9b+ | Cultural innovation agency

What 9b+ | Cultural innovation agency does

9b+ is a French cultural innovation agency that designs and delivers creative and digital experiences for cultural projects and public audiences. Founded circa 2008-2010 by Grégoire Chailleux (Telecom Paris, CELSA Master's) and co-founded by Ameline Coulombier (Sciences Po Paris), the agency is headquartered in Toulon with a core team of approximately six members spanning directorial, creative, museography, and full-stack development roles. It serves museums, cultural institutions, tourism offices, municipalities, and select private enterprises across France and selectively internationally (Belgium, Sweden, Japan, China, Brazil, Spain).

The agency's core offering is a portfolio of geolocated augmented reality applications built on the LAQUO software framework developed by its sister company The Elephant's Children (TECh), created in January 2023. Key products include Archistoire (deployed nationally across 14 French departments via the CAUE federation), Augmented City (co-developed with Orange), EnQuête(s) d'Histoires (Occitanie regional tourism), Cruise Friendly (cruise passenger guide), and Forward+50 (UNEP multiplayer serious game). Underlying technical capabilities combine computer vision for AR overlays, geolocation-based content triggering, and 360° interactive panoramas. The agency also operates an internal R&D unit, Le Lab, established in 2022 to explore XR narrative design, plus an academic partnership with Université du Molise for cultural tourism research.

The business model is predominantly project-based professional services across three streams: cultural engineering and consulting, design and creative services, and digital application development. Pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed rates or tiers; distribution is direct sales to institutional clients with collaborative engagement from conception to delivery. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The agency holds no external institutional investors, operates on a founder-led ownership structure, and was recognized as a France 2030 culture laureate in 2023 under the digitization of heritage and architecture program.

Name

9b+ | Cultural innovation agency

Legal name

9b+

Website

https://9bplus.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

9b+ is a French cultural innovation agency with a six-person team in Toulon that designs augmented reality applications and cultural engineering services for museums, tourism offices, municipalities, and select enterprises across France and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Engineering Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAAAAAD

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Advertising Agencies (Full-Service/Creative)

SECONDARYBPAHAKAK

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

SECONDARYMPAFAFAL

Asset Creation, Pipeline, DCC Integration & Content Management Tools

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Gaming & Interactive Entertainment (Video Games, Esports)/Game Engines, Middleware & Developer Tools

Keywords

• Cultural engineering services
• Heritage interpretation design
• Augmented reality applications
• Museum scenography
• Interactive tourism experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cultural Engineering & Consulting: Strategic consulting services for cultural projects, including programming studies, feasibility assessments, public audience analysis, and strategic planning for museums, cultural institutions, and territorial authorities.
2. Design & Creative Services: Scenography, art direction, design, and interactive conception services for exhibitions, museums, and cultural sites.
3. Digital Application Development: Design and deployment of mobile applications for cultural mediation, augmented reality experiences, and digital tourism tools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

9b+ is a cultural innovation agency that designs and delivers creative and digital experiences for cultural projects and public audiences. The agency combines consulting rigor with creative design to provide cultural engineering, museography, scenarization, art direction, interactive conception, and mediation services. It also develops and deploys geolocated augmented reality mobile applications (such as Archistoire and Augmented City) for heritage discovery, museums, and tourism destinations across France and internationally.

Product overview

9b+ operates as a cultural innovation agency offering a portfolio of mixed reality applications and professional services. The core product line includes Archistoire (geolocated AR heritage interpretation platform deployed nationally through CAUE networks), Augmented City (mixed reality city visit application developed with Orange), EnQuête(s) d'Histoires (territorial discovery tool with AR features), and Cruise Friendly (cruise passenger guide). These applications share the LAQUO framework (developed by sister company TECh) for creating narrative XR experiences. Services encompass museography, scripwriting, interactive design, artistic direction, mediation design, and cultural programming across heritage sites, museums, and tourism destinations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Archistoire: Geolocated augmented reality application for architecture and heritage interpretation, launched 2017, deployed nationally through CAUE network.
• EnQuête(s) d'Histoires
• Kanal Application
• Cruise Friendly
• LAQUO

Products and services

• Archistoire Geolocated augmented reality application for discovering urban architecture and heritage through interactive 360° panoramas, archival photo overlays, and location-triggered content. Deployed through CAUE network across 14 French departments for public audiences interested in architectural and territorial heritage.
• Augmented City Mixed-reality smartphone application for cultural site visits (cities, historical places, tourist sites) without additional equipment. For cultural institutions and tourism operators seeking mobile-mediated heritage experiences.
• EnQuête(s) d'Histoires en Toscane Occitane Mobile animation tool with augmented reality features for territorial discovery, featuring immersive routes between hilltop towns and riverbanks. For tourism offices and territorial authorities seeking to engage visitors through interactive outdoor experiences.
• Cruise Friendly Interactive application for cruise passengers optimizing port visits with certified recommendations for restaurants, shops, museums and activities, featuring geolocation and 360° immersive content about destination history. For cruise ports and local tourism operators.
• Forward+50 Multiplayer serious game on climate change and sustainable development where players collaboratively build the future of a city through collective decisions on energy, transport, housing, and other sustainability themes. Created for UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) for Rio+20 anniversary.
• Kanal - Hybrid Reality Exhibition Application Hybrid reality exhibition application that extends museum exhibitions into urban space with augmented reality content, multilingual support, and interactive mediation. For museums and cultural institutions seeking to extend exhibition reach beyond physical venues.

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• The Elephant's Children (TECh)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023Sister company created in January 2023 to develop and commercialize the LAQUO software framework for creating immersive hybrid reality narrative experiences. TECh handles technological development while 9b+ conceives and experiments with new cultural usages, feeding the technical and creative roadmap of their shared ecosystem.
• Université du Molise (UNIMOL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Framework agreement signed for implementing a scientific and training program around 'Digital tools usage for tourism valorization and territorial offerings', particularly oriented toward cultural tourism sector. Collaborative academic partnership.
• OrangeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Orange Content co-developed the Augmented City proof-of-concept application in hybrid reality for discovering cities with mobile devices. This flagship project demonstrated innovative cultural visit experiences enabled by mobile technology.
• MoRGaNa LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration supporting Déborah Ricco's research thesis on 'Narrating mountains in hybrid reality: the transhumance's route'. Partnership with research laboratory focusing on geography of flows and networks, territorial meanings, and new representation imaginaries.
• Fédération nationale des CAUEflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation supporting Archistoire's national deployment. Since September 2022, Archistoire became a national portal edited by CAUE councils from 14 French departments for heritage and territory discovery.
• CAUE VarflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with CAUE Var that led to Archistoire's creation in 2017. CAUE brings expertise in public awareness while 9b+ contributes muséography and interaction design skills to create innovative heritage interpretation tools.
• SkertzòminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSkertzò served as lead contractor (mandataire) for the Croix-Rousse pedestrian tunnel project in Lyon. 9b+ contributed as specialized cultural engineering partner for the prospective study.
• LordcultureminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for the UNEP 'Forward+50' climate change serious game project. Lordculture provided consulting expertise for the environmental sustainability initiative.
• Tamschick Media+SpaceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for the Cité des civilisations du vin competition in Bordeaux. Contributed media and space design expertise for the audiovisual and multimedia devices.
• Interagir conseilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInteragir Conseil was the lead contractor for the Champagne-Ardenne tourism training program, with 9b+ delivering gamification training content as a subcontracted specialist.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ideum: US-based firm designing interactive museum exhibits and large-format touch-based experiences — directly comparable to 9b+'s museography, scenography, and interactive-conception offerings for cultural institutions.
• Moment Factory: Montreal-based studio creating immersive multimedia, AR, and XR experiences for cultural, public, and brand spaces — the closest international analogue to 9b+'s model of combining cultural storytelling with proprietary immersive technology.
• Luci Creative: US-based museum experience design and fabrication firm — directly comparable in delivering end-to-end exhibition and interpretive experiences for cultural institutions, similar to 9b+'s museography and scenography work.
• Cocolab: New York-based studio designing interactive and immersive experiences for museums, brands, and cultural institutions — shares 9b+'s blend of narrative, technology, and physical/digital scenography.
• Float4: Montreal-based studio specializing in multimedia and immersive digital experiences for cultural, retail, and public spaces — shares 9b+'s combination of architectural storytelling, interactive technology, and cultural-engineering consulting.
• ESI Design: New York-based experience design studio (formerly Second Story) creating interactive, immersive installations for museums, cultural institutions, and brand environments — directly comparable in methodology and client base to 9b+.
• ARTECHOUSE: US-based operator and producer of technology-driven immersive art installations for cultural audiences — comparable to 9b+ in its focus on XR-driven cultural experiences for public-facing venues.
• teamLab: Japanese interdisciplinary art collective producing large-scale immersive digital installations for museums and cultural venues — directly comparable to 9b+ in its use of technology to mediate cultural and natural environments.

Broad incumbents

• Culturespaces: French operator of immersive cultural venues (Atelier des Lumières, Bassins de Lumières) and producer of large-scale digital art experiences — a broader incumbent in the French cultural-XR space that both competes with and partners around 9b+.

Regional players

• Tetro: French creative studio producing immersive digital and scenographic experiences for museums, exhibitions, and cultural venues — a regional peer operating in the same French heritage-XR space as 9b+.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/9bplusdesign/?locale=fr_FR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9bplus-fr
• Instagraminstagram.com/_9bplus_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 9b+ | Cultural innovation agency