What Ciel Creative Space does

Ciel Creative Space operates a 55,000 sq ft multi-studio production campus in West Berkeley, California, spanning an entire city block. The facility comprises 10 purpose-built studios (Studios 1–8, Studio X, Studio Zero) ranging from 900 to 3,700 sq ft, complemented by production support spaces (Café, Glam Room, two atriums), three broadcast-grade podcast studios, and a coworking program with dedicated desks, creative suites, and 8 private office suites. The technical infrastructure includes cyclorama walls, sound-attenuated stages, 3-phase power distribution up to 200 AMP, enterprise Wi-Fi, 16- to 23-foot lighting grids, natural-light sawtooth windows with blackout capability, and ADA-compliant ground-floor entrances. Ciel monetizes through hourly/daily studio rentals, full and partial event space buyouts, monthly coworking subscriptions, Creationship long-term creative partnerships, and concierge production services delivered via the Indigo Sky Creative partnership. The customer base is concentrated in Bay Area enterprise clients across fashion/retail (Gap, Levi's, Stitch Fix), technology (Google, Adobe, Salesforce, Meta, Samsung), beauty (Lancôme, Benefit), and media (Condé Nast, The New York Times, YouTube, NBC), with go-to-market executed via a high-touch concierge booking model, direct website inquiries, Calendly tours, and the Tripleseat venue marketplace. The company is privately held, women-operated, and was co-founded in 2019 by CEO Cecilia Caparas Apelin and Alexis Laurent, with no institutional venture capital funding disclosed.

Name

Ciel Creative Space

Legal name

Ciel Creative Space

Website

https://cielcreativespace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ciel Creative Space is a Berkeley, California-based 55,000 sq ft multi-studio production campus offering photo, film, podcast, event, and coworking facilities to Bay Area fashion, tech, media, and beauty brands through hourly, daily, and subscription-based rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Production Studio Rental

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Photography Studios, Portrait (541921)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Content Production & Co-Creation Studios (BPAFAHAD)

Keywords

• Photo studio rental
• Video production space
• Podcast studio rental
• Event venue rental
• Creative coworking space

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Studio Rental (Photo & Film): Hourly, daily, and monthly rental of production studios including Studio 1 (3-wall cyclorama, mezzanine), Studio 2 (1-wall cyc, natural light), Studio 3 (natural light, butterfly walls), Studio 4 (open plan, loading dock), Studio 5 (3,700 sq ft multi-set), Studio 6 (high ceiling bay), Studio 7 (open bay), Studio 8 (natural light, kitchenette), Studio X (soundproof/blackout), Studio Zero (event/production). Revenue is consumption-based driven by booking hours.
2. Event Space Rental: Full or partial buyouts of studios and atrium spaces for corporate events, conferences, product launches, private celebrations, fundraisers, and brand activations. Venues are booked for daily rates or full buyouts.
3. Coworking Memberships: Desk memberships including Open Desks (first-come/first-served) and Dedicated Desk Space (personal desk with overnight storage). Members receive access to creative suites, private phone booth, fiber internet, printers, and kitchenette. Long-term 'Creationship' partnerships offer monthly studio memberships and recurring shoot programs.
4. Creative Suite Rentals: Hourly and daily rental of meeting suites (Le Noir, Phoenix, Leo) and creative office suites for off-site meetings, production spaces, and one-on-one meetings. Le Noir requires a minimum 4-hour booking.
5. Café and Community Space: The Ciel Café serves as a community gathering space for creatives, offering artisan coffee and tea, and can be reserved for production breaks, client chats, and networking events.
6. Podcast Studio Rental: Rental of professional podcast studios (Pod Room A, B, C) with on-site engineering available upon request. Pod Room A supports up to 8 guests on a live set with full broadcast equipment.
7. Production Services and Concierge Support: In-house production services, creative direction, and concierge support for bookings, rentals, and customized needs. Additional vendor coordination and event production through Ciel Media.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ciel Creative Space operates a 55,000 sq ft multi-studio creative production campus in Berkeley, California, renting out 10+ distinct photo, video, and podcast studios, event spaces, and creative coworking facilities to brands, agencies, content creators, and event organizers. Revenue is generated primarily through hourly and daily studio rentals, full or partial event buyouts, and recurring monthly coworking memberships, supported by a concierge booking model and on-site production services.

Product overview

Ciel Creative Space is a 55,000 sq ft creative studio campus in Berkeley, CA offering a comprehensive portfolio of production and workspace solutions. The core offering comprises 10 distinctive studios (Studios 1-8, Studio X, and Studio Zero) ranging from 900 to 3,700 sq ft, designed for photo, film, audio, and event productions. These are complemented by production support spaces including the Cafe, Glam Room, Ciel 1 Atrium, and Ciel 2 Atrium. The company also operates coworking services through Creative Suites, Dedicated Desks, and Office Suites, plus three podcast recording rooms (Pod Studios A, B, and C). Additional offerings include The Study speakeasy within Studio Zero, equipment rental partnerships (Little Giant, Ranahan Productions), production services via Indigo Sky Creative, and Creationship membership programs for long-term creative partnerships. The portfolio serves professionals across fashion, music, tech, and entertainment sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio 1 Flagship production studio with a 3-wall cyclorama, mezzanine viewpoints, and 16-foot lighting grid. Features 2,500 sq ft total space with a 1,600 sq ft stage, designed for fashion, video, and large-scale productions and rented to brands and production companies.
• Studio 2 Premier photo and film studio with 1,300 sq ft stage, one-wall cyclorama, and 16-foot lighting grid. Offers natural light and blackout options with sound dampening for music videos, fashion shoots, and green-screen projects.
• Studio 3 Natural light studio with 1,000 sq ft space and 850 sq ft stage, featuring 12-foot walls, 23-foot ceilings, and sawtooth windows with Western exposure. Modular butterfly walls allow expansion into Studio 4 and Ciel 1 Atrium.
• Studio 4 Open photo and video production studio with 2,000 sq ft total space and 1,500 sq ft stage. Features sawtooth windows with Western exposure, 100 AMP 3-phase power, and connects to Studio 3 and Ciel 1 Atrium for expanded productions.
• Studio 5 Largest multi-set production studio at 3,700 sq ft with Southern and Western exposure. Features 200 AMP 3-phase power, blackout curtains, private loading dock, and connects to Ciel 2 Atrium for expanded creative space.
• Studio 6 High-ceiling studio for small productions with 1,000 sq ft space and 23-foot ceilings. Features 100 AMP 3-phase power and dedicated enterprise Wi-Fi, suitable for editorials, fittings, and production hubs.
• Studio 7 Open 900 sq ft studio bay with 23-foot ceilings, 100 AMP power, and dedicated Wi-Fi. Serves as a blank canvas for intimate creative projects.
• Studio 8 Natural light creative studio with 2,000 sq ft space, 23-foot ceilings, and sawtooth windows with Western exposure. Features private entrance, loading dock, and private kitchenette, used by brands like Stitch Fix, Curology, and Red Bay Coffee.
• Studio X Soundproof and blackout-ready podcast and production studio with 1,547 sq ft. Features 200 AMP 3-phase power, 22.5-foot lighting grid, wall-to-wall sound acoustic panels, and private entrance with loading dock.
• Studio Zero Multi-purpose event venue and creative studio at 2,640 sq ft with 24-foot ceilings. Features Eastern exposure, 100 AMP 3-phase power, dedicated Wi-Fi, and houses The Study speakeasy. Suitable for photo shoots, video productions, panels, dinners, and private events.
• Podcast Studios (Pod A, B, C) Three professional podcast recording studios: Pod Studio A (up to 8 guests, Roland V160 switcher, Tascam 16 soundboard, Sony FS Pro cameras), Pod Studio B (up to 4 voices, Boss Gigcaster 8 mixer, Shure/Maono microphones), and Pod Studio C (DJ/musician space, Pioneer Rev7 mixer, PLX1000 turntables). Available with optional on-site engineering support.
• Dedicated Desks (Coworking) Monthly desk memberships offering Open Desks (first-come/first-served) and Dedicated Desk Space (personal space with overnight storage). Each desk is 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep with metal dividers for privacy, plus access to creative suites, private phone booth, fiber internet, printers, kitchenette, and member discounts on studios.
• Private Office Suites Eight private Berkeley office suite rentals combining quiet privacy with communal atmosphere. Features include enterprise fiber connection, 24/7 access, fully stocked kitchenette, coffee and tea, printing, mail services, parking, and bike rack; all eight suites are currently occupied with a waitlist available.
• Creative Suites (Meeting Rooms) Three curated creative office suites (Phoenix, Leo, Le Noir) available daily and hourly. Equipped with 65-inch screens and high-speed internet in an artistically curated atmosphere for off-site meetings, workshops, castings, and brainstorming; Le Noir requires a minimum 4-hour booking.
• The Study Hidden speakeasy space located inside Studio Zero. Furnished in rich warm colors and industrial design, used for intimate dinners, after-hours events, and social gatherings.
• Production Services & Concierge Support On-site creative direction, production services, and concierge booking support for studio rentals and customized client needs, delivered through the company's in-house Indigo Sky Creative partnership.
• Creationship Partnerships Long-term creative partnerships for clients needing monthly studio memberships, dedicated office spaces, and recurring shoot programs, aligning business objectives with ongoing creative collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #17 on SF Business Times Fast 100 — Bay Area's Fastest Growing Private Companies 2022
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers36 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Little GiantminorOthersLittle Giant is a long-time Bay Area production equipment rental expert providing lighting and grip equipment on-site at Ciel Creative Space. Ciel recommends Little Giant to clients who need to rent gear for their productions, making it a preferred vendor partnership.
• Ranahan ProductionsminorOthersRanahan Productions is a Bay Area production equipment rental company partnered with Ciel Creative Space to provide on-site equipment rentals for photo, video, and film productions. Recommended to clients needing additional gear beyond what Ciel provides.
• Indigo Sky CreativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigo Sky Creative is Ciel's in-house creative and production services partner, co-founded by Ciel's own CEO Cecilia Caparas Apelin. They provide creative direction and executive production services, making them a seamless extension of the Ciel creative team for clients needing full-service production support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Industrious: Industrious is a national premium coworking and flexible-office operator serving enterprise clients across the US. It overlaps with Ciel's coworking and office-suite offerings but does not provide production infrastructure or event venues at Ciel's scale.
• Peerspace: Peerspace is an online marketplace for hourly rental of unique event and production spaces across North America. It overlaps with Ciel's event and studio rental business as a discovery and booking channel for clients seeking creative venues, though it does not operate facilities itself.
• Soho House: Soho House is a global private members' club for the creative industries operating hotels, coworking, restaurants, and event spaces in 40+ cities. It is both a Ciel client (industry mixers) and a comparable operator of design-forward creative/event venues for the same fashion/media/arts customer base.
• WeWork: WeWork is a global coworking and flexible-office operator providing shared workspaces, private offices, and event programming to enterprises and startups. It overlaps with Ciel's coworking and event venue offerings, though it does not operate production-grade studios.
• NeueHouse: NeueHouse operates private members' workspaces and cultural venues for creative professionals in NYC, LA, and London, blending coworking, event programming, and content production. It overlaps with Ciel's creative coworking and event positioning for the same fashion/media/tech creative-class customer.

Direct peers

• Quixote Studios: Quixote Studios runs a network of sound stages, photo studios, and production facilities across LA, Atlanta, and New Mexico serving film, TV, and commercial clients. It is comparable to Ciel in offering soundproof stages, cyclorama-equipped photo studios, and full production support for high-end commercial work.
• Milk Studios: Milk Studios operates multi-floor production campuses in NYC and LA offering photo, film, and event space to top-tier brands and editorial clients. It is the explicit inspiration for Ciel, and the two share the same integrated photo/video/event/coworking campus model serving fashion, media, and tech clients.
• Pier 59 Studios: Pier 59 is a long-established NYC photo and film production complex offering multiple rental studios, cyclorama stages, and event space to fashion and editorial clients. It competes directly with Ciel for fashion/retail photo and video shoots and operates a comparable multi-studio rental business model.
• The Lot Studios: The Lot is a multi-stage film and television production complex in West Hollywood offering sound stages, production offices, and support space for high-end commercial and entertainment clients. It is comparable to Ciel in operating a multi-stage creative production facility for premium film/commercial work.

Regional players

• Splacer: Splacer is a venue marketplace focused on unique event and production spaces primarily in NYC and LA. It overlaps with Ciel's event buyout business but operates in different geographies and via a marketplace model rather than owned facilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8z8_BadIqvUuI9KIOGCj-g/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/cielcreativespace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ciel-creative-space
• Instagraminstagram.com/cielcreativespace/?hl=en
• Xx.com/CielCreatvSpace

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ciel Creative Space