GRÄFE UND UNZER
Gräfe und Unzer is a 300-year-old German lifestyle book publisher (cookbooks, health, family, home, travel), serving German consumers and corporate clients with print, e-book, and audiobook formats via its gu.de e-commerce shop, retail distribution, and foreign rights licensing under HarperCollins Deutschland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1722
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What GRÄFE UND UNZER does
Gräfe und Unzer (GU Verlag / Gräfe & Unzer Verlag GmbH) is a German trade publisher headquartered in Munich, operating since 1722 and currently positioned as a wholly-owned imprint within HarperCollins Deutschland GmbH, which in turn sits inside the global HarperCollins / News Corp publishing group. The company specializes in practical, non-fiction lifestyle books across roughly eight categories — food and drink, body/mind/soul (including health and yoga), relationships, family, home and garden, pets, non-fiction, and travel/discovery — with pricing for print titles in the €15 to €40 range. Its catalog is anchored by recognized expert authors (for example, Dr. Johannes Coy, a cancer researcher who identified the TKTL1 gene, and Dr. Matthias Riedl, a TV personality from NDR Ernährungsdocs), and titles including 'Wiedersehen mit mir selbst zwischen Pizza und Aperol' and 'Arthrose endlich heilen' have achieved SPIEGEL Bestseller status.
GU's product portfolio spans physical books, EPUB e-books, and downloadable audiobooks, distributed through a multi-channel go-to-market: a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at gu.de, a dedicated B2B corporate channel ('GU für Unternehmen'), a blogger/influencer partnership portal, an editorial magazine and blog at gu.de/blogs/magazin, traditional trade and retail wholesale, and a domestic and foreign rights licensing program. Marketing is conducted through paid and organic social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, YouTube), an email newsletter, and author events.
The business model is primarily unit-based one-time purchases across print and digital formats, supplemented by licensing/royalty revenue from foreign rights and B2B volume orders. There is no public API, no proprietary technology stack, no AI/ML product capability, and no native mobile app disclosed; the commercial footprint is regional, focused on Germany. Revenue, headcount trends, and parent-level financials are not disclosed in the available data.
GRÄFE UND UNZER firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GRÄFE UND UNZER
- Legal name
- Gräfe & Unzer Verlag GmbH
- Website
- https://graefe-und-unzer.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1722
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gräfe und Unzer is a 300-year-old German lifestyle book publisher (cookbooks, health, family, home, travel), serving German consumers and corporate clients with print, e-book, and audiobook formats via its gu.de e-commerce shop, retail distribution, and foreign rights licensing under HarperCollins Deutschland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GRÄFE UND UNZER industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing (MPAJAAAH), Health, Wellness & Fitness Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAL)
Keywords
Where GRÄFE UND UNZER is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
GRÄFE UND UNZER business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Print): Sale of physical books across lifestyle categories including food & drink, health, family, home & garden, pets, and non-fiction. One-time purchase model per book.
- E-Book Sales: Digital book format sales (EPUB) available for immediate download. Electronic delivery model with e-book versions of print titles.
- Audiobook Sales: Audiobook format sales with digital delivery. Available for download before the end of the cancellation period with customer consent.
- B2B / Corporate Sales: Direct B2B sales channel for corporate customers (GU für Unternehmen). Volume or custom orders for business clients.
- Licensing / Foreign Rights: Licensing of content for international markets and foreign rights sales (Lizenzen Inland & Foreign Rights).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical books with prices ranging from €15 to €40 |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
GRÄFE UND UNZER product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GRÄFE UND UNZER (GU Verlag) is a German trade book publisher that develops, produces, and sells lifestyle non-fiction in print, e-book, and audiobook formats across categories such as food & drink, body/mind/soul, relationships, family, home & garden, pets, travel, and non-fiction. The publisher distributes titles directly to consumers via its gu.de online shop and to corporate clients through a dedicated B2B division, while also licensing domestic and foreign rights to international publishers.
Product overview
GU Verlag (Gräfe und Unzer) is a German book publisher with over 300 years of quality publishing heritage, now part of HarperCollins Deutschland GmbH. The company's product portfolio centers on its core book publishing program spanning food & drink (Essen & Trinken), body/mind/soul (Körper, Geist & Seele), relationships (Partnerschaft & Liebe), family, house & garden, pets, and non-fiction categories. GU Verlag distributes its content through multiple formats including physical books, ebooks, and audiobooks via its direct-to-consumer online shop (gu.de). The company also operates complementary platforms including its magazine/blog for editorial content, a B2B enterprise division (GU für Unternehmen), a blogger portal for influencer partnerships, and licensing services for foreign and domestic rights. The online shop integrates various payment processors including PayPal, major credit cards, and digital wallets, but the company does not offer a public API or documented AI capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- GU Verlag Print Books (Buchprogramm) Print book catalog spanning food & drink, body/mind/soul, relationships, family, house & garden, pets, travel, and non-fiction titles, sold to individual consumers and trade partners with examples priced from €15 to €40.
- E-Books Digital EPUB versions of GU Verlag titles available for purchase and immediate download through the gu.de online shop.
- Audiobooks (Hörbücher) Audiobook versions of selected GU Verlag publications available for digital download through the gu.de online shop.
- Licensing & Foreign Rights Licensing services for domestic and foreign rights, enabling international publishers to acquire rights to GU Verlag titles.
- GU für Unternehmen (B2B Corporate Sales) Dedicated B2B offering for corporate customers covering bulk orders, corporate gifting, and business-to-business transactions through the GU für Unternehmen division.
Quantifiable outcome
- SPIEGEL Bestseller status achieved for titles including 'Wiedersehen mit mir selbst zwischen Pizza und Aperol' and 'Arthrose endlich heilen'
Companies that use GRÄFE UND UNZER
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
GRÄFE UND UNZER technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
GRÄFE UND UNZER partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
GRÄFE UND UNZER competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kneipp Verlag: Kneipp Verlag is an Austrian/German publisher specializing in health, wellness, and natural living books. Directly comparable to GU's 'Körper, Geist & Seele' and health/wellness category.
- Callwey Verlag: Callwey is a long-standing German publisher known for high-quality illustrated lifestyle books across home, design, cooking, and gardening. Comparable to GU in premium illustrated lifestyle publishing heritage and German consumer focus.
- Mairdumont: Mairdumont is a major German-language travel and leisure publisher (Marco Polo, Baedeker). Directly comparable to GU in publishing German-language lifestyle and travel guidebooks, with overlapping category presence and similar end-consumer focus.
- Dorling Kindersley (DK): DK is a globally recognized illustrated non-fiction and lifestyle publisher, part of Penguin Random House. Directly comparable to GU in producing practical, highly illustrated lifestyle, cooking, and how-to titles for a mass consumer audience.
- Bassermann Verlag: Bassermann is a Penguin Random House Germany imprint specializing in illustrated lifestyle, cooking, and wellness books. Directly comparable to GU in category mix (cookbooks, wellness, home) and German consumer target market.
- EMF Verlag: EMF is a German independent publisher focused on lifestyle, wellness, cooking, and personal development. Comparable to GU in editorial scope, German-language target audience, and direct-to-consumer book sales through an in-house e-commerce shop.
- Hallwag (Kümmerly+Frey): Hallwag is a Swiss/German-language travel guide and lifestyle publisher. Comparable to GU's travel ('Entdecken & Erleben') and practical guidebook categories, with overlapping DACH-region consumer base.
- Christian Verlag: Christian Verlag is a German lifestyle and cookery publisher (now part of Bonnier Media Deutschland). Directly comparable to GU in publishing premium illustrated cookbooks, lifestyle guides, and home/garden content for German consumers.
Emerging players
- Stiftung Warentest: Stiftung Warentest publishes authoritative consumer testing guides and books on health, food, and household topics. Comparable to GU's wellness and lifestyle guidance categories, with similar German audience seeking expert-backed practical content.
Broad incumbents
- Penguin Random House Germany: PRH Germany is the largest trade publisher in the German market with a broad lifestyle and non-fiction portfolio. Relevant as a large incumbent competitor overlapping with GU's categories and a potential acquirer/partner via shared distribution scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GRÄFE UND UNZER social profiles
Digital presenceGRÄFE UND UNZER financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GRÄFE UND UNZER leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
GRÄFE UND UNZER funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GRÄFE UND UNZER M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GRÄFE UND UNZER
What does GRÄFE UND UNZER do?
GRÄFE UND UNZER (GU Verlag) is a German trade book publisher that develops, produces, and sells lifestyle non-fiction in print, e-book, and audiobook formats across categories such as food & drink, body/mind/soul, relationships, family, home & garden, pets, travel, and non-fiction. The publisher distributes titles directly to consumers via its gu.de online shop and to corporate clients through a dedicated B2B division, while also licensing domestic and foreign rights to international publishers.
Is GRÄFE UND UNZER a public or private company?
GRÄFE UND UNZER is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was GRÄFE UND UNZER founded?
GRÄFE UND UNZER was founded in 1722. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is GRÄFE UND UNZER based?
GRÄFE UND UNZER is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does GRÄFE UND UNZER make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Print) is the primary driver. The others are E-Book Sales, audiobook Sales, B2B / Corporate Sales and licensing / Foreign Rights.
Who are GRÄFE UND UNZER's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kneipp Verlag, Callwey Verlag, Mairdumont, Dorling Kindersley (DK), Bassermann Verlag, EMF Verlag, Hallwag (Kümmerly+Frey) and Christian Verlag. Stiftung Warentest is listed as an emerging player. Penguin Random House Germany is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does GRÄFE UND UNZER have an API?
No public API is recorded for GRÄFE UND UNZER.
What industry is GRÄFE UND UNZER in?
GRÄFE UND UNZER's product category is Trade Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAA, General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction), with a secondary code of MPAJAAAH, Lifestyle, Travel & Leisure Books Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.