SoDesign

What SoDesign does

SoDesign, operating under the legal entity HBIE and headquartered at 1 rue Grand Port in Saint-Malo, France, is a specialist services firm focused exclusively on the design, layout, merchandising, and consulting needs of independent retail pharmacies. The company delivers its work through three primary service lines — Conseil (strategic consulting and geomarketing analysis), Agencement (full pharmacy fitting including custom furniture manufacturing and project management), and Réaménagement (flexible à-la-carte redesign with macro- and micro-merchandising services) — plus a dedicated African-market offering (Offre Afrique) adapted for West African pharmacy owners via regional partnerships. Its technical platform centers on 3D design planning and visualization that allows pharmacy owners to see their sales space before implementation, combined with proprietary furniture manufacturing capacity in Normandy, France.

The business model is predominantly project-based professional services sold via a consultative sales motion: free initial video consultations, an 18-question simulation questionnaire to qualify and route leads, and tiered project budgets running from approximately €5,000–€10,000 for basic redesign work, through €20,000–€40,000 for mid-range projects, up to €40,000-plus for premium full-service fit-outs. The company claims furniture is produced roughly 20% below market alternatives due to in-house manufacturing, and it layers supporting partnerships (geomarketing analysis providers, financing partners, and a network of trusted artisans) to deliver end-to-end project execution with a single point of contact for the client.

SoDesign originated in West Africa, where its team spent several years fitting pharmacies before responding to demand from local pharmacists by entering the French market. It now serves independent pharmacy owners in France as its primary segment while maintaining a cross-continent footprint via local partner networks in Africa. The company is privately held, has no disclosed funding, no M&A activity, no patent portfolio, and no senior management information publicly available, leaving financial scale and ownership structure opaque.

Name

SoDesign

Legal name

HBIE

Website

https://sodesign-hbie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SoDesign (legal entity HBIE) is a Saint-Malo, France-based specialist services firm providing 3D pharmacy layout design, custom furniture manufacturing, geomarketing, and merchandising consulting to independent pharmacy owners in France and West Africa through project-based engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-malo-en-donziois

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmacy Consulting Services: Strategy consulting including geomarketing analysis, business development advice, and optimization of customer journey and merchandising to increase revenue and gross margins for pharmacies.
2. Pharmacy Layout and Fitting: Full-service pharmacy fitting from 3D design to construction and furniture installation. Services include customized furniture manufacturing and project management coordination.
3. Pharmacy Redesign/Relooking: Flexible 'Relooking à la Carte' approach offering customized solutions including renovations, painting, decoration, macro-merchandising and micro-merchandising services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SoDesign provides pharmacy-focused consulting, interior design, and fit-out services for independent pharmacists. The company offers strategic consulting (geomarketing, merchandising strategy), full-service pharmacy layout design including 3D visualization and custom furniture manufacturing, and flexible renovation/refurbishment services. It also serves African markets through adapted local solutions and local partners.

Product overview

SoDesign is a pharmacy-focused service company offering four distinct service offerings: (1) Offre Conseil for strategic consulting and geomarketing analysis, (2) Offre Agencement for complete pharmacy layout and custom furniture manufacturing, (3) Offre Réaménagement for flexible 'Relooking à la Carte' renovations with macro and micro-merchandising, and (4) Offre Afrique for pharmacy design services in African markets. The company also provides a Simulation Quiz tool to help prospects identify their needs. All offerings emphasize personalized solutions, local manufacturing in Normandy, 3D visualization capabilities, and comprehensive project management from concept to completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Offre Conseil (Pharmacy Consulting) Consulting service offering strategic advice, geomarketing analysis, and personalized market studies to help pharmacists optimize business performance, understand clientele and competition, and improve customer journey and merchandising. Targeted at independent pharmacy owners seeking to grow revenue and gross margins.
• Offre Agencement (Pharmacy Layout and Fitting) Comprehensive pharmacy layout and interior design solution including 3D plan design, custom furniture manufacturing, project management, work coordination, and merchandising strategies for long-term revenue optimization. Targeted at independent pharmacy owners undertaking full fit-out or new pharmacy openings.
• Offre Réaménagement (Relooking à la Carte) Flexible modular renovation service offering customized solutions including macro-merchandising for space optimization, micro-merchandising for product presentation, and optional work, painting, and decoration services. Targeted at independent pharmacists seeking partial or à la carte improvements without committing to a full fit-out.
• Offre Afrique (Pharmacy Services for Africa) Specialized pharmacy layout and interior design services tailored for African markets, featuring custom 3D design, local partner collaboration, and solutions adapted to local standards and requirements. Targeted at pharmacy owners across multiple African countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Furniture priced 20% below market average while maintaining quality standards

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Geomarketing Analysis PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized partners providing in-depth geomarketing studies to help pharmacists understand their clientele, competition, and market dynamics. Oriented after initial consultation to provide comprehensive market analysis.
• Financing PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancial partners who can assist pharmacists with financing solutions from impact studies to project funding for pharmacy development projects.
• Local Partners in AfricacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partners in various African countries where Sodesign is established, providing local expertise and collaboration for customized pharmacy fitting solutions adapted to each market.
• Trusted ArtisanssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNetwork of trusted artisans for construction work and renovations. Clients can choose between Sodesign's trusted artisans or their own preferred contractors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gensler: Global architecture and design firm with an established retail and healthcare practice that designs pharmacy, drug store, and health-and-beauty retail environments. Comparable as a much larger incumbent offering commercial interior design, layout planning, and merchandising strategy at scale across multiple verticals where SoDesign focuses exclusively on pharmacy retail.
• Stantec: International design and engineering consultancy with a dedicated healthcare practice that includes retail pharmacy, clinic, and hospital interior design services. Comparable as a broad incumbent that can deliver large-scale pharmacy fit-outs and master planning, but operates across many sectors rather than specializing in independent pharmacy retail the way SoDesign does.
• CallisonRTKL (Callison): International architecture and retail design firm (now operating as Callison) with strong expertise in retail environments, including drug store and health-and-beauty retail design. Comparable as a broad incumbent in retail interior design and merchandising strategy that competes for the same kinds of pharmacy retail fit-out briefs SoDesign pursues.
• Perkins&Will: Global architecture firm with a recognized healthcare design practice serving hospitals, clinics, and retail health environments including pharmacy. Comparable as a broad incumbent with deep healthcare design expertise and the scale to handle complex, multi-site pharmacy programs, though its scope extends well beyond SoDesign's independent pharmacy specialization.

Others

• CBRE Design Collective: Commercial real estate services firm with an in-house design practice that advises retailers, including pharmacy chains, on store layout, merchandising, and workspace strategy. Comparable as an enabling service provider that competes at the strategic consulting end of SoDesign's Conseil offering, though CBRE's design practice is part of a much broader real estate services platform.

Direct peers

• Pharmacie Design (French market specialist): France-based specialist in pharmacy interior design, furniture manufacturing, and merchandising services for independent pharmacies. Directly comparable to SoDesign in target customer (French independent pharmacists), service scope (layout, furniture, merchandising), and pricing tier structure, making it the closest direct peer in the home market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 SoDesign