Ulmann

What Ulmann does

Ulmann is a 150-year-old, family-owned French manufacturer (founded 1873) headquartered in Saint-Valérien, Yonne, controlled by the holding Financière ED. The company designs and produces physical and digital workspace and educational solutions across five product pillars: school whiteboards with proprietary enamelled steel surfaces (carrying a lifetime warranty); interactive touchscreen displays under the Ulmann Touch brand alongside distributed Prowise, Clevertouch, and Orbys lines; FlexMute acoustic products (PET-felt panels, baffles, ceilings, and Atmo acoustic pods) manufactured from recycled materials; FlexNote design whiteboards for premium office environments; and a six-brand school-supply portfolio (Ulmann Classic, Ma Plume Éco, Origine Ulmann, Budget Malin, MDD/private-label, and the premium Japanese PLUS Japan line). 100% of production occurs at the single Saint-Valérien site, and the company holds NF, PEFC, FSC, EN 13501, and EN ISO 11925-2 certifications, with acoustic performance verified in a COFRAQ-certified laboratory.

The business model combines one-time hardware sales with a growing layer of recurring and project-based services. Pricing is predominantly quote-based for hardware, while published prices exist for the Hotline Touch technical-support subscription (€24.90 HT/month), individual training (from €149 HT/30 minutes), and content creation (€230–€600 HT per deliverable). The go-to-market is dual-channel: a direct field sales force of commercial representatives, technicians, and trainers visits enterprises, schools, and public-sector clients across roughly 15 French metropolitan areas plus Brussels, Geneva, Luxembourg, and Monaco; in parallel, the company runs a private-label (MDD) program that manufactures school supplies under retailer brands for Auchan, Intermarché, Carrefour, Bureau Vallée, and La Foir Fouille. Customer concentration spans education (Sorbonne, Omnes Education, Ville de Paris, Région Île-de-France), luxury (Louis Vuitton), energy (Total), security (Sector Alarm), and mass retail — accessed via direct sales, a co-development partnership with Mobloo for bundled workspace projects, and digital channels (website, social, trade shows).

Strategically, Ulmann has executed a measured pivot from a single-product school-board manufacturer into a multi-vertical workspace solutions provider over the past decade (interactive screens 2015, FlexNote 2018, FlexMute/Atmo 2022), while remaining a closely-held, traditional industrial SME with 51–100 employees, no disclosed institutional funding, and no AI/ML capabilities in its product stack.

Name

Ulmann

Legal name

Ulmann

Website

https://ulmann.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1873

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ulmann is a 150-year-old, family-owned French manufacturer producing enamelled steel whiteboards, interactive screens, acoustic panels and pods (FlexMute/Atmo), design boards (FlexNote), and school supplies for education, professional, public-sector, and retail customers across France and select European markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational and Workspace Furniture

NAICS

Office Furniture (including Fixtures) Manufacturing (3372)

SIC

Office Furniture (2520), Partitions, Shelvg, Lockers, & Office & Store Fixtures (2540), Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB)

Keywords

• Educational furniture
• Enameled steel whiteboards
• Interactive touchscreen displays
• Acoustic panel solutions
• School supplies manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-valérien

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational furniture and equipment sales: Sale of school tables, boards, interactive screens, acoustic solutions, and school supplies to educational institutions, public sector, and distributors. Products are priced on request with custom quotes.
2. Professional office solutions sales: Sale of design tables, acoustic panels, mobile boards, and interactive screens to businesses, coworking spaces, and professional offices. Includes custom installations and design services.
3. School supplies distribution: Distribution of school supplies (450+ product references) to retailers, distributors, and educational institutions through six brands: Ulmann Classic, Ma Plume Éco, Origine Ulmann, Budget Malin, MDD, and PLUS Japan.
4. Training and support services: Individual training from €149 HT (30 min), collective training (custom pricing), and HOTLINE TOUCH subscription at €24.90/month for ongoing technical support.
5. Content creation services: Interactive presentations from €600 HT, digital catalogs from €300 HT, and dynamic signage content creation from €230 HT.
6. Second Chance (refurbished products): Sale of refurbished and display model products at discounted prices, extending product lifecycle and supporting sustainability objectives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ulmann designs and manufactures educational and professional workspace solutions in France, including enameled steel whiteboards, interactive touchscreens, PET-felt acoustic panels and pods, design writing walls, and a multi-brand school supplies range. The company sells these products direct to schools, enterprises, and public-sector buyers, through retail/distribution partners for school supplies, and via private-label (MDD) manufacturing for retailer brands. Supporting services include bespoke design, installation, training, a monthly Hotline Touch technical support subscription, and content creation for digital signage and interactive catalogs.

Product overview

Ulmann is a French manufacturer (established 1873) of workspace and educational solutions offering an integrated portfolio of physical products, interactive technology, and acoustic solutions. The product portfolio consists of five core pillars: (1) School whiteboards (tableaux scolaires) — enameled steel writing surfaces for classrooms including triptych, simple, pivoting, mobile, and amphitheater models; (2) Interactive screens under the Ulmann Touch brand as well as distributed brands Prowise, Clevertouch, and Orbys, all supported by companion screen-mirroring software (Bytello Share, CleverShare, eShare/AirServer) and accessories (cameras, microphones, videoconferencing bars); (3) FlexMute acoustic solutions — PET felt wall panels, suspended baffles and ceiling panels, luminaires, partitions, mobile walls, and the Atmo acoustic pod sub-brand (One, Twin, Meet models); (4) FlexNote design whiteboards — premium wall-mounted, mobile, and Liberté continuous writing walls for offices; and (5) School supplies (six brands: Ulmann Classic, Ma Plume Éco, Origine Ulmann, Budget Malin, store brands/MDD, and PLUS Japan premium Japanese supplies). Services include custom training, Hotline Touch support, and content creation (presentations, digital catalogs, digital signage). The company also operates a 'Seconde Chance' refurbished-products program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FlexMute: Acoustic solutions brand including panels, partitions, suspended ceilings, and acoustic cabins for sound absorption and noise reduction in workspaces
• FlexNote
• Atmo by Ulmann
• Ulmann Touch
• Ulmann Classic
• Ma Plume Éco
• Origine Ulmann
• Budget Malin
• PLUS Japan

Products and services

• Tableaux scolaires (School whiteboards) Enameled steel writing surfaces for classrooms — including triptych, simple, Air+, pivoting, mobile, and custom amphitheater boards — with magnetic and projection options, designed for intensive daily school use and offered with a lifetime warranty on the enamel.
• Ulmann Touch interactive screens Ulmann's own brand of interactive touchscreens with UHD 4K resolution, 20-point simultaneous touch, built-in Android 11, wireless screen sharing via Bytello Share, and optional videoconferencing accessories (cameras, microphones, Logitech Rally Bar and Poly Smart Bar integrations), available in 65", 75", and 86" formats.
• Distributed interactive screens (Prowise, Clevertouch, Orbys) Professional interactive touchscreen displays from Prowise (Ten G4, Max, Ultra), Clevertouch (with CleverShare wireless mirroring), and Orbys (DMCS management, eShare/AirPlay/AirServer mirroring) distributed and supported by Ulmann, with accessories such as PC modules and 4K auto-framing cameras.
• FlexMute acoustic solutions (panels, baffles, partitions, luminaires) Acoustic solutions manufactured from recycled PET felt — wall panels, suspended baffles and ceiling panels, mobile partitions, decorative acoustic luminaires, desktop screens, sliding panels, and roller blinds — tested in a COFRAQ-certified laboratory to EN 13501 and EN ISO 11925-2, available with custom RAL colors, logos, and bespoke shapes.
• Atmo by Ulmann acoustic pods Acoustic booths and pods for 1 to 4 people (Atmo One, Atmo Twin, Atmo Meet) designed for private calls, video conferences, and small meetings, featuring silent ventilation, integrated lighting, and customizable finishes (colors, logos, materials).
• FlexNote design whiteboards and writing walls Premium wall-mounted, mobile, and continuous frameless (Liberté) writing walls for offices and meeting rooms, with enameled steel, magnetic glass, or lacquered surfaces, plus complementary pinboards (MemoFlex, DuoFlex), Vintage Board, Delta mobile easel, and X Brick multifunctional modules, all customizable in 4,000+ RAL colors.
• School supplies range (Ulmann Classic, Ma Plume Éco, Origine Ulmann, Budget Malin, MDD/store brands, PLUS Japan) School supplies portfolio of 450+ product references spanning six brands: Ulmann Classic (historical robust range), Ma Plume Éco (eco-responsible, recycled/recyclable materials, zero plastic packaging), Origine Ulmann (nursery and early-childhood), Budget Malin (volume-purchase discount range), MDD/private-label store brands (bespoke packaging and positioning for retailer chains), and PLUS Japan (premium Japanese precision tools and office supplies).
• Seconde Chance — refurbished Ulmann products Refurbished and inspected pre-owned Ulmann products — including interactive screens, whiteboards, and acoustic panels — sold at discounted prices after quality verification by Ulmann technical teams, supporting sustainability objectives.
• Hotline Touch technical support subscription Recurring monthly technical support subscription for interactive-screen users, providing direct expert assistance without ticket queues or waiting, priced at €24.90 HT per month.
• Training services (individual and collective) Customized training sessions on Ulmann interactive screens delivered in-person or remotely to individuals (from €149 HT per 30-minute session) or to groups of professionals, teachers, and IT teams at custom collective pricing.
• Content creation services (interactive presentations, digital catalogs, dynamic signage) Professional content services for interactive screens — design of interactive presentations (from €600 HT), conversion of paper catalogs into digital tactile experiences (from €300 HT), and creation of dynamic signage content/animation (from €230 HT).

Quantifiable outcome

• Lifetime warranty on enamelled writing surfaces
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MobloocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership between Ulmann and Mobloo for comprehensive workspace design projects. Ulmann provides collaborative tools (interactive screens, design boards, acoustic solutions) while Mobloo contributes furniture and ergonomic workspace expertise. The partnership targets businesses seeking modern, ergonomic, and high-performance office environments through combined expertise in workspace furnishing and visual collaboration solutions.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SMART Technologies: Canada-based global manufacturer of SMART Board interactive displays for K-12 and enterprise. Direct competitor to Ulmann's interactive-screen franchise for the same French/European school and meeting-room accounts.
• Prowise: Netherlands-based maker of Prowise Touchscreen Ten and related interactive displays distributed by Ulmann. Direct competitor in European K-12 and corporate interactive-screen RFPs.
• Lintex: Swedish manufacturer of premium writing surfaces and acoustic solutions for offices and public spaces. Closely comparable to Ulmann's FlexNote board and FlexMute acoustic product franchises.
• Promethean: UK/US maker of the ActivPanel interactive display, a global leader in classroom interactive flat panels. Competes head-on with Ulmann's distributed Prowise/Clevertouch/Orbys lines in French education tenders.
• PolyVision: US-based (Steelcase-owned) manufacturer of CeramicSteel writing surfaces and interactive boards for education. Closest analogue to Ulmann's enamelled-steel whiteboard heritage in commercial scale.
• Clevertouch: UK-headquartered interactive-display manufacturer. Ulmann distributes Clevertouch screens but also sells its own Ulmann Touch range, making Clevertouch a direct competitor and channel partner.
• BAUX: Swedish acoustic-panel manufacturer focused on design-forward sustainable panels made from recycled materials. Direct competitor to Ulmann's FlexMute PET-felt acoustic range across European architecture firms.
• BuzziSpace: Belgian acoustic-solutions manufacturer offering panels, baffles, lighting and pods (BuzziBooth). Directly comparable to Ulmann's FlexMute panels plus Atmo acoustic-cabin sub-brand for the modern office market.

Broad incumbents

• Steelcase: Global office-furniture leader and parent of PolyVision. Competes with Ulmann's wider office-furniture and design-whiteboard (FlexNote) range as a broad incumbent rather than a niche specialist.
• ACCO Brands (Quartet): US-listed office-products company whose Quartet brand dominates North American whiteboard and bulletin-board retail. Overlaps with Ulmann's school-supplies distribution and whiteboards as a broader incumbent rather than a direct competitor in Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UlmannOfficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ulmann
• Instagraminstagram.com/ulmannofficiel

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ulmann