Les Others

What Les Others does

Les Others is a Paris-based media platform and creative agency founded in 2012 by Thomas Firh, focused on outdoor adventure, nature travel, and photography content for French-speaking enthusiasts. The company's product portfolio spans four formats: a WordPress-based digital publication with 429+ articles (242 Aventures, 41 Guides, 146 Inspiration), a semi-annual 304-page print magazine, the Les Baladeurs podcast (100+ episodes on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube), and the Recto Verso boxed map-method product (priced 40€-80€) for planning outdoor adventures in France. In 2017, the company extended into B2B services through Les Others Studio, a creative content agency serving brands seeking nature-aligned communications.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Shopify-powered online store), physical retail distribution across 50+ points of sale in France and seven European countries (Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Spain, Italy, UK, Portugal), and agency services. Audience assets include 60,000+ newsletter subscribers on the biweekly Boussole newsletter and a 100,000+ member Recto Verso community. The company is privately held as SAS LES OTHERS, founder-operated with 1-10 employees, and has not disclosed any external funding, M&A activity, or institutional investor involvement.

The technology stack is intentionally lightweight — WordPress CMS, Shopify commerce, and Mailchimp email — with no proprietary platform, public API, or AI/ML capabilities referenced. Strategic value lies in editorial brand equity, multi-format content library, and cross-product community engagement rather than technical defensibility.

Name

Les Others

Legal name

SAS LES OTHERS

Website

https://lesothers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Les Others is a Paris-based creative media platform and agency founded in 2012 for outdoor enthusiasts, operating a digital publication, semi-annual print magazine, podcast, and adventure planning products serving French-speaking adventure travelers and nature-focused brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Adventure Media

NAICS

All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

Keywords

• Outdoor adventure media
• Adventure print magazine
• Hiking planning maps
• Outdoor podcast production
• Creative content agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Paper Magazine Sales: Semiannual paper magazine publication (304 pages) featuring travel stories, interviews, and photo series. Sold through online store and physical retail network.
2. Recto Verso Products: Sale of Recto Verso map-method card products (coffrets) for outdoor adventure planning in France and Europe. Products include Recto Verso Rando France (40€), packs, and accessories.
3. Les Others Studio Services: Creative content production services for brands wanting to place nature/nature love at the center of attention. Agency services including communication, content creation, and marketing for partners.
4. Digital Content and Newsletter: Free digital content (articles, podcast episodes) driving engagement. Newsletter 'Boussole' sent every two weeks to subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Les Others is a French outdoor adventure media brand that publishes a semi-annual 304-page print magazine, produces the Les Baladeurs podcast, distributes online editorial content, and sells the Recto Verso boxed map/adventure-planning product line (priced €40-€80) through its own Shopify store and a network of physical retailers across France and Europe. It also operates Les Others Studio, a creative agency producing content for outdoor and lifestyle brands such as Columbia Sportswear and OpenRunner.

Product overview

Les Others is a media platform consisting of three core offerings: the Les Others website (digital content platform with 429 articles about outdoor adventures), the Les Others Magazine (semi-annual 304-page print publication), and the Les Baladeurs podcast (nature adventure stories). The company also operates Recto Verso, a boxed set product for planning outdoor adventures in France containing maps, itineraries, and practical guides. The platform was launched digitally in 2012, added print magazine in 2015, and has since expanded to a podcast series and branded adventure planning products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les Others Studio: A content creation agency serving brands that wish to place nature at the center of their communication, launched in 2017.
• Les Baladeurs
• Recto Verso

Products and services

• Les Others Magazine

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• OpenRunnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOpenRunner is mentioned as a supporter for the 'Burden of Dreams' video series, part of the 'Obsession' video collection exploring the history of a 4-meter rock that changed climbing history.
• Columbia SportswearminorGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbia is mentioned as a partner supporting the podcast 'Les Baladeurs'. The partnership supports the adventure storytelling content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Huck Magazine: Independent bimonthly print and digital publication covering adventure, culture, and outdoor subcultures. Comparable format and audience overlap with Les Others Magazine as a curated storytelling-led adventure-culture title.
• Wanderlust Magazine: UK-based adventure travel print magazine with deep travel-planning content and digital channels. Mirrors Les Others' blend of inspirational storytelling and practical adventure planning for an outdoor-travel audience.
• Sidetracked Magazine: An independent print and online adventure travel journal publishing long-form stories, photo essays, and audio. Closely comparable to Les Others in combining editorial storytelling with adventure-planning utility and a similar premium positioning.

Others

• Fjällräven: Swedish outdoor brand with a strong editorial, content, and events-driven brand identity (e.g., Fjällräven Classic). Analogous to Les Others as an outdoor brand that uses storytelling and community to commercialize a broader lifestyle proposition.
• Ulysse (Le Petit Futé / Ulysse Publishing): French-language publisher of travel guides, outdoor adventure guides, and destination content. Operates in the same French adventure-content market as Les Others with a complementary guidebook focus.
• The Cleanest Line (Patagonia): Patagonia's in-house editorial platform publishing nature, adventure, and activism storytelling. Comparable to Les Others in that a heritage outdoor brand uses media/publishing to deepen consumer connection rather than mass advertising.

Emerging players

• Snow Surf Magazine: Independent French magazine focused on freeride, mountaineering, and outdoor adventure sports. Comparable French-language outdoor print magazine focused on action sports culture, overlapping with Les Others' adventure audience.

Broad incumbents

• Outside Magazine: Large US-based active-lifestyle media brand operating print, digital, podcast, and membership. Sits in the same outdoor storytelling category as Les Others but at significantly larger scale and portfolio breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lesothers
• Facebookfacebook.com/LesOthers
• Instagraminstagram.com/lesothers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-others

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Others