Vertical'Art
Vertical'Art is a French network of 14+ indoor bouldering halls operating across France under a mix of company-owned and franchise locations, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Montigny-le-Bretonneux. It serves individual recreational climbers, families, students, and competitive climbers with subscriptions, courses, restaurant-bar, and wellness amenities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersMontigny-le-bretonneux, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Vertical'Art does
Vertical'Art (legal entity SAS HIGHBALL, RCS Versailles 821 987 245) is a French network of indoor bouldering halls founded in December 2013 in Montigny-le-Bretonneux and headquartered at 10 Avenue André Marie Ampère, 78180 Montigny-le-Bretonneux. The company operates the first bouldering-only network in Paris and has grown to 14+ operational halls across France (including company-owned and franchised locations) with 180+ employees. Each hall combines climbable walls up to 4.5m, monthly route renewals by professional openers (~50 new blocs per week), cardio-training areas, Pan Gülllich and Training Board equipment, a sauna, and an integrated restaurant-bar with direct view of the climbing walls. The group also operates children's climbing zones (P'tits durs), courses for all ages from age 4, performance training, summer camps, an e-commerce shop, and Team Vertical'Art, a professional climbing team featuring French national champions and Olympic athletes.
The business model is multi-stream. Climbing access generates recurring revenue via annual subscriptions (€460-550), monthly/summer passes, and multi-entry cards (5-entry €55, 10-entry €110) valid across the network for 2 years. Supplementary revenue comes from structured climbing courses and coaching, on-site restaurant-bar operations, merchandise sales (climbing shoes, chalk, accessories), children's holiday camps, and franchise fees paid by independent entrepreneurs who open Vertical'Art halls under the brand. The group supports franchisees with turnkey hall development including market studies, business plans, architectural validation, construction, training, and ongoing operational assistance, with bank financing partnerships through Banque Populaire and BNP Paribas. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via owned halls, an e-commerce storefront (shop.vertical-art.fr), and franchise-operated locations across France.
Customer segments span recreational climbers, families with children, students, and competitive climbers, with no enterprise/B2B contracts disclosed. Marketing relies on Instagram/Facebook, email newsletters, a referral program (sponsor-a-friend), seasonal event programming (Bloc Events, competitions, open days, Summer/Winter/Christmas Climbing Days), and athlete-driven brand visibility. Forward expansion continues with new openings in Lens-Liévin (May 2026), Auxerre (November 2026), and announced plans for Rouen and Lyon, targeting 20 total halls by 2025.
Vertical'Art firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vertical'Art
- Legal name
- SAS HIGHBALL
- Website
- https://vertical-art.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Vertical'Art is a French network of 14+ indoor bouldering halls operating across France under a mix of company-owned and franchise locations, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Montigny-le-Bretonneux. It serves individual recreational climbers, families, students, and competitive climbers with subscriptions, courses, restaurant-bar, and wellness amenities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vertical'Art industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Indoor Bouldering Gyms
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata) (THAAAKAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata & Mountaineering (THAJABAE)
Keywords
Where Vertical'Art is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montigny-le-bretonneux
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices18 records
Markets served
Vertical'Art business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Climbing Access (Entry & Subscriptions): Single entry fees, multi-entry cards (5, 10 entries), and monthly or annual subscription plans giving unlimited access to the hall and fitness/wellness areas. Core revenue driver across all 14+ locations.
- Climbing Courses & Training: Annual courses, performance courses, discovery courses, private lessons, group sessions, and competition team memberships. Offered to children (from age 4), teenagers, and adults at all skill levels.
- Restaurant & Bar: Integrated restaurant-bar in every hall serving fresh, homemade food and beverages with direct view of the climbing walls. Contributes significantly to per-location revenue and customer dwell time.
- Merchandise & Equipment Sales: On-site shop selling climbing shoes, chalk, straps, magnesium, T-shirts, and other climbing accessories. Subscribers receive discounts on shoes.
- Franchise Fees: Franchise model generating fees from partner entrepreneurs who open Vertical'Art halls under the brand. The group provides turnkey hall development, training, and ongoing operational support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 5-entry card |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 10-entry card |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | 1-month summer pass |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 2-month summer pass |
| Subscription | Annual | Lens-Liévin pre-opening annual offer |
| Subscription | Monthly | Reduced rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Vertical'Art product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vertical'Art operates a network of indoor bouldering (bloc) climbing gyms across France, with 14+ operational locations combining climbing walls (up to 4.5m height, routes renewed monthly by professional openers) with cardio-training areas, strength training, Pan Gülllich and Training Board equipment, sauna, and an integrated restaurant-bar offering direct views of the climbing walls. The company also sells climbing courses, performance training, children's holiday camps, equipment merchandise, and operates a franchise program for entrepreneur partners.
Product overview
Vertical'Art is a network of indoor bouldering (bloc) gyms across France, combining a core product of bouldering facilities with complementary services. The company's main offering consists of bouldering gyms (salles d'escalade de bloc) featuring walls up to 4.5m with routes renewed monthly, supplemented by on-site restaurant-bar services, wellness facilities (sauna), and fitness equipment. Additional modules include structured climbing courses for all ages (children from 4, teens, adults), performance training programs, children's holiday camps, and an e-commerce shop. The network operates both company-owned locations and franchises, with a professional athlete team (Team Vertical'Art) competing at elite levels. Vertical'Art also offers subscription plans, entry cards, and event programming to support its climbing community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bouldering Gym Access (Entry, Multi-entry Cards, Subscriptions) Access to indoor bouldering facilities and complementary wellness areas (cardio, sauna) through single entries, multi-entry cards, monthly passes, and annual subscriptions. Subscription holders gain multi-hall access across the national network. Targeted at recreational climbers, fitness users, families, and students of all skill levels.
- Climbing Courses & Coaching Structured climbing instruction led by state-certified instructors, including annual courses, discovery courses, private lessons, group sessions, and competition team memberships. Offered to children from age 4, teenagers, and adults at all skill levels from beginner to elite.
- Performance Courses (Cours Performances) Weekly training sessions for teenagers and adults at red bloc level and above, with annual planning by an experienced coach and unlimited access to all network gyms included. Designed for committed climbers seeking structured progression and competition preparation.
- Children's Climbing Camps (Stages enfants) School holiday climbing camps for children aged 4 and above, offering daily sessions over 3-5 days with games, skill development, and progression tracking. Includes dedicated children's zones ('P'tits durs') and kids courses within the network.
- Equipment Shop (Climbing Merchandise) Online and on-site retail of climbing equipment including climbing shoes, chalk, straps, magnesium, T-shirts, and accessories. Subscribers receive discounts on shoes. Operated through the shop.vertical-art.fr e-commerce platform.
- Franchise Vertical'Art Franchise program for entrepreneurs to open Vertical'Art bouldering halls under the brand, including turnkey hall development, market studies, business plans, architectural validation, construction, training, supplier negotiations, and ongoing operational support. Targeted at independent entrepreneur-investors seeking a proven climbing hall concept.
Quantifiable outcome
- Routes (blocs) are renewed monthly across all locations, with approximately 50 new blocs created per week, ensuring ongoing challenge and engagement.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Vertical'Art
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Vertical'Art technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Vertical'Art partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- CampsiderminorPartnership with Campsider, a leader in buying and selling second-hand outdoor sports equipment in France. The partnership provides Vertical'Art customers with access to pre-owned climbing gear and supports sustainability initiatives.
- OcúnminorHistorical partner brand of climbing shoes. Ocún is a Czech climbing shoe manufacturer. The partnership includes product promotions, giveaways (crashpads), and joint contests (Ocún x Vertical'Art Instagram giveaway).
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves19 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vertical'Art competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Block'Out: French bouldering-only gym chain with multiple locations across France, offering similar subscription plans and beginner-to-advanced route variety to Vertical'Art.
- Climb Up: French indoor climbing gym chain operating multiple bouldering and rope-climbing facilities across France, with subscription-based access and similar urban multi-location strategy.
- Arkose: French indoor climbing and bouldering operator with a multi-site network, comparable subscription pricing and family-friendly positioning; a direct competitor in the French climbing market.
- Climbing District: Belgium-headquartered indoor bouldering chain with locations across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands; comparable subscription-based urban bouldering model with international expansion.
Regional players
- bouldering GmbH: German indoor bouldering operator with a multi-city network in Germany; comparable bouldering-only subscription model but operates in a different geography than Vertical'Art.
- Movement Climbing + Fitness: US-based climbing and bouldering operator with a multi-location network combining climbing with fitness amenities; comparable business model but North American focus.
- The Hive: UK-based indoor bouldering gym chain offering subscription-based access and route-setting programs similar to Vertical'Art, primarily serving the British market.
Broad incumbents
- Basic-Fit: European low-cost fitness center chain with broad subscription fitness offering; competes for fitness-oriented consumer wallet share but does not specialize in bouldering.
- Fitness Park: Large French fitness club network with subscription-based access; broader fitness focus but overlapping urban customer base with Vertical'Art.
Others
- FFME (Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l'Escalade): French national climbing federation providing federation licenses that Vertical'Art offers discounted rates for; ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Vertical'Art social profiles
Digital presenceVertical'Art financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vertical'Art leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Vertical'Art funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vertical'Art M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vertical'Art
What does Vertical'Art do?
Vertical'Art operates a network of indoor bouldering (bloc) climbing gyms across France, with 14+ operational locations combining climbing walls (up to 4.5m height, routes renewed monthly by professional openers) with cardio-training areas, strength training, Pan Gülllich and Training Board equipment, sauna, and an integrated restaurant-bar offering direct views of the climbing walls. The company also sells climbing courses, performance training, children's holiday camps, equipment merchandise, and operates a franchise program for entrepreneur partners.
Is Vertical'Art a public or private company?
Vertical'Art is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vertical'Art founded?
Vertical'Art was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Vertical'Art based?
Vertical'Art is headquartered in Montigny-le-bretonneux, France, in the Europe region.
How does Vertical'Art make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Climbing Access (Entry & Subscriptions) is the primary driver. The others are climbing Courses & Training, restaurant & Bar, merchandise & Equipment Sales and franchise Fees.
Who are Vertical'Art's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Block'Out, Climb Up, Arkose and Climbing District. Regional players are bouldering GmbH, Movement Climbing + Fitness and The Hive. Broad incumbents are Basic-Fit and Fitness Park. FFME (Fédération Française de la Montagne et de l'Escalade) is listed as an others.
Does Vertical'Art have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vertical'Art.
What industry is Vertical'Art in?
Vertical'Art's product category is Indoor Bouldering Gyms. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAKAG, Climbing & Mountaineering Gyms/Guides (Indoor, Outdoor, Via Ferrata), with a secondary code of THAJABAE, Rock Climbing, Via Ferrata & Mountaineering. Its NAICS code is 713940 and its SIC code is 7997.