What abside does

Abside (SARL Abside) is a privately held French surveying and topography firm founded in 2011 and headquartered in Mérignac, in the Bordeaux metropolitan area, with a second agency in Limay serving the Île-de-France region. The company delivers precision measurement services — topographic surveys, architectural surveys, geodesy, structural monitoring (auscultation d'ouvrages), and 3D laser scanning (lasergrammétrie) — using GPS real-time kinematics, robotic total stations, a Trimble TX5 3D laser scanner, and ground-penetrating radar for underground network detection. Deliverables are produced in standard CAD/BIM formats (AutoCAD, Revit, ArchiCAD) and exposed through a proprietary Webshare 3D browser-based viewing platform, enabling architects and project managers to inspect point clouds and extract measurements without specialized software installation.

Abside serves a horizontal mix of client segments: local municipalities and public collectivities, public works firms, architects and project managers, real estate developers, engineering consultancies, social housing providers, and private individuals. Its project portfolio includes notable heritage clients such as several Classified Bordeaux wine châteaux (Margaux, Clos Fourtet, Calon Ségur, Kirwan, Soutard, Trottevieille), SNCF railway stations across southwestern France, and the Palais des Sports de Bordeaux. Architectural surveys and lasergrammetry now represent 50-60% of annual revenue, while topography accounts for approximately 40%, indicating a deliberate mix shift toward higher-value digitization services.

The firm operates on a project-based professional services model with quote-driven, per-mission pricing and no public pricing tiers. Go-to-market is direct sales from its two regional offices, supported by an SEO-optimized website, a Facebook page, and content marketing. Abside is founder/operator-owned, with no disclosed institutional backing, subsidiaries, or public listing.

Name

abside

Legal name

SARL Abside

Website

https://abside-geometre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Abside is a French surveying and topography firm founded in 2011, operating from Bordeaux and Île-de-France, delivering precision topographic, architectural, and 3D laser scanning services to public institutions, construction firms, architects, heritage property owners, and private individuals across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-jean-d'illac

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Surveying and Topography Services: Project-based professional services for topographic surveys, architectural surveys, geodetic measurements, structural auscultation, and lasergrammetry. Revenue is generated through one-time project fees based on scope, complexity, and site conditions. Services are quoted per mission and billed upon delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Abside is a French surveying and topography firm that provides professional measurement services including topographic surveys, architectural surveys, geodesy, structural auscultation, and 3D laser scanning (lasergrammetry) using GPS real-time kinematics, robotic total stations, Trimble TX5 3D laser scanners, and georadar. Deliverables are produced as CAD/BIM-compatible plans, point clouds, and digital twins for construction, rehabilitation, and heritage documentation projects.

Product overview

Abside operates as a surveyor and architect firm (géomètre-topographe) with two offices in Bordeaux and Île-de-France. Its core offering is a unified suite of precision measurement and architectural services comprising topographic surveys (Topographie), architectural surveys (Architecture), geodesy (Géodésie), structural monitoring (Auscultation d'ouvrages), and 3D laser scanning (Lasergrammétrie). These services are delivered with specialized equipment (GPS real-time, robotic total stations, Trimble TX5 3D laser scanner) and produce standard-format deliverables compatible with AutoCAD, Revit, and ArchiCAD. Value-added sub-services include precision implantation, underground network detection, ortho-images, 3D webshare navigation, and cemetery management mapping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Topographie (Topographic Surveys) Topographic survey services covering urban, peri-urban, and natural environments. Includes 2D/3D plans, underground and bathymetric surveys, geodetic referencing to RGF93 and NGF, and buried network detection. Serves municipalities, public works companies, and developers across France.
• Architecture (Architectural Surveys) Architectural survey services including building floor plans, facade elevations, sections, roof plans, and ortho-images. Produces BIM-ready deliverables for architects, project managers, and heritage property owners for rehabilitation and new construction projects.
• Géodésie (Geodesy) Geodetic services providing GPS referencing, triangulation, differential GPS point determination, and Digital Terrain Models (MNT) via photogrammetry or 3D laser scanning, anchored to official French reference systems.
• Auscultation d'ouvrages (Structural Monitoring) Structural monitoring and deformation analysis for existing buildings and infrastructure, tracking structural movements over time to assess stability. Serves engineering consultancies and infrastructure operators.
• Lasergrammétrie (3D Laser Scanning) 3D laser scanning using the Trimble TX5 scanner to capture millions of measurement points with millimeter precision, producing colored 3D point clouds for architectural digitization, BIM modeling, and digital twin creation.
• Implantation de précision (Precision Implantation) High-precision construction site implantation for foundations, piles, micropiles, curtain walls, steel frames, and structural element verification with millimeter accuracy and as-built compliance reports.
• Détection de réseaux enterrés (Buried Network Detection) Buried utility network detection using georadar and complementary investigation methods for water, gas, electricity, telecom, and sanitation networks.
• Plans de cimetière et gestion des concessions (Cemetery Mapping) Georeferenced cemetery mapping and concession management database services for municipalities, including plot identification, contract types, renewal status, and burial location records.
• Topographie pour travaux publics (Civil Engineering Surveys) Civil engineering survey services covering linear infrastructure (railways, tramways, tunnels, highways), utility network surveys, volume calculations, longitudinal and cross profiles, and earthwork quality control for public works contractors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50-60% of annual revenue from architectural surveys and lasergrammetry, demonstrating market trust and specialization
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Geofit: French geomatics and surveying group offering topography, 3D scanning, BIM modeling, and geographic data services to public and private clients. Closely matches Abside's integrated topography-plus-architecture service model at a larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Trimble: Global provider of surveying hardware (GNSS, total stations, 3D scanners) and software platforms that Abside relies on (e.g., Trimble TX5). Competes indirectly by offering its own service/subscription layers and shapes the technology baseline for surveying firms.
• Leica Geosystems (Hexagon): Major manufacturer of surveying instruments, laser scanners, and reality-capture solutions. Competes with Trimble as the dominant equipment provider and offers adjacent reality-capture services and software that overlap with Abside's lasergrammetry offering.
• FARO Technologies: Provider of 3D measurement and imaging solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction. Competes in the laser-scanning equipment and reality-capture space that Abside's lasergrammetry service is built upon.
• Topcon Positioning: Manufacturer of GNSS receivers, total stations, and software for surveying, construction, and agriculture. Comparable to Trimble and Leica in supplying the hardware baseline used by surveying firms like Abside.
• Hexagon AB: Parent of Leica Geosystems and provider of broad geospatial and reality-capture solutions. Operates at a much larger scale and competes with Trimble in the surveying-technology stack Abside deploys.

Others

• Sogelink: French SaaS and data provider for construction, infrastructure, and utilities workflows. Operates in adjacent territory to Abside (e.g., utility network detection, public-works data) but as software/data infrastructure rather than field-survey services.
• Autodesk: Provider of AutoCAD, Revit, and ArchiCAD-compatible BIM and CAD platforms that Abside delivers into. Enters Abside's value chain as the design-software ecosystem client deliverables plug into, not as a direct services competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/abside33

Compliance1 record

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 abside