NOOR
NOOR is an Amsterdam-based documentary photography agency and foundation representing ~17 award-winning photojournalists, monetizing through print/book sales, editorial licensing, exhibitions, and educational programs like the Nikon-NOOR Academy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What NOOR does
NOOR is a documentary photography agency and foundation headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, operating under the legal entity NOOR IMAGES B.V. (founded 2007). The organization represents a curated roster of approximately 17 internationally acclaimed documentary photographers — including World Press Photo winners Pep Bonet, Kadir van Lohuizen, Bénédicte Kurzen, and Sanne De Wilde — and functions as both a creative agency and a non-profit foundation. Its core products are the NOOR Photo Archive (a searchable digital archive at archive.noorimages.com), the NOOR Shop (e-commerce for prints and books at shop.noorimages.com), the NOOR Stories and Film Archive content platforms, the NOOR Authors portfolio directory, and the NOOR Foundation's educational programs including the Nikon-NOOR Academy and the CROSS-LOOKING Residencies.
NOOR generates revenue through five distinct streams: print and book sales (one-time licenses, e.g., €59 books, $225 unsigned prints, €199–€248 limited editions), educational programs (Nikon-NOOR Academy masterclasses and regional workshops conducted in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), commissions and assignments from media clients, exhibition licensing to museums and galleries worldwide, and donations processed via the foundation. Customer segments span enterprise media organizations (National Geographic, Washington Post), museums and cultural institutions, photography collectors and enthusiasts, emerging photographers, and corporate/NGO partners. GTM motion is hybrid: direct sales for commissions, community-led through the NOOR Foundation's educational ecosystem, and event-driven via global exhibitions and festivals.
The technology stack is content-centric rather than platform-centric. The most notable proprietary features are the FotoInMotion Platform (AI-powered object identification and 3D technology that converts still photographs into dynamic video, developed with technical partner QdepQ) and the Pix.T blockchain marketplace for photojournalism and digital art prints (developed with World Crunch and Internazionale under Google Digital News Innovation Fund grant). However, NOOR operates primarily as a content and education platform, with no modular SaaS architecture, no public API or SDK, and no disclosed proprietary AI models.
NOOR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NOOR
- Legal name
- NOOR IMAGES B.V.
- Website
- https://noorimages.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- NOOR is an Amsterdam-based documentary photography agency and foundation representing ~17 award-winning photojournalists, monetizing through print/book sales, editorial licensing, exhibitions, and educational programs like the Nikon-NOOR Academy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NOOR industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Photography Services
- NAICS
- Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Short-Form Documentaries (MPADADAC)
Keywords
Where NOOR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
NOOR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Print and Book Sales: NOOR sells photographic prints and books through their online shop (shop.noorimages.com), including signed editions, limited editions with prints, and various publications from their photographers.
- Educational Programs: NOOR generates revenue through masterclasses, workshops, and educational programs including the Nikon-NOOR Academy masterclasses and specialized workshops in various locations.
- Commissions and Assignments: NOOR photographers are available for commissions and assignments, generating revenue through professional photography services for clients.
- Donations: NOOR accepts donations to support their mission and activities. Donations can be made as one-off or periodic contributions.
- Exhibition Licensing: NOOR licenses their work for exhibitions at galleries and museums worldwide.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Land of Ibeji Signed Book |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Land of Ibeji Limited Edition with Print |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hellbangers Signed Book with Original Photograph |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Social Justice Fundraiser Prints |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
NOOR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NOOR is a documentary photography agency and foundation that represents a roster of 17 acclaimed photojournalists producing visual storytelling on social, environmental, and geopolitical issues. It provides commissioned photography assignments and image licensing to media organizations, museums, galleries, and corporate clients, and sells photography prints and books through its online shop. The NOOR Foundation runs educational programs including the Nikon-NOOR Academy masterclasses and supports emerging documentary photographers.
Product overview
NOOR is a documentary photography agency and foundation comprising a network of photojournalists. The core offering consists of the NOOR Stories archive of documentary photography projects, the NOOR Shop for books and prints, the NOOR Photo Archive for searching historical work, the NOOR Film Archive for documentary films, the NOOR Authors portfolio directory, and the NOOR Foundation educational programmes including workshops and masterclasses on visual storytelling. The organization operates primarily as a content and educational platform rather than a technology product, with no modular platform architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NOOR Foundation: NOOR's educational and foundation arm supporting documentary photography
- NOOR Documentary Foundation USA
- Nikon-NOOR Academy
- NOOR Foundation
Products and services
- NOOR Foundation Educational Programmes (Nikon-NOOR Academy) Visual storytelling masterclasses and workshops delivered in partnership with Nikon Europe and other regional partners, including topics such as regenerative agriculture, climate crisis, and advanced visual storytelling. Programs are delivered in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East for emerging and early-career documentary photographers.
- Photography Commissions and Assignments
- Exhibition Licensing Licensing of NOOR's documentary photography for exhibitions at galleries and museums worldwide, including venues such as the Maritime Museum Amsterdam and Museum Hilversum.
- Land of Ibeji Book A collaborative photography book by Bénédicte Kurzen and Sanne De Wilde documenting twin mythology in Nigeria. Available as a signed book and a limited edition with a signed Fine Art Baryta print.
- Hellbangers Book A photography book by Pep Bonet documenting Botswana's underground heavy metal culture. Available as a signed book with an original numbered, signed, and stamped photograph.
- Motörhead: RÖadkill Book A photography book by Pep Bonet documenting the rock band Motörhead over a decade.
- One Goal Book A photography book by Pep Bonet documenting Sierra Leone's amputee football team.
- Where Will We Go Book A zine by Kadir van Lohuizen examining the human consequences of rising sea levels and climate displacement.
- Via PanAm Book A book by Kadir van Lohuizen documenting migration across the Americas along the Pan-American Highway.
- Rising Sea Levels Print Photography print by Kadir van Lohuizen from the Rising Sea Levels series documenting Bangladesh.
- Social Justice Fundraiser Prints Open editioned, unsigned inkjet prints (10x8 inch / 25 x 20 cm) sold at $225 each as part of NOOR's social justice fundraising initiatives.
- NOOR Photo Archive Access Searchable digital archive of documentary photography work by NOOR photographers covering global social, political, and environmental issues, available for editorial licensing and reference at archive.noorimages.com.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple World Press Photo awards across portfolio
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NOOR
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
NOOR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
NOOR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.
- El ObservatoriominorHosted a talk featuring NOOR photographers Tanya Habjouqa, Sebastian Liste, and Jon Lowenstein as part of the Nikon-NOOR Academy in Barcelona.
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in TanzaniaminorPartnered with NOOR to organize a free 2-day photography workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, taught by Kadir van Lohuizen.
- Doha Film InstituteminorConducted inaugural Youth Photography Workshop in Doha, taught by Tanya Habjouqa, focusing on narrative storytelling about personal lives and communities.
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in FranceminorSupported portfolio reviews at ImageSingulières exhibition, providing opportunities for emerging photographers.
- World CrunchmajorPartner in Pix.T blockchain marketplace development project along with Internazionale and NOOR.
- InternazionalemajorPartner in Pix.T blockchain marketplace development project along with World Crunch and NOOR.
- Nikon EuropecoreNikon Europe is a long-term strategic partner sponsoring the Nikon-NOOR Academy masterclasses and educational programs. The partnership provides free masterclasses for emerging photographers in various European locations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NOOR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Getty Images: The largest commercial stock and editorial photo agency globally. While Getty operates at a much larger scale and broader scope, it competes with NOOR for editorial commissions and licensing revenue from media and corporate clients.
- National Geographic Image Collection: The licensing arm of National Geographic. It is both a customer of NOOR (publishing its photographers' work) and a broader incumbent that competes for documentary editorial commissions across the same media landscape.
- Kontributor (formerly Reportage by Getty Images): A documentary photography platform that aggregates editorial photographers for licensing and assignment work. It directly competes with NOOR in serving media organizations needing high-quality documentary imagery.
- World Press Photo Foundation: The global organization running the most prestigious photojournalism competition and educational programs. While not a competing agency, World Press Photo operates in adjacent territory (photojournalism awards, education, exhibitions) and is closely linked to NOOR's roster and awards footprint.
Direct peers
- VII Photo: A documentary photography agency founded in 2001 representing photojournalists covering conflict, social issues, and environmental stories. VII directly competes with NOOR for the same pool of high-end editorial documentary talent and media clients.
- Aurora Photos: An editorial and commercial photography agency representing photographers focused on documentary, environmental, and adventure stories. Aurora mirrors NOOR's commissioning, licensing, and stock model in the editorial photography market.
- Magnum Photos: The preeminent global documentary photography agency, founded in 1947 and co-owned by its photographers. Magnum is the most direct analog to NOOR in terms of model (photographer-owned agency representing elite documentary talent), product (editorial and exhibition licensing), and customer base (major media organizations and cultural institutions).
- Redux Pictures: A New York-based photo agency representing editorial and documentary photographers for assignment, licensing, and stock sales. Redux shares NOOR's commissioning and licensing model and serves overlapping media and corporate clients.
- Panos Pictures: A London-based documentary photography agency representing photographers covering global social, environmental, and development stories. Panos overlaps directly with NOOR's editorial and NGO client base and thematic focus.
Others
- Fondation Carmignac: A foundation that funds photojournalism through its annual Prix Carmignac award. While not a commercial peer, it is both a partner (NOOR photographers Kadir van Lohuizen and Yuri Kozyrev won the 9th Prix Carmignac) and a comparable operating model in the documentary photo ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NOOR social profiles
Digital presenceNOOR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NOOR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NOOR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NOOR 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 NOOR
What does NOOR do?
NOOR is a documentary photography agency and foundation that represents a roster of 17 acclaimed photojournalists producing visual storytelling on social, environmental, and geopolitical issues. It provides commissioned photography assignments and image licensing to media organizations, museums, galleries, and corporate clients, and sells photography prints and books through its online shop. The NOOR Foundation runs educational programs including the Nikon-NOOR Academy masterclasses and supports emerging documentary photographers.
Is NOOR a public or private company?
NOOR is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was NOOR founded?
NOOR was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NOOR based?
NOOR is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does NOOR make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print and Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are educational Programs, commissions and Assignments, donations and exhibition Licensing.
Who are NOOR's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Getty Images, National Geographic Image Collection, Kontributor (formerly Reportage by Getty Images) and World Press Photo Foundation. Direct peers are VII Photo, Aurora Photos, Magnum Photos, Redux Pictures and Panos Pictures. Fondation Carmignac is listed as an others.
Does NOOR have an API?
No public API is recorded for NOOR.
What industry is NOOR in?
NOOR's product category is Documentary Photography Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAC, Short-Form Documentaries. Its NAICS code is 711510 and its SIC code is 7812.