Launched in 2021 in La Hulpe, Walloon company Ionnyk opened its first showroom in Paris earlier this summer to showcase its connected art frames.
Have you ever heard of Ionnyk frames? It's a unique connected photographic art frame that lets you have an art gallery in your own home. The screen is indistinguishable from a conventional art frame. It's self-contained, with no cables, and a battery that recharges in four hours for up to a year.
"We use E-paper ink capsules that mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper... but moving in time and space. Our cutting-edge technology lets you see digital art and photography in its purest form," states the La Hulpe-based company on its website.
© J. Van Belle WBI
In early summer, Ionnyk opened its first showroom outside Belgium. The Walloon company has chosen the city of Paris. "We have implemented a brand strategy with a luxury positioning. Our frames range in price from 1,680 to 8,000 euros. We operate on a B2B and B2C basis. We have projects with hotel groups and luxury brands. For us, it was an obvious choice to have a base in Paris, the city of reference in the world of luxury and art", comments Mathieu Demeuse, founder of Ionnyk.
A collection for the Olympics
Although Mathieu Demeuse had already planned to open an Ionnyk House in Paris, the start-up has taken advantage of the Olympic Games to launch a collection featuring the great iconic moments of this sporting event, presented in a traveling exhibition. "We have access to the photo archives of Paris Match France", explains our contact.
© J. Van Belle WBI
Since the opening of Ionnyk House in Paris, customers have been coming back for more. "We didn't choose a location overlooking Place Vendôme. Our showroom is above all a meeting place where we invite our community and partners. It's an opportunity for us to have a place of our own to showcase our know-how, which is more accomplished than a stand at a trade show", explains Ionnyk's founder, who takes advantage of support from AWEX ( The Wallonia Export & Investment Agency) to take part in various trade shows.
After this opening in Paris, the Walloon start-up plans to open an Ionnyk House in every European country by 2025. "It will probably be in the various capital cities. But we're open to the possibility of opening sales outlets with franchisees in other cities," concludes Mathieu Demeuse.