What Le Sphinx does

Le Sphinx (legal entity Le Sphinx Développement, SIREN 398 616 342) is a privately held French software company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Chavanod near Annecy, operating in the survey, market research, and statistical analysis software market. The company sells a portfolio spanning the Sphinx iQ 3 desktop-class survey and analysis platform, the Sphinx Declic SaaS survey product, and the SphinxOnline cloud distribution layer, supplemented by modules including DATAVIV' (data visualization), Sphinx Community (qualified consumer panel), Webreporting (live dashboards), Sphinx IA (NLP-based text analytics), and a Zapier integration. Its technology stack supports multi-channel data collection via web, SMS, QR code, paper, and telephone, with integrated quantitative and qualitative analytics, RGPD-compliant data hosting in France, and AI-assisted questionnaire design and open-response coding.

Le Sphinx monetizes through a mix of software licenses and SaaS subscriptions (annual and multi-year enterprise contracts), cloud hosting subscriptions, a full-service Institut d'études that delivers bespoke market research studies, Qualiopi-certified training, and the Pack Essentiel J.E. bundle priced symbolically for Junior-Entreprises. Pricing is quote-based for enterprise accounts and tiered by user type (professional, academic, student, Junior-Entreprise). Distribution is sales-led via sector-specialized commercial teams covering banking, insurance, healthcare, tourism, distribution, education, associations, and public services, supported by offices in Paris, Lyon, and Annecy; revenue also flows through academic and Junior-Entreprise channel partnerships and through international subsidiaries in Spain, Portugal, and Brazil.

The company serves approximately 50,000 users across thousands of universities, schools, research labs, enterprises, and public organizations, with named customers including Groupe Pomona, METRO, SIG Genève, Petzl, emlyon business school, Université de Pau, UCPA, Caisse d'Epargne, BPCE Assurances, Macif, Haribo, and UFC-Que Choisir. The operating model is self-funded with no disclosed outside investment and combines organic product innovation with a community-led engagement strategy anchored in French academic and research institutions.

Name

Le Sphinx

Legal name

Le Sphinx Développement

Website

https://lesphinx-developpement.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Le Sphinx is a privately held French software company founded in 1984 that provides survey design, multi-channel data collection, and quantitative/qualitative analysis software — including the Sphinx iQ 3, Sphinx Declic SaaS, and SphinxOnline platform — serving 50,000+ users across enterprises, universities, and public-sector organizations in France, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market research and survey software

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fieldwork & Data Collection (Online Panels, CATI/CAPI, Fieldwork) (MPAAALAD), Data Analytics & Business Intelligence Services (BPAHALAC)

Keywords

• Survey software
• Data analysis tools
• Market research platform
• Questionnaire design software
• Statistical analysis software

Headquarters

HQ city

Chavanod

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Software Licenses & Subscriptions (Sphinx iQ 3, Declic): Le Sphinx generates revenue through software licenses and SaaS subscriptions for its survey and analysis platforms (Sphinx iQ 3, Sphinx Declic). The company offers both perpetual license and subscription models, with pricing varying by sector (professional, academic, student). Multi-year contracts are common for enterprise accounts.
2. Hosting & Platform Services (SphinxOnline): Revenue from cloud hosting and multi-channel survey diffusion services via SphinxOnline platform, including web hosting, email dispatch capabilities, and restricted access reporting. Subscription-based with limits on responses, emails, and user seats.
3. Professional Services (Institut d'études): The Institut Sphinx provides full-service market research and survey studies on demand, covering customer satisfaction, experience, brand image, concept testing, social climate, and training evaluation. These are project-based professional services engagements complementing the software offering.
4. Training Services: Certified training programs (Qualiopi certified) for software users, including on-site and remote training sessions, forming part of the service ecosystem.
5. Junior-Entreprise Pack (Pack Essentiel J.E.): Specialized bundled offering for Junior-Entreprises including Sphinx Declic account, Sphinx iQ 3 license, SphinxOnline subscription, and DATAVIV' access — sold at a symbolic/accessible price point as part of partnership with CNJE.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Le Sphinx develops and sells proprietary survey design and statistical analysis software (Sphinx iQ 3, Sphinx Declic, SphinxOnline, DATAVIV', Sphinx Community) enabling multi-channel data collection and integrated quantitative and qualitative analysis. The company complements its software with a full-service market research institute (Institut d'études) conducting customer satisfaction, brand image, concept testing, and employee survey projects, plus Qualiopi-certified training services.

Product overview

Le Sphinx offers a comprehensive suite of survey and data analysis solutions comprising three core software products (Sphinx iQ 3, Sphinx Declic, and SphinxOnline platform) complemented by specialized modules (DATAVIV' for data visualization, Sphinx Community for consumer panels, Webreporting for live dashboards, and Sphinx IA for AI-powered text analytics). The portfolio is designed for organizations ranging from students and small businesses (via the Pack Essentiel J.E. bundle) to large enterprises requiring professional market research capabilities. The company pairs its software offerings with full-service research consulting through its Institut d'Études and professional training services certified to Qualiopi standards. All solutions share a common foundation for multi-channel survey distribution (web, SMS, QR code, paper, phone) and integrated quantitative-qualitative analysis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sphinx iQ 3: Innovative survey and analysis solution combining multichannel data collection with quantitative and qualitative analysis capabilities.
• Sphinx Declic
• DATAVIV' by Sphinx
• Sphinx Community
• Sphinx IA
• SphinxOnline
• Sphinx Academy

Products and services

• Sphinx iQ 3 Professional survey and data analysis software enabling multi-channel questionnaire design, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and dynamic reporting. The flagship solution for survey professionals and market research experts.
• Sphinx Declic SaaS-based online survey and data analysis platform enabling questionnaire creation, multi-channel distribution, and automated analysis with an intuitive interface.
• DATAVIV' by Sphinx Online data analysis and visualization module integrated into SphinxOnline platform. Enables dynamic data visualization, interactive dashboards, and shared reporting for survey results.
• Sphinx Community Online qualified consumer panel solution managing the complete panel lifecycle from member recruitment to online survey distribution and data processing. Includes access to qualified respondent pools.
• SphinxOnline Cloud-based hosting and multi-channel survey distribution platform enabling survey deployment via web, SMS, QR code, paper, and phone.
• Webreporting Option Real-time online reporting and dashboard module for monitoring survey results. Provides restricted access portals for clients to view live survey data and analysis.
• Sphinx IA Artificial intelligence integration module embedded across Sphinx solutions. Provides AI-powered text analysis, automatic coding of open responses, and intelligent survey insights generation.
• Pack Essentiel J.E. Specialized software bundle for Junior Enterprises including Sphinx Declic account, Sphinx iQ 3 license, SphinxOnline subscription, and DATAVIV' access at a symbolic rate via CNJE partnership.
• Formation Sphinx (Training) Qualiopi-certified training services for learning survey methodology and Sphinx software usage, including instructor-led sessions, custom on-site training, and the Sphinx Academy e-learning platform.
• Institut d'Études Sphinx Professional market research services providing full-service survey and data analysis capabilities, including customer satisfaction studies, brand image research, concept testing, employee surveys, and qualitative research with expert study managers.
• Accompagnement Sphinx Project support service pairing clients with study managers at key project stages, providing methodological guidance and expert consultation throughout survey projects.
• Sphinx x Zapier API Integration API integration with Zapier enabling automated workflows between Sphinx survey solutions and 5,000+ third-party applications without custom API development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maximum response rates through multi-channel survey diffusion
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CompilatiominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2023Compilatio partnered with the Institut Sphinx to conduct a national survey on AI in education. The study surveyed 1,242 teachers and 4,443 students from June 21 to August 15, 2023, exploring AI usage, academic integrity concerns, and the future of AI in teaching and learning.
• La PosteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013La Poste partnered with researchers from Université de Savoie Mont-Blanc for the 'La lettre au Père Noël' academic research project. The study analyzed gift lists from the La Poste Père Noël website using Sphinx iQ 2 software, resulting in a publication in the journal Psychology and Marketing.
• afm (Association Française du Marketing)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLe Sphinx is a member of the French Marketing Association (afm), which brings together companies and higher education institutions to stimulate, disseminate, and promote scientific knowledge in marketing. Le Sphinx leads methodological and software workshops and training during seminars and international congresses. Since 2014, Le Sphinx has offered free access to all Sphinx solutions for afm academic members and doctoral students for quantitative and qualitative research.
• fnege (Fondation Nationale pour l'Enseignement de la Gestion)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFNEGE's main mission is to develop and promote management higher education in France and bring it to an excellent level. In partnership with FNEGE, Le Sphinx participates in management week and supports the foundation in setting up surveys and barometers among teacher-researchers, schools, and universities.
• CNJE (Confédération Nationale des Junior-Entreprises)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCNJE coordinates and supports 174 Junior-Entreprises across France, which are student associations in grandes écoles and universities. Le Sphinx enables all J-Es to benefit from Sphinx solutions at a symbolic rate. The company also provides training during congresses organized by CNJE.
• bsi (Business Science Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness Science Institute is an international higher education structure developing Executive DBA programs internationally. BSI and Le Sphinx created a partnership called BSI-Lab for data analysis targeted at doctoral managers. The objective is to provide doctoral managers with tools to exploit their empirical sources and produce relevant results meeting scientific requirements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Qualtrics: Global enterprise experience management platform offering survey design, distribution, and advanced analytics. Directly comparable to Le Sphinx's survey and analysis capabilities but at significantly larger scale and broader CX/EX scope.
• Medallia: Enterprise customer and employee experience management platform with strong survey and text analytics capabilities. Broader than Le Sphinx's portfolio, competing for the same enterprise CX budget in sectors like banking, insurance, and tourism.
• Verint: Enterprise customer engagement and voice-of-customer analytics platform. Overlaps with Le Sphinx's customer experience and satisfaction measurement use cases across large enterprise customers in regulated industries.

Direct peers

• SurveyMonkey: Leading online survey platform serving enterprises, SMBs, and individuals globally. Directly comparable to Sphinx Declic in functionality, with comparable multi-channel distribution and analytics, but with a much larger international user base and freemium model.
• Typeform: Conversational form and survey platform known for design-led UX. Competes with Sphinx Declic in the SMB and digital-first segment, particularly where modern UX and integrations matter more than scientific statistical depth.
• Askia: Another French-headquartered survey software vendor specializing in CATI/CAPI/online survey design and analysis. Closest direct geographic and product peer to Le Sphinx, serving similar market research and enterprise customers in France and internationally.
• QuestionPro: Enterprise survey and research platform with online panel capabilities and advanced analytics. Directly comparable to the combined Sphinx iQ 3 + Sphinx Community + SphinxOnline offering, with a broader international footprint.
• Toluna: Global online panel and survey technology provider serving market research professionals. Overlaps with Le Sphinx's Sphinx Community panel offering and research services, with stronger global panel infrastructure.

Emerging players

• LimeSurvey: Open-source survey application popular in academic and research settings. Comparable to Sphinx iQ 3 for self-sufficient research teams, particularly in the academic segment where Le Sphinx has strong partnerships — a low-cost alternative that can pressure academic pricing.
• Sawtooth Software: Specialized survey and choice modeling software focused on conjoint analysis and advanced quantitative methods. Comparable to the statistical analysis depth of Sphinx iQ 3, particularly for academic and market research specialists.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/le_sphinx
• Facebookfacebook.com/LeSphinxDev
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-sphinx-d-veloppement

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Le Sphinx