KIS
KIS SAS, founded 1963 in Échirolles, France, designs and manufactures professional self-service vending machines across photo/print, laundry, food, kiddie rides, and copiers. It operates as the in-house R&D and manufacturing hub for London-listed parent ME Group, supplying hardware to supermarkets, shopping centers, rail stations, and event professionals across 18 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersÉchirolles, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What KIS does
KIS SAS is a French industrial designer and manufacturer of professional self-service vending machines, headquartered in Échirolles near Grenoble. Founded in 1963 with the launch of its "La Clé Minute" key-cutting service, the company has evolved into a multi-category hardware platform spanning three core verticals: photo and print (photo booths, print kiosks, selfie stations), laundry (outdoor kiosks and indoor plug-and-play columns), and food (pizza dispensers with patented OVENBOX heating). Additional lines include self-service copiers and kiddie rides. KIS operates as the consolidated R&D and technology hub for ME Group (formerly Photo-Me Group), a London-listed parent that runs 50,000 vending machines across 18 countries; KIS conducts all in-house design and manufacturing at its 1,500 m² Grenoble/Échirolles center staffed by 100+ engineers, with supporting engineering offices in Vietnam, China, Japan, and Portugal.
The business model combines hardware sales to B2B customers (supermarkets, shopping centers, rail stations, event professionals, and an international distributor network), recurring consumables revenue via the KIS Boutique B2B e-commerce platform (photo paper, chemistry, albums, frames), event rental through the KIS EVENT activity (associated with VIP Box), and technical maintenance services for machine operators. Pricing is quote-based with no public list pricing, and KIS leverages a dual channel motion combining direct enterprise sales and a global distributor/export network. The company holds registered trademarks (Photomaton, Starbooth), patented proprietary technologies (OVENBOX pizza reheating), prestigious industry awards (TIPA, DIMA, Sésames), and an ongoing design collaboration with Philippe Starck.
KIS's core technology stack combines embedded electronics, proprietary software, integrated payment systems (CB/contactless/coins), and connectivity — packaged into compact, accessibility-compliant, and energy-efficient form factors (e.g., Revolution Flex completes a professional laundry cycle in 35 minutes; Multiquattro consumes only 120W per pizza). Recent product launches in 2022 (Evobooth, Boxpresso, Revolution Flex, Speedlab Cube, beer/cider pressure machines) and a refreshed corporate identity reflect a deliberate diversification strategy beyond the legacy photo-booth business into food, beverage, and indoor-laundry verticals, executed through and on behalf of the ME Group global distribution platform.
KIS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KIS
- Legal name
- KIS SAS
- Website
- https://kis.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- KIS SAS, founded 1963 in Échirolles, France, designs and manufactures professional self-service vending machines across photo/print, laundry, food, kiddie rides, and copiers. It operates as the in-house R&D and manufacturing hub for London-listed parent ME Group, supplying hardware to supermarkets, shopping centers, rail stations, and event professionals across 18 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KIS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Self-Service Vending Machines
- NAICS
- Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310), Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210)
- SIC
- Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Self-Checkout Kiosks & Interactive Retail Kiosks (HDACAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Restaurant Technology Supplies (POS Hardware, Kiosks) Wholesale (AFAIALAM), Kiosk & Micro-Format Convenience Retail (CRAHABAD)
Keywords
Where KIS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Échirolles
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
KIS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Sale of self-service machines including photo booths, laundry kiosks, pizza dispensers, and kiddie rides to businesses and distributors.
- Consumables and Supplies: Sales of photo paper, chemistry for minilabs, albums, frames, and other professional photography supplies through KIS Boutique e-commerce platform.
- Rental and Leasing: Event rental of selfie booths and photo equipment for private and corporate events through KIS EVENT.
- Professional Services: Technical maintenance and support services for machine operators.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
KIS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KIS designs, manufactures, and distributes professional self-service vending machines across three categories: photo and print (photo booths, selfie booths, photo printing kiosks), laundry (indoor and outdoor launderette kiosks and columns), and food (pizza vending machines). The company also produces self-service copiers, kiddie rides, and operates the KIS Boutique B2B e-commerce platform for professional photography consumables and supplies. All R&D, engineering, and manufacturing are conducted in-house at the Grenoble/Échirolles facility with supporting offices in Vietnam, China, Japan, and Portugal.
Product overview
KIS is a technology center and wholly-owned subsidiary of ME Group, designing, manufacturing, and distributing professional self-service vending machines. The product portfolio spans three main categories: PHOTO (photo booths for ID and creative photos including Starbooth by Starck, Evobooth, and Vintage Photo Booth; selfie booths for events; and print kiosks like Speedlab Cube); LAUNDRY (outdoor and indoor self-service laundry solutions including Revolution Compact, Revolution Flex, and KISwash Compact kiosks); and FOOD (pizza vending machines Multiquattro and Boxpresso). Additionally, KIS offers copiers, kiddie rides, and the KIS Boutique e-commerce platform for professional photographers. All R&D and manufacturing is conducted at the Grenoble facility with support from Vietnam.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Starbooth by Starck Flagship photo booth designed by Philippe Starck with automated passport photo capture, 5MP camera, real-time photo validation for official ID standards, 17-inch touchscreen interface, 32-inch external screen, and support for pop art photos and postcards. Targeted at retail chains, shopping centers, rail stations, and public venues needing unattended ID photo services.
- Evobooth Next-generation photo booth designed and manufactured in France with a new visual design for urban furniture integration, innovative digital user interface, ID photo capabilities for national ID, passport, and driving licences, plus creative photo options in color and black & white with 4 poses. Targeted at retail and public locations needing unattended ID and creative photo services.
- Vintage Photo Booth
Quantifiable outcome
- 60+ years of continuous operation and innovation in self-service vending
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use KIS
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KIS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature6 records
KIS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- KIS EVENT & VIP BoxminorKIS EVENT and VIP Box have associated their activities within ME.GROUP. Both are major players in photo animation and event sectors, combining to offer the best photobooths on the market.
- Resto'ClockcoreSubsidiary of ME Group, Resto'Clock collaborates with KIS on food products including the Multiquattro pizza dispenser featuring OVENBOX technology and the Boxpresso pizza dispenser with smart scale technology.
- La Mobylette JauneminorLyon-based video production agency engaged for 2 days of filming to showcase KIS's latest innovations with product videos planned.
- ME Group (Photo-Me Group)coreKIS is a 100% subsidiary of ME Group (formerly Photo-Me Group). ME Group is based near London and operates 50,000 vending machines in 18 countries, including nearly 27,000 photobooths and 6,000 children's rides.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KIS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Xerox: Global incumbent in multifunction printers, copiers, and self-service document kiosks. Overlaps with KIS's Multifunction Copier and Copier product lines serving retail and event self-service use cases.
- WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems: Operates laundry rooms across multifamily housing in North America and supplies coin/card-operated laundry equipment. Comparable through shared self-service laundry equipment business.
- CSC ServiceWorks: Large-scale US provider of self-service laundry equipment and air-vending services, operating tens of thousands of laundry locations. Comparable in the self-service laundry category where KIS sells Revolution Compact and Revolution Flex kiosks.
Direct peers
- Fujifilm: Operates Wonder Photo Shop and Instax self-service photo printing kiosks and offers commercial photo printing hardware. Comparable through shared photo kiosk retail footprint and consumables-driven business model.
- PizzaForno: Canadian automated pizzeria operator that combines vending-style heated cabinets with proprietary pizza dispensing. Comparable business model of unattended fresh/frozen pizza vending at retail locations.
- Noritsu: Japanese manufacturer of photo printing equipment, minilab systems, and photo kiosks. Direct competitor in the professional photographic printing hardware category where KIS competes via its photo booth and minilab heritage.
- APIX International (Let's Pizza): French-headquartered maker of automated pizza vending machines, including the 'Let's Pizza' line. Direct competitor in the unattended pizza dispenser segment where KIS sells Boxpresso and Multiquattro.
- Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) Photo Imaging: DNP's photo imaging division supplies self-service photo printing kiosks, dry photo paper, and minilab consumables globally. Direct peer in the photo kiosk and consumables category where KIS Boutique operates.
- SUZOHAPP (CXC Global): Manufacturer of self-service kiosks, payment components, and cash handling hardware for vending and amusement machines. Comparable through shared self-service kiosk design and manufacturing footprint.
Emerging players
- Cantaloupe: US-listed provider of unattended commerce technology including cashless payment, telemetry, and managed services for vending machines. Adjacent peer through shared self-service vending market and integrated payment technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
KIS social profiles
Digital presenceKIS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
KIS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KIS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
KIS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KIS 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 KIS
What does KIS do?
KIS designs, manufactures, and distributes professional self-service vending machines across three categories: photo and print (photo booths, selfie booths, photo printing kiosks), laundry (indoor and outdoor launderette kiosks and columns), and food (pizza vending machines). The company also produces self-service copiers, kiddie rides, and operates the KIS Boutique B2B e-commerce platform for professional photography consumables and supplies. All R&D, engineering, and manufacturing are conducted in-house at the Grenoble/Échirolles facility with supporting offices in Vietnam, China, Japan, and Portugal.
Is KIS a public or private company?
KIS is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was KIS founded?
KIS was founded in 1963. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is KIS based?
KIS is headquartered in Échirolles, France, in the Europe region.
How does KIS make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are consumables and Supplies, rental and Leasing and professional Services.
Who are KIS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Xerox, WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems and CSC ServiceWorks. Direct peers are Fujifilm, PizzaForno, Noritsu, APIX International (Let's Pizza), Dai Nippon Printing (DNP) Photo Imaging and SUZOHAPP (CXC Global). Cantaloupe is listed as an emerging player.
Does KIS have an API?
No public API is recorded for KIS.
What industry is KIS in?
KIS's product category is Self-Service Vending Machines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDACAKAH, Self-Checkout Kiosks & Interactive Retail Kiosks, with a secondary code of AFAIALAM, Restaurant Technology Supplies (POS Hardware, Kiosks) Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 333310 and its SIC code is 3861.