What bilum does

Bilum is a French upcycling company founded in 2005 and headquartered in Choisy-le-Roi, near Paris. It designs, manufactures, and distributes bags and accessories produced from end-of-life industrial materials, including airbags, advertising tarpaulins, exhibition canvases, life jackets, seat covers, uniforms, flags, upholstery fabrics, hot air balloon fabrics, and awnings. Bilum is positioned as the first company in France to reclaim airbag fabrics for bags and accessories and as a pioneer in upcycling giant advertising banners, leveraging technical properties of the source materials (e.g., airbag fabric engineered to deploy in fifty milliseconds and withstand two tons of pressure) to produce durable consumer goods. Production is 100% French, relying on the Choisy-le-Roi workshop and partner garment workshops, with portions of manufacturing executed by social integration workshops employing disabled people.

The commercial model operates through two go-to-market motions: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (bilum.fr) offering multilingual and multi-currency purchasing with €19–€245 unit pricing across 168+ SKUs in bags, accessories, and material collections, and a recently launched B2B division called PRO B2B Atelier serving enterprise clients with custom upcycling, team-building experiences, and impact measurement reports. The company pursues content-driven brand marketing and operates without disclosed external funding.

Bilum's proprietary environmental methodology, developed with ADEME-accredited La Belle Empreinte, values upcycled raw materials at 0 kg CO2 eq in Life Cycle Assessment calculations, supporting a claimed 80% smaller environmental footprint versus equivalent products and anchoring the brand's sustainability positioning. Material sourcing is diversified through partnerships with Air France (life vests, seat covers), DFDS Seaways (life jackets), Balloon Revolution (hot air balloon envelopes), Pierre Vaux (umbrellas), and designer Stephan Lanez (Isocèle collection), with additional collaborations including the Fight For Dignity charitable initiative using upcycled karate uniforms.

Name

bilum

Legal name

Bilum

Website

https://bilum.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bilum is a French upcycling pioneer manufacturing bags and accessories from end-of-life materials such as airbags, life jackets, advertising tarps, and exhibition canvases. Founded in 2005, it serves eco-conscious consumers via e-commerce and enterprises through its PRO B2B Atelier division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Choisy-le-roi

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales - B2C: Direct sales of upcycled bags and accessories through bilum.fr e-commerce platform. Products include bags (Minot, Bizace, backpacks, shopping bags, travel bags), accessories (cases, purses, umbrellas, handlers), and materials. One-time purchase model with per-product pricing.
2. B2B Professional Services: Custom upcycling solutions for businesses including corporate team building events, custom manufacturing for organizations, and partnership collaborations. Professional B2B offerings include impact measurement and custom product development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

bilum is a French upcycling manufacturer that designs, produces, and distributes bags and accessories (backpacks, travel bags, shopping bags, belly bags, cross-body bags, sport bags, umbrellas, purses, protective cases, removable leather handles, protective covers) made from recovered end-of-life industrial materials such as airbags, advertising banners, life jackets, exhibition canvases, uniforms, hot air balloon fabrics, and awnings. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via bilum.fr and through a separate B2B professional division offering custom upcycling solutions, team building events, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

bilum is a French upcycling company and manufacturer specializing in bags and accessories made from recovered materials. The product portfolio is organized around three main categories: Bags (including Minot belly bags, Sac bandoulière Bizace, Backpacks, Shopping bags, Drawstring bags, Isocèle bags by Stéphan Lanez, Sport bags, and Travel bags), Accessories (Cases, Protective covers, Umbrellas, Purses, and Removable leather handles), and Matter/Materials (airbag, exhibition canvas, advertising canvas, uniform, flags, life jackets, karate uniform, seat covers, upholstery fabrics, hot air balloon fabrics, awning fabric, and tent fabrics). All products are 100% designed and manufactured in France, primarily in Choisy-le-Roi, with a focus on giving second life to materials that would otherwise be destroyed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Isocèle by Stéphan Lanez: Collaboration collection with designer Stephan Lanez featuring original and unique bag combinations assembled in three sections.

Products and services

• Bags Range of bags and travel bags made from upcycled materials including recovered tarps, airbags, advertising banners, exhibition canvases, life jackets, and hot air balloon fabrics. Includes belly bags (Minot), cross-body bags (Bizace), backpacks, shopping bags, drawstring bags, the designer Isocèle bags by Stéphan Lanez, sport bags (Polochon), and cabin-approved travel bags, targeted at eco-conscious consumers seeking sustainable, handcrafted French-made bags.
• Accessories Range of accessories made from upcycled materials including protective cases (computer, phone, tablet), umbrellas, purses, removable leather handles, and protective covers. Targeted at eco-conscious consumers seeking sustainable, handcrafted French-made accessories that complement the bags product line.
• PRO B2B Atelier Professional division offering custom upcycling solutions for businesses and organizations, including bespoke manufacturing from client-supplied or sourced recovered materials, corporate team building experiences, branded merchandise with environmental credentials, and impact measurement reports such as the Mesure d'impact 2025. Targeted at corporate clients with sustainability/CSR goals, including existing partners Air France, DFDS Seaways, Balloon Revolution, and the National Gendarmerie.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% smaller environmental footprint compared to equivalent products
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fight For Dignity (FFD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018FFD is organization making sports accessible to women victims of violence through karate sessions. Bilum involved since 2018. Together created collection from karate kimonos and belts collected from French clubs. Two crowdfunding campaigns on Ulule in 2018 and late 2020. Profits from sales donated to Fight For Dignity.
• Air FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAir France partnered with bilum to give expired life jackets a second life. Life jackets have expiry dates, and Air France chose bilum to avoid throwing them away. Products made from Air France life vests include wallets, pouches, and toiletry cases. Manufacturing done by social integration workshop employing disabled people.
• DFDS SeawaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create travel accessory collections made from life vests. Similar model to Air France partnership for upcycling maritime safety equipment.
• Pierre VauxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJura-based umbrella manufacturer collaborating with bilum on unique umbrella pieces made from upcycled hot air balloon fabrics. Pierre Vaux handles umbrella construction while bilum provides upcycled balloon materials.
• Balloon RevolutioncoreOthersHot air balloon company that donated balloon envelope to bilum after 7 years and nearly 700 hours of flight over the castles of the Loire. Balloon fabric transformed into bags and accessories collection.
• La Belle EmpreinteminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerADEME-accredited environmental consulting company that assisted bilum in calculating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) environmental footprint. Study and video produced with financial support from ADEME as part of Recovery Plan.
• ADEMEminorOthersFrench Environment and Energy Management Agency. Provided financial support for LCA study and video production as part of Recovery Plan. Accreditation of La Belle Empreinte.
• Stephan LanezcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesigner collaborating with bilum on 'Isocèle' collection. Blends various improbable materials creating original and unique combinations. Each piece assembled in three sections offering wide range of possibilities and colors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Faguo: French sustainable fashion brand offering apparel, footwear, and accessories with a tree-planting environmental program. Direct peer: French sustainable fashion brand of similar scale targeting eco-conscious consumers with comparable price points.
• Veja: French sustainable footwear and accessories brand with vertically integrated supply chain and ESG-first positioning. Direct peer: French origin, sustainability as core differentiator, premium pricing, and direct-to-consumer plus wholesale distribution.
• Elvis & Kresse: UK-based brand that upcycles decommissioned fire hoses, printing blankets, and other industrial waste into bags and accessories. Direct peer: similar upcycling-from-industrial-waste model, comparable size, premium positioning, and B2B licensing partnerships.
• Ecoalf: Spanish sustainable fashion brand using recycled materials (including ocean plastics) for apparel and accessories. Direct peer: shared recycled-material ethos, B2C and B2B distribution, and commitment to quantified environmental footprint reduction.
• Christopher Raeburn: British designer known for REMADE line upcycling military surplus, decommissioned parachutes, and industrial materials into fashion pieces. Direct peer: parallel upcycling craft approach and reuse of defense/industrial surplus.
• 1083: French sustainable jeans and apparel brand producing fully in France with localized supply chain. Direct peer: shared French manufacturing heritage, sustainability-driven positioning, and mid-market premium price tier.
• Mismo: Danish premium bags and luggage brand combining craftsmanship with high-grade materials. Direct peer: similar premium positioning in the bag/travel category, comparable price ceiling, and direct-to-consumer retail.

Emerging players

• Baggu: US-based reusable bags and accessories brand focused on sustainable, multi-use products. Emerging player: overlapping sustainable bag positioning and D2C e-commerce, though using virgin recycled nylon rather than industrial waste upcycling.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: US outdoor apparel and bags brand with deep commitment to recycled materials, repair, and circular economy. Broad incumbent: overlaps on sustainable materials and lifetime durability, though at vastly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Stella McCartney: Global luxury fashion house built around sustainability and cruelty-free positioning. Broad incumbent: shares circular materials ethos and brand storytelling, but operates at luxury price points and global scale far above Bilum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bilumparis
• Facebookfacebook.com/bilumParis

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 bilum