Gecko

What Gecko does

Gecko is a French audio digitization and restoration firm founded in 2005 and headquartered in Montreuil. The company specializes in transferring legacy audio content—magnetic tapes, lacquer discs, DAT cassettes, open-reel, and other obsolete physical formats—into modern digital files, primarily serving cultural heritage institutions, public broadcasters, courts, and government archives. Notable clients include UNESCO, the International Court of Justice, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Louvre, Danish Radio, RTS, VRT, SONUMA, and VIAA.

Gecko's technical differentiation rests on privileged access to specialized equipment such as the Saphir optical sound system, a proprietary bit-perfect DAT transfer pipeline, and internally developed quality-control software. The firm operates as a project-based B2B services provider, executing large-scale batch digitization contracts (e.g., 40,000 DAT units for Danish Radio, 50,000 lacquer discs for RTS, 5,000 cassettes for the Louvre over four years) and is now layering in recurring service revenue through its magnetophone maintenance offering and the recently launched DAT Transfer solution. The firm is privately held, employs between 11 and 50 staff, and has demonstrated geographic reach across France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, and Lebanon, while participating in international industry bodies such as FIAT/IFTA and partnering with SIRDUKE.

Name

Gecko

Legal name

Audio Gecko

Website

https://audiogecko.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gecko is a French audio digitization and restoration firm founded in 2005, serving cultural heritage institutions, public broadcasters, courts, and government archives by transferring legacy magnetic tape and disc formats to digital using proprietary equipment and specialist expertise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreuil

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sound Digitization Services: Core service converting analog and digital audio formats to digital files. Handles any format and medium, working with 10 to 50,000+ supports at the same level of quality. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with institutions.
2. Sound Restoration: Restoring original acoustic properties of audio content and removing noise, clicks, and artifacts from aged or degraded media. Conforms sound to current listening standards.
3. Quality Control Labeling: Guaranteeing the quality of deliverables by ensuring digitization was performed correctly before media becomes unreadable. Uses proprietary software to detect problems standard solutions cannot identify.
4. Magnetophone Maintenance: Mechanical and electronic restoration of tape recorders to original working condition. Includes logistics for collection and return of equipment. Service launched in 2022.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gecko (Audio Gecko) is a French audio digitization and restoration company that converts sound content from any format or medium (lacquer discs, 78 rpm records, magnetic tapes, cassettes, DAT) into digital files. The company also restores degraded audio, performs quality control on deliverables, and provides mechanical/electronic maintenance services for professional tape recorders. Operations are delivered from a 500 m² facility in Montreuil, France, with 10 independent studios.

Product overview

Gecko (Audio Gecko) is a sound preservation and digitization company offering comprehensive heritage audio services. The company operates a single unified service offering built around four core services: Sound Digitization (converting analog and digital audio formats to digital files), Sound Restoration (repairing and enhancing degraded audio), Quality Control Labeling (internal software-driven quality assurance), and Maintenance (restoring and servicing professional tape recorders). The portfolio includes specialized sub-services such as the DAT Transfer Solution for bit-perfect digital audio tape conversion, Saphir Optical System for reading severely damaged lacquer discs without physical contact, and high-definition digitization of magnetic tape and 78 rpm direct-cut discs. Gecko has developed proprietary internal software for quality control, database management, and production workflows, all delivered from their 500m² facility with 10 independent studios and a dedicated maintenance workshop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sound Digitization (Numérisation sonore) Conversion of audio content from any format and recording medium (lacquer discs, acetate discs, magnetic tapes, cassettes, DAT) into digital files meeting client exploitation objectives. Applies high-level production standards using powerful and flexible internal tools. For cultural heritage institutions, broadcasters, courts, and government archives.
• Sound Restoration (Restauration sonore) Restoration of original acoustic properties of audio content, removing imperfections and defects caused by age and degradation of media, conforming sound to current listening standards. For institutions with degraded or damaged audio archives.
• Quality Control Labeling (Labellisation de contrôle qualité) Quality assurance of deliverables ensuring digitization work is correctly performed before media becomes unreadable. Uses internally developed software to detect problems that standardized solutions cannot identify. For archival clients requiring guaranteed deliverable quality.
• Magnetophone Maintenance Service Restoration of original mechanical and electronic state of aging professional tape recorders. Includes equipment evaluation, repairs, and logistics for collection and return. Facility covers Studer A80/A807/A810/A812/A816/A820 and Revox C270/C274/C278 models. Open to external audio professionals.
• DAT Transfer Solution Unique bit-perfect digital transfer system for DAT (Digital Audio Tape) collections that extracts audio and technical data with high accuracy, speed, and energy efficiency. For broadcasters and archives holding DAT collections.
• Saphir Optical System Digitization Contactless optical reading technology for fragile analog audio discs developed by INA (France). Uses light projection on groove flanks to extract audio from severely degraded lacquer discs that cannot be read by traditional methods. Three-phase process: scan, decoding, and reconstruction. For archives with severely damaged lacquer discs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Processed more than 20,000 cassettes per year capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Danish Radio (DR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2023Selected for preservation of 40,000 DAT audio recordings using Gecko's unique bit-perfect DAT transfer system.
• Radio LebanoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2023Partnership with INA for the 'Sauvegarde, numérisation et valorisation du patrimoine des médias Libanais' project. Gecko provided training, maintenance, and digitization support, completing approximately 80% of Radio Lebanon's collections.
• SONUMAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 May 2022Awarded contract to digitize 17,000 faces of direct-cut acetate discs from 11,000 discs recorded between 1934 and 1959. Project spans multiple years.
• INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisuel)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Collaboration on SIRDUKE project to preserve VRT lacquer discs using the Saphir optical reading system developed by INA. Gecko was trained to operate the technology and provided engineering expertise. Also partnered on Radio Lebanon project.
• meemoo (Flemish Institute for Archives)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partner in the SIRDUKE project for preserving VRT's most degraded lacquer discs using the Saphir optical system.
• VRT (Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Belgian Flemish broadcaster whose severely degraded lacquer discs were rescued through the SIRDUKE project. Gecko had been digitizing VRT discs since 2017.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2020Selected by UNESCO to finalize the preservation of their audio recordings on magnetic tapes, including completing work started by another vendor and processing the most difficult tapes.
• MAMAC (Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Nice)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2019Preserved sound artworks of Lars Fredrikson for a retrospective exhibition, including restoration and high-definition digitization of mono, stereo, and quadraphonic master tapes.
• FIAT/IFTAminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 October 2019Annual conference sponsorship. Gecko sponsors and exhibits at FIAT/IFTA world conferences for audiovisual archivists (Dubrovnik 2019, Bucharest 2024).
• European Court of Human Rights (CEDH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019Second collaboration with CEDH for digitizing their sound archives. Second project involved high-definition digitization of audio cassettes from the 1990s-2010s with significant legal importance.
• VIAA (Vlaams Instituut voor Archivering)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2018VIAA organized the digitization project of 6,800 audio cassettes collected from 28 content partners, processed at Gecko's facilities over one year.
• International Court of Justice (Cour Internationale de Justice)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Gecko was selected to digitize and restore approximately 1,200 hours of Nuremberg Trial audio recordings preserved for 70 years at the Court. The project was conducted in the highest confidentiality and represents one of the most historically significant audio preservation projects.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner institution in the Nuremberg Trial audio preservation project. Hosts the digitized recordings on their website for public access.
• Mémorial de la Shoah (Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner institution in the Nuremberg Trial audio preservation project.
• Musée du LouvrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20184-year project (2018-2022) digitizing nearly 5,000 audio cassettes of conference recordings stored at the Dominique-Vivant Denon Center.
• RTS (Radio Television Suisse) / FONSARTcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20128-year collaboration digitizing 50,000 lacquer discs from Radio Lausanne and Radio Genève collections. FONSART organized the project with RTS.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ScanCafe: Digitization services firm converting legacy media (audio, video, film, documents) for institutional and consumer markets. Comparable in offering scaled digitization operations, though oriented more broadly beyond heritage audio.
• FotoKem: US-based post-production and media services company offering audio and video asset management, restoration, and migration for institutional and entertainment clients. Comparable legacy-media digitization capability.
• INA (Institut National de l'Audiovisuel): France's national audiovisual institute, which both conducts its own heritage digitization and developed the Saphir optical reading system that Gecko operates. It is simultaneously a technology partner and a competing provider of audio heritage preservation services for French and international institutions.
• SPECS BROS: US-based audio and video restoration and transfer services company, working with libraries, archives, and private collectors. Comparable focus on legacy media digitization for institutional clients.
• George Blood LP: Philadelphia-based audio and video digitization specialist serving archives, libraries, and broadcasters. Overlaps with Gecko's core service in audio tape, disc, and legacy format digitization at institutional scale.
• Memnon Archiving Services: Belgium-based firm specializing in digitization of audiovisual archives for cultural institutions, broadcasters, and governments. Closely comparable to Gecko in client base, service scope (audio/video digitization and restoration), and European institutional focus.
• The MediaPreserve: US-based provider of audio, video, and film digitization and restoration for libraries, archives, museums, and corporations. Directly comparable service offering (preservation-grade digitization of legacy media) to institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• Iron Mountain Media Services: Global information management company with media preservation and digitization services. Overlaps with Gecko in audio migration for large institutional accounts but operates a much broader portfolio across records management, storage, and digital services.

Emerging players

• Cineric Inc. US-based motion picture and sound preservation lab offering audio and film restoration services. Adjacent to Gecko's audio heritage work with partial overlap in restoration of degraded legacy media for cultural institutions.

Regional players

• DAMsmart: Australia-headquartered provider of media digitization and digital asset management services to archives, broadcasters, and government. Comparable audio migration services but with primary geographic footprint in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/audiogecko
• Facebookfacebook.com/audiogecko
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/audiogecko

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 Gecko