IMASENS

What IMASENS does

IMASENS is a France-based marketing and sensory research institute operating as a brand under Institut du Goût du Périgord. Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Périgueux with additional offices in Paris, Bordeaux, and Lyon, the firm delivers B2B consumer and sensory research for clients across nine verticals — cosmetics and perfume, food and agribusiness, household products, health, pets, sports, toys and stationery, transport and virtual reality, and fashion and accessories. Its primary commercial focus is cosmetics and fragrance testing, supported by purpose-built facilities including a 35-box sensory analysis laboratory, a hairdressing salon, beauty rooms, bathroom facilities, and a perfume testing room.

The firm's core technology combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies with proprietary sensory frameworks such as Time Intensity, Temporal Dominance of Sensations, a hybrid sensory-emotional methodology, and the Optimix 360° range diagnostic tool. It also leverages online sensory panels, image analysis for cosmetic performance claims, and ethnographic immersion studies. An international partner network spanning China (with access to a 1,500,000+ volunteer panel), Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Japan, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa enables locally compliant testing in multiple regulatory regimes. The firm employs a multidisciplinary team of sociologists, statisticians, sensory analysts, and qualitative/quantitative researchers, and operates as a sales-led, project-based professional services firm quoting per engagement. Clients include Royal Canin and CEVA (Ceva Santé Animale), among more than 100 named accounts.

IMASENS' business model is project-based B2B professional services with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is generated from sensory evaluation studies, consumer testing services, marketing research studies, and international testing services across its office network and partner channels. Marketing and customer acquisition are driven by direct sales, participation in industry events (Cosmetic 360, Printemps des Etudes, In-Cosmetics Global), and digital presence via website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X. The firm holds Crédit Impôt Recherche (CIR) R&D accreditation through 2029, achieved a CyberVadis cybersecurity score of 874/1000, and conducts approximately 400 studies annually for its 100+ clients.

Name

IMASENS

Legal name

Institut du Goût du Périgord

Website

https://imasens.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IMASENS is a France-based sensory and consumer research institute, founded in 2006, providing qualitative and quantitative product testing for cosmetics, food, household, health, pets, and other consumer goods sectors, serving 100+ clients via four French offices and an international partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sensory Evaluation Studies: Expert sensory panels perform static sensory profiles on cosmetic products (lipsticks, mascaras, foundations, powders, eyeshadows), face and body care products, hair products, and olfactory kinetics for perfumes and scented products. Includes dedicated facilities with 35 individual testing boxes.
2. Consumer Testing Services: Consumer efficacy tests, home use tests, in-lab tests, and multicentric tests in France and abroad. Includes self-assessment tests, resistance tests, effectiveness and tolerance assessments for cosmetics and other sectors.
3. Marketing Research Studies: Quantitative and qualitative marketing studies across multiple sectors including cosmetics, food, household, health, sports, fashion, and pets. Includes focus groups, online communities, interviews, and range/mix analysis.
4. International Testing Services: Claims and efficacy tests conducted through international partner networks in Asia (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Japan) and Africa.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

IMASENS is a marketing and sensory research institute that delivers qualitative and quantitative consumer and sensory studies across the full product development lifecycle—inspiration, creation, validation, and communication. The firm serves cosmetics, food, household, pets, health, sport, transport/VR, toys and fashion clients through expert sensory panels, consumer testing, ethnography, online panels, and proprietary diagnostic tools, with a particular specialization in cosmetic and fragrance claims testing under international regulations.

Product overview

IMASENS is a Marketing and Sensory Research Institute founded in 2006, specializing in consumer testing and sensory evaluation services. The company operates from multiple sites in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Lyon, Périgueux) and serves clients across diverse sectors including food, cosmetics & perfume, household products, pets, health, toys, transport & virtual reality, sports, and fashion. The core offering centers on four expertise areas: Inspiration (consumer insights and ethnographic research), Creation (concept development and sensory profiling), Validation (product and claims testing), and Communication (market positioning and range optimization). IMASENS provides specialized evaluation spaces including a hair-care innovation area with professional hairdressing facilities, a make-up evaluation space with esthetician services, and a 35-box cosmetic sensory laboratory. Key analytical tools include OPTIMIX 360° for comprehensive range diagnosis, online sensory panels for remote evaluation, and extensive international testing networks spanning China with access to over 1.5 million volunteers. The institute combines explicit and implicit measurement methodologies to explore consumer emotions and product sensoriality, offering both in-person and remote testing capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sensory Evaluation Services Expert sensory panels perform static and dynamic sensory profiles on cosmetic products (lipsticks, mascaras, foundations, powders, eyeshadows), face/body care, hair care, and olfactory kinetics for perfumes and scented products, using dedicated testing facilities with 35 individual testing boxes.
• Consumer Testing Services Consumer efficacy tests, home use tests, in-lab tests, and multicentric tests including self-assessment, resistance tests, and effectiveness/tolerance ratios for cosmetics and other consumer goods sectors.
• Marketing Research Studies Quantitative and qualitative marketing studies including focus groups, online communities, interviews, and range/marketing mix analysis across cosmetics, food, household, health, sports, fashion, and pet sectors.
• Claims & Efficacy Testing Consumer efficacy tests including self-assessment tests at controlled times, resistance tests, multicentric tests in France and abroad, and effectiveness/tolerance ratios, leveraging access to large consumer panels for targeted profile recruitment.
• China Testing Network International testing capabilities delivered through partner networks across mainland China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou) providing access to over 1,500,000 volunteers for home use, efficacy, and safety tests covering hair care, skin care, make-up, sun care, and body care products compliant with CSAR regulations.
• Ethnographic Studies Service Qualitative immersion studies conducted in consumer homes to observe and analyze hygiene and care practices, delivered in North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa with approximately 20 consumers per market.
• Online Sensory Panels Remote sensory evaluation enabling product characterization at expert homes via online generation sessions and training, combined with home product tests and online qualitative/quantitative data collection.
• OPTIMIX 360° Proprietary diagnostic tool for complete range or marketing mix assessment, conducted in three steps: packaging evaluation, hedonic/descriptive product evaluation, and cross-referencing of pack and product data for congruence analysis, including shelf testing, image mapping, hot spot analysis, TURF analysis, and hedonic testing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ studies conducted annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core, minor and secondary.

• CEVA (Ceva Santé Animale)notableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on a scientific study published in the international journal Animals, developing the Cat Behaviour Issues Assessment Scale (CABIAS) for evaluating and monitoring behavioral problems in cats. The study was reviewed and approved by CEVA's Ethics Committee and by the Veterinary Ethics Committee of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh.
• China Panel Network (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Strong local network of partners across mainland China (Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou) with access to a panel of 1,500,000+ volunteers enabling home use tests, efficacy tests, and safety tests compliant with CSAR regulations. The partnership adapts to cultural differences, sanitary constraints, and evolving Chinese regulations.
• FODALI (Fédérations des Organisations de la Distribution Alimentaire)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner of FODALI; IMASENS participated in the final jury of the FODALI 2017 national call for B2C innovation projects, held at the Agriculture Show in Paris, and awarded a Special Consumer Prize based on online survey results from its national consumer panel.
• Cosmetic ValleynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the International Congress 'Lipides et Cosmétique' (January 2018, Bordeaux). IMASENS served on the Scientific Committee alongside academic and industry representatives to help shape the congress program covering skin physiology, oleo-chemical processes, extraction techniques, and new formulation technologies.
• ADI Nouvelle-AquitainenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer with Cosmetic Valley of the International Congress 'Lipides et Cosmétique' (January 2018, Bordeaux) focused on lipids for cosmetics.
• Asia Pacific Partners (Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Japan)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationExpanding network of partnerships across Asia beyond China, including Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Japan, enabling regional coverage for cosmetic claims and efficacy testing.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toluna: Global consumer insights and market research platform combining panels, surveys, and qualitative tools. Comparable to IMASENS for consumer research services and access to large panels, though more digitally and panel-centric in delivery.
• Biofortis (Mérieux NutriSciences): Sensory and consumer research division of Mérieux NutriSciences with food, health, and personal care expertise. Comparable to IMASENS for sensory evaluation methodology and consumer testing services across similar verticals.
• Eurofins Sensory & Consumer Research: Global testing group offering sensory evaluation, consumer studies, and claims substantiation across CPG. Comparable to IMASENS for sensory panel testing and international claims work, though with a much larger corporate parent.
• Elma Research: France-based consumer research firm specialized in cosmetics, personal care, and beauty products. Highly comparable to IMASENS given the shared French base and cosmetics sensory/consumer testing focus, often competing for the same brand-side RFPs.
• MMR Research Worldwide: Independent sensory and consumer research agency serving FMCG and beauty clients globally. Directly comparable to IMASENS for sensory profiling, claims testing, and product development research with a similar boutique specialist model.
• Harris Interactive: French market research firm delivering consumer and brand studies across multiple sectors. Comparable to IMASENS in geography, mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology, and broad CPG client base.
• BVA Group: French-founded market research firm offering quantitative and qualitative consumer studies across categories. Comparable to IMASENS in home market, geography, and mixed-methodology consumer research positioning, though broader in sector coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Circana (formerly IRI/NielsenIQ): Global consumer and retail measurement company providing insights for CPG and beauty. Comparable as an alternative research and insights partner for IMASENS' brand-side clients, though primarily data and panel-driven rather than sensory-led.
• Ipsos: Global market research leader with deep CPG, beauty, and healthcare coverage. Overlaps with IMASENS across sensory, consumer, and claims research, but operates at far greater scale with a much broader portfolio.
• Kantar: Global consumer insights and analytics group with extensive CPG and beauty research. Comparable as a competing provider of consumer and brand research for IMASENS' clients, though with a much wider service offering.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Imasens
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW5I_UawNDX3fmsNLvEWquQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/IMASENS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imasens/?originalSubdomain=fr
• Instagraminstagram.com/imasens_marketing

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 IMASENS