Arcual
Arcual is a Zürich-based blockchain platform (founded 2022) that provides provenance documentation, digital certificates, multi-currency payments, and customizable online stores and viewing rooms for artists, galleries, art fairs, and museums globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Arcual does
Arcual is a Zürich-based, privately held software company founded in 2022 that operates a blockchain platform purpose-built for the visual-art industry. Its core technology tokenizes artwork documentation to produce tamper-proof provenance and authenticity records that transfer alongside each sale, with integrated digital certificates, multi-currency payment processing across 135+ currencies, and customizable online stores and viewing rooms that replicate the in-person exhibition experience. The platform is delivered through role-specific modules for artists, galleries and art dealers, art fairs, and museums and institutions, and is anchored by named partners and customers including Art Basel, LUMA Foundation, Untitled Art Miami Beach, Outsider Art Fair, Season Fair, Depot, Salonniere, and Open Invitational.
The business model combines recurring SaaS subscriptions for platform access (online stores, viewing rooms, digital portfolio) with transaction and payment-processing fees on art sales routed through the platform, plus premium digital certificate issuance for provenance verification. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured by customer segment. Go-to-market is hybrid: self-serve onboarding via 'Get Started' for individual artists and smaller galleries, paired with direct enterprise sales for major art fairs and institutions, and event-driven distribution where dedicated storefront URLs power live art fairs (e.g., outsider-art-fair-2026.arcual.app).
The company is led by CEO Bernadine Bröcker, CTO Michael Schuller, and CPO Rodrigo Esmela, and has between 11 and 50 employees. Strategic positioning leans heavily on the LUMA Foundation partnership, in which founder Maja Hoffmann publicly endorses the mission, lending cultural-ecosystem credibility. No funding rounds, revenue figures, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the available data.
Arcual firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Arcual
- Website
- https://arcual.art
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Arcual is a Zürich-based blockchain platform (founded 2022) that provides provenance documentation, digital certificates, multi-currency payments, and customizable online stores and viewing rooms for artists, galleries, art fairs, and museums globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Arcual industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Marketplace Software
- NAICS
- Art Dealers (45992), Art Dealers (459920)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Collectibles, Art & Antiques C2C (CRAFAKAG)
Keywords
Where Arcual is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Arcual business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform subscription/SaaS fees: Arcual provides its blockchain platform as a service to artists, galleries, art fairs, and institutions. The platform enables online stores, viewing rooms, and digital portfolio management, suggesting a SaaS subscription model.
- Transaction and payment processing fees: Integrated e-commerce and payment tools handle secure transactions for art sales. The platform manages sales processes including invoicing and payment tracking, likely taking a percentage or transaction fee on sales processed.
- Digital certificate issuance: Generate and store digital certificates verifying provenance and authenticity, likely offered as a premium or per-transaction service.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Arcual product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Arcual operates a blockchain-based SaaS platform that streamlines sales and documentation for the art world. Its core offerings are three integrated solutions: Online Stores and Viewing Rooms (customizable digital storefronts replicating in-person exhibitions), Sales and Payment Tools (multi-currency payment processing in 135+ currencies with automated invoicing), and Digital Portfolio (blockchain-tokenized provenance and authenticity certificates that transfer with each sale). It targets galleries, art fairs, artists, and cultural institutions.
Product overview
Arcual is a blockchain-based platform offering a unified suite of digital solutions for the art world. The core product portfolio consists of three main pillars: Online Stores and Viewing Rooms (customizable digital storefronts), Sales and Payment Tools (multi-currency payment processing with automation), and Digital Portfolio (blockchain-authenticated provenance documentation). These are delivered through role-specific solution modules targeting Artists, Galleries and Art Dealers, Art Fairs, and Institutions and Museums, all unified on a single blockchain platform that streamlines sales and documentation workflows.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Stores and Viewing Rooms
Quantifiable outcome
- Payment processing available in 135+ currencies for global collector access
Companies that use Arcual
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Arcual technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Arcual partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- LUMA FoundationcoreLUMA Foundation (founded by Maja Hoffmann) serves as a strategic partner and founder supporter of Arcual. Maja Hoffmann is quoted on Arcual's homepage endorsing the mission of bringing 'balance to the art world' through pioneering technologies. The partnership positions Arcual within the broader LUMA ecosystem of art and cultural innovation.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Arcual competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Artsy: Artsy is the leading online art marketplace connecting collectors with galleries and artists globally. Directly comparable to Arcual as a digital platform serving galleries and collectors, though Artsy focuses on discovery and listings rather than blockchain provenance and integrated payment processing.
- Invaluable: Invaluable operates an online auction marketplace connecting auction houses with collectors globally. Comparable to Arcual on the online marketplace and transaction-processing dimension for art sales, though focused on auctions rather than blockchain-backed documentation.
- Artlogic: Artlogic provides gallery management software, inventory, CRM, and online storefront tools to thousands of galleries worldwide. Most directly comparable to Arcual on the gallery SaaS and online-store dimension, though without blockchain provenance or integrated payment processing.
- Singulart: Singulart is an online art marketplace enabling artists to sell directly to collectors worldwide. Comparable to Arcual on the artist-to-collector e-commerce dimension, with similar artist-segment focus but without blockchain provenance or art fair integration.
Regional players
- Artsper: Artsper is a European-focused online art marketplace connecting galleries and collectors. Comparable to Arcual on the gallery-online-storefront and transaction dimension, primarily competing in the European market where Arcual is headquartered.
Broad incumbents
- Christie's (digital): Christie's runs online auctions, digital viewing rooms, and provenance/due diligence services for high-value art. Broad incumbent in the digital art commerce space with overlapping capabilities to Arcual on viewing rooms, global transaction handling, and collector reach.
- Artnet: Artnet is a long-established art market data, auction house database, and gallery network. Broader incumbent serving multiple art-market functions; comparable to Arcual as a digital infrastructure provider for galleries and collectors, though built around data and listings rather than blockchain provenance.
- Sotheby's (digital): Sotheby's operates its own digital sales platform, online auctions, and provenance technology across its global auction business. Broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in online art sales, digital documentation, and high-value transaction processing that competes with Arcual's payment and storefront offerings.
Emerging players
- Masterworks: Masterworks is a fintech platform enabling fractional ownership and investment in fine art. Comparable to Arcual as a tech-enabled art market platform creating new transaction formats, though focused on investment vehicles rather than provenance and gallery operations.
- LiveArt: LiveArt is a blockchain-based platform for art data, pricing, and digital asset trading. Directly comparable to Arcual on the blockchain-in-art positioning and provenance/price-data infrastructure, though with a heavier NFT and trading orientation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Arcual social profiles
Digital presenceArcual financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Arcual leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Arcual funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Arcual 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 Arcual
What does Arcual do?
Arcual operates a blockchain-based SaaS platform that streamlines sales and documentation for the art world. Its core offerings are three integrated solutions: Online Stores and Viewing Rooms (customizable digital storefronts replicating in-person exhibitions), Sales and Payment Tools (multi-currency payment processing in 135+ currencies with automated invoicing), and Digital Portfolio (blockchain-tokenized provenance and authenticity certificates that transfer with each sale). It targets galleries, art fairs, artists, and cultural institutions.
Is Arcual a public or private company?
Arcual is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Arcual founded?
Arcual was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Arcual based?
Arcual is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Arcual make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Platform subscription/SaaS fees are the primary driver. The others are transaction and payment processing fees and digital certificate issuance.
Who are Arcual's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Artsy, Invaluable, Artlogic and Singulart. Artsper is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Christie's (digital), Artnet and Sotheby's (digital). Emerging players are Masterworks and LiveArt.
Does Arcual have an API?
No public API is recorded for Arcual.
What industry is Arcual in?
Arcual's product category is Art Marketplace Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail, with a secondary code of CRAFAKAG, Collectibles, Art & Antiques C2C. Its NAICS code is 45992 and its SIC code is 7990.