Hors-Lignes

What Hors-Lignes does

Hors-Lignes is a French digital agency founded in 2004 and headquartered in La Baule-Escoublac, with an operational office in Guérande. The company provides a full-service digital offering organized around four core expertise areas: strategic consulting and audit, graphic design and web design (UX/UI, responsive layouts), search engine optimization (keyword research, HTML optimization, SEO-oriented editorial content), and website and mobile development. Its technology stack is built exclusively on open-source content management systems — WordPress, Prestashop, WooCommerce, and SPIP — with the stated value proposition of ensuring clients retain full ownership and control of their digital assets and avoiding proprietary lock-in.

The agency serves a heterogeneous client base across the Loire-Atlantique and Pays de la Loire regions, ranging from local artisans and small businesses to mid-market firms and institutional clients (e.g., real estate groups, travel agency networks, higher education institutes, and professional federations). Select customer projects include CISN (institutional website), Eden Tour (full brand redesign for a 21-branch travel network), SOPEG (three interconnected PrestaShop sites with Sage CRM integration), ISEMAR (maritime research institute with interactive mapping), and Armoris (national biologists federation). Revenue is generated primarily through project-based contracts spanning website creation, redesign, e-commerce builds, intranet development, branding, and SEO, supplemented by managed hosting and maintenance services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is tailored to project scope.

In November 2019, Hors-Lignes was acquired by CMANTIKA, a digital communication and transformation agency, alongside MACHINACOM, consolidating regional digital service providers under a single parent. The combined entity operates from CMANTIKA's Guérande premises. In September 2021, Hors-Lignes was rebranded to ASTRAGA, signaling full integration into the group's unified 360° digital communication brand. The company is privately held, has no disclosed funding history, and operates with a headcount in the 11–50 range.

Name

Hors-Lignes

Legal name

Hors-Lignes

Website

https://hors-lignes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hors-Lignes is a French regional digital agency, founded in 2004, offering web design, SEO, graphic design, and mobile development on open-source CMS platforms to SMBs, mid-market firms, and institutions in western France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guérande

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Web Design & Development Services: Custom website creation, redesign, and mobile site development services. Projects range from simple showcase sites to complex e-commerce platforms and institutional sites. Revenue generated through project-based contracts tailored to client needs and scope.
2. Digital Consulting & Audit: Strategic consulting and SEO audit services to analyze client needs, define personas, optimize web strategy, and improve ROI. Includes content audits and digital strategy definition.
3. Graphic Design Services: Graphic creation services including branding, visual identity, and print materials (brochures, posters, panels). Revenue generated as project-based or service contracts.
4. Intranet & Web Application Development: Custom intranet and web application development with data integration capabilities for accounting and CRM systems (e.g., Sage connector).
5. Hosting & Maintenance Services: Dedicated server hosting and ongoing website maintenance, SSL encryption, and data protection services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hors-Lignes is a digital web agency that provides four core service lines: strategic consulting and audit, graphic design and webdesign (including UX/UI), SEO/search engine optimization, and website and mobile application development. The agency specializes in open-source CMS platforms (WordPress, SPIP, Prestashop, WooCommerce) and delivers project-based solutions such as showcase sites, e-commerce platforms, institutional websites, and custom intranet applications, primarily for businesses in the Loire-Atlantique and Pays de la Loire regions of France.

Product overview

Hors-Lignes is a web agency offering a comprehensive digital services portfolio organized around four core expertise areas: strategic consulting and audit, graphic design and webdesign, SEO/search engine optimization, and website/mobile application development. The agency specializes in open-source CMS platforms (WordPress, SPIP, Prestashop, WooCommerce) and delivers project-specific solutions including e-commerce sites, institutional websites, intranet platforms, and custom modules. The company also provides related services such as social media management, SEO content writing, photography, and video production. The portfolio demonstrates cross-sector experience spanning real estate, travel, e-commerce, professional services, and non-profit organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conseil, audit (Consulting and Audit) Strategic consulting and audit services for website creation and optimization, including needs analysis, persona targeting, web strategy definition, content audits, and ROI optimization. Targeted at businesses and institutions planning to create or revamp a website.
• Création graphique (Graphic Design) Graphic design and webdesign services including UX/UI design, responsive layouts for desktop, tablet, and mobile, and full brand identity development (logo, color palette, typography). Targeted at businesses needing visual identity and user experience design.
• Référencement (SEO) SEO optimization services including keyword research, lexical field analysis, HTML tag optimization, SEO-oriented content writing, and ongoing positioning monitoring. Targeted at businesses seeking to improve organic search visibility and conversion.
• Site internet & mobile (Website and Mobile Development) Website and mobile application development using open-source CMS platforms (WordPress, SPIP, Prestashop, WooCommerce), covering showcase sites, e-commerce, institutional sites, and custom modules. Targeted at businesses from local artisans to international groups.
• Intranet and Web Application Development Custom intranet and web application development with data integration capabilities for accounting and commercial management software (e.g., SAGE connector), enabling secure communications, data exchange, and process automation. Targeted at companies and organizations needing internal platforms.
• Hosting and Maintenance Services Managed hosting on dedicated servers and ongoing website maintenance services, including SSL encryption and data protection. Targeted at clients who need continued operational support after their website launch.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects spanning sectors from artisan businesses to international groups, demonstrating scalability of services

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CMANTIKAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2019CMANTIKA, a digital communication and transformation agency, acquired both Hors-Lignes and MACHINACOM on November 27, 2019. The acquisition consolidated CMANTIKA's digital offerings, combining Hors-Lignes' brand identity and website creation expertise with CMANTIKA's digital strategy consulting and platform/software development capabilities. Teams now collaborate under the same brand to provide comprehensive 360° digital communication services. The combined entity operates from CMANTIKA's Guérande premises at 8 rue Alphonse Daudet.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• iProspect: Global digital performance marketing agency (Dentsu network) with strong French presence. Operates at much larger scale in the same digital services space — illustrates the upper bound of what a regional agency could scale into or compete against.
• WebFX: US-based full-service digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, and development. Larger and more established than Hors-Lignes, but offers the same full-service digital agency model and could be a strategic acquirer or reference point for the ASTRAGA consolidation thesis.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: US-based full-service digital agency offering web design, SEO, and digital marketing. Much larger scale than Hors-Lignes, but comparable full-service digital agency business model targeting SMB and mid-market.

Direct peers

• Alioze: French digital agency offering web design, SEO, and content strategy. Similar full-service SMB/mid-market positioning in the French market with comparable size and project-based delivery model.
• Digimood: French digital marketing and web agency offering web design, SEO, and digital strategy. Comparable full-service model serving mid-market clients in France with similar service breadth.
• Cometik: French digital agency offering web design, development, and digital strategy. Operates in the same SMB/mid-market French segment with similar end-to-end service offering.
• Eskimoz: French digital and SEO agency headquartered in Paris with regional offices. Directly comparable to Hors-Lignes as a full-service web/digital agency offering SEO, web design, and development to SMB and mid-market clients across France.
• Effilab: French digital agency specialized in SEO, SEA, and web design. Directly comparable as a French digital services firm with similar size and SMB/mid-market focus.
• 1min30: French digital marketing and web agency offering SEO, web design, and inbound marketing. Operates as a similar full-service digital partner to SMBs and mid-market, with comparable consulting + execution model.
• Junto: French digital agency providing web design, SEO, and content marketing services. Similar size and SMB/mid-market focus, with comparable regional presence and full-service positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Hors-Lignes-Agence-WEB-%C3%A0-Gu%C3%A9rande-La-Baule-Saint-Nazaire-et-Nantes-174933625852150
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hors-lignes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Hors-Lignes