Huma-Num
Huma-Num is a French Very Large Research Infrastructure (IR*/TGIR, UAR 3598) under CNRS that provides free digital repository, discovery and preservation services (NAKALA, ISIDORE, Huma-Num Box, ShareDocs) for humanities and social sciences researchers, funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersParis, France, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Huma-Num does
Huma-Num is a French Very Large Research Infrastructure (IR* / TGIR, formal designation UAR 3598) that provides digital research infrastructure for the humanities and social sciences. Its mission, funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR/MESRI) and operated under the tutelage of CNRS with Aix-Marseille Université and Campus Condorcet, is to support the digital transition of French SSH research across the full data lifecycle: organisation, collection, processing, preservation, publication and reuse.
The infrastructure's core products are NAKALA, an interoperable repository for depositing and preserving text, audio, video and image data with DOI persistent identifiers, qualified Dublin Core metadata and OAI-PMH interoperability; and ISIDORE, a multilingual discovery platform indexing publications, data and researcher profiles in up to nine languages. Supporting services include ShareDocs (secure web file manager), Huma-Num Box (distributed storage across ~10 nodes, ~500 TB capacity), ~100 TB of NAS for hot data, web hosting for ~800 sites, ~300 virtual machines and a self-hosted GitLab. Third-party tools operated on Huma-Num infrastructure include TXM (text corpus analysis), OpenTheso (multilingual thesaurus management), Stylo (scientific writing) and Heurist (database publishing). The stack is built on Linked Open Data standards (RDF, SPARQL, SKOS, OWL) with multi-protocol access (REST, GraphQL, SPARQL, OAI-PMH, IIIF) and centralised authentication through HumanID.
The business model is non-commercial: Huma-Num is funded by MESR as a public research infrastructure, all services are provided free of charge to French and international SSH researchers, and long-term preservation is contracted to CINES under a four-year agreement. Go-to-market is community-led via a network of funded consortia, a relay-correspondent network in the Maisons des Sciences de l'Homme across France, training programmes, and active French coordination of European infrastructures DARIAH and CLARIN, with participation in OPERAS, TRIPLE, SSHOC and EOSC-PILLAR. Huma-Num is led by Director Olivier Baude (Directeur de l'IR* Huma-Num et de l'UAR 3598), under the broader publication governance of the CNRS Président-directeur général.
Huma-Num firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Huma-Num
- Legal name
- IR* Huma-Num – UAR 3598
- Website
- https://huma-num.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Huma-Num is a French Very Large Research Infrastructure (IR*/TGIR, UAR 3598) under CNRS that provides free digital repository, discovery and preservation services (NAKALA, ISIDORE, Huma-Num Box, ShareDocs) for humanities and social sciences researchers, funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Huma-Num industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Humanities Research Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Data Warehousing, ETL/ELT & Master Data Management (MDM) (EDADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Asset Management (DAM) for Media/Creative (MPAHAGAB), Content Retrieval, Distribution & Reuse Workflows (Interoperability/APIs) (MPAHAGAK)
Keywords
Where Huma-Num is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris, France
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Huma-Num business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Government Research Funding: Huma-Num is funded by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR/MESRI) for its mission. Services including NAKALA repository usage (depositing and viewing files) are provided free of charge to users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free access for all French and international SSH researchers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Huma-Num product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Huma-Num provides a national digital research infrastructure for humanities and social sciences, centered on NAKALA (an interoperable repository for depositing, preserving, and sharing research data with DOI identifiers) and ISIDORE (a multilingual search and discovery platform for SSH publications and datasets). Supporting services include distributed storage (Huma-Num Box, NAS), secure file management (ShareDocs), web hosting, virtual machines, and hosted third-party research tools (TXM, Stylo, OpenTheso, Heurist), all built on Semantic Web technologies and provided free of charge to the research community.
Product overview
Huma-Num is a French Very Large Research Infrastructure (IR*) for digital humanities and social sciences, providing an ecosystem of interconnected services for the research data lifecycle. The core offerings include NAKALA (an interoperable data repository for deposit, preservation, and sharing with persistent DOI identifiers) and ISIDORE (a multilingual discovery platform aggregating and indexing SSH publications and datasets). Supporting services include ShareDocs and Huma-Num Box (storage solutions for hot and cold data respectively), web hosting and virtual machines for research applications, and collaborative tools (GitLab, Kanboard, Mattermost). Third-party tools hosted on the infrastructure include TXM (text corpus analysis), Heurist (database management), OpenTheso (thesaurus management), and Stylo (scientific text editor). The platform emphasizes Linked Open Data principles using RDF, SPARQL, SKOS, and OWL technologies, with long-term preservation supported through CINES partnership.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- NAKALA: Interoperable and secure repository service for depositing all types of research data (text files, audio, video, images) to share them with persistent identifiers and long-term preservation.
- ISIDORE
- Huma-Num Box
- ShareDocs
- Huma-Num Lab
- HumanID
Products and services
- NAKALA Interoperable and secure repository service for depositing, preserving, and sharing research data in humanities and social sciences. Provides persistent identifiers (DOI), permanent data access, metadata standardization via qualified Dublin-Core, and long-term preservation through CINES partnership.
- ISIDORE
Quantifiable outcome
- 700,000+ data items preserved and accessible
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Huma-Num
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Huma-Num technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Huma-Num partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreCNRS is the primary parent organization of Huma-Num. Huma-Num is an UAR 3598 under CNRS tutelage. CNRS provides institutional backing, infrastructure hosting (at FMSH), and hosts the website. The director of publication is the CNRS President-Director General.
- Aix-Marseille University (AMU)coreAix-Marseille University is a founding tutelle of Huma-Num (UAR 3598), alongside CNRS and Campus Condorcet.
- Campus CondorcetcoreCampus Condorcet is a founding tutelle of Huma-Num and hosts the main Aubervilliers location of the infrastructure.
- CINES (Centre Informatique National de l'Enseignement Supérieur)corePartnership for long-term digital preservation. CINES provides infrastructure and expertise for archiving data with scientific value. Relations governed by 4-year agreement. CINES performs format validation, archival monitoring, and long-term preservation with remote data replication.
- CC IN2P3 (Centre de Calcul de l'IN2P3-CNRS)coreMajor national computing center created for particle physics data management. Hosts Huma-Num infrastructure in Lyon data center built for physicists, with hardware-level security (redundant power, networking, cooling).
- DARIAH (Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities)coreHuma-Num coordinates French participation in DARIAH ERIC. Part of DARIAH Coordination Office is based in Paris at Huma-Num. France is a founding member. Huma-Num is national coordinating institution for DARIAH-FR network.
- CLARIN (Common Language Resources and Technology Infrastructure)coreHuma-Num coordinates French participation in CLARIN ERIC. France is currently an observer member. CLARIN provides infrastructure for language data and tools for SSH research.
- OPERAS (Open Scholarly Communication in Europe)majorHuma-Num participates in creation of OPERAS European Research Infrastructure for open scholarly communication, led by French OpenEdition, grouping 35 organizations from 12 European countries.
- OpenEditionmajorStrategic collaboration on OPERAS infrastructure and open access scholarly communication in SSH. OpenEdition leads OPERAS development.
- MSH (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme) NetworkmajorNetwork of correspondents across MSH institutions in France relays information about Huma-Num services and tools to local research communities. Key distribution channel for reaching SSH researchers nationwide.
- TRIPLE (European Discovery Platform)majorProject led by Huma-Num developing European platform for discovery of data, research projects and researcher profiles in 9 languages. Includes crowdfunding, recommendation system, and annotation tools.
- SSHOC (Social Sciences and Humanities Open Cloud)majorEuropean project bringing SSH actors to EOSC construction. Creates SSH Open Marketplace for discovery of tools and services. Huma-Num contributes to FAIR data principles implementation.
- CO.SHS (Canadian Open Cyberinfrastructure for Humanities and Social Sciences)minorHuma-Num is partner providing assessment and tools for Canadian SSH cyberinfrastructure initiative. Collaboration on discovery, seminars and research programs.
- Chaire de Recherche du Canada sur les Écritures NumériquesminorDevelops Stylo scientific text editor with support from Université de Montréal, Érudit, CRIHN and Huma-Num under CRIHN-HN agreement.
- EOSC-PILLARminorProject bringing together national infrastructure representatives from 5 EU member states. Huma-Num involved through expertise in SSH research data management.
- Recherche Data GouvmajorNational research data infrastructure partner for dissemination of metadata and coordination on data management practices.
- BNF (Bibliothèque nationale de France)minorPartnership for coordination on digital heritage and research data preservation.
- RNMSH (Réseau National des Maisons des Sciences de l'Homme)majorNational network partner for research infrastructure coordination and relay services.
- CRIHN (Centre de Recherche Interuniversitaire sur les Humanités Numériques)minorPartnership under CRIHN-HN agreement for development of Stylo editor and digital writing tools.
- Labex Les Passés dans le PrésentminorPartnership with excellence research laboratory for historical studies.
- Consortium MASA (Mémoire des Archéologues et des Sites Archéologiques)minorHuma-Num consortium supporting OpenTheso development and archaeological data management.
- IHRIM (UMR) / ENS de LyonminorCoordination of TXM text corpus analysis software project, partnership for support and training of TXM portals.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Huma-Num competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Europeana: European digital cultural heritage platform aggregating millions of items from EU institutions. Overlaps with ISIDORE in cross-border multilingual discovery of cultural and scholarly content.
- OpenAIRE: Pan-European open science infrastructure supporting EOSC with discovery, monitoring, and data services. Overlaps with ISIDORE/Nakala in research data discovery and FAIR data support across all disciplines.
Direct peers
- Zenodo: CERN-hosted open research data repository with DOI assignment and multi-discipline scope. Directly comparable to NAKALA as an interoperable repository for research datasets, though broader in disciplinary coverage.
- OPERAS: European Research Infrastructure for open scholarly communication in SSH, led by OpenEdition. Huma-Num is a founding participant; comparable as a peer European SSH infrastructure organization.
- Dataverse: Open-source research data repository software originating from Harvard, widely deployed by institutions. Comparable to NAKALA as a long-tail institutional repository platform for research data with DOI minting.
- Dryad: Curation-backed research data publishing platform with DOI assignment. Comparable to NAKALA as a domain-agnostic trusted repository for research datasets, though commercial-led.
- OpenEdition: French-led infrastructure for open scholarly publishing in SSH. Huma-Num is a strategic partner through OPERAS, and both serve overlapping French/European SSH communities with publishing and discovery services.
- CLARIN: European Research Infrastructure Consortium for language resources and tools. Huma-Num coordinates French participation in CLARIN, and both provide shared digital infrastructure for SSH research communities.
- DARIAH: European Research Infrastructure Consortium for Digital Arts and Humanities. Huma-Num coordinates the French national node (DARIAH-FR), making them directly comparable as SSH research data and tool infrastructure providers.
Others
- CINES: French national computing center for higher education, partner of Huma-Num for long-term digital preservation. Comparable as an enabler/infrastructure provider rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Huma-Num social profiles
Digital presenceHuma-Num financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Huma-Num leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Huma-Num funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Huma-Num 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 Huma-Num
What does Huma-Num do?
Huma-Num provides a national digital research infrastructure for humanities and social sciences, centered on NAKALA (an interoperable repository for depositing, preserving, and sharing research data with DOI identifiers) and ISIDORE (a multilingual search and discovery platform for SSH publications and datasets). Supporting services include distributed storage (Huma-Num Box, NAS), secure file management (ShareDocs), web hosting, virtual machines, and hosted third-party research tools (TXM, Stylo, OpenTheso, Heurist), all built on Semantic Web technologies and provided free of charge to the research community.
Is Huma-Num a public or private company?
Huma-Num is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Huma-Num founded?
Huma-Num was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Huma-Num based?
Huma-Num is headquartered in Paris, France, France, in the Europe region.
How does Huma-Num make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Research Funding.
Who are Huma-Num's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Europeana and OpenAIRE. Direct peers are Zenodo, OPERAS, Dataverse, Dryad, OpenEdition, CLARIN and DARIAH. CINES is listed as an others.
Does Huma-Num have an API?
Yes. NAKALA repository provides multiple data access protocols including SPARQL endpoint, OAI-PMH for metadata dissemination, REST API for data deposit and retrieval, GraphQL interface, and IIIF for image/viewer integration. These interfaces allow interoperability with external tools and systems. Access to NAKALA is managed through the HumanID authentication system. Developer documentation is at documentation.huma-num.fr/nakala-API.
What industry is Huma-Num in?
Huma-Num's product category is Digital Humanities Research Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAIAB, Education Data Warehousing, ETL/ELT & Master Data Management (MDM), with a secondary code of MPAHAGAB, Digital Asset Management (DAM) for Media/Creative. Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 7372.