Vulkan Verlag

What Vulkan Verlag does

Vulkan-Verlag GmbH is a German specialist publishing house (Fachverlag) founded in 1928 and headquartered in Essen, operating as a cross-media media company for technical professionals. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACM GmbH and is led by Managing Director Jürgen Franke. Its portfolio spans nine specialist journal brands covering gas and energy (gwf Gas + Energie), water and wastewater (gwf Wasser + Abwasser, Der Wassermeister), pipeline construction (3R), industrial valves and sealing technology (Industriearmaturen & Dichtungstechnik), automation (atp magazin), filtration and separation (Filtrieren & Separieren), thermal processing and steel (Metalverse), and hydrogen (H2 News), alongside a technical book catalogue, sector-specific online portals, the Scifo e-library, newsletters, podcasts, videos, and exclusive congresses.

The underlying platform is a cross-media publishing infrastructure that delivers specialist content across print, e-commerce (own storefront at vulkan-verlag.de/shop), online portals, digital downloads, newsletters, podcasts, and in-person events. Revenue is generated through five principal streams: recurring annual journal subscriptions (cancellable with 8-week notice), one-time book and e-book sales (priced €11–€280), subscription-based online portal memberships, digital product downloads (e-books and e-papers), and revenue from congresses and industry events. A Corporate Media full-service agency adds custom publishing services for industrial clients. Distribution is primarily DACH-region focused via direct subscription sales, the company-owned e-commerce shop, and DHL shipping for physical products.

Customers are predominantly German-speaking technical professionals, engineers, managers (Führungskräfte), and institutional/educational buyers in industrial sectors — pipeline construction, gas and energy, water and wastewater, automation, filtration, industrial valves, and thermal processing. Headcount is reported in the 101–250 range. Marketing is conducted through LinkedIn, XING, YouTube, Vimeo, and email newsletters. No AI/ML, mobile app, or public API capabilities are disclosed, and the company has no known venture backing, recent M&A, or disclosed financials.

Name

Vulkan Verlag

Legal name

Vulkan-Verlag GmbH

Website

https://vulkan-verlag.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vulkan-Verlag GmbH is a German specialist cross-media publishing house (founded 1928, Essen) producing technical journals, books, online portals, e-libraries, podcasts, and congresses serving engineers, technical managers, and institutional buyers across gas, water, automation, filtration, and industrial-valve sectors in the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Technical Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technical Reference Publishing (Handbooks, Specifications) (MPAJACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STM Publishing (Science, Technical & Medical) (MPAJABAD), Business, Management & HR Reference (Operations, Strategy, HR, Leadership) (EDAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Technical publishing
• Specialist trade journals
• Engineering reference books
• Industrial media
• Cross-media publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Journal Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from technical journals covering industrial sectors including gas, water, wastewater, automation, filtration, and industrial valves. Subscriptions are billed annually in advance with 8 weeks cancellation notice.
2. Book Sales: One-time sales of technical books and reference works in German and English covering industrial engineering topics. Products available as printed copies and e-books with pricing ranging from approximately €11 to €280.
3. Online Portal Memberships: Subscription-based access to online information portals providing specialized technical content for specific industrial sectors.
4. Events and Congresses: Revenue from exclusive conferences and industry events organized by Vulkan Verlag, providing specialist knowledge exchange platforms.
5. Digital Products: E-books and e-papers available as downloads from the online shop. Digital products are shipping-free and delivered immediately after purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vulkan-Verlag GmbH is a German specialist technical publishing house (Fachverlag) operating as a cross-media media company (crossmediales Medienhaus). It produces and distributes professional technical content for engineers and managers through print journals, technical books, e-books, online portals, an e-library (Scifo), newsletters, podcasts, and industry congresses. The portfolio covers industrial sectors including gas and energy, water and wastewater, automation technology, filtration and separation, industrial valves and sealing technology, pipeline construction, and thermal processing.

Product overview

Vulkan Verlag is a specialized technical publishing house and cross-media media company offering professional technical knowledge and information services across multiple channels. The portfolio includes print and digital magazines (Zeitschriften) such as 3R, atp magazin, Filtrieren & Separieren, gwf Gas + Energie, gwf Wasser + Abwasser, H2 News, Industriearmaturen & Dichtungstechnik, Metalverse, and Der Wassermeister; technical books (Fachbücher); online portals; an e-library (E-Bibliothek/Scifo); events and congresses; newsletters; podcasts; and corporate media services. The company also operates an e-commerce shop for selling books, eBooks, ePapers, and subscriptions in technical domains including automation technology, filtration & separation, gas & energy, building technology, industrial valves & sealing technology, pipeline engineering, thermal processing technology, and water & wastewater.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 3R: Fachmagazin für Gas, Wasser, Abwasser, Fernwärme, Chemie: Umfassende Informationen zum Rohrleitungsbau.
• atp magazin
• Filtrieren & Separieren
• gwf Gas + Energie
• gwf Wasser + Abwasser
• H2 News
• Industriearmaturen & Dichtungstechnik
• Metalverse
• Der Wassermeister
• 3R

Products and services

• 3R Technical magazine covering gas, water, wastewater, district heating, and chemistry sectors with comprehensive information on pipeline construction. Targeted at engineers and technical managers in the pipeline construction industry.
• atp magazin Magazine focused on digital transformation and Industry 4.0, providing knowledge for automation technology professionals. Targeted at technical specialists in automation and industrial digitalization.
• Filtrieren & Separieren German-language technical journal for filtration and separation, offering exclusive, competent, and practice-oriented content. Targeted at engineers and practitioners in filtration and separation technology.
• gwf Gas + Energie Technical magazine covering gas extraction, production, and distribution in the context of the energy transition. Targeted at technical professionals in the gas and energy sector.
• gwf Wasser + Abwasser Technical magazine for water and wastewater technology covering research, technology, and practice. Targeted at engineers and managers in the water and wastewater industry.
• H2 News Information platform covering hydrogen across all industries, mobility, and heat markets. Targeted at technical professionals and managers involved in hydrogen energy applications.
• Industriearmaturen & Dichtungstechnik Information platform for valves, seals, actuators, pumps, and compressors. Targeted at engineers and procurement specialists in industrial valve and sealing technology.
• Metalverse Portal combining four technical journals (PROZESSWÄRME, heat processing, Stahl, and think.steel) on a single platform. Targeted at technical professionals in thermal processing and steel industries.
• Der Wassermeister Product and process information magazine for users and technicians in the water industry. Targeted at practitioners and operators in water utilities.
• Fachbücher (Technical Books) Professional technical books covering various industrial and engineering topics, available in print and e-book editions. Pricing ranges from approximately €11 to €280. Targeted at engineers, technicians, students, and industry practitioners.
• Online Portale (Online Portals) Informative online portal platforms providing digital access to sector-specific technical content for industries including automation, filtration, gas and energy, building technology, industrial valves, pipeline technology, thermal processing, and water and wastewater.
• E-Bibliothek / Scifo Digital library service providing electronic publications and resources for technical professionals seeking on-demand access to specialist content.
• Veranstaltungen (Events and Congresses) Exclusive congresses and industry events organized by Vulkan Verlag for professional networking and knowledge exchange across specialist industrial topics. Targeted at technical managers, engineers, and industry decision-makers.
• Corporate Media / Full-Service-Agentur Full-service agency offering editorial expertise for corporate media production, leveraging Vulkan Verlag's editorial team to produce custom content for industrial companies. Targeted at industrial firms seeking outsourced specialist content production.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vogel Communications Group: German B2B technical media group publishing specialist trade journals, books, and events across industrial verticals. Highly comparable to Vulkan Verlag given the overlapping print-journal + book + events + digital model serving German-speaking engineers and technical managers.
• Carl Hanser Verlag: Munich-based technical and scientific publisher producing books and journals in engineering, materials, and industrial topics. Comparable to Vulkan Verlag in book/reference publishing for industrial engineers, with a stronger academic/STM tilt.
• Beuth Verlag (DIN Media): German standards and technical publishing house (publisher of DIN standards). Comparable to Vulkan Verlag in publishing authoritative technical reference content for German industrial professionals, though anchored in standards rather than trade journalism.
• WEKA Media: German specialist B2B publisher offering trade journals, reference works, online portals, and events for technical and professional audiences. Directly comparable cross-media publishing model and DACH-focused B2B specialist positioning.
• TeDo Verlag: German B2B publisher focused on technical trade magazines and digital content for industrial automation, drives, and factory automation. Directly comparable in serving German-speaking engineers through print and digital media.
• Hüthig GmbH (Hüthig Jehle Rehm): German B2B technical publisher of trade journals, books, and digital offerings across electronics, automation, and process industries. Closely comparable product mix (journals, books, e-libraries, events) and customer base to Vulkan Verlag.
• IDEA TV / Konradin Media Group: German B2B media group producing technical trade journals, books, and digital products for industrial and craft professionals. Comparable specialist publishing portfolio and DACH B2B customer base to Vulkan Verlag.
• Oldenbourg Verlag: Munich-based technical and scientific publisher of books and journals for engineers and natural scientists. Comparable in technical reference publishing for DACH academic and industrial audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Springer Nature: Global academic and STM publisher with a large German footprint (Springer Vieweg, Springer Fachmedien). Operates in the same engineering and technical reference category as Vulkan Verlag but at much greater scale and with a broader portfolio including scientific journals.
• Wiley-VCH: German subsidiary of Wiley publishing technical and scientific reference works, journals, and books in chemistry, materials, and engineering. Overlaps with Vulkan Verlag's engineering and technical reference content, particularly for industrial chemistry and process engineering audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DIVVulkanVerlag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vulkan-verlag-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vulkan Verlag