Studibuch

What Studibuch does

Studibuch GmbH is a Stuttgart-headquartered re-commerce platform that buys used academic textbooks from students and resells them through an online shop, complemented by a barcode-scanning iOS and Android app. Founded in April 2015 by doctoral students Lutz Gaissmaier and Mihael Duran at the University of Hohenheim, the company claims Germany's largest academic book assortment across all disciplines and conditions graded on a four-tier Zustandsbewertungssystem (Wie neu / Sehr gut / Gut / Akzeptabel). Following the 2023 addition of Lehmanns Media as a new-book and e-book distribution partner, the storefront now combines used and new inventory, with Lehmanns handling fulfillment of new stock while Studibuch operates the used-book supply chain and customer-facing brand.

The business operates a two-platform stack: a buy-side shop (shop.studibuch.de) and a sell-side sellback portal (verkauf.studibuch.de), each supported by the mobile barcode scanner, affiliate programmes via Awin and Adcell, and B2B library deaccession partnerships with institutions including HdM Stuttgart, IHL Liebenzell, and Allensbach Hochschule. Revenue is generated primarily through a transactional spread between buyback price paid to sellers and resale price, plus affiliate commissions on new book sales routed via Lehmanns and on partner referrals (Udemy, Compounder). Pricing is fixed per ISBN and condition with no subscription model; free domestic shipping above a EUR 10 threshold and 7-business-day payment terms post-inspection anchor the customer terms.

Go-to-market combines product-led SEO and content marketing through the Studibuch Magazin and Studicast podcast (73+ episodes) with an event-driven annual Campustour visiting German universities at winter semester start. The company emphasises sustainability positioning certified through NatureOffice (2018-2022) and DHL GoGreen / GLS ThinkGreen shipping, supported by an Arbor Day tree-planting programme with PrimaKlima and GROW MY TREE that has yielded over 1,000 trees planted and an estimated 78.6 tonnes of CO2 saved since 2018. Founder-owned with no institutional investment disclosed beyond a 2022-2023 crowdfunding attempt that raised EUR 13,550 against a EUR 100,000 target, Studibuch operates with a small leadership team across IT, Operations, Finance, Digital Marketing, and CRM functions.

Name

Studibuch

Legal name

Studibuch GmbH

Website

https://studibuch.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Studibuch is a Stuttgart-based re-commerce platform that buys used academic textbooks from students and resells them via an online shop and iOS/Android barcode-scanning app, now expanded to include new books via a Lehmanns Media distribution partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Used Academic Book Resale (Re-Commerce)

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

akta.pro primary industry

Textbooks & Academic Books Retail (CRALAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Bookstores (New Books) (CRALAAAA), Campus Bookstore-Adjacent Retail (Snacks, Beverages, Essentials) (EDALADAE)

Keywords

• Used textbook resale
• Academic book buyback
• Student ecommerce platform
• Used book recommerce
• Circular book economy

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Resale of Used Academic Books: Studibuch purchases used academic books from students and resells them at a margin to other students and buyers. Revenue is generated from the spread between buyback price paid to sellers and the selling price in the online shop.
2. New Books and E-Books (via Lehmanns): Through the partnership with Lehmanns Media, Studibuch offers new books and e-books in its shop. While Lehmanns handles fulfillment of new books, Studibuch earns a commission or margin on these sales.
3. Affiliate / Partner Program Commissions: Studibuch earns commissions through affiliate programs (Awin, Adcell) by driving traffic to partner platforms such as Udemy and Compounder, with a 30-day cookie window.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Studibuch operates an integrated Re-Commerce platform for academic literature, buying used textbooks directly from students (typically via barcode scan or ISBN entry on its web portal or mobile app) and reselling them on its own online shop, with prices set against a four-tier condition grading system. Through a partnership with Lehmanns Media, the same storefront also offers new books and e-books, while affiliate programmes with Udemy and Compounder extend the offering to online courses and study programme matching.

Product overview

Studibuch operates as a Re-Commerce platform specializing in used and new academic textbooks. The core offering consists of two interconnected platforms: the Online Shop for purchasing books and the Verkauf/Ankauf Platform for selling books. Supporting these core services are a mobile app with barcode scanning for convenient selling, the Studicast podcast, and the Studibuch Magazin blog. The company also maintains partnerships with Udemy (online courses), Compounder (university applications), Lehmanns Media (new books and e-books), and integrates with iamstudent for student discounts. The Green Book Cycle represents their sustainability-focused circular economy model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Studicast: A student podcast hosted by Studibuch featuring interviews with interesting personalities on topics like startups, sustainability, travel, nutrition, and student life.
• Green Book Cycle

Products and services

• Studibuch Online Shop E-commerce storefront where individual students, lifelong learners and other consumers purchase used and new academic textbooks (specialist literature) across all disciplines, with a four-tier condition grading (Wie neu / Sehr gut / Gut / Akzeptabel), free climate-neutral shipping in Germany and delivery within 2–3 days.
• Studibuch Buyback Platform Self-serve web portal for individuals to sell used academic books directly to Studibuch by entering or scanning ISBNs, accepting an instant price quote, shipping books via a free provided label, and receiving payment within 7 business days of book inspection.
• Studibuch Mobile App (iOS & Android) Free iOS and Android mobile application featuring an integrated barcode scanner that lets users scan up to 30 books per transaction, receive instant buyback price quotes, generate free shipping labels and submit titles to Studibuch for buyback.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78.6 tonnes of CO2 saved since 2018 through textbook reuse
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NatureOfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Climate neutrality certification partner from 2018 to 2022. NatureOffice certified Studibuch as a climate-neutral company and managed offset projects in Ghana and Togo including the Project Togo reforestation initiative and the Toyola Clean Cookstoves programme, offsetting 20,600 tonnes of CO2.
• PrimaKlimacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Annual Tag des Baumes (Arbor Day) partnership since 2017. For every book sold during the campaign, PrimaKlima plants trees on behalf of Studibuch customers. By 2024, over 1,000 trees had been planted through this partnership.
• GROW MY TREEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTree planting partner contributing to the Tag des Baumes annual initiative. GROW MY TREE plants trees as part of Studibuch's sustainability programme.
• DHL GoGreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate-neutral shipping partnership. All outbound parcels are shipped CO2-neutral via DHL GoGreen, with greenhouse gas emissions from transport compensated through climate protection projects.
• GLS ThinkGreencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate-neutral shipping partnership. GLS ThinkGreen compensates all emissions from parcel transport completely.
• Hetzner OnlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationEco-strom powered web hosting provider. The electricity for Studibuch's online shop and selling platform servers comes from renewable energy sources.
• Lehmanns Media GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSince June 2023, Lehmanns Media handles distribution and fulfillment of new books and e-books within the Studibuch shop. Lehmanns, a subsidiary of Thalia and a leading specialist literature provider for 40 years, supplies the new book inventory while Studibuch focuses on used books.
• Bibliothek der Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (HdM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary partnership since end of 2019. Studibuch collects deaccessioned academic books from HdM library every two weeks and supplies the library with new books. Both the 'Fachbücher Abgabe' and 'Einkauf neuer Bücher' services are used.
• Allensbach Hochschule (Konstanz)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2019 supporting the university's full digital learning model. Studibuch takes over deaccessioned academic books from the Allensbach Hochschule library and gives them a second life. Free shipping labels provided.
• Bibliothek der Internationalen Hochschule Liebenzell (IHL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibrary partnership since November 2019. Deaccessioned books removed via Studibuch-provided moving boxes collected by a Studibuch-contracted shipping company. Books are resold in the Studibuch shop.
• Universität HohenheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumboldt Reloaded seminar partnership in summer 2019. Studibuch served as the practice partner for the 'Big Data und Dienstleistungen' seminar hosted by the Chair of Service Management at Universität Hohenheim.
• Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart (Studiengang Mediapublishing)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinter semester 2019 guest lecture by CEO Lutz Gaissmaier. Students engaged with the 'Green Book Project' as part of their Mediapublishing coursework.
• Leseohren e.V. (Stuttgart)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partnership since August 2020. Studibuch customers can choose to donate their sellback proceeds to the Leseohren reading project, which promotes joy of language and books among children.
• Hausärzteverband Westfalen-LippeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership since 2021. Studibuch participates in various events hosted by the association, which advocates for the interests of general practitioners regionally.
• Stuttgarter KickersminorOthersFootball team sponsorship since 2016, driven by the enthusiasm of CEO Lutz Gaissmaier for the team and regional proximity.
• AEGEE Stuttgart e.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the AEGEE Stuttgart Summer University in 2018, a summer course for international students held in Munich and Stuttgart.
• Start-up BWminorOthersSupported by the Start-up BW land campaign, a government initiative providing comprehensive support for young companies to strengthen Baden-Württemberg as a startup and founding location.
• BFSZ (Bescheinigungsstelle Forschungszulage)minorOthersStudibuch has been certified by the BFSZ since 2020 for claiming research allowances (Forschungszulagen). The certification enables the company to pursue innovative and sustainable projects.
• UdemyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOnline learning platform partnership. Studibuch promotes Udemy courses to its student audience via affiliate links. Udemy offers courses in programming, design, marketing, and other skills for students looking to complement their textbook learning.
• CompounderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudy programme matching platform partnership. Compounder enables students to apply simultaneously to multiple private German universities for free. Studibuch refers prospective students to Compounder, while Compounder directs students to buy textbooks from Studibuch.
• Dillmann-Gymnasium (Stuttgart)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer information evenings in 2018 and 2019. CEO Lutz Gaissmaier spoke to students about entrepreneurship and founding a company, supporting career decision-making.
• AwinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal affiliate marketing network. Partners promote Studibuch through affiliate links and earn commissions on referred sales. 30-day cookie window.
• AdcellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDACH-region focused affiliate marketing network. Partners promote Studibuch through affiliate links and earn commissions on referred sales. 30-day cookie window.
• iamstudentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent discount platform. Students verify their enrollment status via iamstudent and receive a 10% discount code on used books in the Studibuch shop or a 10% seller bonus on buybacks.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• eBay: Global C2C/C2B marketplace with a deep used-academic-book supply and direct relevance as Studibuch's historical sourcing channel and an award-granting partner (eBay Award 2024).
• Amazon: Dominant general marketplace with extensive third-party used-academic-book supply and unmatched SEO/ads reach; competes with Studibuch for both buyer-side discovery and seller-side inventory.
• AbeBooks: Amazon-owned global marketplace for used, new, and antiquarian books with a particularly strong academic-textbook supply; the most prominent international direct competitor for cross-border academic used-book demand.
• Thalia: Germany's largest brick-and-mortar bookstore chain and owner of Lehmanns Media, Studibuch's new-book fulfillment partner; competes directly with Studibuch's shop on new titles while simultaneously being the upstream supplier.
• Hugendubel: Major German bookstore chain with a strong online shop for new academic and trade titles; overlaps with Studibuch on new-book demand but does not operate a buyback/resell marketplace.

Direct peers

• Rebuy: German re-commerce marketplace for books, media, and electronics, running a comparable buyback-and-resell flow with barcode-driven sellback pricing — the closest functional analogue to Studibuch in the broader re-commerce category.
• Momox: Germany's largest re-commerce platform for books, CDs, DVDs, and games, operating a buyback-and-resell model that directly mirrors Studibuch's used-book marketplace mechanics at substantially larger scale.
• Booklooker: German online marketplace for used and antiquarian books with a strong presence among private sellers and small bookshops, competing for the same secondhand academic-book buyer pool.
• ZVAB (Zentrales Verzeichnis Antiquarischer Bücher): German-led global marketplace for antiquarian and out-of-print academic books, serving the same niche of book collectors, libraries, and academic readers with rare or hard-to-find titles.

Emerging players

• Skoobe: German e-book subscription service targeting the same student/reading-population with a digitally native model that competes with Studibuch's e-book partnership offerings for wallet share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/studibuch
• Facebookfacebook.com/studibuch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studibuch-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/studibuch
• Pinterestde.pinterest.com/studibuch
• Xx.com/studibuch

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Studibuch