Upian
Upian is a Paris-based ESS/ESUS-certified digital design studio and documentary production company founded in 1998, serving media, cultural, and broadcasting clients across France and Europe.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Upian does
Upian is a Paris-based digital design studio and interactive production company founded in 1998, operating as a social economy enterprise (ESS/ESUS certified). The group is structured as a holding company, Upian SAS, with two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Upian Studio, which designs and develops websites, interfaces, and corporate communications for media companies and cultural institutions; and Upian Productions, which produces documentaries and webdocumentaries for television, the web, and social platforms. The company also holds minority stakes in Brief.me and Binge.audio. The company serves marquee enterprise clients across media (L'Équipe since 2012, La Croix, Brief.me), cultural institutions (Philharmonie de Paris since 2018, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Palais de la Découverte, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Fondation Cartier), broadcasting (ARTE, France 24), transportation (SNCF Voyageurs), and civil society (Disclose, CFDT, Coop-médias, Reporterre, Paris 2024 Olympic Committee). Upian Productions holds press agency accreditation (agrément d'agence de presse, June 2023) and both subsidiaries hold ESUS certification (July 2025).
Upian's core technology centers on Figma-based design systems, Nuxt.js Progressive Web App frontends, and Sylius/Symfony-based backends combining headless CMS, e-commerce, and REST APIs. Notable integrations include subscription management via Opper, payment processing via Payzen, hosting on Upsun, Airtable-based media asset management, and CloudFlare WAF. The studio produces After Effects animations, Premiere Pro MOGRT templates, and has used AI image generation (Midjourney) for specific interactive projects including 'Le sport en 2050' (370 generated images) and the Miss Annie documentary. Workflows integrate with client-side tooling such as Jira, Slack, and Confluence for embedded team coordination.
Upian's revenue model is primarily project-based professional services delivered through custom contracts negotiated per scope, with no public pricing disclosed. Long-term enterprise relationships (multi-year engagements with L'Équipe, Philharmonie de Paris, SNCF Voyageurs, ARTE) anchor revenue alongside ongoing documentary co-productions for broadcasters. Additional revenue streams include motion design and animation for corporate clients, press agency journalism services, and minority returns from media investments in Brief.me and Binge.audio. The ESS/ESUS structure caps profit distribution at 50% and mandates reserve allocations, constraining aggressive scaling while positioning the company for impact-driven public-sector and mission-aligned contracts. The company operates from a single Paris headquarters (6 Villa Marcel Lods, 75019) with a compact team of 11-50 employees supplemented by per-project collaborators.
Upian firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upian
- Legal name
- Upian SAS
- Website
- https://upian.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Upian is a Paris-based ESS/ESUS-certified digital design studio and documentary production company founded in 1998, serving media, cultural, and broadcasting clients across France and Europe.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Upian is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upian business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Studio Services (Web Design & Development): Custom web design, interface development, and digital transformation services for media companies, cultural institutions, and brands. Revenue generated through project-based contracts.
- Documentary & Magazine Production: Production of documentaries, webdocumentaries, and editorial content for web and television. Includes series for ARTE, France 24, and other broadcasters. Revenue from production contracts and co-productions.
- Motion Design & Animation: Creation of animated content, social media templates, and branded films for clients like SNCF Voyageurs and L'Équipe.
- Press Agency Services: Upian Productions received press agency accreditation (agrément d'agence de presse) in June 2023, enabling journalism and news content production.
- Holdings & Media Investments: Upian SAS (holding) maintains participations in Brief.me and Binge.audio podcast studio, generating returns from media investments.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Upian product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upian is a French digital design studio and interactive production company that designs and develops websites, interfaces, and digital experiences for media companies, cultural institutions, broadcasters, and brands. The group operates two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Upian Studio (web design, interface development, design systems, motion design, and corporate communications) and Upian Productions (documentary, webdocumentary, and magazine production with press agency accreditation). It also holds minority stakes in independent media Brief.me and Binge.audio.
Product overview
Upian is a French social economy group operating two distinct divisions: Upian Studio and Upian Productions. Upian Studio specializes in designing and developing websites, interfaces, and animated content for media companies and cultural institutions, with notable work for L'Équipe, Philharmonie de Paris, La Croix, Retronews (BnF), and Ciel & Espace (AFA). It also produces interactive digital experiences, social media design systems, and digital graphic charters. Upian Productions is a recognized documentary and webdoc production company, producing original series including Les Idées Larges, Les Grands Entretiens (Arte), and ARTE FAQ across platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, Twitch, and television. The group holds ESS/ESUS certification, received press agency accreditation in June 2023, and is headquartered in Paris. The holding company also holds stakes in Brief.me and Binge.audio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Upian Studio A specialized studio designing and developing interfaces, mobile experiences, websites, and design systems for media companies and cultural institutions. Also handles corporate communications within the Upian group and supports brands communicating on social and environmental impact topics.
- Upian Productions An internationally recognized production company producing magazines and documentaries for web and television in France and internationally. Maintains a network of committed authors, directors, editors, and journalists dedicated to web-based journalistic and documentary excellence, with press agency accreditation since June 2023.
- Les Idées Larges An original documentary series produced by Upian Productions exploring ideas that transform the world, now in its fifth season (2025). Distributed on social platforms and television.
- Les Grands Entretiens An Arte documentary collection presenting immersive conversations with major intellectual figures of our time. Third season in production (2025), featuring philosophers, anthropologists, and academics.
- ARTE FAQ A documentary series produced by Upian for ARTE, built entirely around societal questions that concern young people and their future. Originally on Snapchat; expanded to TikTok (January 2023) and Twitch (monthly live format).
- L'Équipe Explore A series of interactive digital experiences produced by Upian for L'Équipe's explore platform. Includes interactive documentaries, choose-your-own-adventure narratives, and data-driven quizzes such as 'Le sport en 2050' and 'Quel sportif êtes-vous ?'.
- Ciel & Espace Digital Platform A complete digital platform for the Association Française d'Astronomie's Ciel & Espace magazine, featuring a Sylius/Symfony headless backend with CMS, e-commerce, and REST API; Nuxt PWA frontend; Payzen payment integration; and Opper subscription management. Full magazine content available in web format.
- Groupe Upian (Holding) The parent holding entity of the Upian group, holding 100% of Upian Studio and Upian Productions, plus participations in Brief.me and Binge.audio. Certified as Économie Sociale et Solidaire (ESS) with ESUS designation since January 2023.
Quantifiable outcome
- L'Équipe site achieved 46 million unique visits and 281+ million page views during 2022 World Cup
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Upian
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Upian technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature4 records
Upian partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.
- Access 42minorAccessibility partner chosen by Ciel & Espace for website accessibility compliance. Upian collaborates with Access 42 on accessibility standards.
- Coop-médiasminorUpian became a shareholder of Coop-médias, the citizen cooperative of independent media. Coop-médias brings together ESS sectors, culture, and media to defend quality information free from private interests. Upian designed and developed the Coop-médias website.
- Éléphant DoccoreCo-production partner with Éléphant Doc for 'Voyage en cuisine' television program on Arte. Éléphant Doc commissioned Upian to produce the show's title sequence and visual identity.
- Brief.mecoreUpian SAS holds a participation in Brief.me. Upian has been advising and accompanying Brief.me since its December 2014 launch, handling graphic identity, web interface design, and front-end development for PWA and mobile apps.
- Binge.audiocoreUpian SAS holds a participation in Binge.audio podcast studio. Binge.audio produces new-generation audio programs.
- IDFA DocLabflagshipCo-commissioned the TM immersive online theatrical experience with IDFA DocLab (Netherlands) and National Theatre Immersive Storytelling Studio (UK). IDFA DocLab is a leading international documentary festival and innovation lab.
- National Theatre Immersive Storytelling StudioflagshipCo-commissioned the TM immersive online theatrical experience alongside IDFA DocLab. National Theatre UK contributed to this innovative cross-border digital theater project.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Upian competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Blast Theory: UK-based interactive arts group producing experimental participatory and immersive works. Comparable to Upian Productions in pioneering interactive documentary and narrative formats, but focused on the UK/international festival circuit rather than the French institutional market.
Direct peers
- Ekino: French digital production company (within Havas/Vivendi) producing web platforms, motion design, and digital content for major media and enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Upian Studio on web design, interface development, and digital transformation services.
- Studio Chevalvert: Paris-based interactive design studio working at the intersection of design, motion, and interactive narrative. Comparable to Upian in producing award-winning interactive web experiences and editorial-driven design systems for cultural and institutional clients.
- Emissive: French immersive/VR studio behind projects such as the Notre-Dame de Paris VR experience. Comparable to Upian Productions in delivering premium immersive and interactive narrative experiences for cultural institutions and museums.
- CosaVostra: Paris-based digital creative agency building websites, brand platforms, and digital experiences. Comparable to Upian Studio in serving French media, cultural, and brand clients with end-to-end design and development work.
- Honky Tonk: Paris-based interactive storytelling studio and a French pioneer of webdocumentaries (e.g., Prison Valley). Closely comparable to Upian in combining interactive narrative production with web/editorial storytelling for broadcasters and cultural institutions.
Broad incumbents
- France Télévisions: French public broadcaster with significant in-house digital production capabilities (including its Nouvelles Écritures digital unit). Broad incumbent comparable to Upian Productions as a co-production partner and commissioner of original digital and documentary content in France.
- Makheia Group: French digital communications group offering strategy, design, and content services to brands and institutions. Comparable to Upian at the broader agency/communications layer, with overlapping cultural and corporate clients but a wider service portfolio.
- BETC Paris: Major French creative agency within the Havas network, offering brand, advertising, and digital work at scale. Overlaps with Upian's brand storytelling and corporate communications offering, but operates across a much broader portfolio and client base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Upian social profiles
Digital presenceUpian compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Upian financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upian leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Upian subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Upian funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upian 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 Upian
What does Upian do?
Upian is a French digital design studio and interactive production company that designs and develops websites, interfaces, and digital experiences for media companies, cultural institutions, broadcasters, and brands. The group operates two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Upian Studio (web design, interface development, design systems, motion design, and corporate communications) and Upian Productions (documentary, webdocumentary, and magazine production with press agency accreditation). It also holds minority stakes in independent media Brief.me and Binge.audio.
Is Upian a public or private company?
Upian is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Upian founded?
Upian was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Upian based?
Upian is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Upian make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Studio Services (Web Design & Development) is the primary driver. The others are documentary & Magazine Production, motion Design & Animation, press Agency Services and holdings & Media Investments.
Who are Upian's main competitors?
Blast Theory is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Ekino, Studio Chevalvert, Emissive, CosaVostra and Honky Tonk. Broad incumbents are France Télévisions, Makheia Group and BETC Paris.
Does Upian have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upian.