Emakina

Overview

Emakina Group was created on 1 April 2001 out of the merger of the digital consultancy Emalaya, founded by Denis Steisel, and Ex Machina, the agency Brice Le Blevennec had started in 1991 at the age of 23. Karim Chouikri joined in 2003 and the group went public on Euronext Growth Brussels in 2006 under the ticker ALEMK. Acquisitions followed, among them the Ghent agency The Reference in 2007, and Chouikri became joint CEO in 2014. For 2020 the group reported consolidated revenue of EUR 99,004,614 and EBITDA of EUR 7,783,355, with 70% of income earned outside Belgium and operations in 17 countries on three continents. The work covered digital consulting, advertising, marketing, content, platform development and data science, for clients including Nike, Honda, Intersport, Rituals, KitchenAid and DP World. In 2021 EPAM Systems offered EUR 29.66 per share for the 3,893,353 outstanding shares; it held 98.69% on 3 November 2021 and completed the squeeze-out on 30 November 2021, at which point the group counted more than 1,100 employees and 26 offices in 18 countries. In April 2023 the Brussels agency moved from Middelbourg 64 to the Royale Belge building on Boulevard du Souverain. On 25 February 2025 EPAM rebranded Emakina in Belgium and the Netherlands as Empathy Lab, and on 12 September 2025 The Reference was folded into the same brand. Key people - Brice Le Blevennec, co-founder, chairman and CEO until 2021, Chief Vision Officer from 2022 - Karim Chouikri, joint CEO from 2014 and CEO at the time of the 2021 acquisition - Denis Steisel, founder of Emalaya and co-founder of the group - Alexis Mons, co-founder and Directeur General Delegue of Emakina.fr

Stated facts & numbers

• Founded: 1 April 2001, from the merger of Emalaya and Ex Machina
• Founders: Brice Le Blevennec and Denis Steisel
• Headquarters: Brussels (Watermael-Boitsfort, Boulevard du Souverain 25/6 since April 2023)
• CEO at acquisition: Karim Chouikri
• Employees: 1,100+ at the time of the 2021 acquisition
• Offices: 26 offices in 18 countries (2021)
• Revenue 2020: EUR 99,004,614, EBITDA EUR 7,783,355
• Listing: Euronext Growth Brussels from 2006, ticker ALEMK, delisted 30 November 2021
• Acquired by: EPAM Systems, 2021, at EUR 29.66 per share for 3,893,353 shares
• Customers: Nike, Honda, Intersport, Olympique Marseille, Rituals, KitchenAid, DP World
• Current brand: Empathy Lab by EPAM since 25 February 2025