L'AGRUME
L'Agrume is a founder-owned independent French publishing house, founded in 2014, that produces graphic novels, illustrated children's books, and the thematic magazine Citrus for French-speaking readers. It distributes through domestic bookstores, libraries, and its website.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What L'AGRUME does
L'Agrume is an independent French publishing house founded in 2014 by Chloé Marquaire (artistic director) and Guillaume Griffon (publisher). The company produces contemporary illustrated literature across three core product lines: Littérature Graphique (graphic novels, autobiographical comics, and documentary fiction from international creators), Jeunesse (illustrated children's books), and Revue Citrus, a thematic illustrated magazine of more than 200 pages combining comics, fiction, reports, philosophy, literature, and sociology. Its catalog draws on creators from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia, with titles such as La Mégalopole (Cléa Dieudonné), Le Sentier Lumineux, Virus Tropical, and the multi-volume Dora, Dora series.
The company generates revenue primarily through one-time sales of physical books and magazines, distributed via French bookstores, libraries, and the lagrume.org website. It is founder-owned, has no institutional funding or parent company, and operates with a small team of five identified staff including a communication manager, graphic designer, and dedicated foreign rights manager. L'Agrume maintains an active content-marketing presence through its blog and Twitter/X (@Ed_lagrume), publishing editorial pieces on contemporary and classic French literature, illustration, and youth reading. The business model is structurally that of a small, curator-led independent publisher: no disclosed revenue, no app or digital platform, no technology stack, and no AI or automation capabilities — its value is concentrated in editorial selection, creator relationships, and brand identity within a niche segment of the French illustrated-book market.
L'AGRUME firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L'AGRUME
- Legal name
- L'Agrume
- Website
- https://lagrume.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- L'Agrume is a founder-owned independent French publishing house, founded in 2014, that produces graphic novels, illustrated children's books, and the thematic magazine Citrus for French-speaking readers. It distributes through domestic bookstores, libraries, and its website.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L'AGRUME industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)
Keywords
L'AGRUME business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: L'Agrume generates revenue through the sale of published books, including graphic novels, youth/children's illustrated books, and the themed magazine Citrus. The publisher distributes physical books featuring contemporary illustration from international creators.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
L'AGRUME product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L'Agrume is an independent French publishing house that produces and sells printed graphic novels, illustrated children's books, and the 200+ page illustrated thematic magazine Citrus. The catalog is curated around contemporary illustration and graphic literature from international creators across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Distribution is handled through bookstores and libraries in France and French-speaking markets, supported by the publisher's website.
Product overview
L'Agrume is an independent French publishing house founded in 2018 by Chloé Marquaire and Guillaume Griffon, dedicated to contemporary illustration and graphic literature. The company operates three core product sections: La Littérature Graphique (graphic novels, autobiographical comics, and fiction from international authors), Jeunesse (innovative illustrated children's books), and Revue Citrus (an illustrated thematic magazine combining comics, fiction, reports, and sociology). The company publishes works from creators worldwide including France, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Ecuador, and the United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Jeunesse: Collection dedicated to children featuring artistic and colorful books designed to spark children's curiosity with original reading experiences.
- Citrus
- Littérature Graphique
Products and services
- La Littérature Graphique Core product line of L'Agrume comprising graphic novels, learning novels, autobiographical comics, and fiction that explore genres and transport readers to discover other cultures, histories, and characters from around the world (America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia). Targeted at adult and young-adult readers seeking contemporary illustrated literary works from international creators.
- Jeunesse Children's book collection of artistic and colorful works designed for young readers, offering original and innovative reading experiences with books full of art, colors, and poetry. Targeted at children and their parents, gift-buyers, and library/educational buyers.
- Revue Citrus An illustrated thematic magazine of over 200 pages combining comics, fiction, reports, philosophy, literature, and sociology, printed on creation paper for an aesthetically distinctive reading experience. Issued in themed editions (e.g., Football, Fait Divers, Sexe et Manger) and targeted at adult readers interested in illustrated long-form journalism and literary culture.
- La Mégalopole by Cléa Dieudonné A 32-page illustrated children's book (38 x 33 cm) in the Jeunesse collection, published in 2015, featuring a fold-out page over 3 meters long that reveals an entire city. The story follows a mysterious flying spaceship landing on rooftops and features a colorful, LGBT-inclusive adventure where an alien falls in love with a mermaid.
Companies that use L'AGRUME
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
L'AGRUME technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
L'AGRUME partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
L'AGRUME competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sarbacane: French independent publisher specializing in illustrated novels, graphic novels, and youth literature with a comparable boutique curatorial approach and international creator sourcing.
- La Martinière Jeunesse: French publisher of illustrated and children's books with a comparable focus on high-quality, artistic illustrated content for young readers and adults.
- Gallimard Jeunesse: Major French children's illustrated book publisher whose Jeunesse collection competes directly with L'Agrume's youth segment, though operating at significantly larger scale under the Gallimard/Madrigall umbrella.
- Rue de Sèvres: French graphic novel and illustrated book publisher with a similar focus on contemporary illustration and adult/YA graphic fiction, distributed through French bookstores.
- Ankama Éditions: French independent publisher of graphic novels, manga, and illustrated works targeting similar adult and young adult readerships with comparable aesthetic sensibilities.
- Éditions Thierry Magnier: French independent publisher specializing in contemporary youth literature and illustrated books with a similar curatorial, boutique editorial approach targeting quality-conscious readers and educators.
Broad incumbents
- Dupuis: Major Franco-Belgian comics and graphic novel publisher (Asterix, Spirou) operating in the same graphic novel category but at much larger scale and broader commercial scope.
- Le Lombard: Historic Belgian-French graphic novel publisher (Tintin) with comparable adult/YA graphic fiction titles, though operating at much greater scale through the Média-Participations group.
- Casterman: Major Franco-Belgian graphic novel and illustrated book publisher with comparable literary graphic novel and youth illustrated titles, distributed through the same French bookstore channels.
- Dargaud: Established French-Belgian graphic novel and comics publisher (Astérix, Lucky Luke) competing in the same bande dessinée space as L'Agrume's Littérature Graphique section, with broader catalog and wider distribution.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
L'AGRUME social profiles
Digital presenceL'AGRUME compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
L'AGRUME financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L'AGRUME leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
L'AGRUME funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L'AGRUME 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 L'AGRUME
What does L'AGRUME do?
L'Agrume is an independent French publishing house that produces and sells printed graphic novels, illustrated children's books, and the 200+ page illustrated thematic magazine Citrus. The catalog is curated around contemporary illustration and graphic literature from international creators across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania, and Asia. Distribution is handled through bookstores and libraries in France and French-speaking markets, supported by the publisher's website.
Is L'AGRUME a public or private company?
L'AGRUME is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was L'AGRUME founded?
L'AGRUME was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does L'AGRUME make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are L'AGRUME's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sarbacane, La Martinière Jeunesse, Gallimard Jeunesse, Rue de Sèvres, Ankama Éditions and Éditions Thierry Magnier. Broad incumbents are Dupuis, Le Lombard, Casterman and Dargaud.
Does L'AGRUME have an API?
No public API is recorded for L'AGRUME.
What industry is L'AGRUME in?
L'AGRUME's product category is Independent Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAA, General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.