Serge Crasnianski

Serge Crasnianski, born 3 July 1942, is a French entrepreneur and inventor. He founded in March 1963 in Grenoble the company KIS (Key Independent System). KIS became known for compact machines that printed business cards, bracelets, and key reproductions, distributed in thousands of retail outlets worldwide. KIS later merged with Photo-Me Group, a subsidiary of the British Photo-Me International, based in Échirolles, which over time became a global leader in designing, manufacturing, and distributing professional instant photo-printing equipment. Serge Crasnianski has filed several hundred patents in diverse fields and founded the Institut de Recherche Fondamentale en Technologies Solaires. He is ranked as the 453rd richest person globally; he owns 22.7 % of the world leader in identity photo and digital print services.

KIS

In March 1963, at age 20 and while studying nuclear physics in Geneva, Serge Crasnianski invented the first automatic key‐reproduction machine. This invention led to the creation of KIS. With the first key machine, it was necessary to invent the entire industry to manufacture the 4 000 key‐blank references.

He invented the first logic‐controlled milling machine, then 200‐ton knee‐press machines capable of 200 strokes per minute—the fastest in the world—used to stamp keys and also coins. KIS developed rapidly under the motto “instant key, instant engraving, instant business cards, instant shoe repair machines.” Several hundred thousand of these machines sold worldwide.

Serge Crasnianski also invented the first “Minilab,” presented for the first time at the Photo Fair in 1981 by Kis France, in which he held 100 % ownership. This photographic reproduction and printing apparatus revolutionized one‐hour photo prints. Its principle was “photos in one hour”: film and paper development took place within light‐tight machines; operators only opened covers for periodic maintenance. This ease of maintenance allowed deployment in any store or supermarket. The concept was later adopted by many companies—initially Japanese (Noritsu, Fuji, Konica, Copal), and then others such as Agfa, Gretag, Durst, and San-Marco.

KIS became number one in the Minilab sector. The Minilab sold in every country, and KIS retained its leadership until the one‐hour photo market declined in 2010.

KIS held a long‐standing stake in Photo-Me, which led to the 1994 merger of the two companies.

Photo-Me

Serge Crasnianski merged KIS and Photo-Me International and became Executive Director of the combined entity in 1994. He was later ousted from that position by a coalition of significant activists. He was appointed CEO in May 2010. Following his reappointment, KIS underwent major restructuring and returned to strong profitability. Serge Crasnianski remains the largest shareholder of Photo-Me International, holding 22.11 % as of 30 April 2010.

With 29 000 photo booths, Photo-Me is present in nearly every country in Europe and Asia.

He was awarded the rank of Officer of the National Order of Merit by President François Mitterrand on 15 May 1985. He also received the Entrepreneur of the Year award at the PLC Awards 2016 in London, sponsored by Finncap.

Inventor – Founder of KIS and IRFTS

Serge Crasnianski has filed several hundred patents. He holds an engineering degree from Arts et Métiers and a PhD in nuclear physics. He chairs the scientific committee of Solarvoltaïc and is involved in directing French and foreign companies specializing in innovation and advanced technologies.

He founded the Institut de Recherche Fondamentale en Technologies Solaires (IRFTS). He filed a patent for a system producing organic and inorganic solar cells, a major advance over existing technologies..