The Seed Shop

What The Seed Shop does

La Grainerie (operated under The Seed Shop umbrella) is a non-profit cultural organization (association loi 1901) founded in 2010 and headquartered in Balma, near Toulouse, France. It operates as a "fabrique des arts du cirque et de l'itinérance" — a fabrication and touring factory for contemporary circus arts — holding national designation as a "Scène conventionnée d'intérêt national 'art et création'" and European production pole status. The organization serves four primary customer segments: professional circus artists and companies (training facilities, creation residencies, equipment access, and incubation through the PACT program), the general public (ticketed performances and membership), schools and educational institutions (structured cultural mediation programs), and corporate clients (venue rental, team-building, and event hosting through the Espace Entreprises unit). It also operates an on-site restaurant, Les Cornichons, as an adjacent subsidiary.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and institutional public funding. Earned revenue streams include tiered ticket sales (EUR 20/15/10 or 15/10/8 depending on show), venue rental for corporate events, professional training passes (daily EUR 8 to annual EUR 250), membership fees with tax-deductible donations, a corporate mécénat collective (Collectif d'Entreprises at EUR 1,500 per sponsor), and restaurant operations. The 2022 operating budget of approximately EUR 1.5 million is substantially supported by public institutional partners including Toulouse Métropole, Région Occitanie, Conseil Départemental de la Haute-Garonne, Ville de Balma, DRAC Occitanie, and the European Union through POCTEFA, Erasmus+, and Creative Europe programs. Strategic operations are anchored on an extensive European partnership network spanning 14+ EKO project partners, two national circus poles (CIRCa and La Verrerie), the circusnext European platform, and reciprocal training agreements with La Central del Circ (Barcelona) and La Cascade (Ardèche). Scale in 2022 included 59 performances, 115 representations, 20,109 spectators, 573 artists trained, and 65 companies hosted in creation residencies.

Name

The Seed Shop

Legal name

La Grainerie

Website

https://la-grainerie.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Grainerie is a French non-profit circus arts factory in Balma (near Toulouse) that provides training, creation residencies, and performance programming for professional circus artists, schools, and corporate clients, substantially funded by public institutional partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Venue

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

Keywords

• Contemporary circus arts
• Circus creation residencies
• Circus artist training
• Performing arts venue
• Corporate event venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Balma

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales and performances: Revenue from ticket sales for circus performances and shows programmed at the venue, with tiered pricing (full/reduced/reduced+).
2. Venue rental for events: Renting out spaces (meeting room, creation hall, performance hall, outdoor patio, bar) to companies and organizations for corporate events, seminars, team-building, and assemblies.
3. Corporate committee activities: Organizing Christmas trees and corporate events for company committees with circus-themed activities.
4. Membership and donations: Annual membership fees providing access to reduced ticket prices, plus donations eligible for 66% tax deduction.
5. Restaurant Les Cornichons: On-site restaurant operated independently, offering lunch service Monday to Friday.
6. Training fees: Fees for professional training spaces and workshops for circus artists (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual passes).
7. Mécénat/Corporate sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship with 60% tax deduction, supporting various projects including artist incubation, programming, accessibility, and athlete training.
8. Public funding: Operating budget of 1,500,000 EUR supported by institutional partners including Toulouse Métropole, Région Occitanie, Conseil Départemental, and Ville de Balma.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Seed Shop operates La Grainerie, a circus arts fabrication and touring facility (fabrique des arts du cirque et de l'itinérance) in Balma, near Toulouse, France. The organization provides professional training spaces, creation residencies, and technical support to circus artists and companies, presents a public season of contemporary circus performances, and rents its spaces for corporate events, seminars, and team-building activities. It also runs cultural mediation programs for schools and socially disadvantaged populations.

Product overview

La Grainerie is a circus arts factory and itinerant arts center in Balma, France (near Toulouse), functioning as a cultural venue and production facility rather than a technology company. It does not offer products or services in the traditional technology/software sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Performance Season (Saison) Annual programmed season of contemporary circus performances presented at the venue, with tiered ticket pricing (full, reduced, reduced+) for individual spectators and cultural consumers.
• Corporate Venue Rental (Espace Entreprises)
• Circus Artist Training Facility Access
• Creation Residencies (Accueil en création) Welcoming circus companies for creation residencies, providing technical support and dedicated spaces for new productions. In 2022, 65 companies were hosted in creation.
• Annual Membership (Adhésion)
• Corporate Sponsorship / Mécénat (Collectif d'Entreprises)
• PACT Program (Programme d'accompagnement du cirque toulousain) Artist incubation and accompaniment program for young circus companies, coordinated with national circus poles CIRCa (Auch) and La Verrerie (Alès).
• Cultural Mediation and Educational Programs Structured artistic and cultural education programs for schools (elementary through secondary), including classroom interventions, school visits, workshops, cultural trips, and teacher training, aligned with national curriculum.
• Restaurant Les Cornichons On-site restaurant offering lunch service Monday to Friday with fresh, creative, seasonal cuisine, operated as a subsidiary activity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65 companies hosted in creation in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• POCTEFA / European UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO Pyrénées de cirque project budget of 1,681,820 EUR co-financed 65% by EU through POCTEFA Interreg VI-A Spain-France-Andorra program 2024-2027.
• APCC / La Central del Circ (Barcelona)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: Spanish circus creation and diffusion center in Barcelona.
• Ayuntamiento de BilbaocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: municipality of Bilbao in Spain.
• Ayuntamiento de HuescacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: municipality of Huesca in Spain.
• Ésacto'Lido Pro (Toulouse)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner and partner circus school in Toulouse, France.
• Malandain Ballet BiarritzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: dance company in Biarritz, France.
• Occitanie en ScèneflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner and coordinator of Pyrenart II project for cross-border cooperation.
• Université Toulouse Jean JaurèscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: university involved in circus research and education.
• Ville d'HendayecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024EKO project partner: French municipality on Spanish border.
• CIRCa (Pôle National Cirque, Auch)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024National circus pole partner in Auch, collaborating on PACT program and artist incubation.
• La Verrerie d'Alès (PNC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024National circus pole partner in Alès, collaborating on PACT program and artist incubation.
• circusnextflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024European circus platform co-financed by European Commission, identifying and supporting emerging circus authors. La Grainerie is a member.
• Erasmus+ Consortium (Occitanie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024La Grainerie coordinates an Erasmus+ mobility consortium for circus professionals in Occitanie, including ESACTO'Lido Pro, CIRCa, La Verrerie, and other partners.
• Noletia (Seville)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Spanish circus partner in Seville, collaborating on Circo de Sur a Sur exchange program between Toulouse and Seville.
• Truca Circus (Santiago de Compostela)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Spanish partner collaborating on Circo de Sur a Sur artistic exchange and laboratory projects.
• Pistacatro (Santiago de Compostela)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Spanish partner in Labos Antipodes art-entreprise laboratory projects.
• Toulouse MétropolecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner supporting the venue's operations and programs. Provides ongoing funding and strategic alignment with metropolitan cultural policies.
• Région OccitaniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government partner providing institutional funding and support for circus arts development across Occitanie.
• Conseil Départemental de Haute-GaronnecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council supporting local cultural initiatives and regional accessibility to circus arts.
• Ville de BalmacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost municipality providing ongoing support and hosting the main venue facilities.
• Ville de ToulousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor city partner supporting programs and initiatives in the Toulouse metropolitan area.
• Institut FrançaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench cultural institute supporting international projects and exchanges.
• ONDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational office for cultural diffusion supporting touring and international programming.
• DRAC OccitaniecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional directorate of cultural affairs providing state funding and oversight.
• La Central del Circ (Barcelona)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference circus center in Barcelona with reciprocal training access agreement for La Grainerie members.
• La Cascade (Pôle National Cirque, Ardèche)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational circus pole in Ardèche with reciprocal training access agreement for La Grainerie members.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Le Channel – Scène Nationale de Calais: French Scène Nationale combining circus programming with broader performing arts. Comparable as a publicly funded national-stage venue with a circus focus, but operating at a larger portfolio scope than La Grainerie.
• Maison de la Danse (Lyon): Major performing arts venue and production hub in Lyon. Comparable in operating model (ticketed performances, residencies, corporate venue rental, public funding) but broader in artistic scope than La Grainerie's circus specialization.
• Théâtre National de Toulouse: Toulouse's flagship national theater, which competes with La Grainerie for local corporate event budgets, public subsidies, and cultural audiences within the same metropolitan catchment.

Direct peers

• Le Prato (Lille): Pôle d'arts du cirque et de l'itinérance in Lille run by the company Rhizome. Direct peer as a circus-focused creation and touring center with national pole status, sharing La Grainerie's hybrid creation/training/touring model.
• La Cascade (Pôle National Cirque, Ardèche): National Circus Pole in Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Ardèche. Provides parallel circus creation and training infrastructure with reciprocal member access to La Grainerie—making it a near-substitute for artists and companies.
• La Verrerie (Pôle National Cirque, Alès): National Circus Pole in Alès, southern France. Closely mirrors La Grainerie's model of creation residency, training facilities, and touring support, and is a partner in the PACT artist incubation program.
• CIRCa (Pôle National Cirque, Auch): National Circus Pole located in Auch, France. Directly comparable as one of only a handful of designated national circus poles, offering residency, training, and touring support to circus companies. Active PACT collaborator with La Grainerie.
• ESACTO'Lido Pro (Toulouse): Superior circus school in Toulouse and active EKO/PACT partner. Highly comparable as a regional professional circus training institution serving the same Occitanie artist ecosystem as La Grainerie.
• La Central del Circ (Barcelona): Public circus creation and diffusion center in Barcelona. Direct functional counterpart on the Spanish side of the EKO Pyrénées partnership, offering analogous residency, training, and performance infrastructure.

Emerging players

• circusnext: European platform co-financed by Creative Europe identifying emerging circus authors. La Grainerie is a member and collaborator; the network functions as a peer ecosystem for emerging-talent identification and touring support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/lagrainerie
• Facebookfacebook.com/lagrainerie
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/lagrainerie
• Instagraminstagram.com/lagrainerie
• Xx.com/lagrainerie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 The Seed Shop