Artefact
Paris data and AI consultancy combining advisory partners with in-house engineers
Founded 2014 | Paris, France | 1,700+ employees
ai-strategyai-governanceeu-ai-actuse-case-prioritizationimplementation-support
What is Artefact?
Since its founding in Paris in 2014, Artefact has grown to more than 1,700 people in 25 countries. Cinven bought a majority stake in 2025 at a valuation above €1 billion, and the firm plans to triple in size by 2030, partly through acquisitions. Its advisory partners handle data governance and AI planning for large consumer brands. The same firm then builds, which is efficient but less neutral than a pure adviser.
Artefact works primarily with clients in Consumer goods, Retail, Luxury, Financial services, Telecom sectors. Its primary differentiator is: Data governance and AI planning with engineers in the same firm.
Artefact tech stack and services
EU AI ActGDPRGoogle CloudAzureDatabricks
| Service area |
|---|
| AI Strategy & Roadmap |
| AI Governance |
| EU AI Act Classification |
| Use-Case Prioritization |
| Implementation After Advice |
Artefact pricing
Short answer: Artefact prices its work as follows: consulting fees; rates not published. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed; a discovery call is required.
| Engagement model | Typical range | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-use-case advisory | Quoted per scope | Several use cases, teams, or systems |
| Ongoing advisory | Retainer or subscription; not public | Governance reviews and decisions over time |
| Delivery team | Team rate; see pricing model above | Building what the advice recommends |
Artefact does not publish a public rate card. Contact them directly via their website to get project-specific pricing.
Artefact pros and cons
| Advantages | Things to consider |
|---|---|
| +Data governance is a core practice | -Majority-owned by Cinven since 2025, with acquisition-led growth ahead |
| +Advisers and engineers share one firm | -Advice tends to lead to its own delivery work |
| +Present in 25 countries | -Best suited to large brands |
Artefact vs alternatives
How Artefact compares to the other top AI Advisory firms.
| Company | Best for | Key difference | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KPMG | Regulated firms needing audit-grade AI governance. | Governance and assurance depth, backed by its own ISO/IEC 42001-certified AI management system | 4.6 | Full comparison |
| Tensorway | COOs and CFOs wanting a vendor-neutral AI plan. | Two-interview method per use case, a written drop list, and a roadmap another vendor can implement | 4.5 | Full comparison |
| PwC | Multinationals mapping AI Act duties with other EU... | EU AI Act compliance planned alongside DORA, GDPR, and NIS2 in one program | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| appliedAI | German industrial firms seeking neutral AI guidance. | Advice from a German AI ecosystem with a non-profit institute focused on AI Act practice | 4.4 | Full comparison |
| Deloitte | Large regulated groups needing documented AI controls. | Regulatory and audit teams beside the AI advisers, with global reach | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| Trilateral Research | Public bodies needing rights and ethics assessments. | Fundamental rights and ethics impact assessments from a research-led firm | 4.3 | Full comparison |
| EY | Enterprises building AI risk into existing controls. | AI risk work folded into existing technology risk and controls programs | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| DAIN Studios | Nordic and DACH firms wanting governance they own. | Governance and readiness work designed to be run by the client's own team | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| Gartner | CIOs and CDOs choosing AI vendors. | Analyst advice on AI vendors and governance with no implementation work to sell | 4.2 | Full comparison |
| TÜV SÜD | Firms wanting an independent AI Act assessment. | Independent testing and certification of AI systems against EU AI Act requirements | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| BABL AI | Companies needing an independent third-party AI audit. | Criteria-based third-party AI audits, separate from any design or build work | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| Sia Partners | Utilities and insurers wanting regulatory-minded advice. | Sector regulatory practices applied to AI governance, plus its own Heka.ai tools | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| BearingPoint | European banks pairing AI with regulatory reporting. | European consulting with regulatory technology products from the same group | 4.1 | Full comparison |
| PA Consulting | UK public bodies wanting advice plus delivery. | Advice from teams that also design and build, strong in UK government | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Zühlke | Swiss and European health and finance firms. | Partner-owned advisory and engineering for regulated health and finance work | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| ML6 | Benelux firms wanting advice from builders. | Use-case discovery from engineers who also handle EU AI Act requirements | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Eticas | Public bodies auditing deployed algorithms. | Independent algorithmic audits that measure bias and accuracy in real use | 4.0 | Full comparison |
| Advai | UK financial firms testing AI before launch. | Technical robustness testing, chosen by the FCA as partner for its AI Live Testing pilot | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Futurice | Nordic firms redesigning services around AI. | AI strategy combined with service design and operating-model work | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Knowit | Nordic public authorities wanting a local partner. | Nordic public-sector reach with data governance and AI under one roof | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| Saidot | Teams wanting AI inventory software with setup help. | Governance software for AI inventories and risk tracking, integrated with Azure AI | 3.9 | Full comparison |
| West Monroe | US COOs targeting operating-cost gains. | Operations and cost-led AI advice from a partly employee-owned firm | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Elder Research | US agencies wanting a data feasibility check. | Feasibility calls grounded in three decades of hands-on modeling | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Ekimetrics | CFOs who want AI tied to measured returns. | Return-on-investment measurement for marketing and sustainability AI | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Slalom | North American firms wanting local consultants. | Local-office consultants for AI governance and operating models | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Thoughtworks | CTOs judging build-or-buy on AI tooling. | Public Technology Radar and engineering-led build-or-buy advice | 3.8 | Full comparison |
| Centric Consulting | Mid-size US firms writing AI usage policies. | Acceptable-use policies and staff adoption programs for generative AI | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| RTS Labs | Small US firms testing one idea cheaply. | The cheapest entry point here, with feasibility tests in place of strategy decks | 3.7 | Full comparison |
| Future Processing | European mid-size firms on a modest budget. | AI readiness checks at published Central European rates | 3.7 | Full comparison |
Artefact FAQ
What is Artefact?
Paris data and AI consultancy combining advisory partners with in-house engineers
How much does Artefact charge?
Pricing model: consulting fees; rates not published. Minimum engagement is not publicly disclosed. A discovery call is required to get project-specific quotes.
What tech stack does Artefact use?
Artefact works with EU AI Act, GDPR, Google Cloud, Azure, Databricks. Primary industries served include Consumer goods, Retail, Luxury, Financial services, Telecom.
Is Artefact right for enterprise?
Best for: large consumer brands across European markets. Team size: 1,700+. Key consideration: Majority-owned by Cinven since 2025, with acquisition-led growth ahead.
What are the best Artefact alternatives?
The best alternatives to Artefact depend on your use case. Top options are:
- KPMG: governance and assurance depth, backed by its own ISO/IEC 42001-certified AI management system
- Tensorway: two-interview method per use case, a written drop list, and a roadmap another vendor can implement
- PwC: EU AI Act compliance planned alongside DORA, GDPR, and NIS2 in one program
Compare Artefact with other AI Advisory firms
Artefact vs KPMG Artefact vs Tensorway Artefact vs PwC Artefact vs appliedAI Artefact vs Deloitte Artefact vs Trilateral Research Artefact vs EY Artefact vs DAIN Studios Artefact vs Gartner Artefact vs TÜV SÜD Artefact vs BABL AI Artefact vs Sia Partners Artefact vs BearingPoint Artefact vs PA Consulting Artefact vs Zühlke Artefact vs ML6 Artefact vs Eticas Artefact vs Advai Artefact vs Futurice Artefact vs Knowit Artefact vs Saidot Artefact vs West Monroe Artefact vs Elder Research Artefact vs Ekimetrics Artefact vs Slalom Artefact vs Thoughtworks Artefact vs Centric Consulting Artefact vs RTS Labs Artefact vs Future Processing
Verify all details directly with Artefact before making a decision.