Vesica
Vesica is a London-based SaaS provider of cloud collection management software for museums, heritage organisations, private art collectors, and consultants, offering cataloguing, online galleries, and mobile access on a per-object subscription model across 30+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Vesica does
Vesica is a UK-based, cloud-hosted SaaS platform that provides museum-class art, heritage, science, and antique collection management software to museums, private collectors, heritage organisations, and art consultants across more than 30 countries. The platform enables users to document, manage, and market collections ranging from 10 objects to more than 5 million objects, with features including cataloguing across hundreds of parameters, image annotation and cropping, HTML5 audio and video streaming, bibliography management, interactive charts and timeline visualisations, report printing, Microsoft Word export, and built-in online galleries with shopping-cart functionality. The system is CDWA-compliant, supports English, Spanish, French, and Turkish along with 113+ currencies, and is accessible via browser and native iOS and Android apps. Underlying technology includes a multi-tenant cloud architecture, a RESTful API (currently read-only via GET calls returning JSON), and integrations with marketplaces including AppDirect and the Chrome Web Store.
Vesica monetises primarily through a recurring per-object subscription at £0.10 per object per month, with a free tier available for collections of up to 10 objects and no long-term contracts required; a transactional fee component is implied via the online gallery e-commerce feature. Distribution is multi-channel: a self-serve direct website, native mobile apps, marketplace listings, a commission-based Partner Program targeting museum consultants and art professionals (10%/5%/3% trailing commissions), and direct enterprise sales for larger institutions. Founded in 2010 by Asif Nawaz (Chief Software Architect, who developed the product through his firm VAFTA) and incorporated as Vesica Ltd. in England and Wales, the company is privately held with 1-10 employees and is currently raising up to £4 million (approximately US $6 million) from Middle East investors while planning to relocate its administrative operations to Dubai to support global expansion.
Vesica firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vesica
- Legal name
- Vesica Ltd.
- Website
- https://vesica.ws
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Vesica is a London-based SaaS provider of cloud collection management software for museums, heritage organisations, private art collectors, and consultants, offering cataloguing, online galleries, and mobile access on a per-object subscription model across 30+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vesica industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Museum and Art Collection Management Software
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums (712110), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Archiving & Long-Term Preservation Planning (HSAFAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Vesica is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Vesica business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Per Object: Monthly subscription pricing based on the number of objects in a collection at £0.10 per object per month. Free accounts available for up to 10 pieces. Pay-as-you-go model with no long-term contracts required.
- Gallery Sales Commission: Online gallery feature allows users to list and sell art pieces with transactional capability, potentially generating commission revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier for individuals getting started |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Pay-as-you-go per object pricing |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Vesica product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vesica provides a web-based, cloud-hosted SaaS application for museum-class art, heritage, science, and antique collection management. The platform enables users to document, manage, and market collections ranging from 10 to 5 million+ objects through cataloguing, image/audio/video management, online gallery publishing with shopping cart, reporting, interactive charts, and a RESTful API. It targets museums, heritage organisations, private collectors, and art consultants with a freemium tier and per-object monthly pricing.
Product overview
Vesica is a single, unified web-based collection management SaaS platform designed for museums, heritage organisations, private collectors, and institutional galleries. The core Vesica platform provides comprehensive document-manage-market functionality for art, heritage, science and antique collections. It is supplemented by mobile apps for iOS and Android, built-in online gallery features with custom URLs and e-commerce capabilities, a REST API for developers, a Partner Program for industry professionals, and the Vesica Institute offering art education courses and workshops. The platform is updated regularly with new features added automatically through the subscription model.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vesica Core Platform Web-based, cloud-hosted SaaS application for museum-class art, heritage, science, and antique collection management. Enables documentation, management, and marketing of collections from 10 to 5 million+ objects across cataloguing, image/audio/video management, online galleries with shopping cart, interactive charts, reports, and Word export.
- Vesica Mobile Apps (iOS and Android) Native mobile applications available via Apple App Store and Google Play Store that provide collection management access on iOS and Android devices.
- Vesica Online Galleries Built-in online gallery feature that lets users create and manage their own art galleries with custom subdomain URLs, browse pieces by type, and process sales through an integrated shopping cart.
- Vesica REST API RESTful API exposing Vesica data programmatically. Supports GET calls returning JSON responses for /pieces and /collections endpoints, with user_api_key and account_api_key authentication, and a PHP code sample available for developers.
- Vesica Institute Educational entity offering art and craft education courses and workshops in London covering traditional art techniques, including Ottoman textiles and painting methods, with the goal of preserving arts and crafts through digital archiving and documentation.
- Vesica Partner Program Referral and partnership program for qualified industry professionals (museum consultants, web developers, system integrators, freelance curators, photographers, art dealers, galleries, and art historians) that pays 10% commission in year 1, 5% in year 2, and 3% from year 3 onwards.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 90% cost savings compared to traditional museum software solutions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Vesica
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Vesica technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature11 records
Vesica partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Google Chrome Web StoreminorVesica available as a Chrome browser app for easy access within the Chrome ecosystem, targeting users who prefer browser-based access to web applications.
- AppDirectminorListing on AppDirect marketplace enables Vesica to reach enterprise customers through AppDirect's single sign-on platform and business application marketplace. Vesica was the first art collection application on AppDirect.
- Association of Independent Museums (AIM)minorIndustry association membership in the UK helping Vesica integrate with the heritage, culture, and museum communities. Membership enables networking and positioning as a trusted partner for museum digitisation initiatives.
- British Association of Friends of Museums (BAFM)minorIndustry association membership to build relationships within the UK museum community and position Vesica as a solution for helping member organisations reduce costs and monetise collections.
- Museum TechnologiescoreLandmark deal making Vesica the official collection and item management software provider to museums who work with Museum Technologies. This partnership enables enterprise-scale software deployment for larger museums and galleries, and opens up marketing channels for Vesica customers to promote their products.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vesica competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ArtBase (ArtBase Ltd): ArtBase is a long-running collections management database designed for museums, corporate collections, universities and private collectors; it competes in the same mid-market segment and offers comparable cataloguing and reporting functionality.
- PastPerfect Software: PastPerfect is a long-standing, lower-priced collection management application used heavily by small and mid-sized US museums and historical societies — it competes with Vesica for the same SMB and private-collection segment but predominantly as on-premise software.
- Artlogic: Artlogic provides cloud-based inventory, CRM and online viewing room software for galleries and art dealers; it competes for the same private-collector and gallery use cases that Vesica targets through its online galleries and per-object pricing.
- Gallery Systems (The Museum System / TMS): Gallery Systems' TMS is the dominant installed collection management system for museums and galleries globally; it competes head-to-head with Vesica for the same institutional collection-management workload and serves as the legacy incumbent that Vesica's cloud pricing aims to displace.
- Axiell Collections (formerly Axiell MODES): Axiell's museum and archive collection management suite is one of the leading European alternatives to TMS and is widely deployed in cultural heritage institutions, making it the most direct cross-border peer to Vesica in cloud/specialised museum software.
Emerging players
- CollectiveAccess: CollectiveAccess is an open-source collections management platform used by smaller museums, archives and galleries; it overlaps with Vesica's cataloguing and web-publishing functionality and is a credible low-cost/free alternative for budget-constrained institutions.
- Omeka / Omeka S: Omeka is an open-source web publishing platform widely used by museums, libraries and archives to create online exhibits and digital collections; it is a partial substitute for Vesica's online galleries and public-facing showcase capabilities.
- Aimelo (Collectify) / Artsy Collection Management: Collectify and similar SaaS art collection tools target private collectors and small institutions with cloud cataloguing — they overlap directly with Vesica's per-object pricing model and collector-focused value proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Lucidea / Argus (Museum Archives CMS): Lucidea's Argus and related museum/archives CMS products address similar collection-management and archives workflows at larger institutions and overlap with Vesica's CDWA-compliant cataloguing and reporting features.
Regional players
- Custom Museum Software / Museum Technologies: Museum Technologies is Vesica's existing channel partner and provides bespoke digital museum solutions; it is a relevant peer because it already bundles Vesica as its official collection management software for some museum deployments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vesica social profiles
Digital presenceVesica compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Vesica financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vesica leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Vesica funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vesica 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 Vesica
What does Vesica do?
Vesica provides a web-based, cloud-hosted SaaS application for museum-class art, heritage, science, and antique collection management. The platform enables users to document, manage, and market collections ranging from 10 to 5 million+ objects through cataloguing, image/audio/video management, online gallery publishing with shopping cart, reporting, interactive charts, and a RESTful API. It targets museums, heritage organisations, private collectors, and art consultants with a freemium tier and per-object monthly pricing.
Is Vesica a public or private company?
Vesica is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vesica founded?
Vesica was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vesica based?
Vesica is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Vesica make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Per Object is the primary driver. The others are gallery Sales Commission.
Who are Vesica's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ArtBase (ArtBase Ltd), PastPerfect Software, Artlogic, Gallery Systems (The Museum System / TMS) and Axiell Collections (formerly Axiell MODES). Emerging players are CollectiveAccess, Omeka / Omeka S and Aimelo (Collectify) / Artsy Collection Management. Lucidea / Argus (Museum Archives CMS) is listed as a broad incumbent. Custom Museum Software / Museum Technologies is listed as a regional player.
Does Vesica have an API?
Yes. Vesica offers a RESTful API accessible at api.vesica.ws. Currently, only GET calls are supported, meaning users can only retrieve data out of Vesica via the API. The returned response is always formatted as JSON. Supported endpoints include /pieces (returns a list of pieces in an account) and /collections (returns a list of collections). Required parameters include user_api_key and account_api_key. Optional parameters include limit (max 100) and offset. A PHP code sample is available for download. Developer documentation is at vesica.ws/developers/api.
What industry is Vesica in?
Vesica's product category is Museum and Art Collection Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAFAGAK, Media Archiving & Long-Term Preservation Planning, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAF, Libraries, Archives & Special Collections. Its NAICS code is 51921.