Pour La Science

What Pour La Science does

Pour La Science is a French-language science media publisher founded in 1977 and headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the diversified publishing conglomerate Groupe Albin Michel. Its core product is a monthly science magazine covering physics, mathematics, biology, astronomy, neuroscience, archaeology and technology, authored largely by practicing scientists and journalists. The portfolio also includes the quarterly Hors-série thematic special issues, the weekly 'À l'écoute de la science' podcast, the sister title Cerveau et Psycho, iOS and Android mobile apps, and a 30-year searchable digital archive dating to 1996.

The business model combines consumer subscriptions (tiered monthly/annual digital plans at roughly €3.30–€8.90/month, with discounts for students and teachers and bundled 'Intégrale' access), newsstand and kiosk single-copy sales of physical magazines, advertising on the website and in print, and e-commerce single-issue sales via the boutique.groupepourlascience.fr storefront. Distribution is multi-channel: physical retail across France, a self-serve website and mobile app for digital subscriptions, RSS and social channels (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters, and editorial partnerships with Scientific American (historical), Quanta Magazine and the Collège de France.

The customer base is largely B2C, segmented into general science-interested readers (primary), students and educators (subsidized), and science professionals/researchers. With 11–50 employees and no disclosed revenue, the company operates at the scale of a niche national consumer-media brand rather than a high-growth digital publisher, leveraging brand legacy, archive depth and institutional partnerships as its primary economic assets.

Name

Pour La Science

Legal name

Pour la Science

Website

https://pourlascience.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pour La Science is a French-language science magazine publisher, founded in 1977 and owned by Groupe Albin Michel, producing a monthly magazine, thematic Hors-série issues, a podcast and digital archives for science-interested general readers, students, educators and researchers in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Popular Science Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Science magazine publishing
• Popular science journalism
• Digital subscription content
• Thematic special issues
• Science podcast media

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulogne-billancourt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pour La Science publishes a monthly French-language popular-science magazine covering physics, biology, mathematics, astronomy, neuroscience, archaeology, and technology, written by practicing scientists. It supplements the flagship magazine with quarterly Hors-série thematic special issues, the 'À l'écoute de la science' podcast featuring researcher interviews, and a digital subscription service providing access to 30 years of archives via website and mobile application.

Product overview

Pour La Science is a French science magazine publishing company that operates as a platform publishing monthly magazines, special thematic issues, podcasts, and digital subscription services. The core product is the monthly Pour la Science magazine covering all scientific disciplines, supplemented by quarterly Hors-série special editions, the 'À l'écoute de la science' podcast featuring scientist interviews, and digital subscription tiers providing access to 30-year archives via website and mobile application. The company also offers themed collections and partners with Scientific American and Collège de France for content partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cerveau et Psycho: Magazine focused on brain and psychology sciences, sister publication under Scientific American partnership
• Hors-série Pour la Science

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scientific AmericancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership with Scientific American, the prominent American science magazine. This partnership provides content exchange, credibility enhancement, and access to translated content from one of the world's leading science publications.
• Quanta MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContent partnership with Quanta Magazine, featuring selected articles from the science publication covering mathematics, physics, and biology.
• Collège de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditorial partnership with the Collège de France, featuring researchers and content from France's premier research institution. Includes podcast episodes and featured articles.
• Groupe Albin MichelcoreOthersParent publishing group. Pour La Science is part of Groupe Albin Michel, which includes other publishers such as Belin Editeur, Gerip, Puf, and Que sais-je?.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Nature: World-leading scientific publisher; while its primary audience is researchers rather than lay readers, it represents adjacent competitive pressure in the science-media and subscription spaces.
• National Geographic: Globally iconic science-and-nature magazine; comparable in product format (print + digital subscriptions) and audience interest overlap, though it leans more toward nature and exploration than hard science.
• New Scientist: Internationally established weekly science magazine covering similar disciplines with a slightly more news-oriented stance; offers a useful comparator for digital subscription and international reach benchmarks.
• Le Monde: France's leading general news publication; a broader incumbent that competes for science-journalism readership and advertising in the French market, and represents a potential cross-media acquisition candidate.

Direct peers

• Cerveau et Psycho: Sister publication under the Pour La Science / Scientific American umbrella; competes in the psychology and neuroscience magazine niche and illustrates the brand extension playbook.
• Scientific American: Direct counterpart and long-standing content partner for Pour La Science; publishes the iconic US science magazine covering physics, biology, neuroscience, and technology with similar editorial ambition and audience.
• Sciences et Avenir: Another long-running French popular science magazine; competes head-to-head with Pour La Science for newsstand sales, subscribers, and advertising in the French mass-market science category.
• La Recherche: France's other major French-language science magazine; directly competes with Pour La Science for the same curious-layperson and science-professional audience in the French market.

Emerging players

• Quanta Magazine: Content partner of Pour La Science covering mathematics, physics, and biology; an emerging digitally native science publication whose free-to-access model contrasts with Pour La Science's subscription business.

Others

• Belin Éditeur: Sister publisher under Groupe Albin Michel (Pour La Science's parent); produces scientific and academic books and is a natural strategic partner for cross-promotion and book-magazine bundled offers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PourlaScience
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/PourlaScience
• Facebookfacebook.com/pourlasciencemag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pour-la-science
• Instagraminstagram.com/pourlascience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Pour La Science