Quai De La Photo

What Quai De La Photo does

Quai de la Photo is a privately held French company operating a floating contemporary photography art center on the Seine in Paris's 13th arrondissement, at 9 port de la Gare, adjacent to the Bibliothèque nationale de France. Founded in July 2023 and led by President Géraud Boursin, the venue occupies a 700m2 floating building with over 1,000m2 of exhibition surface, complemented by a marina of four historic boats (Farö, Lugano, Kaïros, and the 100% electric Zéro de Conduite catamaran). The company operates a hybrid cultural-festive model combining free contemporary photography exhibitions, a bar-restaurant open 12h-02h daily, a seasonal terrace (May-October), a photography bookshop, DJ nights Wednesday through Sunday, conferences, and photography workshops.

The business runs multiple diversified revenue streams under a transaction-fee / unit-pricing model. Core monetization includes: bar and restaurant sales (weekday lunch formula at €19, festive dinners for groups of 10+); shared Seine cruises at €15 per person on the Zéro de Conduite (12-passenger capacity); private cruises of 50 minutes (from €390) or 1h30 (from €640, including Eiffel Tower route) on the historic fleet; corporate afterwork cruises at €32.50 per person; team building packages at €95 HT per person combining breakfast, cruise, and cyanotype workshop; and full venue privatization starting from €1,500 HT for events up to 750 guests. Reservations are processed via direct website booking, FareHarbor (cruises), ZenChef (restaurant), and Shotgun (DJ nights), with a Shopify-based online shop for books, postcards, and cyanotype kits.

Customer segmentation spans cultural enthusiasts and art lovers (free exhibition visitors), corporate clients (privatization, team building, afterwork), social groups and celebrations (festive dinners, birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties), tourists seeking Seine cruises, and corporate teams. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer via walk-in and reservation, supplemented by third-party booking platforms, a PR agency (MelleCom), and partnerships with DJ collectives and ANI (Association Nationale des Iconographes de France) for portfolio reviews. The company holds a registered capital of €757,900, operates with 11-50 employees, and is GDPR-compliant under French data protection law.

Name

Quai De La Photo

Legal name

Quai de la Photo

Website

https://quaidelaphoto.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quai de la Photo is a privately held floating contemporary photography art center on the Seine in Paris (founded 2023), combining free exhibitions, a bar-restaurant, Seine cruises aboard historic boats, team building, venue privatization, and DJ nights to serve cultural visitors, corporate clients, and social groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Venue & Hospitality

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theme & Specialty River Cruises (Culinary/Wellness/Music/etc.) (THAEACAL)

Keywords

• Floating art center
• Photography exhibitions
• Seine cruises
• Event venue rental
• Cultural hospitality venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bar & Restaurant: Food and beverage sales including cocktails, wines, beers, sharing plates, and festive dinners. Open from 12h to 02h daily, with a lunch formula at 19€ and festive dinners for groups of 10+ available Wednesday to Sunday.
2. Shared Cruises: 50-minute shared cruises aboard the boat Zéro de Conduite around central Paris islands for 15€ per person, with limited capacity of 12 passengers.
3. Private Cruises: Private cruises of 50 minutes (from 390€) or 1h30 (from 640€) aboard various boats (Farö, Lugano, Kaïros, Zéro de Conduite), including Prosecco and foccacia.
4. Afterwork Cruises: Corporate afterwork cruises for 2-12 passengers at 390€ HT, with per-person pricing starting at 32.50€.
5. Team Building: Team building activities combining photography workshops (cyanotype), cruises, and breakfast for 10-60 persons at 95€ HT per person over 2h30.
6. Venue Privatization: Private event rentals starting from 1,500€ HT for corporate events, cocktails, seminars, dinners, parties, film shoots, and fashion shows accommodating up to 450 people (750 with terrace).
7. Bookshop/Boutique: Sale of photography books, postcards, cyanotype kits, and souvenirs. Also available online through their Shopify store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quai de la Photo is a floating art center on the Seine in Paris that combines contemporary photography exhibitions (free admission, over 1,000 m² of display space) with hospitality services including a bar-restaurant open from 12h to 02h, DJ nights, a bookshop, and a fleet of historic boats for private and shared Seine cruises. The venue also rents out its spaces for corporate and private events and offers team building packages combining photography workshops with cruises.

Product overview

Quai de la Photo is a hybrid floating art center and cultural venue on the Seine in Paris, offering a unified platform that combines a photography exhibition space with hospitality and leisure services. The core offering comprises free contemporary photography exhibitions occupying over 1,000m2 of the floating barge, complemented by a fleet of historic collection boats (Farö, Lugano, Kaïros, Zéro de Conduite) for Seine cruises ranging from shared 50-minute tours (€15) to private 1h30 excursions (from €640). The venue operates as a bar-restaurant from noon to 2am with DJ sets Wednesday-Sunday, offers team building packages combining photography workshops with cruises (€95/person), and provides full privatization for events up to 750 people. Supporting services include a library/bookshop, portfolio review sessions (L'Œil du Quai), photography workshops, and conference programs. All offerings are bookable through third-party platforms (FareHarbor for cruises, ZenChef for dining) and can be combined for comprehensive cultural event experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Photography Exhibitions Free, open-access contemporary photography exhibitions featuring major established photographers and emerging artists from France and abroad, displayed across the floating barge's main deck, gallery, and terrace (over 1,000 m²).
• Private Cruises Private Seine cruises of 50 minutes (from €390) or 1h30 (from €640) aboard historic boats (Farö, Lugano, Kaïros, Zéro de Conduite), including Prosecco and foccacia, with routes past major Paris monuments including the Eiffel Tower.
• Shared Cruises 50-minute shared cruises aboard the 100% electric catamaran Zéro de Conduite for €15 per person, with maximum capacity of 12 passengers, touring the central Paris islands and landmarks (BNF, Cité de la Mode, Hôtel de Ville, Notre Dame).
• Afterwork Cruises Corporate afterwork cruises for teams of 2-12 passengers at €390 HT per cruise (from €32.50 per person), with optional shared payment system and drink pre-orders.
• Bar & Restaurant Full bar and restaurant service from 12h to 02h daily, offering cocktails, organic wines, craft beers, no/low-alcohol options, sharing plates, a weekday lunch formula at €19, and festive dinners for groups of 10+ available Wednesday to Sunday.
• Seasonal Terrace Seasonal outdoor terrace open May to October, noon to midnight, with outdoor bars, dining, and view of the Seine and marina, featuring seasonal exhibitions as veiling for shade.
• Team Building Team building packages combining photography workshops (cyanotype), 50-minute Seine cruises, and breakfast for groups of 10-60 persons at €95 HT per person over 2h30.
• Venue Privatizations Full or partial venue privatization for corporate events, cocktails, seminars, dinners, parties, film shoots, and fashion shows, accommodating up to 450 guests (750 with the docked terrace). Spaces include floating building (700 m²), main deck (450 m²), terrace (400 m²), and showroom (130 m²). Starting from €1,500 HT.
• DJ Sets & Nights Weekly DJ sets and themed nights running Wednesday through Sunday, featuring house, electro, disco, baile funk, afro, and generalist music programmed by collectives including NL Production, Ginga Events, Lamiaou Records, and others.
• Library / Bookshop On-site bookshop featuring emerging photographers' books, beginner guides, and must-have references, plus photography-inspired items such as postcards and cyanotype kits; also sold online via the venue's Shopify store.
• L'Œil du Quai Portfolio Reviews Monthly portfolio afterworks and professional portfolio reading sessions co-organized with ANI (Association Nationale des Iconographes de France) for emerging photographers.
• DJ Sets & Nights Weekly DJ sets and themed nights running Wednesday through Sunday, featuring house, electro, disco, baile funk, afro, and generalist music programmed by collectives including NL Production, Ginga Events, Lamiaou Records, and others.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free admission to all exhibitions
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ANI - Association Nationale des Iconographes de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized professional portfolio readings with ANI for photography students from Paris schools. First session focused on documentary photography and photojournalism with winner Bastien Ohier. ANI has approximately 200 members and is a partner in major cultural events related to photography.
• NL ProductioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDJ collective animating La Marina Saturday night events with Electro, House, Disco, Baile funk, Afro, and generalist sets.
• Ginga EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• Lamiaou RecordsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMusic collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• Groove NomademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• Itin BisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• Rebels CollectifminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• _Mozzika_minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• Echecs EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collective performing Wednesday-Friday evenings at Quai de la Photo.
• MelleCom AgencycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPR agency handling press relations with contact: Mélanie Tresch (+33(0)6 86 56 11 90, [email protected]).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yachts de Paris: Premium private charter and dining cruises on the Seine. Comparable on the high-end private cruise and event-boat side of Quai de la Photo's business.
• Le 104 / Centquatre: Major Parisian cultural center combining free exhibitions, dining, concerts and family programming. Comparable as a multi-revenue cultural venue model that converts free art into paid experiences.
• Jeu de Paume: Parisian photography and image-arts center in the Tuileries. Comparable as a peer institution running contemporary photography exhibitions and cultural programming.
• Bateaux Parisiens: Major Paris Seine cruise and dining-boat operator at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Comparable for both cruise and event privatization businesses.
• Bateaux Mouches: Long-established Seine cruise operator in Paris offering sightseeing and dining cruises. Directly comparable to Quai de la Photo's shared and private cruise offerings on the same river.
• Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP): Parisian contemporary photography institution with exhibition programming. Directly comparable as a peer photography art center in Paris targeting similar cultural audiences.
• Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson: Parisian photography foundation with rotating exhibitions and portfolio reviews. Comparable in curatorial focus, photography-art programming and patron-level audience.
• Le Showcase Paris: Event and nightlife venue located beneath the Pont Alexandre III in Paris. Comparable as a high-end privatizable event space on the Seine combining dining and DJ programming.

Emerging players

• La Recyclerie: Hybrid cultural, food and events venue in Paris. Comparable in its combination of free cultural programming, bar/restaurant and event hosting, though not on water.
• Wanderlust Paris: Riverside club and cultural venue on the Seine/Austerlitz. Comparable as a hybrid cultural-nightlife venue targeting similar young, experience-driven Parisian audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/quaidelaphoto_nocturne
• Facebookfacebook.com/100087168626657
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quai-de-la-photo

Compliance2 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 Quai De La Photo