Les Frenchies

What Les Frenchies does

Les Frenchies is a French manufacturer of tiny houses on trailers, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Vendargues near Montpellier. The company operates two complementary sub-brands — the premium Chic House range (whitewashed solid spruce interior, models OPALE, AVENTURINE, JADE, AGATE, plus AMBRE configurable shell) and the entry-level eco-designed SmarT'iny range (raw OSB interior, SmarT'fix self-configuration system). All units are built in wood-frame construction using biosourced insulation (recycled cotton fibre from Le Relais/Emmaüs France and Métisse) and local certified timber from the Cévennes, with production fully outsourced to manufacturing partner SELVEA, which operates a 3,600 m² facility and 35 employees.

The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer via lesfrenchies.fr and an interactive online 3D configurator offering millions of combinations with instant pricing, supplemented by showroom visits by appointment and an e-commerce boutique of 141 components and accessories. It also serves B2B institutional clients — CROUS de Bordeaux, Conseil Départemental de la Gironde, and Métropole du Grand Lyon (24-unit SmarT'iny village, ~€780K total) — for social, emergency, and student housing projects. A strategic co-branded partnership with IKEA Montpellier (Odysséum) extends distribution into retail channels.

The business model is unit sales (€19,486 TTC to €45,856 TTC depending on model and finish) plus recurring-ish component/accessory revenue. The company claims the largest tiny house production capacity in France at 30+ units delivered per year and reports a claimed gross rental yield of 10–15% for private investor clients. Ownership is founder-led (Sylvain Fourel), privately held as a SAS with €10,000 share capital, with no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Les Frenchies

Legal name

Les Frenchies SAS

Website

https://lesfrenchies.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Frenchies is a French manufacturer (founded 2018, Vendargues near Montpellier) of customizable tiny houses on trailers, offering two product ranges (Chic House premium and SmarT'iny eco-budget) sold direct-to-consumer via an online configurator and to government/institutional clients for social, student, and emergency housing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vendargues

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tiny House product sales: One-time sale of custom-built tiny houses, delivered fully equipped and ready to live in. Revenue from base unit prices plus optional add-ons (kitchen, bathroom, solar kits, heating, etc.).
2. Components and accessories: Sale of individual components and accessories for tiny houses (kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows, solar kits, heating, mattresses, awnings, etc.) through the online shop.
3. Custom design services: Custom architectural design services and bespoke configuration through the online configurator, generating additional revenue for personalized projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Les Frenchies designs, manufactures, and sells wood-frame tiny houses mounted on trailers. The company operates two sub-brands (Chic House and SmarT'iny), offers an online configurator for custom orders, and runs a small e-commerce boutique selling individual components and accessories for tiny-house builders. Manufacturing is carried out in partnership with SELVEA.

Product overview

Les Frenchies is a French manufacturer of tiny houses on trailers, operating as a platform of two complementary sub-brands built on a shared manufacturing infrastructure (SELVEA workshop near Montpellier). The Chic House sub-brand offers a premium, French-chic design with whitewashed spruce interior paneling, available in two models (OPALE for 2 people, AVENTURINE for 4 people) plus JADE and AGATE to furnish, with four sizes from 6m70 to 7m27 and prices from €29,622 to €38,213 HT. The SmarT'iny sub-brand provides a more economical eco-designed option with raw OSB interior paneling and the SmarT'fix self-configuration system, in three sizes from 6m00 to 7m20 with prices from €16,239 HT (bare shell) to €27,528 TTC (fully equipped). Both ranges share the same online Configurateur tool, the same component boutique catalog (141+ options), and the same manufacturing partner (SELVEA). A third offering, AMBRE, serves as a fully configurable shell model bridging the two ranges. All tiny houses are built in wood-frame construction, insulated with biosourced materials (cotton fiber from recycled sources), and can be equipped with optional solar autonomy kits, dry toilets, and reversible air conditioning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chic House: Premium tiny house range with spruce interior cladding and French chic-inspired design, available in multiple lengths with or without mezzanine.
• SmarT'iny
• AMBRE

Products and services

• Chic House tiny houses Wood-frame tiny houses built on trailers, marketed as a sub-brand line of Les Frenchies for individual and institutional buyers seeking mobile, turnkey housing units.
• SmarT'iny tiny houses A second Les Frenchies sub-brand line of wood-frame tiny houses on trailers, positioned as a smart/compact housing alternative for individual buyers and institutional projects.
• Online tiny house configurator Online configuration tool that lets prospective buyers select options and customize a Les Frenchies wood-frame tiny house on trailer before purchase.
• E-commerce components boutique Online boutique selling individual components, parts, and accessories for tiny-house owners and self-builders.
• Custom tiny house design service Bespoke design and engineering service for clients who want a tailored wood-frame tiny house on a trailer, distinct from the catalog Chic House and SmarT'iny ranges.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-15% gross rental yield for private tiny house investors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IKEA Montpellier (Odysséum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2022Les Frenchies and IKEA Montpellier partnered to create the 'tiny house ACCESSIBLE.' Les Frenchies manufactures the bare shell structure in France, which is then fitted out with IKEA's eco-product range for small spaces. The collaboration was displayed at IKEA Odysséum Montpellier parvis through March 2022. Customers can personalize their project using Les Frenchies' online configurator. IKEA provides commercial and design expertise; Les Frenchies provides manufacturing.
• SELVEAcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSELVEA is Les Frenchies' manufacturing partner, specializing in wood-frame construction with biosourced materials since 2006. With 35 employees and 3,600 m² of production facilities near Montpellier, SELVEA handles all manufacturing of Les Frenchies tiny houses, giving the company the highest production capacity in France for tiny houses.
• Scierie UFV / Sud BoiscoreTechnology or IntegrationLocal wood supplier from the Cévennes region, providing certified structural timber for Les Frenchies' tiny house frames. Located less than 70 km from the manufacturing facility, supporting the 'Made in France' and low carbon footprint positioning.
• Céline GALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect specialized in ecological housing and micro-architecture. Co-designer of Les Frenchies' Chic House range, contributing to the premium design and aesthetic quality that differentiates the product.
• Rénata AvianicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect specialized in ecological housing and micro-architecture. Co-designer of Les Frenchies' Chic House range alongside Céline GAL, developing the design language and interior layouts.
• Loïc Loisel (architect)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect who specifically designed the tiny houses for the CROUS de Bordeaux project at Pau university. Custom designs tailored for student accommodation needs.
• Notre-Dame des sans-abrisminorOthersAssociation managing the Grand Lyon village of 24 tiny houses. Operates the temporary housing site for children under 3 with their mothers, providing social support services alongside the housing infrastructure provided by Les Frenchies.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• GreenPod Solutions: Emerging French player in eco-designed modular and tiny housing, with overlapping interest in biosourced materials and low-energy design. Smaller and earlier-stage than Les Frenchies but operating in the same sustainability-led niche of the French housing market.
• WeHouz: French modular and tiny housing startup targeting alternative and minimalist living. Overlaps with Les Frenchies on product concept and sustainability positioning, though at an earlier stage and with different go-to-market focus.

Direct peers

• Baluchon: French tiny house manufacturer producing wood-frame mobile tiny houses on trailers, directly competing with Les Frenchies in the French B2C and institutional segments. Operates a similar custom-build model with comparable pricing and product ranges.
• Optinid: French tiny house manufacturer offering wood-frame tiny houses on trailers with configurable models, comparable in construction technique, price band (€20K–€60K), and target audience to Les Frenchies' Chic House and SmarT'iny ranges.
• La Tiny House: French manufacturer of tiny houses on trailers based in southwestern France, offering custom wood-construction tiny homes for private and tourism use. Closely comparable product offering and target customer segments to Les Frenchies.
• Ikocab: French maker of mobile wooden micro-homes/tiny houses on trailers with a focus on turnkey, fully equipped units. Directly competes with Les Frenchies on product format, French market focus, and B2C distribution model.

Others

• Better Shelter: Swedish social enterprise producing flat-pack, modular emergency shelters for humanitarian and government use. Comparable to Les Frenchies' SmarT'iny line in target use case (emergency/transitional housing) and material philosophy, though distributed globally rather than in France specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Trigano (Rapidhome / O'Hara / Loisirs): France's largest mobile home and leisure-housing manufacturer (parent of O'Hara, IRM, Rapidhome). While focused on traditional mobile homes rather than tiny houses on trailers, Trigano's scale, dealer network, and adjacent product categories make it a relevant incumbent threat as the tiny house market professionalizes.
• Bouygues Construction (Modular / Wood): Major French construction group with growing interest in modular wood-frame construction and affordable housing programs. While not focused on tiny houses specifically, its scale and government relationships position it as a potential institutional competitor or partner for large social-housing deployments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lesfrenchies.chichouses
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-frenchies-chic-houses

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 Les Frenchies