TASCHEN
TASCHEN is a privately-held, Cologne-headquartered art-book publisher founded in 1980 that produces multilingual illustrated books across art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, and pop culture, selling directly to consumers globally through its e-commerce platform, 12 retail stores, and limited collector editions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersBeverly Hills, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What TASCHEN does
TASCHEN GmbH is a privately-held, founder-led art-book publisher founded in 1980 and headquartered in Cologne, Germany, operating as what the company describes as the world's leading illustrated art-book publisher. The firm's catalog of 909+ titles spans seven editorial verticals — art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, and pop culture — and is produced with a proprietary six-color printing treatment designed for faithful color reproduction, with multilingual editions available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch to serve global audiences.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model via two primary channels: a global e-commerce platform at taschen.com and 12 owned retail stores located in Beverly Hills, Hollywood (Los Angeles), Miami, New York, Cologne, Berlin, Brussels, London, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Hong Kong. Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) standard illustrated book sales priced $20-$200, (2) limited and collector editions priced $500-$20,000 (SUMO, Baby SUMO, XXL, and numbered art formats), and (3) $50 gift cards. Pricing is a published, unit-based pay-as-you-go model across all tiers.
TASCHEN serves a horizontally segmented customer base of individual enthusiasts and professionals, with primary audiences in art collectors, architecture and design professionals, photography and film enthusiasts, fashion and lifestyle readers, and comics/pop-culture fans. The company employs 101-250 people across its Cologne HQ and a dozen international team locations, and continues to release new editorial content through 2025-2026 (e.g., the 100 Movies series, the May 2026 Hal Foster Tarzan reprint co-published with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., and the Costume Jewelry book). Marketing is multi-channel, combining e-commerce, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), email/newsletters, experiential events (book signings with artists like Francis Kéré, JR, and Ellen von Unwerth), and the physical retail showroom footprint.
TASCHEN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TASCHEN
- Legal name
- TASCHEN GmbH
- Website
- https://taschen.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- TASCHEN is a privately-held, Cologne-headquartered art-book publisher founded in 1980 that produces multilingual illustrated books across art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, and pop culture, selling directly to consumers globally through its e-commerce platform, 12 retail stores, and limited collector editions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TASCHEN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Art Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing (MPAJAAAE)
Keywords
Where TASCHEN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beverly Hills
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices22 records
Markets served
TASCHEN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations
Revenue model
- Standard Book Sales: One-time sales of illustrated art books across categories including art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, and pop culture. Books are sold at various price points from $20 to $200 for standard editions.
- Limited Edition Sales: Premium collector editions sold at higher price points ranging from $500 to $20,000, featuring exclusive formats like SUMO, Baby SUMO, XXL, and numbered art editions.
- Gift Cards: TASCHEN gift cards available in $50 denominations for customer gifting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Limited/Collector Editions |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
TASCHEN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TASCHEN publishes, produces, and sells high-quality illustrated books on art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, lifestyle, travel, and pop culture. The catalog includes 909+ standard titles priced $20–$200 and 183+ collector limited editions priced $500–$20,000, distributed globally through the company's e-commerce platform and 12 flagship retail stores. Publications are produced with proprietary six-color printing and offered in multiple languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TASCHEN Standard Illustrated Books One-time purchase illustrated books spanning art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, lifestyle, travel, and pop culture, priced $20 to $200 per title. Produced with six-color printing and offered in multiple languages; sold via taschen.com and 12 retail stores to individual collectors, enthusiasts, students, and design professionals.
- TASCHEN Limited / Collector Editions Premium collector editions in exclusive formats (SUMO, Baby SUMO, XXL, Special Art Editions) with numbered prints, ranging from $500 to $20,000 per copy. Targeted at art collectors and high-end enthusiasts seeking investment-grade illustrated books with exceptional production quality.
- TASCHEN Gift Cards
Companies that use TASCHEN
Customer profileSegments7 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
TASCHEN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
TASCHEN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.minorEdgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., which administers the intellectual property of Tarzan, co-announced with TASCHEN the May 2026 release of 'Hal Foster's Tarzan: The Complete Sunday Comics 1931-1937'. This is a collaborative publishing partnership for the reprint of 292 full-color Sunday comics.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
TASCHEN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Phaidon Press: Phaidon is a long-established illustrated art-book publisher covering art, architecture, design, photography, and culinary. It is one of the closest direct competitors to TASCHEN given overlapping subject matter, premium positioning, and global DTC retail.
- Rizzoli International Publications: Rizzoli publishes illustrated books on art, architecture, fashion, photography, design, and culinary with a flagship New York store. It competes head-to-head with TASCHEN in the premium illustrated-trade segment and shares a similar multi-language, multi-channel distribution model.
- Assouline: Assouline is a luxury illustrated-book publisher known for high-end fashion, art, travel, and lifestyle volumes, often priced similarly to TASCHEN's premium tier. It is a direct competitor in the collector gift and coffee-table book category with comparable global DTC and boutique retail.
- Abrams Books: Abrams publishes illustrated books across art, photography, architecture, design, cooking, and pop culture under imprints like Abrams Image. It directly overlaps with TASCHEN's catalog mix and competes for the same museum, gift, and trade bookstore shelf space.
- Thames & Hudson: Thames & Hudson is a UK-headquartered illustrated art-book publisher with deep coverage of art, architecture, design, and visual culture. It is highly comparable to TASCHEN in editorial scope, multilingual publishing, and international distribution.
- Gestalten: Gestalten publishes illustrated books on design, architecture, visual culture, and contemporary creative practice from Berlin. It directly overlaps with TASCHEN's architecture, design, and photography verticals and targets similar design-conscious enthusiasts.
- Steidl: Steidl is a German publisher renowned for high-quality photography and art books produced with its own print facilities. It competes with TASCHEN in the premium photography and contemporary-art monograph segment and shares an emphasis on print quality.
Broad incumbents
- MoMA Publications: MoMA's publishing program produces illustrated art books tied to exhibitions and the museum's collection. It overlaps with TASCHEN's modern and contemporary art monograph category but operates as a museum publisher rather than an independent trade house.
- Penguin Random House / Knopf Doubleday: Penguin Random House and its Knopf Doubleday imprints publish illustrated non-fiction and art-adjacent titles at scale. They overlap with TASCHEN on general illustrated non-fiction but operate at vastly greater volume across many more categories.
Emerging players
- Idea Books: Idea Books is an Amsterdam-based distributor and publisher specializing in independent art, photography, design, and architecture books. It complements TASCHEN's catalog at the specialty end of the market and targets a similar enthusiast and library customer base.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TASCHEN social profiles
Digital presenceTASCHEN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TASCHEN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
TASCHEN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TASCHEN 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 TASCHEN
What does TASCHEN do?
TASCHEN publishes, produces, and sells high-quality illustrated books on art, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, lifestyle, travel, and pop culture. The catalog includes 909+ standard titles priced $20–$200 and 183+ collector limited editions priced $500–$20,000, distributed globally through the company's e-commerce platform and 12 flagship retail stores. Publications are produced with proprietary six-color printing and offered in multiple languages including English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Dutch.
Is TASCHEN a public or private company?
TASCHEN is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TASCHEN founded?
TASCHEN was founded in 1980. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is TASCHEN based?
TASCHEN is headquartered in Beverly Hills, United States, in the North America region.
How does TASCHEN make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Standard Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are limited Edition Sales and gift Cards.
Who are TASCHEN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Phaidon Press, Rizzoli International Publications, Assouline, Abrams Books, Thames & Hudson, Gestalten and Steidl. Broad incumbents are MoMA Publications and Penguin Random House / Knopf Doubleday. Idea Books is listed as an emerging player.
Does TASCHEN have an API?
No public API is recorded for TASCHEN.
What industry is TASCHEN in?
TASCHEN's product category is Art Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAF, Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAE, Hardcover & Premium Editions Publishing. Its NAICS code is 4592 and its SIC code is 2731.