Les Couleurs

What Les Couleurs does

Les Couleurs Suisse AG is a privately held Swiss joint stock company registered in the Canton of Zurich on December 3, 2008, operating as the exclusive global licensor of Le Corbusier's Architectural Polychromy — a copyrighted colour system of 63 original shades (43 puristic shades from the 1931 collection, coded 32xxx, plus 20 dynamic shades added in 1959, coded 4320x). The licensing rights were granted by the Fondation Le Corbusier in Paris (established 1968), making the company the sole worldwide channel for authentic Le Corbusier colours in architecture, design, and manufacturing. The company's revenue model rests on two pillars: (1) licensing royalties collected from a certified partner network of 13+ premium manufacturers — including Kabe Farben and IGP (paints/coatings), Arte (wallcoverings, 80+ countries), JUNG (electrical), FSB (hardware), Anker (carpets), Gigacer (tiles), Heroal (aluminum systems), Regazzi (roller shutters), Leicht (kitchens), Bosse (furniture), Munksjö (decor paper), Rado (watches), and Tekla (textiles); and (2) direct e-commerce sales of professional colour-design tools (books, colour fans, sample sets) priced in CHF, supplemented by advisory seminars at the Pfäffikon (SZ) headquarters. Pricing on e-commerce ranges from CHF 83.00 (IGP Farbmappen sample sets) to CHF 142.50 (The Colour Keyboards book), targeting professional architects and designers rather than mass-market consumers.

The company is led by Chairman Matthias Naumann and operates with a lean team of 1–10 employees. Distribution reaches into Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and beyond via the partner network, with the most recent public-facing product activation being Rado's True Round and True Round x Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® watch collection unveiled at India Art Fair 2026. The certified partner model enforces quality control: partners must produce products in the original 63 colours and carry the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® trademark, preserving brand authenticity. Headquartered at Churerstrasse 158, 8808 Pfäffikon (SZ), Switzerland, the company reaches 65,000+ design professionals and aficionados through its network and social channels, and benefits from earned-media coverage in major publications such as Architectural Digest, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Financial Times, Le Figaro, and Hypebeast.

Name

Les Couleurs

Legal name

Les Couleurs Suisse AG

Website

https://lescouleurs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Couleurs Suisse AG is the exclusive worldwide licensor of Le Corbusier's 63-colour Architectural Polychromy, generating revenue through licensing royalties from certified premium manufacturers across paints, hardware, tiles, kitchens, watches, and textiles, and direct e-commerce sales of professional colour-design tools to architects and designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Licensing Royalties: Les Couleurs Suisse AG is the exclusive global licensor for Le Corbusier's Architectural Polychromy. The company generates revenue by licensing the colour system to certified manufacturers and brands who produce products (paints, tiles, hardware, watches, textiles, etc.) in the original 63 Le Corbusier colours. Partners pay licensing fees to use the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® brand.
2. Direct Product Sales: The company sells professional colour design tools directly to architects and designers through its e-commerce platform: books (Architectural Polychromy book, Colour Keyboards book, Architectural Colour Design book), colour fans (Triple Row Colour Fan, Le Corbusier's Colour Fan), and colour sample sets (IGP Farbmappen).
3. Professional Services: The company provides advisory services for the professional use of Le Corbusier's colours and design products. Educational services cover the history of the 63 architectural colours, colour keyboards, colour moods, and practical architectural colour design. Seminars are conducted around the headquarters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Les Couleurs Suisse AG is the exclusive worldwide licensor of Le Corbusier's Architectural Polychromy, a curated system of 63 architectural colours developed by Le Corbusier between 1931 and 1959. The company licenses this proprietary colour system to certified manufacturers across paints, coatings, wallcoverings, hardware, switches, tiles, carpets, kitchens, furniture, watches, and textiles, and also sells professional colour design tools (books, colour fans, sample sets) directly to architects and designers via its e-commerce shop.

Product overview

Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® is a globally licensed colour system brand owned by Les Couleurs Suisse AG, managing the exclusive rights to Le Corbusier's Architectural Polychromy. The portfolio consists of (1) professional colour design tools sold directly by Les Couleurs Suisse AG, including six core products: Le Corbusier's Architectural Polychromy book, The Colour Keyboards book, IGP Colour Samples (Farbmappen), Architectural Colour Design guide, Triple Row Colour Fan, and Le Corbusier's Colour Fan; and (2) a licensed partner network of certified manufacturers producing Le Corbusier-coloured products across five categories: Wall Paints and Coatings (Kabe Farben, IGP Powder Coatings), Interior Design (Arte Walls, FSB hardware, Gigacer tiles, JUNG switches, Anker carpets, Munksjö decor paper), Building Envelope (Heroal aluminium systems, Regazzi roller shutters), Furniture (Leicht kitchens, Bosse modular furniture), and Design Lifestyle (Rado watches, Tekla fabrics). The Architectural Polychromy comprises 63 colours created by Le Corbusier in two collections: 43 puristic shades from 1931 and 20 more intensive shades from 1959.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 65,000+ design professionals connected to the Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier® network through certified partners and social platforms

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Fondation Le CorbusierflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1968The foundation established in Paris in 1968 manages and protects Le Corbusier's life's work. It has entrusted Les Couleurs Suisse AG with the exclusive worldwide rights to licence the Architectural Polychromy, ensuring Le Corbusier's timeless colour system remains accessible to architects and designers worldwide.
• Kabe Farben (KARL BUBENHOFER AG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss paint manufacturer producing all 63 Le Corbusier colours as wall paints and exterior/interior coatings of the highest quality for the Swiss market. An experienced partner offering coating solutions with innovative products and comprehensive service packages.
• IGP Pulvertechnik AGcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss company offering the colours of the Architectural Polychromy based on their proven IGP-DURA®xal product. Available in two product series: IGP-DURA®xal 4201 for highly weather-resistant facade applications and IGP-DURA®xal 4601 for indoor/outdoor weatherproof quality. Partner to heroal for perfect colour matching.
• Arte InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDesigner and manufacturer of sophisticated wall coverings, active since 1981. Offers two collections in Le Corbusier colours: 'Le Corbusier Wallcovering Collection' and 'Le Corbusier – Dots'. Products adorn walls in residential areas and project facilities in more than 80 countries.
• Albrecht Jung GmbH & Co. KG (JUNG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremium German supplier of modern electrical installation solutions including switches, sockets, dimmers, and intelligent building technology. Offers LS 990, LS ZERO, and LS 1912 ranges in all 63 Le Corbusier colours. Switches are hand-painted in a special process creating an exceptionally matt surface.
• AnkercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman carpet manufacturer committed to textile floor design since 1854, 100% Made in Germany. Translated the entire Architectural Polychromy into textile floors. Offers two collections: LE CORBUSIER PERLON RIPS LCS combining the classic PERLON RIPS with all Le Corbusier colours in 4 designs: PLAIN, POINT, LINE and CUT.
• Franz Schneider Brakel (FSB)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman hardware manufacturer perfecting metal processing for over 140 years with 'made in Germany' quality. Offers door handles and window hardware in all 63 Le Corbusier colours, completing the triptych of successful design: material, shape, and colour.
• GigacercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorItalian manufacturer of large-format ceramic tiles based in Faenza (cradle of ceramics). Offers large multi-layered porcelain plates in select Le Corbusier colours in Concrete, Tokyo, Molitor, LCS1 and LCS2 versions. Provides flexible cutting to desired formats with different options for formats and thicknesses.
• MunksjösupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer offering decor paper in Le Corbusier colours, enabling consistent colour schemes across interior applications.
• HeroalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman manufacturer of high-quality modular aluminum systems for the building envelope. Offers windows, front doors, object doors, fire doors, sliding/lift doors and facades in Le Corbusier colours. Uses IGP Powder Coating as supplier for perfect and durable colour match.
• RegazzisupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRoller shutter manufacturer offering products in Le Corbusier colours for harmonized building exteriors.
• Bosse (Dauphin HumanDesign® Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman manufacturer of designer modular furniture for office and home. Produces high-quality system furniture with chrome, wood and lacquer in twelve selected Le Corbusier shades. Enables office, home, dining, sleeping, dressing room and entrance solutions.
• LeichtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman kitchen manufacturer conveying confidence and security for over 80 years. Offers design kitchens in fifteen Le Corbusier colours along five colour series. Combines modernity and harmonious colour design with ecological processing and choice of materials.
• RadocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss watchmaker producing True Thinline and True Square Thinline watches in Le Corbusier colours. Uses groundbreaking injection molding technology for high-tech ceramic monobloc cases. Each model presents one colour from the nine colour groups. Limited editions of 999 pieces each.
• TeklacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCopenhagen-based homeware brand established in 2017, creating elevated yet functional pieces centred on timeless, straightforward design. Offers mohair blanket collections in Le Corbusier colours, capturing the joyful approach to colour found in Le Corbusier's spaces.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pantone (X-Rite): Pantone is the world's most recognized proprietary colour-system licensor, monetising its standards through licensing, design tools, and partnerships with manufacturers — directly comparable business model to Les Couleurs' licensing of the Le Corbusier Polychromy.
• RAL Colours: RAL is a German colour-standard organisation that licenses standardised colour palettes (RAL Classic, Design, etc.) to manufacturers globally — analogous to Les Couleurs in offering a curated, authoritative colour system for industrial and architectural use.
• NCS Colour: NCS (Natural Color System) is a Scandinavian colour-notation system licensed to paint, coating, and building-product manufacturers worldwide — the closest direct competitor to Les Couleurs in proprietary architectural colour licensing.

Broad incumbents

• Farrow & Ball: Farrow & Ball is a premium heritage paint brand that combines proprietary colour curation with direct manufacturing and retail — comparable as a high-end architectural colour player, though as a vertically integrated paint maker rather than pure licensor.
• Dulux (AkzoNobel): Dulux is one of the world's largest decorative paint brands, operating a global architectural colour portfolio — overlapping with Les Couleurs in architectural colour but at vastly larger scale and as a manufacturer rather than licensor.
• Benjamin Moore: Benjamin Moore is a North American premium architectural paint brand with a proprietary curated colour system (e.g., Color Stories, Historical Collection) — relevant as a precedent for monetising curated architectural colour systems.

Emerging players

• Little Greene: Little Greene is a UK heritage paint brand that licenses historical colour collections (including National Trust colours) — analogous business logic of monetising curated/historical colour IP, though without a partner licensing model.
• Designers Guild: Designers Guild is a UK design house that builds products around proprietary colour palettes and patterns — relevant as a comparable brand-licensing and design-IP business at smaller scale.

Others

• Kvadrat: Kvadrat is a Danish textile manufacturer whose brand is built on high-end design collaborations and curated textile palettes — adjacent to Les Couleurs in operating at the intersection of premium design, colour curation, and architecture.
• Vitra: Vitra is a Swiss premium furniture and design brand operating in the same architect-designer ecosystem as Les Couleurs — relevant context for understanding how design-IP brands monetise the specification channel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lescouleurslecorbusier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-couleurs-le-corbusier/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/les_couleurs_le_corbusier
• Xx.com/lc_lecorbusier

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Les Couleurs