Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd

What Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd does

Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd, trading as Francia, is a Singapore-based designer, manufacturer, and installer of engineered outdoor shading systems serving both residential homeowners and commercial clients (architects, contractors, developers, F&B chains, schools, and government entities). The company operates exclusively within Singapore with island-wide service coverage, holding a Class 2 General Builder licence that permits tendering of commercial projects up to S$6.0 million. Founded in 1974 by N.S. Martin and incorporated as a private limited company in 2010, the business has operated for over five decades under the Francia brand, registered since 1988.

The core technology portfolio comprises motorised aluminium louver systems (including the proprietary Openable Roofing System with 9-point built-in drainage and 160-degree rotation), retractable fabric systems, retractable awnings with built-in safety features on arms, parasols, roller blinds, skylight shading, roofing, canopies, and cabanas. All products are designed and manufactured in-house in Singapore with proprietary engineering, integrating German motion control technology and Somfy motors for automation. The product range is supported by a fabric library including acrylic, sunscreen (Phifer, Mermet, Soltis-92), fire-rated (NFPA 701, EN 13501-1, German B1), Ferrari-502, and Commercial 95 HDPE options. Certifications include ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, BizSafe Star, and Singapore Green Building Product status for the ORS line.

Revenue is generated through one-time product sales bundled with professional installation services and included after-sales support, supplemented by a dealer programme for channel partners. Pricing is fully quote-based with no public price list: residential customers receive free site consultation, on-site measurement, and a 48-hour quotation turnaround, while commercial clients receive technical documentation packages (CAD blocks, BIM-light data, fire-rating certificates, warranty documentation) and a dedicated project manager from tender through handover, typically on multi-year project contract cadences. Landmark installations include Marina Bay Sands, McDonald's, 7-11, Giant stores, the Istana, and government and international schools.

Name

Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd

Legal name

Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd

Website

https://francia.com.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd (Francia) designs, manufactures, and installs engineered outdoor shading systems — motorised louvers, retractable awnings, parasols, roofing, and cabanas — in Singapore for residential homeowners and commercial clients including architects, contractors, F&B chains, hotels, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Shading Systems

NAICS

Blind and Shade Manufacturing (33792), Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers (423220), Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (337)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)

akta.pro primary industry

Window Treatments & Shading Systems (Blinds, Shades, Awnings) (IMADAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coated & Laminated Industrial Fabrics (Tarpaulins/Awnings/Inflatables/Architectural Membranes) (IMAOADAI), Gazebo, Pavilion & Shade Structure Installation/Repair (HSAIAJAH)

Keywords

• Outdoor shading systems
• Motorised louver roofs
• Retractable awnings
• Architectural parasols
• Commercial shade structures

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Outdoor Shading Products - Manufacturing and Installation: Designs, manufactures, and installs outdoor shading systems including motorised louvers, retractable awnings, retractable fabric systems, parasols, roller blinds, canopies, roofing, cabanas, and related products. Revenue derived from product sales and professional installation services for both residential and commercial customers across Singapore.
2. Professional Installation Services: Trained installation teams provide professional installation services for all products. After-sales service is included as part of the customer offering.
3. Dealer Programme: Channel partnership programme allowing dealers to access exclusive products and technical support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd (trading as Francia) designs, manufactures in-house and installs outdoor shading systems engineered for tropical climates. The core portfolio includes motorised aluminium louver systems, the proprietary Openable Roofing System (ORS), retractable fabric systems, retractable awnings, parasols (side post, center post, wall mounted and customised), roller blinds, skylight shading, roofing, canopies, cabanas, sail shade structures and motorised windows, supported by a proprietary fabric library. Products and installation services are sold to residential homeowners and commercial clients (architects, contractors, developers, F&B, hospitality, schools, government) across Singapore.

Product overview

Francia designs, manufactures, and installs Singapore's finest outdoor shading systems. The product portfolio is a unified suite of complementary shading solutions that work together to provide complete outdoor comfort: motorised louver systems (Openable Roofing System, Tilting, Fixed, and Privacy Louvers) serve as the flagship engineered shading products; retractable systems (Retractable Fabric System, Retractable Awnings) offer flexible sun control; various parasol configurations (Side Post, Center Post, Wall Mounted, Customised) provide targeted shade; and supporting products include Roller Blinds, Skylight Shading, Roofing, Canopies, Cabanas, Sail Shade Structures, Motorised Windows, and outdoor Furniture. All products are supported by a comprehensive range of proprietary fabrics including Acrylic, Sunscreen, Fire Rated, Ferrari-502, Soltis-92, and Commercial 95 shade cloth, as well as Acrylic Trimming accessories. The company operates from Singapore with in-house R&D, manufacturing, and installation capabilities, serving both residential (homeowners) and commercial (architects, contractors, developers) segments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Francia Openable Roofing System (ORS): Certified Green Building Products sun and rain protection system with ventilation, view, and light control capabilities.
• Francia Retractable Awnings
• Francia Retractable Fabric System

Products and services

• Louver System Motorised aluminium louver systems for buildings, including Openable Roofing System (ORS), Tilting Louvers, Fixed Louvers and Privacy Louvers with up to 160-degree rotation capability, providing heat, light, rain, ventilation and privacy control for residential and commercial outdoor spaces.
• Openable Roofing System (ORS) Motorised aluminium louver roof system providing sun and rain protection with ventilation, light and view control. Certified Green Building Product with louvers extending up to 6 metres projection using German motion control technology.
• Retractable Fabric System (RFS) Retractable fabric shade system available in Flat Design, Loop Design and Pergola Design configurations, with structural aluminium alloy framework (143mm x 67mm tracks, 53mm x 70mm sliding profiles, PU timing belt with GI wire rope reinforcement) supporting motorised or manual operation for sun protection.
• Retractable Awnings Motorised retractable awnings with built-in safety arm technology (BISF), available in Classic and Jumbo configurations. Free-hanging projection up to 6.0m without pole support, powered by Somfy motors with 100% acrylic fabric.
• Side Post Parasols Cantilevered parasol systems providing unobstructed movement below, available in Classic (medium duty) and Jumbo (super heavy duty) configurations with Structural Aluminium Alloy frames.
• Center Post Parasols Central-post parasols in Garden (economical), Classic (heavy duty) and Jumbo configurations, featuring a raised air-vent for stability and air circulation, available up to 8m octagon size.
• Roller Blinds Motorised outdoor roller blinds in cable-guided and track-guided (Slidetrack) configurations, designed for light filtering, heat control, glare reduction and daytime privacy, with optional wind, rain and sun sensors.
• Wall Mounted Parasols Space-saving wall-mounted parasols with Structural Aluminium Alloy frames, available in standard or custom sizes in Square, Octagon, Rectangle and Triangle configurations.
• Customised Parasols Tailor-made parasols for commercial use including branding options, available in various colours and sizes for cafés, restaurants, hotels, resorts and events.
• Sail Shade Structure Architectural shade sails using Commercial 95 HDPE shade cloth and SaFRshade fire-rated options, providing up to 98.8% UV block with 10-year UV warranty.
• Skylight Shading System Motorised skylight shading solutions including Horizontal Honeycomb Shades, Horizontal Indoor Loop Shades and Motorised Skylight Louvers for heat and light control through glass roofs.
• Roofing Systems Roofing systems including Retractable Sliding Roof (RSR) with smart home/automation integration, Fixed Aluminium Composite Panels and Fixed Polycarbonate Roofing with various panel covering options.
• Canopies Outdoor canopy systems including Fixed Canopies, French Canopies, Adjustable Fabric Tension System (AFTS) and Tensile Canopy in various shapes and sizes.
• Cabanas Outdoor cabana structures in Pyramid, Mini Gazebo, Gable End and Aluminium configurations, available in sizes ranging from 2m–6m in Rectangle, Hexagon and Octagon shapes.
• Motorised Windows Automated window systems for ventilation and natural light control with touch-button operation and smart home integration capabilities.
• Professional Installation and After-Sales Services Trained installation teams provide professional installation of all Francia products across Singapore, with after-sales service included as part of the customer offering for both residential and commercial projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Louvers extend up to 6 metres projection with no width limitation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• SomfycoreTechnology or IntegrationSomfy motors power Francia's retractable awnings for automated motorised operation. Somfy is a leading global provider of motor and control systems for window coverings and outdoor shading.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Markilux: German specialist in retractable awnings and patio roof systems for residential and commercial customers. Comparable product overlap with Francia's retractable awnings and retractable fabric systems.
• Weinor: German manufacturer of awnings, patio roofs, and vertical sun protection for residential and commercial projects. Overlaps with Francia's retractable awning, RFS pergola, and vertical blind offerings.
• Warema: German manufacturer of external sun protection systems including retractable awnings, external venetian blinds, and large-scale louver roofs. Direct competitor in the engineered outdoor shading category with similar premium specifications.
• Renson: Belgian manufacturer of outdoor louver systems, sun protection screens, and ventilation products. Closest international comparable to Francia's ORS and external louver portfolio, with overlapping residential and commercial channels.

Emerging players

• Solarlux: German manufacturer of glass-sliding walls and wintergarden systems with integrated sun protection. Adjacent in architectural shading and competes for high-end commercial shading tenders.

Others

• Serge Ferrari: French manufacturer of technical textiles for architectural applications including tensile roofing, facades, and solar protection. Comparator in the technical fabric and tensile membrane sector that feeds Francia's manufacturing supply chain.
• Somfy: French global leader in motors and automated control systems for indoor and outdoor shading. Strategic supplier to Francia (motors power retractable awnings) and broader ecosystem benchmark for smart-shading integration.

Broad incumbents

• Hunter Douglas: Global window covering and architectural products company with motorized blinds, awnings, and facade shading. Operates across residential and commercial segments with broader portfolio than Francia, including Australian and Asian operations that compete in the same regional markets.

Regional players

• Sunshade Experts: Singapore-based provider of outdoor shading solutions including retractable awnings and parasols. Local competitor serving the same residential and commercial segments.
• Sunlit Shading: Singapore-based outdoor shading specialist offering motorized awnings, retractable roofs, and patio covers. Direct domestic competitor in the same homeowner and commercial channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/franciashades
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FranciaShades#p/u
• Facebookfacebook.com/251542851554392
• Instagraminstagram.com/franciashades
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parasols-unlimited-pte-ltd

Compliance10 records

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 Parasols Unlimited Pte Ltd