Atelier 10

What Atelier 10 does

Atelier 10 is a privately held social enterprise and cultural publishing house founded in 2011 and based in Montreal, Quebec. The company is the first Canadian publisher to hold B Corporation certification (2014) and operates under a governance model that balances financial performance with social and environmental impact. Its flagship product is Nouveau Projet, a Quebec-focused magazine published three times per year on society, culture, and lifestyle topics. Supporting the magazine are seven distinct book collections: Documents (short essays), Pièces (theatrical works published four times per year), Journalisme 9 (the first Canadian Francophone graphic journalism collection, in partnership with La Pastèque), Humour, Transmission (life stories), Le temps debout (practical guides), and Formes. Atelier 10 also operates Studio A10, a B2B editorial content studio providing custom content production services (written, audio, video, visual) to organizations whose values align with the publisher.

The company operates with a small core team of 14 employees led by founder and sole owner Nicolas Langelier, who has served as editor-in-chief of Nouveau Projet since 2012. Distribution is multi-channel: direct e-commerce through atelier10.ca, a physical boutique at 156 Rue Beaubien Est (reduced in 2025 to focus on core publishing), wholesale through Madrigall/Socadis and Dimedia/SODEP Diffusion, and a 2025 partnership with The School of Life. Revenue is generated through five streams: magazine and collection subscriptions, one-time book sales priced between $14.95 and $29.95 CAD, Studio A10 B2B services, advertising and partnerships, and annual donation campaigns with solidarity pricing tiers. The company also receives recurring financial support from Patrimoine canadien, the Canada Council for the Arts, and SODEC.

The business is fundamentally a content-and-community operation rather than a technology business. Its competitive position rests on a 12-year editorial track record (27 issues of Nouveau Projet, 72 awards at the Prix du magazine canadien including three Magazine of the Year wins in 2015, 2019, and 2024), a curated contributor network of leading Quebec writers and playwrights, and the brand equity of B Corp leadership. Pricing is low-ticket and consumer-oriented, with subscriber discounts of 10-20% as the principal retention lever. The customer base is a long-tail of individual Quebec francophone readers supplemented by a small book of B2B Studio A10 engagements. The company's technology footprint is minimal, with no proprietary platform, no AI capabilities, and no app or API surface; its operations are organized around traditional editorial, print production, and distribution.

Name

Atelier 10

Legal name

Atelier 10

Website

https://atelier10.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atelier 10 is a Montreal-based social enterprise publisher producing Nouveau Projet magazine and seven book collections in French for Quebec readers, supplemented by B2B editorial services through Studio A10.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Cultural Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAAAH

Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

SECONDARYMPAJAAAD

Mass Market & Paperback Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

Keywords

• Independent publishing
• Cultural magazines
• Book collections
• Graphic journalism
• Editorial content studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Nouveau Projet magazine subscription model with three issues per year (spring-summer, fall, winter). Subscribers receive discounts (10-20%) and exclusive member privileges.
2. Book and Collection Sales: Individual sales of publications including Documents (essays), Pièces (theater), Journalisme 9 (graphic journalism), Humour, Transmission (life stories), Le temps debout (practical guides), and Formes. Available in both physical and digital formats.
3. Studio A10 Content Services: B2B editorial content studio providing custom content creation services (written, audio, video, visual) for organizations. Includes consultation, branding, editorial planning, storytelling, curation, and content distribution services.
4. Advertising and Partnerships: Sponsored content partnerships and advertising opportunities across Nouveau Projet magazine, website, newsletters, and events.
5. Donations and Support Campaigns: Annual financial support campaigns where donors contribute to fund the publication's mission. Includes solidarity pricing tiers and member benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Atelier 10 is an independent social-enterprise publishing house that produces Nouveau Projet magazine three times a year and curates seven themed book collections (Documents essays, Pièces dramaturgy, Journalisme⁹ graphic journalism, Humour, Transmission biographies, Le temps debout practical guides, and Formes). It sells publications through its own e-commerce store, a Montreal boutique, and wholesale partners, and offers custom editorial content services to organizations through its in-house Studio A10.

Product overview

Atelier 10 is a social enterprise that operates as a multi-format publishing house with a portfolio of distinct collections. The core offering includes Nouveau Projet magazine (published three times annually), which serves as the flagship publication covering Quebec society and culture. Supporting the magazine are seven book collections: Documents (essays), Pièces (dramaturgy), Journalisme 9 (graphic journalism in collaboration with La Pastèque), Humour (humorous texts), Transmission (biographies/life stories), Le temps debout (practical life guides), and Formes (in-depth contemporary analysis). Additionally, Studio A10 provides editorial content creation services to external organizations. All offerings reflect Atelier 10's mission to promote a more just, democratic, and environmentally conscious Quebec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Documents: Collection of short essays on major contemporary issues
• Pièces
• Journalisme 9
• Transmission
• Humour
• Le temps debout
• Formes

Products and services

• Nouveau Projet Flagship independent cultural magazine published three times per year, covering Quebec society, culture, and lifestyle through long-form journalism and progressive perspectives; winner of Canadian Magazine of the Year in 2015, 2019, and 2024.
• Documents Collection of short philosophical and analytical essays on major contemporary issues, published periodically and sold individually in print and digital formats.
• Pièces Collection of original theatrical works from Quebec's leading playwrights, published multiple times per year and addressing 21st-century social issues.
• Journalisme⁹ Canada's first French-language graphic journalism collection, combining rigorous journalistic investigation with illustrated storytelling in partnership with publisher La Pastèque.
• Humour Collection of original, impactful, and relevant humorous texts from contemporary Quebec humorists.
• Transmission Collection of biographical narratives dedicated to individuals who shaped contemporary Quebec and transmit their history, experience, and values.
• Le temps debout Collection of practical guides and reflections supporting conscious, meaningful living through books and tools.
• Formes Collection offering cutting-edge yet accessible in-depth analysis and exploration of major contemporary issues.
• Studio A10 B2B editorial content studio producing custom written, audio, video, and visual content for organizations whose values align with Atelier 10, including strategy, editorial planning, curation, and distribution services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72 awards received at Prix du magazine canadien across 11 editions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner providing essential support to Atelier 10. UQAM is a public French-language university in downtown Montreal offering over 300 programs across seven major fields. It has trained more than 280,000 professionals and contributes to Quebec's scientific, social, and cultural progress.
• La PastèquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher collaboration for Journalisme 9, the first Canadian Francophone collection dedicated to graphic journalism, reporting, and investigation. La Pastèque is a reference publisher since 19 years known for quality graphic design and professionalism in comics.
• Patrimoine canadien (Canadian Heritage)minorOthersGovernment of Canada ministry providing financial support for publishing activities.
• Conseil des arts du Canada (Canada Council for the Arts)minorOthersFederal arts funding body providing essential financial support for Atelier 10's publishing activities.
• SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles)minorOthersQuebec government cultural enterprise development agency providing financial support through SODEC Diffusion distribution.
• Madrigall/SocadiscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner handling physical distribution of Atelier 10 publications to bookstores and retailers.
• Dimedia/SODEP DiffusioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner specifically handling Nouveau Projet magazine distribution to newsstands and bookstores.
• CopibecminorOthersReproduction rights collective handling reproduction permission requests for Atelier 10 content.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alto: Quebec literary/cultural magazine publishing essays, fiction, and poetry with a similar independent, design-forward editorial identity to Nouveau Projet. Comparable as a French-language Quebec cultural magazine competing for the same intellectual readership.
• XXI: French quarterly magazine dedicated to long-form reporting and graphic journalism. Directly comparable as the international reference for Atelier 10's Journalisme 9 collection, validating the editorial and commercial premise of graphic journalism in a Francophone context.
• Les Éditions du Boréal: One of Quebec's leading independent French-language book publishers with a strong essay and literary catalog. Comparable as a mission-driven Quebec publisher with a multi-collection catalog model and government-arts-council funding relationships.
• Liberté: Long-running Quebec literary and political essay magazine. Closely comparable as a French-language Quebec periodical addressing social, cultural, and political ideas for an intellectual readership, with similar award pedigree.
• The Walrus: Canadian independent cultural magazine covering ideas, politics, and culture. Comparable as a Canadian independent magazine with a national magazine-award pedigree, long-form editorial model, and donor/subscription funding mix similar to Atelier 10's.
• Maisonneuve: Canadian independent magazine of ideas, culture, and the arts. Comparable as a small-team, award-winning Canadian independent magazine with a similar long-form essay and cultural-criticism editorial format serving an intellectual readership.
• L'actualité: Quebec general-interest magazine (formerly owned by Rogers Media) covering society, culture, politics, and lifestyle. Comparable as a Quebec French-language magazine competing for the same culturally engaged reader attention and advertising/partnership dollars as Nouveau Projet.
• La Pastèque: Montreal-based graphic novel and comics publisher, and Atelier 10's co-publisher on the Journalisme 9 collection. Directly comparable as an independent Quebec publisher with a distinctive editorial/design identity and a similar catalog-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nouveau_projet
• Facebookfacebook.com/NPmag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atelier-10
• Instagraminstagram.com/atelier_10

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Atelier 10