What expona srl does

Expona SRL is a privately held Italian company, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Bolzano (Via Leonardo da Vinci 2c), that develops and internationally tours temporary museum exhibitions. The company's core product is a portfolio of approximately 20 curated touring exhibitions spanning archaeology, cultural history, fashion, art, and sports — including Gladiators – Heroes of the Colosseum (developed with the Colosseum in Rome), Life and Death in Ancient Egypt (with Meet You Museums and University of Aberdeen), The Other Picasso – Back to the Origin, Julius Caesar, The Myth of Superheroes, Leonardo's World – Da Vinci Digital, Football (developed for the FIFA World Cup 2026), Sport – From ancient to modern times (with the Olympic Museum Lausanne), Carry Me – 100 Years of Handbags, Oceanista, Venice – Queen of the Sea, Etruscans, Pompeii, Marco Polo, Hipgnosis, Swiss Expressionism, German Impressionists, Icons of Italian Design, and Italian Fashion. Each exhibition combines original artifacts and institutional loans with interactive technology, multimedia devices, and suggestive graphics to create immersive visitor experiences.

Underlying technology consists of physical exhibition design, multimedia/interactive production, and touring logistics rather than any proprietary software platform; the IP resides in curatorial concepts, lender relationships, and accumulated exhibition content. The business model is B2B and event-driven: Expona co-develops exhibitions with museums and collections and then licenses/tours them internationally to hosting museums and cultural institutions under individually negotiated, quote-based pricing. Recurring co-production partners include Contemporanea Progetti (across at least eight exhibitions), and the company maintains membership in ICOM-Italy and ICOM Exhibitions to access the global museum network. Outcome signals include 100,000+ visitors for "A Gift of the Nile" at the Nanyue King Museum in China and up to 250,000 visitors for the Gladiators exhibition in Denmark.

Name

expona srl

Legal name

Expona SRL

Website

https://expona.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Expona SRL is a Bolzano, Italy-based private company that develops and internationally tours temporary museum exhibitions in collaboration with museums and collections across archaeology, art, fashion, cultural history, and sports.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Museum Exhibition Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

Keywords

• Museum exhibition development
• Touring exhibitions
• Exhibition curation services
• Cultural heritage exhibitions
• Museum exhibition design

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolzano

HQ country

Italy

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. Exhibition Development and Touring: Expona generates revenue through developing temporary exhibitions and touring them to museums worldwide. The company collaborates with museums to create unique, sustainable exhibitions, with revenue derived from exhibition development fees, touring arrangements, and licensing of exhibition content to museum partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Expona SRL develops, curates, and tours temporary exhibitions through museums and cultural institutions worldwide. The company produces full exhibition projects covering archaeology, art, fashion, sports, and cultural history, frequently featuring authentic original objects, and equips host venues with interactive multimedia technology and supporting materials.

Product overview

Expona Srl is a specialist provider of touring museum exhibitions with over twenty years of experience since 2005. The company operates as a single product service focused on developing and touring temporary exhibitions in collaboration with museums worldwide. The portfolio consists of individual touring exhibition products spanning cultural history, archaeology, fashion, art, and sports themes. These exhibitions include: Gladiators – Heroes of the Colosseum (ancient Rome), Life and Death in Ancient Egypt (Egyptology), Carry Me – 100 Years of Handbags (fashion history), Oceanista – Fashion & the sea (maritime fashion), The Myth of Superheroes (mythology), Pompeii – Splendour and Death under the Volcano (archaeology), Venice – Queen of the Sea (maritime history), The Etruscans – Rising to Rome (ancient civilizations), Marco Polo – Man & Myth (exploration), The Art of Hipgnosis (music/art), Football – The Passion for the World Cup (sports), Sport – From ancient to modern times (sports history), Julius Caesar – Triumph and Death (Roman history), The Other Picasso – Back to the Origin (art), The World of Music Video (music history), Leonardo's world – Da Vinci Digital 2020 (Renaissance/multimedia), Swiss Expressionism (art), German Impressionists (art), Icons of the Italian Design (design history), and Italian Fashion – 50 years of style (fashion history). Each exhibition is developed in collaboration with museums, collections, and partner organizations and can tour internationally to different venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Touring Museum Exhibitions Temporary, traveling exhibitions produced for and toured through host museums and cultural institutions worldwide, covering archaeology, art, fashion, sports, and cultural history and typically featuring authentic original objects plus interactive multimedia components.
• Exhibition Curation and Production End-to-end service covering the conceptualization, research, design, and production of themed exhibition projects delivered as turnkey offerings for museums and cultural venues.
• Interactive Multimedia Exhibition Installations Interactive technology and multimedia installations supplied as part of Expona's touring exhibition projects to enhance visitor engagement within museum venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100,000+ visitors for single exhibition ("A Gift of the Nile")
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ICOM-Italy and ICOM ExhibitionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpona is a member of ICOM-Italy and ICOM Exhibitions. This membership provides access to the global museum professional network and demonstrates industry recognition. ICOM is the International Council of Museums, the premier international organization for museum professionals.
• Meet You Museums (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeet You Museums in China is a collaboration partner for the "Life and Death in Ancient Egypt" exhibition. This partnership brought important Egyptian collections from University of Aberdeen to Chinese audiences for the first time.
• University of Aberdeen Collections (Scotland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Aberdeen's Museums and Special Collections provided Egyptian collection items for touring exhibitions in China. This partnership enables important Egyptian artifacts to reach international audiences.
• Nanyue King Museum (China)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNanyue King Museum in China hosted the "A Gift of the Nile" exhibition which welcomed over 100,000 visitors. The successful exhibition demonstrates effective international cultural collaboration.
• WutongmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWutong team provided outstanding cooperation, dedication, and trust in the "A Gift of the Nile" exhibition project in China. Their support was essential to the exhibition's success.
• Colosseum in RomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Colosseum collaborated on the development of the first international traveling Gladiators exhibition. This partnership provided access to significant artifacts and institutional credibility for the exhibition.
• Contemporanea ProgetticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporanea Progetti is a frequent collaboration partner on multiple exhibitions including The Myth of Superheroes, Gladiators, Julius Caesar, Italian Fashion, Icons of Italian Design, Sport, Marco Polo, Venice, and Da Vinci Digital.
• M/S Maritime Museum (Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM/S Maritime Museum in Denmark partnered on the Oceanista - Fashion & the sea exhibition. The museum cooperation enabled the exhibition to explore maritime fashion themes with professional expertise.
• Museum Centre Vapriikkii (Finland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum Centre Vapriikkii in Tampere/Finland collaborated on the Carry Me - 100 Years of Handbags exhibition featuring unique original handbags connected to iconic women like Grace Kelly and Jackie Kennedy.
• Museum Centre Vapriikki (Finland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum Centre Vapriikki collaborated on the Football exhibition developed for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Mexico, Canada, and USA.
• FIFA-Museum (Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA-Museum in Switzerland provided unique original loans for the Football exhibition developed for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Museo del Calcio Internazionale (Italy)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseo del Calcio Internazionale in Italy contributed original loans to the Football exhibition for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Lower Saxony State Museum (Hanover, Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLower Saxony State Museum in Hanover, Germany opened to international collaboration for the German Impressionists exhibition, providing access to masterpieces from the Empire and Weimar Republic period.
• Kunst Museum Winterthur (Switzerland)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKunst Museum Winterthur in Switzerland is part of the international cooperation project for Swiss Expressionism exhibition, providing access to outstanding works of art from Switzerland.
• Kunsthalle Vogelmann Heilbronn (Germany)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKunsthalle Vogelmann Heilbronn in Germany participates in the Swiss Expressionism international cooperation project with Expona and Museo Archeologico Regionale Aosta.
• Museo Archeologico Regionale di Aosta (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseo Archeologico Regionale di Aosta in Italy hosted Swiss Expressionism exhibition and is part of the international cooperation project. Also hosts The Other Picasso exhibition.
• Kunstmuseum Moritzburg (Halle/Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKunstmuseum Moritzburg in Halle/Saale, Germany was the opening venue for The Other Picasso exhibition in February 2023, marking the 50th anniversary of Picasso's death.
• Cobra Museum (Netherlands)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCobra Museum in Amstelveen/The Netherlands is part of the collaboration project for The Other Picasso: Back to the Origin exhibition featuring works from Spanish collections.
• c2c Proyectos Culturales (Spain)majorStrategic or Co-development Partnerc2c Proyectos Culturales in Spain is a collaboration partner for The Other Picasso exhibition, providing access to Spanish museum and private collections.
• Museo Archeologico di Firenze (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseo Archeologico di Firenze collaborated on the Julius Caesar - Triumph and Death international touring exhibition with original loans from Italian museums.
• Römisch-Germanisches Museum (Mainz)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRömisch-Germanisches Museum in Mainz collaborated on the Julius Caesar exhibition, providing access to Roman artifacts for the international touring exhibition.
• NationalMuseum of LiechtensteinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationalMuseum of Liechtenstein collaborated on the Sport - From ancient to modern times exhibition, providing original loans from ancient sports collections.
• Olympic Museum (Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOlympic Museum in Lausanne collaborated on the Sport exhibition, contributing to the display of sports history from ancient to modern times.
• Estonian Maritime MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstonian Maritime Museum collaborated on the Venice - Queen of the Sea exhibition, contributing maritime expertise and artifacts.
• Museums in Venice (lenders)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImportant lending museums in Venice contributed artifacts to the Venice - Queen of the Sea exhibition exploring the city's maritime history and current threats from climate change.
• Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte in Germany developed the World of Music Video exhibition, with Expona providing support for the touring exhibition.
• Forum GroningenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum Groningen collaborated on the World of Music Video exhibition, featuring work from artists like Billie Eilish, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, and Queen.
• State Museum in Hanover (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState Museum in Hanover collaborated on the Leonardo's World - Da Vinci Digital multimedia-immersive exhibition, providing comprehensive edutainment experience about Leonardo da Vinci.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES): SITES is the Smithsonian's dedicated touring exhibition service that develops and circulates museum exhibitions worldwide. It is the most direct analog to Expona's model of partnering with major collections to create and tour exhibitions to host venues globally.
• Nomad Exhibitions: UK-based specialist that develops and tours museum-quality exhibitions internationally with cultural institutions. Closely mirrors Expona's B2B model of curating exhibitions with original artifacts and licensing them to museums across multiple countries.
• Exhibition Hub: Touring exhibitions operator that produces immersive art and cultural exhibitions (e.g., Van Gogh, Klimt) for international museum and venue partners. Comparable in business model of developing once and touring to multiple paying venues worldwide.
• Culturespaces (Atelier des Lumières): French cultural operator that creates and tours immersive digital art exhibitions in historic and museum venues across Europe and beyond. Comparable as a creator-tourer of curated art experiences delivered to institutional cultural venues.

Emerging players

• Fever: Global experiences platform that partners with cultural institutions and producers to bring curated exhibitions and immersive experiences to mass audiences. Comparable in bringing museum-grade cultural content to venue partners, though with a much broader marketplace model.
• teamLab: International digital art collective that produces immersive touring exhibitions installed at museums and cultural venues worldwide. Comparable in developing cultural exhibitions that tour to institutional venues with significant visitor throughput.
• Meow Wolf: US-based immersive art exhibition producer creating large-format, permanent and touring experiences in partnership with cultural and entertainment venues. Comparable in producing immersive, narrative-driven exhibitions for venue partners, though with a more entertainment-focused model.

Broad incumbents

• GL Events: Major French-listed event services group that operates exhibition venues, manages events, and produces exhibitions globally. Comparable as a large-scale exhibition operator, though with a much broader portfolio including trade fairs and venue management.
• IMG (IMG Artists / Endeavor): Global entertainment and events company producing touring exhibitions (e.g., Tutankhamun, sports and entertainment shows) at institutional venues. Comparable as a producer-tourer of museum-quality exhibitions to cultural venues, but with significantly larger scale and capital base.

Others

• Contemporanea Progetti: Italian exhibition production company that is a frequent collaboration partner with Expona on multiple touring exhibitions (Myth of Superheroes, Gladiators, Julius Caesar, Italian Fashion, Sport, Marco Polo, Venice, Da Vinci Digital). Listed as an OTHERS because of the partnership relationship rather than direct head-to-head competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/expona-exhibitions
• Instagraminstagram.com/expona.exhibitions

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 expona srl