Photomaton
Photomaton® operates the largest self-service photo and printing kiosk network in France, with 10,000+ booths across train stations, supermarkets, malls, and government offices in France and Belgium, offering ANTS-compliant ID photos, fun photos, mobile-to-print services, and document printing to individual consumers and small businesses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1936
- HeadquartersLa Plaine-saint-denis, France
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Photomaton does
Photomaton® operates the largest self-service photo and printing kiosk network in France, with more than 10,000 booths, printing kiosks, and document copiers deployed across train stations, supermarkets (including E.Leclerc), shopping malls, and municipal/government offices, with additional operations in Belgium. Founded in 1936 and headquartered in La Plaine-saint-denis, Photomaton serves individual consumers and small businesses needing official identity photos, casual/leisure photo experiences, photo prints from mobile devices, and document printing/copying/scanning services.
The company's flagship technical capability is a direct integration with the French government's ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés) system, which validates official ID photos at the kiosk and issues e-photo codes accepted for passports, national ID cards, driver's licenses, and residence permits. Hardware features include a specialized child-support apparatus enabling compliant photos of children as young as three. Recent development adds generative AI and virtual reality capabilities for non-official photo experiences — portrait enhancement, personalized fun effects, and themed decorations — alongside a new wellness service line. Photomaton® is a registered trademark owned by ME Group (me-group.com), the strategic operating parent that supplies technology and brand stewardship.
Photomaton earns revenue through per-transaction fees at the kiosk level across four core service lines: official ANTS-compliant ID photos, fun photos and portraits, photo printing from mobile devices, and document printing/copying/scanning, with an additional photobooth rental revenue stream through partner site vip-box.fr. The business is direct-to-consumer, with no sales force at the point of service; customer acquisition is driven by physical location density, brand recognition, online location-finder tools, and organic social channels (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube). The customer base is heavily weighted to individual consumers handling life-event document needs, supplemented by a smaller cohort of SMBs and professionals using emergency printing and copying services.
Photomaton firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Photomaton
- Legal name
- Photomaton
- Website
- https://photomaton.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1936
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Photomaton® operates the largest self-service photo and printing kiosk network in France, with 10,000+ booths across train stations, supermarkets, malls, and government offices in France and Belgium, offering ANTS-compliant ID photos, fun photos, mobile-to-print services, and document printing to individual consumers and small businesses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Photomaton industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Service Photo Booth Services
- NAICS
- One-Hour Photofinishing (812922), Photographic Services (54192)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Checkout Kiosks & Interactive Retail Kiosks (HDACAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Local Experiences & Event Services Marketplaces (Photographers, Caterers, DJs) (BPAMAHAK)
Keywords
Where Photomaton is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- La Plaine-saint-denis
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Photomaton business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Photo Booth Sessions: Customers pay per use of photo booth services including official ID photos, fun photos, and portrait sessions. Revenue is generated through individual transactions at the kiosk level.
- Photo Printing: Revenue from printing photographs from mobile devices at printing kiosks. Customers transfer photos from phones to the booth and pay for physical prints.
- Document Services: Revenue from document printing, copying, and scanning services at Photomaton kiosks located in municipal buildings and retail locations.
- Photobooth Rental: Event photobooth rental services offered through partner site vip-box.fr for private events and celebrations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Photomaton product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Photomaton operates a network of over 10,000 self-service photo booths and printing kiosks installed in high-traffic locations across France and Belgium. The kiosks deliver official identity photos compliant with the French ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés) system for passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, and residence permits; fun and vintage-style portrait photos; mobile-to-print photo printing; and document printing, copying, and scanning services. Customers interact directly with the unattended kiosks on a per-transaction basis, with no staff involvement.
Product overview
Photomaton offers a network of over 10,000 photo booths, printing kiosks, and copiers across France and Belgium. The core portfolio consists of five main service categories: Photos Officielles (ANTS-compliant identity photos for official documents including driving licenses and passports), Photos Fun & Portraits (leisure photos with themed decorations), Impression Photos (phone-to-print photo printing), Bureautique (document printing/copying/scanning), and Nouveaux services (innovative offerings including wellness services). Additional offerings include photobooth rental through partner VIP-Box. The company has been operating since 1936 and is currently innovating with AI and virtual reality technologies for non-official photos.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Photos Officielles (ANTS) Official identity photos compliant with the French ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés) requirements for passports, national ID cards, driver's licenses, and residence permits. Includes the e-photo service that generates a validation code on the kiosk for online ANTS document applications, sold to individual consumers applying for government-issued identity documents.
- Photos Fun & Portraits Fun, vintage-style, and personalized portrait photo sessions inside Photomaton booths with themed decorations. Targeted at groups of friends, couples, and families seeking leisure photo strips and keepsake portraits.
- Impression Photos Photo printing service where customers transfer photographs from their mobile phones to a Photomaton kiosk and receive high-quality physical prints. Targets individual consumers without home photo printing capability.
- Bureautique (Document Services) Integrated document printing, copying, and scanning services available at Photomaton kiosks, particularly those located in municipal buildings and retail locations. Targets individual consumers needing ad-hoc office document services.
- Nouveaux services (Forme et Bien-être) Newly developed service offerings including Forme et Bien-être (health and wellness) kiosks, alongside AI-generated and virtual-reality-enhanced photo experiences. Targets individual consumers seeking novel wellness and creative photo services.
- Photobooth Rental Rental of Photomaton photo booths for private events and celebrations such as weddings and parties, sold through the VIP-Box partner site. Targets event organizers and individuals hosting private celebrations.
Quantifiable outcome
- E-photo validated on machine and accepted by ANTS for official document applications
Companies that use Photomaton
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Photomaton technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Photomaton partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés)coreOfficial integration partnership with the French government's ANTS system for identity document photos. Photomaton booths capture and validate official ID photos directly, generating codes for use on the ANTS website for passport, ID card, driver's license, and residence permit applications.
- ME GroupcorePhotomaton is a brand owned by ME Group (me-group.com). ME Group operates Photomaton and develops new technologies including AI and VR for photo services. The partnership involves brand licensing and technology development under the parent company.
- Retail and Municipal PartnerscorePartnerships with retailers (including supermarket chains like E.Leclerc), shopping malls, train stations, and municipal governments to host Photomaton kiosks in their locations, providing physical distribution infrastructure.
- VIP BoxminorPartner site (vip-box.fr) for photobooth rental services at private events and celebrations, extending Photomaton services into the event rental market.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Photomaton competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Photomaton social profiles
Digital presencePhotomaton financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Photomaton leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Photomaton funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Photomaton 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 Photomaton
What does Photomaton do?
Photomaton operates a network of over 10,000 self-service photo booths and printing kiosks installed in high-traffic locations across France and Belgium. The kiosks deliver official identity photos compliant with the French ANTS (Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés) system for passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, and residence permits; fun and vintage-style portrait photos; mobile-to-print photo printing; and document printing, copying, and scanning services. Customers interact directly with the unattended kiosks on a per-transaction basis, with no staff involvement.
Is Photomaton a public or private company?
Photomaton is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Photomaton founded?
Photomaton was founded in 1936. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Photomaton based?
Photomaton is headquartered in La Plaine-saint-denis, France, in the Europe region.
How does Photomaton make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Photo Booth Sessions are the primary driver. The others are photo Printing, document Services and photobooth Rental.
Does Photomaton have an API?
No public API is recorded for Photomaton.
What industry is Photomaton in?
Photomaton's product category is Self-Service Photo Booth Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAKAH, Self-Checkout Kiosks & Interactive Retail Kiosks, with a secondary code of BPAMAHAK, Local Experiences & Event Services Marketplaces (Photographers, Caterers, DJs). Its NAICS code is 812922 and its SIC code is 7330.