Amsterdam University Press

What Amsterdam University Press does

Amsterdam University Press (AUP) is a privately held, Netherlands-based academic publisher founded in 1992, operating as Amsterdam University Press B.V. with 11-50 employees and headquartered at Nieuwe Prinsengracht 89, Amsterdam. The press publishes peer-reviewed monographs, edited collections, journals, and conference proceedings across the humanities and social sciences in both English and Dutch, with 1,600+ titles in its backlist and 80+ new monographs published annually. Subjects include European History, Asian Studies, Film & Media, Linguistics, Religion and Philosophy, Social and Political Sciences, and reference works (Greek-Dutch and Latin-Dutch dictionaries), plus a Dutch trade/museum imprint via WBOOKS and the CEU Press imprint managed under a 2024 partnership.

AUP's technical infrastructure centers on a dedicated journals and conference proceedings platform (aup-online.com) producing DOI-registered content in PDF and EPUB, with DRM delivered via Adobe Digital Editions for direct eBook sales. Distribution occurs through a dense network of academic channel partners: Cambridge Core, EBSCO, Ebrary/ProQuest, and VitalSource for institutional eBook access; De Gruyter, JSTOR, OAPEN, and DOAB for Open Access titles; Project MUSE as the access layer for the Opening the Future program; and Wiley as the physical book distributor in the EU. The press's proprietary commercial differentiator is the Opening the Future model — a modified Subscribe-to-Open framework applied to monographs, in which libraries commit to 3-year subscriptions to receive perpetual access, and frontlist OA monographs are funded when subscription revenue crosses defined thresholds — alongside the AUP Diamond Open HSS S2O model for journals.

Revenue is generated across five streams: one-time book sales (direct and through vendor partners), recurring journal subscriptions (administered via Abonnementenland), open access publication fees (€750/article for hybrid journals, €8,950+ for monographs, €895+ for conference proceedings), Opening the Future library subscriptions (3-year commitments, tiered by institution size and subject package), and educational eBook licensing through VitalSource. The go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led via a commissioning-editor model with direct outreach to scholars, supplemented by channel-partner distribution for institutional reach, and event-driven relationship building through academic conferences and AUP-hosted events such as Journal Day and book launches at SPUI25. In 2024, AUP restructured its English-language book programme via a Taylor & Francis agreement, established German and US subsidiaries, acquired WBOOKS, and assumed operating responsibility for CEU Press, signaling a shift toward a multi-imprint, multi-region publishing platform.

Name

Amsterdam University Press

Legal name

Amsterdam University Press B.V.

Website

https://aup.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Amsterdam University Press is a Netherlands-based academic publisher that produces peer-reviewed monographs, journals, and proceedings in the humanities and social sciences in English and Dutch, distributed globally through major academic platforms and serving scholars, libraries, and partner institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Open Educational Resources (OER) & Open Access Academic Publishing (MPAJABAG), Social Sciences Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Scholarly journal publishing
• Open access publishing
• Humanities social sciences
• University press

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: AUP publishes academic books and monographs in print and digital formats. Individual customers purchase directly through the website using Adobe Digital Editions, while institutional customers purchase through vendor partners like Cambridge Core, EBSCO, and Ebrary/ProQuest.
2. Journal Subscriptions: AUP publishes 15+ peer-reviewed journals in humanities and social sciences. Subscriptions are handled through Abonnementenland for customer service and administration, with institutional access via the AUP online platform.
3. Open Access Publication Fees: AUP charges open access fees for books (starting from €8,950 for monographs) and article processing charges for journals (€750 for hybrid journals). Conference proceedings fees include €895 set-up plus per-paper charges.
4. Opening the Future Subscriptions: Libraries commit to 3-year subscription packages supporting OA publication. Libraries receive perpetual access to backlist/midlist titles and frontlist OA monographs are funded when EUR 8,500 threshold is reached.
5. Educational eBook Licensing: Educational eBooks can be rented, purchased, or licensed through VitalSource with multi-user licenses available for institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels11 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Amsterdam University Press (AUP) is a leading European university press that publishes peer-reviewed academic books, journals, and conference proceedings in the humanities and social sciences, in both English and Dutch. The press offers multiple Open Access models (Gold, Green, Diamond/Platinum, Bronze) and operates the innovative "Opening the Future" Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) program for books alongside a dedicated journals platform (aup-online.com). AUP distributes content globally through institutional vendors (Cambridge Core, EBSCO, JSTOR, OAPEN, De Gruyter, VitalSource) and direct website sales to individuals.

Product overview

Amsterdam University Press operates as a multi-format academic publisher with a portfolio of interconnected products and platforms. Core offerings include scholarly monographs and edited collections, academic journals published on the dedicated journals platform (aup-online.com), and conference proceedings—all produced through rigorous peer review. The portfolio spans Open Access Books and Journals (Diamond, Gold, and Green OA models), including the Opening the Future collective subscription program, alongside traditional subscription publications. Educational textbooks serve higher education markets, while reference works and the CEU Press imprint expand subject coverage. Digital distribution occurs through proprietary eBook sales (using Adobe Digital Editions) and institutional partnerships with major academic aggregators like Cambridge Core, EBSCO, and VitalSource. The company also operates the Wereld van Filantropie news platform and provides Open Educational Resources guidance through its toolkit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEU Press: English-language imprint of Amsterdam University Press publishing for Central European University
• AUP Diamond Open HSS
• Opening the Future
• Wereld van Filantropie
• Van Gogh Museum Studies

Products and services

• Academic Books Peer-reviewed scholarly monographs and edited collections in humanities and social sciences disciplines including European History, Asian Studies, Film & Media, Linguistics, and Religion and Philosophy. Targeted at academic scholars, researchers, and university libraries globally.
• Academic Journals Peer-reviewed academic journals in humanities and social sciences hosted on the AUP Online platform with subscription, Open Access, and Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) options. Targeted at academic institutions, libraries, and individual subscribers.
• Conference Proceedings Open access publication of peer-reviewed conference papers with plagiarism checks, ISBN registration, and individual paper DOIs, published on the AUP online platform. Targeted at academic conference organizers and participating researchers.
• Open Access Books
• Open Access Journals Diamond Open Access journals using Subscribe-to-Open (S2O) plus subscription journals offering Gold OA, Green OA, and Bronze (delayed) OA options. Targeted at academic institutions, libraries, and authors.
• Educational Publications
• CEU Press English-language imprint publishing humanities and social sciences scholarship for the Central European University. Now produced under the AUP group with retained CEU Press branding.
• Opening the Future
• Reference Works
• Wereld van Filantropie

Quantifiable outcome

• Published over 1600 titles with 80+ new monographs annually across humanities and social sciences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Central European University (CEU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Starting 1st August 2024, AUP handles production, marketing, and sales of all CEU Press titles, completing existing projects and commissioning new titles. CEU Press publishes under its own imprint as part of the AUP group.
• Taylor & FranciscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2024AUP and Taylor & Francis entered into an agreement for the acquisition of the majority of AUP's English language book programme by T&F, providing broader distribution through Taylor & Francis's global network.
• Leiden University PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2022Effective 1 July 2022, AUP internationally distributes and markets titles published by Leiden University Press in print and digital format, expanding distribution reach for both publishers.
• Knowledge UnlatchedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKnowledge Unlatched selects AUP books for Open Access publication through its KU Select program. Multiple selections (2020-2025) with 4-10 books per selection cycle.
• De GruytercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAUP Open Access titles are distributed through De Gruyter platform, making OA books available worldwide through their established academic distribution network.
• JSTORcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOpen Access books available on JSTOR platform for broad academic discoverability and access.
• OAPENcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOA books library (library.oapen.org) for Open Access title distribution, enhancing discoverability of AUP's scholarly publications.
• BloomsburyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAUP collaborates with Bloomsbury to present selected titles from Film, Media & Communication list on Bloomsbury's Screen Studies digital platform.
• WileycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWiley serves as AUP's distributor for EU customers under DAP incoterms, handling physical book distribution with customs and delivery managed by UPS.
• Van Gogh MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP partnered with Van Gogh Museum to launch 'Van Gogh Museum Studies' book series, including title 'Van Gogh's Sunflowers Illuminated: Art Meets Science'.
• Prado MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP launched book series 'Gender and Art in the Museum: The Prado Collection' in partnership with Prado Museum, Madrid, focusing on art and gender studies.
• EYE Film InstituutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP works closely with EYE Film Institute on publishing projects, combining academic publishing expertise with cultural institution reach.
• Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen (KNAW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP provides publishing services to KNAW, advising on publication policy and supporting scholarly communication.
• Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP collaborates with WRR on publishing government policy research and analyses.
• International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP partners with IIAS for publishing Asian Studies research and scholarship.
• Universiteit van AmsterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUP maintains close ties with University of Amsterdam for publishing academic works and joint initiatives.
• LyrasisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLyrasis assists US and UK customers with invoicing and access for Opening the Future subscription model.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Oxford University Press: Largest university press globally, with deep HSS monograph, journal, and reference-work programmes; comparable on product mix (books, journals, OA, reference works) though at a very different scale.
• Cambridge University Press: Historic British university press with overlapping HSS monograph and journal portfolios; also an AUP distribution partner via Cambridge Core, providing direct platform and product comparability.
• De Gruyter: Major German-based scholarly publisher with a broad HSS and STEM portfolio; both a peer (overlapping OA book and journal programmes) and a distribution partner for AUP's Open Access titles.
• Taylor & Francis (Routledge): Largest HSS monograph publisher via Routledge; now also AUP's English-language programme acquirer and distribution partner, making it both a major peer and a strategic counterparty.

Direct peers

• Bloomsbury Academic: Bloomsbury's academic division publishes HSS monographs and journals, including a Screen Studies platform that already features AUP's film/media titles; a directly comparable HSS monograph publisher and platform partner.
• Leuven University Press: Belgian/Dutch-language university press publishing HSS monographs with Open Access programmes; comparable in scale, scope, and bilingual European university-press model.
• Edinburgh University Press: Scottish university press publishing HSS monographs and journals across similar disciplines (history, film and media, law, linguistics), directly comparable in size, mission, and library model.
• Manchester University Press: UK-based mid-sized university press focused on HSS monographs and journals with active Open Access initiatives; a like-for-like UK/European university press peer to AUP.
• Brill Publishers: Leiden-based academic publisher of monographs and journals in humanities and social sciences, with a comparable HSS focus, library distribution model, and Open Access programs; the closest direct mid-sized European university-press peer to AUP.
• Central European University Press: HSS academic publisher whose production, marketing, and sales were absorbed by AUP in Aug 2024; now effectively an AUP imprint, but historically and editorially a direct peer in Central European humanities publishing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AmsterdamUPress
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC93THfM-dMmZAi8IjvCuIdw
• Facebookfacebook.com/aupacademic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amsterdam-university-press
• Instagraminstagram.com/amsterdamuniversitypress

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

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 Amsterdam University Press