Newfund & Éditions Bessard

Eleven books. Eleven words. Eleven encounters.

Each volume starts with a conversation between an entrepreneur and a photographer. A word comes out of it, chosen by no one in advance. It becomes the title of the book, and the photographer interprets it in images.

The word that emerges EMERGENCE
Risograph, Paris 250 copies Vegetable inks 06 / 11
Imposition sheet · 11 slots

Collection

Six volumes exist. Five slots are still empty: their word has not been spoken yet. Open a volume to discover the encounter and leaf through the images.

Manifesto

Everything starts with people

The 11 Collection shows people who act. It does not try to set out a theory of entrepreneurship. It focuses on what entrepreneurs rely on in practice: discipline, curiosity, vision, realism, determination, responsibility.

Risograph printing gives the books a strong physical presence. The method is simple, low-impact and responsible. It looks like entrepreneurship: working with limits, accepting imperfection, focusing on what matters.

Each volume sets off a collision between two worlds that do not know each other. A venture capital firm publishing photography books is surprising. That is exactly the point.

Read the manifesto PDF Making of → François Véron · Pierre Bessard
How a volume is born

Walking the path

A conversation becomes a book, a book finds a reader, a reader acts. The process is the same for every volume. The interpretation changes every time.

01

The encounter

An entrepreneur from the Newfund portfolio and a photographer meet. The pair is formed on intuition, before the word exists.

02

The word

It emerges from the conversation. It is not chosen in advance or negotiated afterwards. It becomes the title of the book.

03

The images

The photographer listens, then interprets that quality. The word almost always echoes something in their work.

04

The book

Pierre Bessard prints it by risograph in Paris. Dense inks, shifts, textures: every copy is unique.

05

The reader

Holding the book is not passive. Each reader can question their own way of deciding and acting.

Open project

Contribute

The 11 was born from a refusal of silos: finance, publishing, photography and business work on it together. The collection stays open to anyone who wants to take part.

Spread the word

Talk about it, give a copy, host an exhibition, a reading or a talk with one of the pairs: bookshop, gallery, school, festival, office.

Order

250 copies per volume. For yourself, as a gift, or in bulk for a team or an event.

See the volumes →
Write about The 11 Collection

Review, article, thesis, podcast. The collection also lives through the way people look at it.

Something else

An idea, a pair to suggest, a skill to share, a wish that fits no box: tell us.

Write to us

Tell us what you would like to do. Pierre Bessard and the Newfund team read every message.

contact@the11collection.com

The button opens your mail app with the message filled in.

250 copies per volume

Order

The money collected goes to Éditions Bessard and supports independent photography publishing.

Price
50€
Format
A4, risograph, vegetable inks
Edition
250 copies, never reprinted
Printing
Éditions Bessard, Paris
Order

Each volume’s page at Éditions Bessard

Secure payment. Escape Velocity (04) will be available on release.

Coverage

Press

9 Lives MagazineCarte blanche à Pierre Bessard : The 11 Collection↗ L’IntervalleFortitude et non forfaiture, par Jean-Marc Caimi et Valentina Piccinni06 ↗ L’IntervallePays basque, monde flottant, par Philippe Herbet05 ↗ Philippe HerbetFreedom, nouvelle publication de The 11 Collection05 ↗ L’IntervalleLe sens de la loyauté, par Robin Hammond et Matthieu Picon03 ↗ NewfundThe 11, Vol. 3: Loyalty. What remains when everything changes.03 ↗ L’IntervalleAu-delà du Brésil, dans la rouille du monde neuf, par Claudia Jaguaribe et Sara Sebti02 ↗ NewfundThe 11: How AI and human energy redefine Resilience02 ↗ L’IntervalleÉloge du libre, par Pierre Bessard, Joseph Rutakangwa et Giacomo Brunelli01 ↗ NewfundBeyond the pitch: “Emergence” and the human soul of entrepreneurship01 ↗
Frequently asked questions

FAQ

What is The 11 Collection?

The 11 Collection is a collection of eleven photography books risograph-printed in Paris. Each volume is centered on a human quality that drives entrepreneurial action. It starts with a conversation between an entrepreneur and a photographer.

Who publishes the collection?

The collection is co-published by Newfund, a venture capital firm, and Éditions Bessard. Pierre Bessard prints the books by risograph in Paris. The money collected goes to Éditions Bessard and supports independent photography publishing.

How is the word of each volume chosen?

The word is not chosen in advance: it emerges from the conversation between an entrepreneur from the Newfund portfolio and a photographer, and it is not negotiated afterwards. It becomes the title of the book, and the photographer interprets it in images.

How much does a volume cost and where can I buy it?

A volume costs €50. It is sold by Éditions Bessard: the Order section links to each volume’s page. Escape Velocity (04) will be available on release.

How many copies are printed?

Each volume is printed in 250 copies, never reprinted. Dense inks, shifts, textures: every copy is unique.

What is risograph printing?

Risograph printing is the process used for the books of the collection, by Pierre Bessard in Paris with vegetable inks. Every page is printed one ink after another, and the layers never land in exactly the same place. The method is simple, low-impact and responsible, and gives the books a strong physical presence.

How can I suggest a project for a future volume?

Write to contact@the11collection.com or use the form in the Contribute section: an idea, a pair to suggest, a skill to share. Pierre Bessard and the Newfund team read every message.

Vol. 01

Emergence

Volume page → Order