The Funambulist

What The Funambulist does

The Funambulist is a bilingual (English/French) print and online magazine published bimonthly since 2015 from Paris, operating as a French EURL with ISSN 2402-5895. The publication sits at the intersection of architecture, academia, and activism, producing long-form analysis of how cities, spatial practices, and bodies intersect with anticolonial, antiracist, queer, and feminist political struggles globally. Its core technology is a bilingual digital publishing platform with print-on-demand distribution, complemented by an open-access archive containing approximately 80% of out-of-print issues.

The product portfolio centers on the bimonthly magazine and has expanded into a four-show podcast network (The Funambulist Podcast with 159 episodes, A Moment of True Decolonization with 31 episodes, Diasporas et Imaginaires des Luttes with 23 episodes, and Quartiers Populaires with 14 episodes), online editorials, The Funambulist Maps (5 variations), and merchandise including tote bags. The editorial team is small — 3 core members (Editor-in-Chief Léopold Lambert, Head of Communications Shivangi Mariam Raj, Office Manager Assia Tamerdjent) supported by 11 regular collaborators spanning copy-editing, multilingual translation (English/French/Spanish), and field correspondence.

The business model is subscription-recurring, with approximately 90% of funding coming from subscribers and readers. Revenue streams include magazine subscriptions (monthly/yearly), single-issue sales (digital, print, or bundled with tote bags), maps, and special packages such as the Anticolonial Bundle. Pricing ranges from €3-€26 per unit, with volume discounts of 10-20% for multi-issue purchases and curated bundles priced at €45 (down from €80). Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce through thefunambulist.net with wholesale through partner bookstores globally. The customer base consists primarily of academics, researchers, activists, and politically-engaged general readers seeking internationalist, intersectional analysis outside mainstream academic publishing.

Name

The Funambulist

Legal name

French EURL, tax on income

Website

https://thefunambulist.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Funambulist is a bilingual (English/French) print and online magazine published bimonthly since 2015 from Paris, serving academics, researchers, and activists with long-form analysis of spatial approaches to anticolonial, antiracist, queer, and feminist political struggles worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Politics, Current Affairs & Social Commentary Publishing (MPAJAAAM), Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH), Audio Learning Content (Podcasts, Audiobooks, Listening Programs) (EDAGALAM)

Keywords

• Bilingual print magazine
• Independent publishing
• Decolonial journalism
• Political podcast
• Cultural criticism

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Primary revenue stream, representing 90% of funding. Monthly and yearly subscription options provide recurring revenue and include both print delivery and online access to all archived articles.
2. Single Issue Sales: Individual magazine issues sold through website and partner bookstores. Issues available in digital, print, or print+digital formats.
3. Maps and Merchandise: Sale of The Funambulist Maps (5 variations) with print and digital versions. Also includes tote bags and special packages combining multiple issues with merchandise.
4. Special Packages and Bundles: Bundled offerings including multiple issues with discounts, such as the Anticolonial Bundle and Special Package options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Funambulist publishes a bilingual (English/French) print and online magazine every two months, exploring the politics of space and bodies through anticolonial, antiracist, queer, and feminist perspectives. Beyond the magazine, it produces four podcast shows, online editorials, and sells political maps and branded merchandise, with roughly 80% of back issues made available via open access.

Product overview

The Funambulist is a bilingual (English/French) print and online magazine operated by French EURL, publishing bimonthly since 2015 at the intersection of architecture, academia, and activism. The core product is the print and digital magazine (ISSN 2402-5895 online), complemented by four podcast shows (The Funambulist Podcast with 159 episodes, A Moment of True Decolonization with 31 episodes, Diasporas et Imaginaires des Luttes with 23 episodes, and Quartiers Populaires with 14 episodes), online editorial content including the Funambulist Correspondents series, and merchandise including political maps and tote bags. The publication focuses on anticolonial, antiracist, queer, and feminist spatial politics, with approximately 80% of out-of-print issues made open-access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Funambulist Magazine A bilingual (English/French) print and online magazine published every two months, focusing on the politics of space and bodies through anticolonial, antiracist, queer, and feminist perspectives, covering topics such as architecture, urbanism, colonialism, gender, and liberation movements globally.
• The Funambulist Podcast (ENG) English-language podcast show with 159 episodes featuring interviews and discussions on spatial politics, decolonization, and liberation movements worldwide.
• A Moment of True Decolonization English-language podcast series with 31 episodes featuring daily podcasts on decolonial perspectives and decolonization struggles globally.
• Diasporas et Imaginaires des Luttes (FR) French-language podcast show with 23 episodes focusing on diasporas and political imaginaries of struggles.
• Quartiers Populaires (FR) French-language podcast show with 14 episodes exploring popular neighborhoods and urban politics.
• The Funambulist Maps Print and digital map products (5 variations) covering political geographies, available with 10% discount on 2 maps and 20% discount on 3+ maps.
• Tote Bags Branded tote bags sold individually or bundled with magazine issues, including the 2023 Maia tote bag design.
• Subscriptions Monthly or yearly subscription options providing print and/or digital access to every bimonthly issue plus online article access; the magazine is 90% funded by subscribers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Palestine Festival of Literature (PalFest)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on issue #27 'Learning With Palestine' featuring contributions from PalFest 2019 guests, three PalFest organizers, and four guest Palestinian authors. This partnership produced content exploring how to reclaim what colonialism stole, addressing cities, land, language, interiors, narratives, and digital instruments.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• e-flux Architecture: Online publishing platform at the intersection of architecture and politics, publishing articles, projects, and events on spatial politics globally — directly overlapping The Funambulist's architecture-meets-politics editorial remit.
• n+1: Independent literary-political magazine published three times a year with subscription model and deep essays on culture and politics — comparable independent, intellectually rigorous, reader-funded magazine format.
• Third Text: Quarterly journal on art, culture, and critical theory with focus on postcolonial and decolonial perspectives — closely aligned with The Funambulist's intellectual readership and intersectional scholarly audience.
• Bidoun: Independent magazine focused on Middle Eastern art and culture with emphasis on displacement, politics, and postcolonial critique — significant thematic overlap with The Funambulist's intersectional political remit.
• Africa Is a Country: Independent online magazine publishing critical writing on politics, culture, and decolonial thought with global contributors — comparable niche political-cultural commentary model with reader-supported operations.
• Cabinet Magazine: Independent quarterly magazine blending culture, politics, and ideas, with a long-running print and online archive — a structural and editorial model comparable to The Funambulist's reader-funded niche magazine approach.

Broad incumbents

• Verso Books: Major independent radical publisher producing books, journals, and online content on politics, critical theory, and social movements — serves overlapping readers and operates in adjacent publishing categories (books vs periodicals).
• Jacobin: Quarterly print magazine and online publication covering left-wing politics, theory, and social movements — broader political magazine with subscription model overlapping with The Funambulist's reader-funded politicized publishing.

Emerging players

• Public Books: Online magazine publishing reviews and essays at intersection of politics, culture, and scholarship — adjacent open-access critical magazine serving similar academic-activist audience segments.
• Warscapes: Independent online magazine exploring conflict, displacement, and political resistance through literary and journalistic content — overlaps in activist-academic readership and internationalist editorial framing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheFunambulist_
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheFunambulistMagazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/thefunambulistmagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-funambulist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Funambulist