The 7 Fingers

What The 7 Fingers does

The 7 Fingers (legal name Les 7 Doigts de la Main) is a Montreal-based contemporary circus collective founded in 2002 by seven National Circus School alumni and former Cirque du Soleil performers. The company creates, produces, and tours original multidisciplinary productions that fuse death-defying acrobatics with theatrical storytelling, dance, music, and multimedia, and maintains a catalog of 70+ original works including signature shows such as Traces, Cuisine & Confessions, Pub Royal, Duel Reality, and Dear San Francisco. Operations span international touring to tier-1 venues (Sadler's Wells, La Villette, Hong Kong Arts Festival), a permanent US venue at Club Fugazi in San Francisco operated via subsidiary Full Circle LLC, embedded cruise ship productions for Virgin Voyages (including fleet-wide casting services), Broadway and international theater co-productions (Water for Elephants, Princesse de Cirque), and project-based corporate event work for clients including adidas, BMW, Disney, Hermès, Bell, and UEFA.

Revenue is generated through production fees and box office from touring and permanent shows, licensing and royalty arrangements with cruise lines and Broadway producers, project-based fees for custom corporate events and galas, rental income from studio spaces at the Montreal Creation and Production Center, and public and private grants supporting both operations and the affiliated Foundation. The company has invested in adjacent technology through its LAB7 prototyping studio, which operates Optitrack motion capture, Disguise xR, and generative AI tooling for live performance, and through its Supply + Demand multimedia subsidiary. It is led by CEO Nassib El-Husseini and remains privately held, with headquarters at 2111 St-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal and additional operations in San Francisco, supported by a workforce of 11–50 employees and a Foundation that serves approximately 700 professional circus artists.

Name

The 7 Fingers

Legal name

Les 7 Doigts de la Main

Website

https://7fingers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The 7 Fingers is a Montreal-based contemporary circus collective founded in 2002 that creates, produces, and tours multidisciplinary performances blending acrobatics, theater, and multimedia. It serves global venues, cruise lines, Broadway producers, and corporate clients through 70+ original shows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Touring Show Productions: The 7 Fingers creates, produces, and tours original circus creations to theaters and festivals globally. Productions include signature shows (Loft, La Vie, Traces, Cuisine & Confessions, Séquence 8, etc.) that tour internationally, generating revenue through venue bookings, ticket sales, and co-production arrangements.
2. Permanent Venue Operation (Club Fugazi): In 2021, The 7 Fingers reopened the famous Club Fugazi in San Francisco through its subsidiary Full Circle LLC, presenting the permanent show 'Dear San Francisco'. This provides ongoing, recurring box office revenue.
3. Special Events & Corporate Production: Custom artistic event production for corporate clients, fashion shows, galas, conferences, television performances, and brand activations. Revenue is project-based, typically contracted by enterprise clients.
4. Virgin Voyages Cruise Ship Shows: Permanent show productions aboard Virgin Voyages cruise ships (Duel Reality, Ships in the Night), with ongoing revenue from the cruise line partnership and casting services.
5. Studio Rental: Rental of The 7 Fingers' Creation and Production Center spaces (Reception Space, Studio 1, Studio 2, Orangerie) in the Quartier des Spectacles, Montreal for events, filming, conferences, and creative production. Revenue from venue rental bookings.
6. LAB7 Research-Creation Residencies: Research-creation residency program delivered in partnership with SAT, offering $10,000 grants to artists combining performing arts and technology. Partially funded by government grants (CALQ), supporting innovation while generating community goodwill.
7. Foundation Donations & Sponsorship: The 7 Fingers Foundation raises funds through donations, corporate sponsorship, and benefit events to support open training programs, professional workshops, and creative residencies. The 2024 benefit evening raised $197,066.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The 7 Fingers is a Montreal-based contemporary circus collective that creates, produces, and tours original circus-theater productions fusing death-defying acrobatics with dance, narrative, multimedia, and live music. It operates a permanent show at Club Fugazi in San Francisco, produces on-board entertainment for Virgin Voyages cruise ships, designs tailor-made corporate events, runs the LAB7 technology prototyping studio (motion capture, XR, generative AI), and rents out its Montreal Creation Center studios.

Product overview

The 7 Fingers is a Montreal-based contemporary circus collective founded in 2002 that offers a diverse portfolio of live performance and technology services. Their core offering includes original circus/theater productions (Creations such as Pub Royal, Dear San Francisco, Duel Reality, Carry Me Home, and RIOPELLE Grandeur Nature) that merge acrobatics with dance, multimedia, and music. Supporting this are technology offerings through LAB7, their prototyping studio providing motion capture, augmented/virtual/mixed reality, interactive systems, and generative AI services. The company also operates rental studio spaces in their Creation Center, provides casting services, and produces special events. Through their Foundation, they offer training programs and residencies for emerging circus artists. Their subsidiary Supply + Demand provides multimedia creation services. The company operates a permanent venue at Club Fugazi in San Francisco and manages research-creation residencies in partnership with SAT.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LAB7: Technological prototyping studio dedicated to the intersection of performing arts and new technologies, offering motion capture, XR experiences, and research-creation residencies.
• Fondation des 7 Doigts de la Main
• Supply + Demand

Products and services

• Pub Royal Musical comedy production co-produced with La Tribu, written and directed by Sébastien Soldevila, touring in Québec and targeting live theater audiences.
• Dear San Francisco Permanent resident show at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach, created by Gypsy Snider and Shana Carroll, exploring the city through circus arts and aimed at live audiences and tourists.
• Duel Reality Acrobatic show created by Shana Carroll that runs as a permanent production aboard Virgin Voyages cruise ships, with a land touring version for venues and festivals.
• Carry Me Home Mixed reality performance combining live circus with music concert, designed for live audiences seeking immersive XR theatrical experiences.
• Géante! Full-scale circus performance presented to the city of Montreal and produced by Complément Cirque, written and choreographed by Gypsy Snider.
• RIOPELLE Grandeur Nature Immersive in-situ scenography show and exhibition featuring the boxed art collection of Jean-Paul Riopelle and Gilles Vigneault, targeting cultural audiences and museums.
• LAB7 Technology Services Prototyping studio offering motion capture (Optitrack), augmented/virtual/mixed reality, interactive systems, and generative AI services to artists and creative teams working at the intersection of performing arts and technology.
• Studio Rental Services Rental of the Creation Center studios (Reception Space, Studio 1 with 35 ft height for aerial work, Studio 2, and The Orangerie) in Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles for events, filming, conferences, and creative production.
• Casting Services Professional casting services supplying circus artists for live performances, film, television, multimedia, motion capture, print, and commercial work via a dedicated casting platform.
• Special Events & Tailor-Made Shows Custom-designed artistic concepts (with casting, artistic direction, costume design) for corporate galas, conferences, fashion shows, brand activations, public events, and television performances.
• Supply + Demand Multimedia Services Sister company providing creation, production, and consulting services for show design and multimedia experiences to external clients in the arts and technology space.
• Foundation Programs & Residencies Foundation-delivered open training sessions, professional workshops, and SAT x LAB7 research-creation residencies (with $10,000 grants) supporting approximately 700 professional circus artists.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pub Royal exceeded 100 performances and won two ADISQ awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Société des arts technologiques (SAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAT and LAB7 partner on a research-creation residency program combining performing arts and technological arts. SAT provides its innovation department's prototyping spaces and equipment (interactive studio, immersive dome) while LAB7 contributes its studios and motion capture technology. The joint program supports three projects per cohort with $10,000 grants, coaching, and studio access. Both organizations co-own the intellectual property developed during residencies.
• CRITAC (Centre for Circus Arts Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCRITAC is the research center of the National Circus School of Montreal. The 7 Fingers / LAB7 collaborates with CRITAC on multiple motion capture research labs (LAB4 markerless motion capture, LAB5 technology evaluation, LAB6 mixed reality) exploring how cutting-edge technologies adapt to the physical realities of live circus performance.
• Virgin VoyagesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerVirgin Voyages is a key strategic partner hosting multiple permanent The 7 Fingers shows aboard its cruise fleet (Duel Reality, Ships in the Night on the Scarlet Lady). The partnership has been extended to include casting all circus artists for shows created by other creatives across the Virgin Voyages fleet, making it the company's flagship B2B cruise ship channel.
• Cirque du SoleilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple co-founders of The 7 Fingers are former Cirque du Soleil artists. The 7 Fingers collaborates with Cirque du Soleil on productions (Iris, Paramour, Crystal) and artistic exchanges. Cirque du Soleil is also listed as a donor to The 7 Fingers Foundation (2023-2024 Campaign, $5,000+ tier).
• Moment FactorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoment Factory collaborated with The 7 Fingers on Soul of the Ocean for Ocean Park in Hong Kong (2019). Both organizations are listed as donors to The 7 Fingers Foundation (2023-2024 Campaign). Moment Factory is a leading multimedia experience company, aligning with The 7 Fingers' technology-forward approach.
• Supply + Demand (sister company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2022 as The 7 Fingers' sister company at the Montreal Creation Center, Supply + Demand is a multimedia creation studio operating at the intersection of art, science, and technology, offering creation, production, and consulting services for show design and multimedia experiences.
• La TribumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Pub Royal (The Musical of Les Cowboys Fringants) with The 7 Fingers, directed by Sébastien Soldevila. The production celebrated over 100 performances and won two ADISQ awards.
• Full Circle LLC (Subsidiary)flagshipOthersFull Circle LLC is The 7 Fingers' US subsidiary established to operate the Club Fugazi venue in San Francisco, where Dear San Francisco is performed as a permanent show. This subsidiary is a core part of the company's North American expansion strategy.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cavalia: Large-scale touring live entertainment under a big-top format, blending equestrian arts, acrobatics, and multimedia. Competes with The 7 Fingers for premium family audiences, touring venue bookings, and corporate/private event contracts.
• MOMIX: US-based dance-circus hybrid performance company touring globally with acrobatic, illusion-driven productions. Comparable scale and production model, with similar reliance on founder-driven creative direction and touring revenue.
• Cirque Éloize: Montreal-based contemporary circus company founded in 1993, sharing the same hometown ecosystem, talent pool (National Circus School alumni), and festival circuit as The 7 Fingers. Operates similar touring shows, corporate events, and resident productions worldwide.
• Teatro ZinZanni: Immersive dinner-theater experience combining circus, cabaret, and culinary arts. The Club Fugazi/Dear San Francisco concept closely mirrors ZinZanni's dinner-and-show model; both target the premium entertainment and corporate event segment.
• Cirque du Soleil: The global leader in contemporary circus with resident and touring productions. Multiple co-founders of The 7 Fingers are former Cirque du Soleil performers, and the two companies compete directly for top-tier venues, cruise ship deals, and Broadway choreography/design contracts.
• Dragone Entertainment: Founded by former Cirque du Soleil creative director Franco Dragone, the company produces large-scale resident shows (e.g., The House of Dancing Water) and theatrical spectaculars globally. Directly comparable to The 7 Fingers on resident show production and international co-productions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/doigts
• Facebookfacebook.com/Les7Doigts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-7-doigts-the-7-fingers
• Instagraminstagram.com/the7fingers
• TikToktiktok.com/@les7doigts
• Xx.com/The7Fingers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The 7 Fingers