hérétique

What hérétique does

hérétique is a Paris-based French collective operating simultaneously as a think tank, creative studio, publishing house, and boutique consultancy. Founded in 2018 by three co-instigateurs (Ferdinand Barbier, Kevin Echraghi, Antoine Mestrallet), the firm operates from the 16th arrondissement of Paris with a headcount of 1-10 and is privately held with no disclosed venture or private equity backing. The firm monetizes across four interrelated streams: (i) consulting and strategic research for corporate and institutional clients, with named engagements spanning luxury (Chanel, Hermès), banking (Caisse d'Epargne), hospitality (Accor), postal services (La Poste), supranational government (Conseil de l'Union Européenne), and regional government (Région Occitanie); (ii) recurring academic teaching at elite French institutions including Sciences Po Paris, ESCP, and ENPC; (iii) publishing and product creation across books, mobile applications (Dérive, Cocolor), card games (Le Tarot du Temps, La Galerie des Alternatives), animated series (Algoville), and performances; and (iv) conferences and cultural programming at venues including the Maison des Métallos and the KIKK Festival.

The firm's underlying output is a body of intellectual and creative works rather than a scalable technology platform. Its technology footprint is narrow: two mobile applications (Dérive, 2020; Cocolor, 2024), a Telegram-integrated platform (Le Bureau des Méthodes, 2023), and an AI-themed workshop format (Monde Latent, 2024). Pricing is custom-quoted and not publicly disclosed; engagement economics are not reported. The firm's positioning is explicitly contrarian, framing itself as a "heretical" counterweight to mainstream Silicon Valley technology narratives, with "Fatalité Artificielle" (2023) representing its most prominent published statement on artificial intelligence. The business model is therefore best understood as a boutique intellectual property and advisory practice, monetizing a distinctive point of view through a diversified portfolio of consulting, teaching, publishing, and cultural engagements rather than through any single product or recurring SaaS contract.

Name

hérétique

Legal name

hérétique

Website

https://heretique.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

hérétique is a Paris-based French collective functioning as a think tank, creative studio, publishing house, and boutique consultancy. Founded in 2018 by three co-founders, it serves luxury, corporate, governmental, and academic clients with consulting, teaching, and original creative works.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Strategy Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education, Research & Academic Congresses (THAHAJAD), Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Digital strategy consulting
• Creative development services
• Educational workshop programs
• Alternative technology advocacy
• Cultural creative agency

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Research: Strategic consulting, research studies, and advisory services for organizations seeking to understand and navigate digital transformations. Projects include confidential work for luxury brands and major corporations.
2. Teaching and Training Programs: University courses and corporate training programs delivered to institutions including Sciences Po Paris, ESCP, and École des Ponts et Chaussées. Programs include the PRISME digital (de)formation curriculum.
3. Creative Works and Publishing: Creation and publication of artistic works including applications, books, card games, installations, and performances. Some works are edited for other creators (e.g., Rosy Lamb's Cocolor, Mejnoun's L'Œuf).
4. Conferences and Performances: Keynote presentations, theatrical performances, and conference engagements at cultural events, festivals, and corporate venues.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

h\u00e9r\u00e9tique is a French collective offering digital strategy consulting, creative development, publishing, and educational workshops centered on critiquing Silicon Valley digital dogma and proposing alternative digital paradigms. The collective delivers customized conferences, training programs, research studies, mobile applications, physical products, theatrical performances, and card games to academic institutions, private corporations (including luxury brands), public organizations, and cultural venues.

Product overview

Hérétique is a hybrid organization at the intersection of think tank, development studio, publishing house, and consulting agency. Their portfolio includes diverse creations across multiple formats: mobile applications (Dérive, Cocolor), physical products (L'Œuf, La Boite à Musique via Mejnoun), card games (Le Tarot du Temps, La Galerie des Alternatives), animated content (Algoville), immersive experiences (La Balade Sentimentale), theatrical performances (La messe de Sainte.tech, 8,2 Mds de secondes/s), educational programs (Hérésie numérique, Autopsie numérique), research studies (L'Air du Temps, Fatalité Artificielle, Monde Latent), and platforms (Le Bureau des Méthodes with Telegram integration, Labiblio.tech). They also publish/edit Mejnoun products. Their work demonstrates the possibility of alternative digital worlds aligned with French culture, values, and humanism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dérive: A mobile application designed to rediscover the art of wandering through cities, offering a destination, direction, and distance without dictated routes. Privacy-focused with low carbon footprint.
• Hérésie numérique
• Le Bureau des Méthodes
• labiblio.tech
• La Galerie des Alternatives
• Mejnoun
• Cocolor

Products and services

• D\u00e9rive Mobile application for rediscovering the art of urban wandering. Provides destination, direction, and distance without a dictated route, preserving privacy with minimal data collection and low carbon footprint. Available at derive.today and sanjose.derive.fm.
• H\u00e9r\u00e9sie num\u00e9rique (Digital Heresy) Signature training program and conference that introduces participants to the tenets of Californian digital doctrine, its origins, principles, and impacts. Delivered as university courses (Sciences Po Paris, ESCP, \u00c9cole des Ponts et Chauss\u00e9es) and corporate conferences (Chanel, Herm\u00e8s, EU Council).
• Algoville Animated series for young adults that personifies algorithms as Algos, inhabitants of the hidden world behind screens, to spark conversations with non-experts about debating and imagining alternatives.
• Cocolor Mobile application inviting users to develop a new perspective on colors through sensory and intuitive gameplay, featuring games like Am I Blue? and Tea for Two. Edited by h\u00e9r\u00e9tique for digital publication.
• Le Tarot du Temps (The Tarot of Time) Card game that playfully explores dominant and alternative visions of time (Time-Resource vs. Resistimes) and their incarnation in the digital age through 61 cards.
• L'Air du Temps (Zeitgeist) Six-volume experimental study questioning the relationship between digital technology and time through theoretical, artistic, philosophical, digital, scientific, and poetic perspectives.
• Le Bureau des M\u00e9thodes Hybrid platform for sharing artistic protocols created by resident artists, distributed via website, Telegram bot, and physical cards. An open-source, playful digital tool fostering encounters between artists and participants.
• Fatalit\u00e9 Artificielle (Artificial Fatality) Two-volume study exploring why organizations should resist the inevitability of generative AI replacing human creation and reclaim the value of human craftsmanship.
• Monde Latent (Latent World) Holistic workshop exploring questions raised by generative AI and strategic responses for organizations. Covers artistic, legal, economic, ecological, and strategic perspectives.
• La Galerie des Alternatives Card game showcasing the richness and diversity of alternative digital initiatives including political movements, tools, artworks, and media. A living resource for workshops and collaborative explorations.
• Labiblio.tech Open library inviting everyone to explore ideas underlying Californian digital order and alternatives. Books borrowed via email with a unique head-tilting scroll interaction. Paris-based only.
• La Balade Sentimentale Immersive experience exploring exile stories of Belleville neighborhood through multimedia testimonies, live performances, and secret urban wanderings.
• Autopsie num\u00e9rique (Digital Autopsy) One-hour collaborative workshop where participants rebuild the foundations of the Californian digital model using 100 cards with quotes and illustrations from its creators.
• La Bo\u00eete \u00e0 Musique (The Music Box) Physical music gifting object by Mejnoun, edited by h\u00e9r\u00e9tique. Sound capsule containing a chosen track, making meaningful music gift-giving possible again in the streaming age.
• L'\u0152uf (The Egg) Time capsule physical object by Mejnoun, edited by h\u00e9r\u00e9tique. Allows users to store a secret message or object that reveals at a chosen date and time as a meaningful gift.
• 8,2 Mds de secondes/s Conference performance exploring our alienated or fruitful relationship with time, inviting audiences to take back time as a creative and political playground.
• D\u00e9rive San Jos\u00e9 City exploration experience in San Jos\u00e9, Costa Rica featuring 100 carefully selected spots and 5 playlists, launched for the annual Art City Tour.
• La messe de Sainte.tech Theatrical performance presenting a metaphor of digital life turned dogmatic through a mass augmented with debates, theoretical insights, and custom digital setup.
• PRISME: (d\u00e9)formation num\u00e9rique University teaching program that trains students to develop critical perspectives on digital technology. Delivered at Sciences Po Paris (M2, 24-hour course), ESCP Europe (Master, 18-hour program), and \u00c9cole Nationale des Ponts et Chauss\u00e9es (M2, 18-hour program).

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ organizations trained across France and internationally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KIKK FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration on 8,2 Milliards de secondes/s performance exploring the relationship between digital technology and time. Also featured Dérive in their Dopamine exhibition in 2025.
• Rosy LambcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024Publisher of Rosy Lamb's Cocolor mobile application, editing the digital component of her color exploration work that originated in physical workshops.
• Studio DoubleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Creative studio collaborator on Le Bureau des Méthodes project, contributing to the hybrid digital-physical protocol platform.
• Studio des FormesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Design collaborator on La Balade Sentimentale project, providing visual and experiential design for the immersive heritage experience.
• Alliance Française du Costa RicaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration on Dérive San José project, creating 100 curated locations and 5 playlists for discovering Costa Rica's capital through the Dérive wandering app. Launched during Art City Tour annual art event.
• Mabel OctobreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaborator on La Balade Sentimentale immersive experience in Belleville, contributing to the artistic and narrative direction.
• Atelier des Artistes en ExilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in La Balade Sentimentale project, providing expertise on exile narratives and immigrant experiences in Belleville.
• Mairie de ParisminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Official supporter of La Balade Sentimentale du Bas Belleville, providing institutional backing for the heritage exploration project.
• Office Nationale de Diffusion Artistique (ONDA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Supporting partner for La Balade Sentimentale immersive heritage experience, facilitating broader distribution and recognition.
• Maison des MétalloscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Long-term programming partnership including Le Bureau des Méthodes platform for artistic protocols and La Balade Sentimentale immersive heritage experience. Multiple years of collaboration.
• Les NapoléonsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Created La Messe de Sainte.tech theatrical performance specifically for Les Napoléons audience, combining theater with digital heresy critique.
• MejnouncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020Publisher of Mejnoun creations including L'Œuf time capsule and La Boîte à Musique. hérétique serves as editor for Mejnoun's artistic products, handling distribution and promotion.
• Sopra SteriaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborated with Sopra Steria on Région Occitanie's digital ethics observatory doctrine project.
• Monsieur DaltominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Creator and illustrator of Algoville animated series project, developing the visual identity and characters representing algorithmic worlds.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Artefact: Artefact is a French global consulting firm specializing in data and AI transformation for enterprises. Comparable as a Paris-based consulting firm serving French luxury and corporate clients on digital strategy, but at significantly larger scale and a mainstream rather than heretical posture.
• frog (Capgemini Invent): frog is a global design and innovation consultancy part of Capgemini Invent, serving enterprise clients on digital transformation strategy. Comparable as a strategic-design partner for luxury and corporate brands, but operating at vastly greater scale and without hérétique's ideological critique positioning.
• Foresight Factory: Foresight Factory is a London-based consumer foresight consultancy producing trend reports and advisory for global brands. Comparable as a foresight/research firm selling strategic intelligence on emerging futures to consumer and enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Superflux: Superflux is a London/India-based design and foresight studio building immersive installations, films, and research tools to explore how emerging technologies shape society. Both operate at the intersection of design studio, think tank, and critical-practice consultancy serving enterprise and cultural clients.
• Tactical Tech: Tactical Tech is an international NGO that critically examines the social, political, and cultural impacts of digital technologies through research, exhibitions, and educational tools. Both organizations occupy the niche of producing tangible artifacts (cards, guides, exhibitions) and curricula that empower critical engagement with technology.
• Special Projects: Special Projects is a London design studio that blends strategy, brand, and product design with a strong critical and cultural perspective. Comparable as a small, philosophically-driven creative studio serving premium and cultural clients with multi-format outputs.
• Near Future Laboratory: Near Future Laboratory is a foresight and design consultancy producing speculative design, publications, and educational programs that imagine alternative technological futures. Comparable to hérétique in combining philosophical critique with product creation (books, prototypes, workshops) for institutional clients.
• BERG (formerly BERG London): BERG London is a design consultancy and product lab known for critically exploring everyday technology through design fiction, prototyping, and writing. Comparable in combining tech critique with tangible product invention (Dérive, Cocolor echo BERG's "DWP" and Svbtta-style artifact-making).

Others

• Sopra Steria: Sopra Steria is a large European IT consulting firm that partnered with hérétique on the Région Occitanie digital ethics observatory doctrine project. Included as an ecosystem participant: hérétique operates as a thought-leadency subcontractor or research partner to larger digital transformation consultancies.

Emerging players

• Schulze & Webb: Schulze & Webb is a small London design practice focused on long-term product thinking, scenarios, and critical design work for institutions. Comparable as a boutique studio combining philosophical framing with practical product design for enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heretique-fr
• Xx.com/heretique_fr

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 hérétique