Les Apprentis

What Les Apprentis does

Les Apprentis is a French private limited company (SARL Les Apprentis®) founded on September 1, 2007 by Jamy Gourmaud — the long-running presenter of the iconic French science show "C'est pas sorcier" — together with communication-agency principal David Hairion, artist Manuela Gourmaud, and operational director Karine Iacovella. Headquartered in Maussane-les-Alpilles (Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône), the company positions itself at the intersection of science, pedagogy, and communication, producing educational films, documentaries, and other communication tools (websites, objects, books) that translate complex industrial, scientific, and societal topics into accessible content for general audiences.

The company's core offering is custom pedagogical film production for enterprise clients across diverse verticals — including energy (EDF ENR on photovoltaics), home appliances (Thermor on water heaters and thermal comfort), optics (Mont-Royal/Essilor on lens technology), agriculture (Cidef on turkey nutrition, Collectif Nouveaux Champs on pesticide reduction, Huiles d'Olive du Midi de la France), construction materials (Armaturis on reinforced concrete), and sports (rugby DVD). Production relies on a combination of on-screen explanation by Jamy Gourmaud, 3D modeling of objects and concepts, and a documented craft approach that blends "simplicity, rigor, humor, technology, and creativity." Beyond commissioned films, the company produces and distributes consumer-facing content including the "Découvrez la Tribu Rugby" DVD (sold via French supermarkets and sports stores from 2007), the "Le Monde de Jamy" documentary series broadcast nationally on France 3 from May 2014, the #ChezJamy YouTube channel launched in April 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown, and Jamy's first book "Mon tour de France des curiosités naturelles et scientifiques" (Stock, March 2019).

Les Apprentis operates operationally as a small project-based content studio intertwined with the co-located communication agency made in mouse® (also based in Maussane-les-Alpilles and co-led by two of the same founders). Revenue is generated through professional-services contracts for bespoke pedagogical films, supplemented by one-time license revenue from physical and broadcast products, with no disclosed pricing or recurring-revenue model. Its competitive position rests principally on the personal brand and media recognition of its co-founder Jamy Gourmaud rather than on technology, scale, or data assets, and there is no evidence of external funding, headcount expansion, or geographic expansion beyond France.

Name

Les Apprentis

Legal name

SARL Les Apprentis®

Website

https://lesapprentis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Les Apprentis is a French SARL founded in 2007 that produces custom pedagogical films and educational content for enterprise clients across diverse industries, leveraging co-founder Jamy Gourmaud's celebrity and expertise to explain complex topics accessibly.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Video Production

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Educational & Instructional Nonfiction (MPADADAL)

Keywords

• Educational video production
• Pedagogical content creation
• Corporate documentary films
• Explainer video services
• Science communication films

Headquarters

HQ city

Maussane

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B Pedagogical Content Production: Les Apprentis creates custom pedagogical films, documentaries, and educational content for corporate clients. The company develops films for various industries including energy (EDF ENR photovoltaic), home appliances (Thermor), agriculture (Cidef, Collectif Nouveaux Champs), and industrial sectors. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with enterprises.
2. DVD/Physical Product Sales: Les Apprentis produces and sells physical products such as DVDs. Their first production 'Découvrez la Tribu Rugby' was released nationally and sold in supermarkets and general sports stores. This represents a one-time product sale revenue stream.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Les Apprentis designs and produces custom pedagogical films and educational content for enterprises, helping corporate clients explain complex realities to general audiences by combining simplicity, rigor, humor, technology, and creativity. The company also produces consumer-facing educational content including TV documentaries broadcast on France 3, a YouTube channel ('#ChezJamy'), and published books.

Product overview

Les Apprentis is a pedagogical communication company that produces educational content primarily in video/film format. The company creates films, TV documentaries, YouTube content, books, and other communication tools for businesses. Their portfolio includes: the core pedagogical film production service for enterprise clients (covering topics like photovoltaics, water heaters, optical lenses, agriculture), the 'Découvrez la Tribu Rugby' educational DVD (their first product from 2007), the 'Le Monde de Jamy' TV documentary series on France 3 (2014), the '#ChezJamy' YouTube channel (2020), and Jamy's book published in 2019. All offerings center on educational content that explains complex topics simply through the lens of science, pedagogy, and creative storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Pedagogical Film Production Service End-to-end production of custom educational films and communication tools (films, advertisements, websites, objects, books) for enterprise clients who need to explain complex industry topics (energy, optics, agriculture, heating, construction, food) to general audiences. Delivered in multi-format for cinema, television, internet, and mobile platforms.
• Découvrez la Tribu Rugby DVD Educational DVD (~20 minutes) explaining the rules and universe of rugby in a simple, pedagogical format with Jamy Gourmaud in roles of professor, player and spectator; targeted at general audiences and distributed via retail (supermarkets and sports stores).
• Le Monde de Jamy Documentary Series Collection of documentary films featuring Jamy Gourmaud exploring knowledge and discovery themes, broadcast on France 3 including the prime-time series and 'Des Volcans et des Hommes' filmed in spectacular settings worldwide.
• #ChezJamy YouTube Channel Jamy Gourmaud's YouTube channel offering daily one-minute educational video capsules ('#ChezJamy') providing knowledge to viewers; content published on YouTube and relayed across social networks.
• Jamy Gourmaud's Book 'Mon tour de France des curiosités naturelles et scientifiques'

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully created content for major French companies including EDF ENR, Essilor, Thermor, and various agricultural organizations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• France 3coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 7 May 2014France 3 broadcasts Les Apprentis productions including 'Le Monde de Jamy' prime-time documentary series and 'Des Volcans et des Hommes'. The television partnership enables wide distribution of pedagogical content to national audiences.
• made in mouse®coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLes Apprentis operates in collaboration with the communication agency made in mouse®, based in Maussane-les-Alpilles. Two founders (David Hairion and Karine Iacovella) lead both companies, providing communication expertise and operational infrastructure.
• Alain Tingaud InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the 'Découvrez la Tribu Rugby' DVD along with Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-Garonne.
• Sporting Union Agen Lot-et-GaronneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of the 'Découvrez la Tribu Rugby' DVD, partnering with Les Apprentis to create educational rugby content.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BBC Studios: Major international content producer and broadcaster with extensive factual and educational programming, comparable as a much larger broad incumbent in the same documentary/educational content category.
• ITV Studios: Global content production and distribution group with substantial factual and educational programming, comparable as a broad incumbent operating in the same content category at significantly greater scale.
• Endemol Shine Group: Large international production group producing scripted, unscripted, and factual content globally, including educational formats; serves as a broad incumbent peer in the production industry adjacent to Les Apprentis.
• Freemantle: Global content production company with French operations producing entertainment, factual, and educational programming at much larger scale, representing the kind of broad incumbent that competes for B2B and broadcast commissions.

Direct peers

• ZED (Zed Productions): French documentary production company producing high-end factual and educational documentaries for French and international broadcasters, comparable in scale, geography, and production model to Les Apprentis.
• Elephant Doc: French independent documentary and factual production company creating content for television broadcasters, operating in the same Parisian/French factual production ecosystem as Les Apprentis.
• C'est pas sorcier: The flagship French educational science show that Les Apprentis co-founder Jamy Gourmaud hosted for nearly 20 years; relaunched in 2023 on France.tv with new hosts, making it a direct pedagogical-content peer in the same French educational TV space.
• What's Up Films: French documentary and factual content producer for TV channels and streaming platforms, comparable to Les Apprentis as a small-to-mid French production house focused on knowledge and discovery content.
• Gedeon Programmes: French independent production company producing documentaries, factual programming, and educational content for French broadcasters, comparable in focus and B2B/broadcast model.
• Look at Sciences: French production company specializing in scientific and educational films for general audiences, with a similar B2B model of producing accessible science content for institutions, museums, and broadcasters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Apprentis