Calcium

What Calcium does

Calcium Creative Limited is a privately held UK-based book packager and publisher founded circa 2004 and headquartered in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The company operates in a specialized niche of children's non-fiction publishing, producing content across science, history, geography, politics, cooking, and art subjects for over 22 years. Its core offering is book packaging services — designing and producing high-quality children's non-fiction content for publishers on a contractual, project basis. The company has since expanded into direct publishing through its 2022-founded Cheriton Children's Books imprint, which publishes curriculum-linked and high-interest series aimed at young readers.

Revenue is generated through three streams: book packaging service fees for publisher clients, royalties and fees from rights licensing managed via the Cheriton Publishing imprint (which catalogs and licenses backlist titles to international publishers), and direct consumer sales of Cheriton Children's Books titles through retail and online channels. The company employs 11-50 staff and operates with no disclosed external funding or institutional ownership; capital structure appears to be closely held and founder-led.

The go-to-market motion is sales-led and consultative, with direct B2B outreach via phone and email and annual downloadable PDF catalogues (2026 editions currently active) for rights acquisition. Distribution is split between direct B2B sales, an international rights licensing channel through Cheriton Publishing, and consumer retail. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, app or digital product offerings, technology platform development, or inbound from technology buyers; the business is fundamentally a content production and publishing operation in a craft-driven industry.

Name

Calcium

Legal name

Calcium Creative Limited

Website

https://calciumcreative.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Calcium Creative is a UK-based book packager and publisher (founded c. 2004) that produces children's non-fiction content across science, history, geography, and other subjects, serving publishers, educational institutions, and consumers via its Cheriton Children's Books imprint and Cheriton Publishing rights arm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Book Print-on-Demand (Picture Books, Early Readers, YA) (MPAJANAC)

Keywords

• Children's book packaging
• Educational publishing services
• Children's non-fiction books
• Publishing rights licensing
• Curriculum-linked publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Shrewsbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Publishing Sales: Revenue from publishing and selling children's non-fiction books through the Cheriton Children's Books imprint, covering curriculum-linked and high-interest series across science, history, geography, politics, cooking, and art subjects.
2. Rights Licensing: Licensing of publication rights for their extensive backlist titles to international publishers and educational content distributors. Rights are available through Cheriton Publishing catalogue downloads.
3. Book Packaging Services: As a book packager, Calcium produces high-quality children's non-fiction for publishers, likely on a contract basis.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Calcium (Calcium Creative Limited) is a UK-based children's non-fiction book packager that produces and publishes high-quality illustrated non-fiction titles covering science, history, geography, politics, cooking, art, and more. Since 2022 it also publishes directly through the Cheriton Children's Books imprint and licenses international rights through Cheriton Publishing.

Product overview

Calcium Creative operates as a book packager and publisher with a portfolio of products. Their core offering is book packaging services, through which they have produced high-quality children's non-fiction for over 22 years. The company operates two publishing imprints: Cheriton Children's Books, founded in 2022, which publishes curriculum-linked and high-interest series for children; and Cheriton Publishing, which manages rights for their extensive backlist. The imprints work together as Cheriton Children's Books handles publishing while Cheriton Publishing manages rights and catalogue distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cheriton Children's Books: A publishing imprint founded by Calcium in 2022, publishing curriculum-linked and high-interest series for children.

Products and services

• Cheriton Children's Books A publishing imprint founded in 2022 that publishes curriculum-linked and high-interest book series for children, covering subjects such as science, history, geography, politics, cooking, and art. Targeted at readers, parents, schools, and retailers.
• Cheriton Publishing (Rights Licensing) The rights management division of Calcium Creative that handles rights available for its extensive backlist of children's non-fiction titles, offering annual catalogues to international publishers for translation and local publication.
• Book Packaging Services Calcium's core offering as a book packager, producing high-quality children's non-fiction for over 22 years on a contract basis for publishers, covering diverse subjects from science and history through geography, politics, cooking, and art.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cheriton Children's BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 2022 as a publishing imprint of Calcium Creative, publishing curriculum-linked and high-interest children's book series. Operates as the consumer-facing publishing arm of the company.
• Cheriton PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHandles rights licensing for Calcium's extensive backlist of children's non-fiction titles. Publishes annual rights available catalogues for international publishers.
• Michael Bell One+minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWebsite development partner responsible for the design and maintenance of calciumcreative.co.uk.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Quarto Group: Global book packager and publisher with extensive children's non-fiction and illustrated book output. Highly comparable business model to Calcium, operating at significantly greater scale across multiple imprints.
• What on Earth Publishing: Independent publisher of children's non-fiction focused on history, science, and nature, including visually led reference titles. Comparable in subject matter and children's non-fiction specialization, including absorbed imprints like Hungry Tomato.
• QED Publishing: UK children's publisher producing illustrated non-fiction across nature, science, and lifestyle topics. Comparable as a mid-sized children's non-fiction publisher serving retail and educational channels.
• Usborne Publishing: UK-based independent children's book publisher producing high-quality, illustrated non-fiction and fiction for young readers. Directly comparable in geography, customer base (parents, schools), and children's non-fiction focus.
• Bender Richardson White: UK-based book packager producing illustrated non-fiction and reference titles for publishers. Directly comparable as a UK book packager with similar B2B service model to publishers and educational clients.
• Miles Kelly Publishing: UK independent publisher specializing in children's non-fiction books, fact books, and educational titles. Highly comparable as a UK-based children's non-fiction specialist serving educational and consumer markets.
• Vivays Publishing: Independent book packager producing illustrated non-fiction, reference, and children's titles for publishers worldwide. Directly comparable in business model (book packaging services) and target publisher clients.

Broad incumbents

• Hachette Children's Group: Children's publishing division of Hachette, producing illustrated non-fiction and reference titles for young readers. Comparable in children's book publishing but as part of a major global publishing group.
• Scholastic: One of the largest children's book publishers globally, with deep reach into schools and educational institutions. Comparable in children's non-fiction and educational buyer focus, but operates at vastly greater scale.
• DK (Dorling Kindersley): Major children's non-fiction publisher known for visually rich, fact-driven reference books across science, history, geography, and more. Comparable subject coverage but operates as part of Penguin Random House at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/calcium-creative-ltd

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 Calcium