CISTEN

What CISTEN does

CISTEN is a privately held French engineering services firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Villeurbanne within the INSAVALOR Business and Innovation Center on the LyonTech-LaDoua campus. The company operates as a technology transfer vehicle from the LaMCoS research laboratory (a joint INSA Lyon/CNRS unit) and delivers specialized services in two domains: industrial tribology and biomechanics. Its core service portfolio covers experimental tribological testing (tribometers for linear reciprocating, rotary, oscillating, and impact motions, including high-temperature coefficient-of-friction measurement), advanced tribological expertise (optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, 3D optical profilometry, rheology), numerical studies and modeling (finite element method, discrete element method, digital twins, parametric flow models, Preston-Archard wear models, statistical lifetime models), design and prototyping (in-house FDM/SLA/SLS 3D printing plus metal/plastic/ceramic machining), custom software development with user interfaces built on experimental data, and customized tribology and lubrication training.

CISTEN sells professional services on a quote-based, project-by-project basis to enterprise and government clients across aerospace, transportation (rail, automotive), defense, and general manufacturing, with selected named clients including Safran, CNES, SNCF, Keolis, Liebherr, Naval Group, Renault, Bombardier, and Perroud. It also serves the healthcare sector through biomechanics work in orthopedics and vascular surgery, in partnership with Hospices Civils de Lyon and other clinical/research entities.

The business model is consulting-led with strong academic roots: CISTEN monetizes through bespoke engineering studies, experimental campaigns, and numerical simulations, supplemented by training programs. Its go-to-market is sales-led via direct client engagement, supplemented by event participation (Rendez-vous Carnot, Journées Transmissions Mécaniques), cluster membership (Lyonbiopôle since 2022), and the Institut Carnot Ingénierie@Lyon label. The company receives non-dilutive public funding from Bpifrance, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, and the France 2030 plan. Leadership is small and academically embedded, with Marine Menut as CEO and R&D Engineer (PhD), Benyebka Bou-Saïd as Expert in Biomechanics and Numerical Tribology (also LaMCoS University Professor), and Aurélien Saulot as Expert in Experimental Tribology.

Name

CISTEN

Legal name

CISTEN

Website

https://cisten.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CISTEN is a Villeurbanne-based engineering services firm providing tribology and biomechanics expertise, including experimental testing, numerical modeling, software development, and training. It serves industrial clients in aerospace, rail, defense, and automotive, and healthcare partners, as a spin-off of the LaMCoS laboratory at INSA Lyon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tribology & Biomechanics Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Tribology testing services
• Biomechanics consulting
• Numerical simulation services
• Surface analysis characterization
• Custom engineering research

Headquarters

HQ city

Villeurbanne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services: CISTEN provides specialized engineering services in tribology and biomechanics including experimental testing, numerical simulations, tribological expertise, and consulting. Services are tailored to client-specific needs across industrial and medical sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CISTEN is a tribology center of expertise providing experimental tribological testing, tribological characterization and surface analysis, numerical simulation (finite element and discrete element methods), in-house design and prototyping, custom software development with user interfaces, and tribology training, alongside biomechanics modeling for orthopedics and vascular surgery. Services are delivered as customized engagements to industrial companies (aerospace, railway, automotive, defense, manufacturing) and healthcare facilities, leveraging direct access to the LaMCoS research laboratory at INSA Lyon and CNRS.

Product overview

CISTEN is a tribology center of expertise offering a portfolio of specialized services organized around two main domains: tribology and biomechanics. The core offerings include experimental tribological testing (Essais expérimentaux), tribological expertise with advanced analysis tools (Expertise tribologique), numerical studies and modeling (Études numériques et modélisation), design and prototyping (Conception et prototypage), custom software development (Développement de logiciels), and tribology training (Formation en tribologie). These services are delivered with high responsiveness and flexibility, supporting clients from study phase through experimental testing and numerical simulation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Experimental Tribological Testing (Essais expérimentaux) State-of-the-art experimental tribological testing services including tribological characterization of contacts, wide range of movement capabilities (linear reciprocating, rotary, oscillating, impact), and customized experimental benches for hot/cold testing, with or without lubrication, including coefficient-of-friction measurement at very high temperatures. Targeted at industrial companies needing friction, wear, and lubrication data for mechanical systems.
• Tribological Expertise and Surface Analysis (Expertise tribologique) Advanced analysis services using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), 3D optical profilometry, and rheology measurements for detailed surface characterization, micro-scale analysis (preserving soap structure when removing oil from grease samples), and viscoelastic material characterization. For industrial R&D and quality investigations.
• Numerical Studies and Modeling (Études numériques et modélisation) Virtual mechanics approach using continuous (Finite Element Method) and discontinuous (Discrete Element Method) numerical simulations, including representative models and digital twins, parametric flow models, Preston-Archard-type material wear models, and statistical lifetime models. Delivered to industrial clients requiring validation or exploration of contact mechanics scenarios.
• Design and Prototyping (Conception et prototypage) In-house design and manufacturing services including 3D printing (FDM, SLA, SLS) and machining of metal, plastic, and ceramic parts, plus custom test specimen design and demonstrator fabrication (e.g., wheel-rail contact demonstrators). Supports both CISTEN's internal testing and client-specific prototype needs.
• Custom Software Development (Développement de logiciels) Development of custom digital tools with user interfaces tailored to specific client needs, grounded in concrete experimental data generated by CISTEN. Applied to problem-solving scenarios such as understanding the pathology of the hip and other client-specific analytical workflows.
• Tribology Training (Formation en tribologie) Customized contextualized tribology and lubrication training covering lubricant composition and behavior, lubrication theory (hydrostatics, hydrodynamics), non-circular and aerodynamic bearings, dynamic stability, and case studies. Targeted at industrial engineering teams seeking to upskill in tribology fundamentals.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• LyonbiopôlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Health competitiveness cluster of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Since 2022, Lyonbiopôle has been supporting CISTEN's R&D innovation projects. CISTEN is a member benefiting from networking, collaboration opportunities, and support within the regional healthcare innovation ecosystem.
• LaMCoS (Laboratoire de Mécanique des Contacts et des Structures)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivileged partnership with LaMCoS at INSA Lyon, a joint research unit of INSA Lyon and CNRS. The collaboration facilitates transfer of research knowledge in contact mechanics, tribology, and interface mechanics from the academic world to industry and healthcare facilities. CISTEN was founded on this partnership and draws on expertise from researchers and doctoral students in the 'Tribology and Interface Mechanics' team.
• INSA LyoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitut national des sciences appliquées de Lyon - CISTEN's location within INSAVALOR on the LyonTech-LaDoua Campus integrates the company into academic life in Lyon alongside renowned laboratories.
• CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance's national research agency. LaMCoS is a joint research unit of INSA Lyon and CNRS, providing CISTEN access to cutting-edge research expertise and doctoral talent.
• INSAVALORmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness and Innovation Center housing CISTEN and approximately 50 other companies. Located on LyonTech-LaDoua Campus, it serves as a hub for technopole activity and provides access to the broader innovation ecosystem.
• Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing to research collaboration and access to academic expertise.
• LMFA (Laboratoire de Mécanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research laboratory partner in fluid mechanics and acoustics, supporting interdisciplinary research collaborations.
• IMP (Institut des Maladies Respiratoires)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in respiratory diseases, supporting biomechanics and medical research collaborations.
• Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Lyon hospital system partnering on healthcare applications of biomechanics research, particularly in vascular surgery and orthopedics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Applus IDIADA: Specialized testing and engineering services for the automotive and mobility sectors including tribology and durability testing — directly overlapping CISTEN's automotive and rail work.
• TWI (The Welding Institute): UK-based research-to-industry organization offering industrial testing, surface engineering and tribology/friction expertise with similar academic-spinout DNA to CISTEN.
• Fraunhofer IWM (Institut für Werkstoffmechanik): German applied-research institute performing tribology, surface and materials testing for industry — comparable as an academic-anchored service provider with industrial clients.
• Cetim (Centre Technique des Industries Mécaniques): France's flagship technical center for mechanical industries, providing testing, numerical simulation, and surface/tribology expertise to manufacturers — directly comparable scope and customer base to CISTEN.
• Element Materials Testing: Global materials and tribology-focused testing laboratory serving aerospace, automotive and rail — comparable in tribology characterization, fatigue and surface analysis services.
• Tecalemit Industrial: European tribology and lubrication testing specialist with tribometers and friction/wear benches — directly comparable on experimental tribology rigs.

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC major with industrial testing and materials characterization offerings — competing on breadth and scale rather than tribology specialization.
• Intertek: Global TIC group offering industrial and materials testing alongside certification — relevant incumbent competitor for clients seeking end-to-end testing.
• Apave: French TIC incumbent with strong industrial inspection and materials testing offerings — overlapping territory in French industrial accounts.
• SGS: World-leading TIC firm with industrial testing capabilities; competes at the customer/portfolio level even where CISTEN's tribology depth is greater.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cisten-sas

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 CISTEN