Calcium
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersShrewsbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Calcium firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Calcium industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Calcium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shrewsbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Calcium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Calcium product offering
Product offeringCore 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.
Companies that use Calcium
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Calcium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Calcium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Cheriton Children's BookscoreFounded 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 PublishingcoreHandles rights licensing for Calcium's extensive backlist of children's non-fiction titles. Publishes annual rights available catalogues for international publishers.
- Michael Bell One+minorWebsite development partner responsible for the design and maintenance of calciumcreative.co.uk.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Calcium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Calcium social profiles
Digital presenceCalcium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Calcium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Calcium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Calcium 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 Calcium
What does Calcium do?
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.
Is Calcium a public or private company?
Calcium is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Calcium founded?
Calcium was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Calcium based?
Calcium is headquartered in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Calcium make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Publishing Sales are the primary driver. The others are rights Licensing and book Packaging Services.
Who are Calcium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Quarto Group, What on Earth Publishing, QED Publishing, Usborne Publishing, Bender Richardson White, Miles Kelly Publishing and Vivays Publishing. Broad incumbents are Hachette Children's Group, Scholastic and DK (Dorling Kindersley).
Does Calcium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Calcium.
What industry is Calcium in?
Calcium's product category is Children's Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJANAC, Children’s Book Print-on-Demand (Picture Books, Early Readers, YA). Its SIC code is 2731.