (owned by Reworld Media) covering software, hardware, gaming, and enterprise IT. Directly comparable as a competitor to Frandroid and Numerama in the French tech-media segment, monetizing via advertising, affiliation, and content partnerships.
• Les Numériques: France-based tech product testing and comparison media specializing in rigorous lab-style reviews and price-comparison tools. Highly comparable to Frandroid's product-testing and buying-guide formats and to Lemon's comparison positioning.
• 01net.com: French technology news and practical advice site covering consumer electronics, software, and digital culture. Direct competitor to Numerama and Frandroid in the French tech/news space, with overlapping audience of tech enthusiasts.
• PhonAndroid: French mobile and Android-focused media providing news, reviews, tutorials, and comparisons. Directly comparable to Frandroid's smartphone universe and competes for the same affiliate and advertising revenue in mobile.
• Marmiton: Largest French recipe and cooking media site, also part of the EBRA group. Sister-company peer within the same parent, sharing distribution, advertising, and operational infrastructure; comparable multi-million-reach D2C vertical media model.
• Aufeminin (Aufeminin / SBEA / Teem): Women-focused media network (Marmite & Merveilles, Aufeminin.com, etc.), owned by TF1 group. Direct comparable to Madmoizelle within the same French women's-media segment, with similar scale and multi-brand strategy.
• Tom's Guide France (Future plc): French edition of Tom's Guide, owned by global media group Future plc; covers product reviews, buying guides, and tech how-tos. Directly comparable to Frandroid for tech-product reviews and SEO-driven affiliate revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Webedia: French digital media group operating large lifestyle, entertainment, and tech brands (Melty, PurePeople, Terrafemina, Presse-citron). Comparable multi-brand D2C media operator with broader lifestyle scope and similar agency/content-driven monetization.
• CNET (Red Ventures): Large-scale US/global technology reviews and media site owned by Red Ventures; covers consumer electronics, software, AI, and home tech. Comparable as a global incumbent in the same product reviews / comparison category as Frandroid and Les Numériques.
• Vox Media: US multi-brand digital media operator (The Verge, Vox, SB Nation, Eater, New York Magazine). Comparable multi-brand digital-media portfolio operating high-reach vertical sites with editorial credibility, advertising, and event monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/humanoidfr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@frandroid
• Facebookfacebook.com/frandroid
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/humanoid-sarl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Humanoid.fr