DK

Reference Book Publishingdk.com

Company typePrivate
Founded1974
HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
Headcount1,001–5,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

DK firmographics

Firmographics

Name: DK
Legal name: Dorling Kindersley Limited
Website: https://dk.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1974
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1,001–5,000 employees
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

DK industry classification

Industry

Product category: Reference Book Publishing
NAICS: Book Publishers (513130)
SIC: Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
akta.pro primary industry: Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC)
akta.pro secondary industries: K–12 Textbook Publishing (Core Curriculum) (MPAJABAA), Middle Grade Publishing (MPAJAFAC)

Keywords

Illustrated reference books
Children's educational books
Licensed franchise publishing
Travel guide books
Language learning books

Where DK is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: London
HQ country: United Kingdom
HQ region: Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

DK business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Book Sales: DK generates revenue through one-time book purchases across both physical and digital formats. Books are sold through direct e-commerce, retail stores, and online marketplaces.
Licensed Publishing: DK publishes officially licensed franchise merchandise and companion books for entertainment properties including Star Trek, Avatar, Star Wars, Marvel, DC Comics, Warhammer, and Disney.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Children's Books - Board books and picture books for ages 0-5
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Children's Activity Books and Learning titles
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Adult Reference and Non-Fiction Hardcover
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Adult Trade Paperbacks
Unit Pricing	Pay-as-you-go	Licensed Franchise Companion Books

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

DK product offering

Product offering

Core offering

DK is a top publisher of general reference and illustrated non-fiction books. It publishes adult reference titles across 15+ subject categories (Arts & Culture, Business & Careers, Crafts & Hobbies, Food & Drink, History, Science & Nature, Travel, etc.), children's books segmented by age from 0-5 through teen/YA, and official licensed companion books for major entertainment franchises including Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Warhammer, Avatar, Star Trek, and Disney. The company sells primarily through its own e-commerce platform, Amazon, and physical bookstores across the US, UK, Canada, and India.

Product overview

DK is a global book publishing company offering a diverse portfolio of illustrated reference books, educational materials, and licensed franchise publications. The company operates two main divisions: Books for Adults spanning 15+ subject categories (Arts & Culture, Business & Careers, Crafts & Hobbies, Comics/Film/TV, Food & Drink, Gardening, Health & Beauty, History, Language Learning, Non-fiction, Pregnancy & Parenting, Religions & Ideas, Reference, Science & Nature, and Travel) and Children's Books organized by age, type, and series. Key product lines include the Eyewitness reference series, DK Super Readers learning program, Pop-up Peekaboo! interactive board books, DK Top 10 travel guides, and Bilingual Visual Dictionaries. DK also publishes licensed content for major franchises including Star Wars, Marvel/DC Comics, Warhammer, Avatar, Star Trek, and LEGO. The company operates multiple imprints including DK Living, DK Children's, DK+, DK Alpha, and Canelo, with subsidiaries like Phonic Books. DK's products are distributed through its e-commerce platform powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

DK Living: Adult lifestyle and non-fiction publishing imprint
DK Children's
DK+
DK Alpha
Canelo
Eyewitness
DK Super Readers
Pop-up Peekaboo!
Rebel Girls
Phonic Books
English for Everyone
DK Learning

Products and services

DK Books for Adults

Quantifiable outcome

Avatar companion books reached Amazon's top movie books bestseller charts

Companies that use DK

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

DK technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

DK partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

DK competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Scholastic: Scholastic is one of the world's largest children's book publishers, producing educational, reference, and trade titles for kids and schools. Directly comparable to DK's children's publishing division, particularly around leveled readers and educational non-fiction.
Usborne Publishing: Usborne is an independent children's book publisher known for visually engaging illustrated educational and activity books. Comparable to DK Children's, DK Super Readers, and Pop-up Peekaboo-style interactive formats.
Quarto Group: Quarto publishes illustrated adult non-fiction and children's books across crafts, hobbies, wellness, and reference. Comparable to DK's adult categories (Crafts & Hobbies, Health, Reference) and its licensing-driven illustrated publishing model.
Phaidon Press: Phaidon publishes premium illustrated books on art, architecture, design, food, and culture. Directly comparable to DK's premium illustrated adult non-fiction segments like Arts & Culture, Food & Drink, and Crafts & Hobbies.
Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading illustrated travel guidebook publisher with strong global brand recognition. Comparable to DK's Top 10 Travel Guides series and adult reference travel segment.
National Geographic Books: National Geographic Books publishes illustrated reference, photography, and educational non-fiction for adults and children. Highly comparable to DK's illustrated adult reference and Eyewitness-style science/history/nature titles.
Chronicle Books: Chronicle Books publishes illustrated adult and children's trade titles, gifts, and stationery. Comparable to DK's mix of illustrated adult reference, gift-format children's books, and lifestyle publishing.
Workman Publishing: Workman publishes illustrated adult non-fiction, calendars, children's books, and lifestyle/reference titles. Directly comparable to DK's adult reference categories (cookbooks, crafts, parenting, humor/gift) and children's activity segments.

Broad incumbents

HarperCollins: HarperCollins is one of the Big Five publishers with extensive adult reference, illustrated, and children's publishing. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating adult non-fiction and children's illustrated books at scale.
Penguin Random House (parent imprints): As DK's parent, Penguin Random House operates many overlapping adult and children's trade imprints (e.g., Random House, Crown, Knopf). Broader scale and overlapping reference/non-fiction output make PRH a meaningful incumbent peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

DK financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

DK leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

DK subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries4 records

DK funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

DK M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DK

What does DK do?

Is DK a public or private company?

DK is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.

When was DK founded?

DK was founded in 1974. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.

Where is DK based?

DK is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.

How does DK make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensed Publishing.

Who are DK's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Scholastic, Usborne Publishing, Quarto Group, Phaidon Press, Lonely Planet, National Geographic Books, Chronicle Books and Workman Publishing. Broad incumbents are HarperCollins and Penguin Random House (parent imprints).

Does DK have an API?

No public API is recorded for DK.

What industry is DK in?

DK's product category is Reference Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAIAC, Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature), with a secondary code of MPAJABAA, K–12 Textbook Publishing (Core Curriculum). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.