Don Bosco Medien

What Don Bosco Medien does

Don Bosco Medien GmbH is a privately held German educational publishing house headquartered in Munich and operating since 1948. The company specializes in physical storytelling and dramatic-play tools for early childhood education (Kita), primary school (Grundschule), and religious education (Religionspädagogik), with products organized around three proprietary formats: Kamishibai (a Japanese-style picture-card storytelling theater with wooden frame), Erzählschiene (a horizontal narrative rail for sliding picture cards), and Schattentheater (a collapsible shadow theater kit). The portfolio also includes children's picture books under the Don Bosco Bilderbücher line, social-emotional learning materials such as the Eddie Gefühle-Bildungsmaterial, and a digital PDF-based extension called eKami that adapts the Kamishibai format for screens.

The business operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce publisher complemented by book-trade distribution through the VLB Tix platform. Pricing is unit-based with individual products ranging from €10 to €89, free shipping from €29 within Germany and Austria, and a phone-based order hotline for SMB and individual buyers. Additional revenue is generated through the Don Bosco Akademie, which delivers paid Kamishibai trainer certification seminars and continuing education (Fortbildungen) at locations in Benediktbeuern (Germany) and Baumkirchen (Austria), alongside webinars and Kita-Onlinekongress partnership content. Marketing is multi-channel, leveraging a professional blog, dedicated Kamishibai community site, email newsletter, YouTube tutorials, and organic social presence on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

The company is led by two managing directors, Dr. Ferdinand Auhser and Stefan Höchstädter, with P. Reinhard Gesing serving as Chairman of the Supervisory Board. It is structured as a GmbH with 1–10 employees, no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries, indicating an independent, lean operating model. Geographic scope is limited to the DACH region, primarily Germany and Austria.

Name

Don Bosco Medien

Legal name

Don Bosco Medien GmbH

Website

https://donbosco-medien.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Don Bosco Medien is a Munich-based German educational publisher specializing in physical storytelling tools (Kamishibai, Erzählschiene, Schattentheater) and picture books for Kita, Grundschule, and religious education markets in Germany and Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Character Development (EDAGACAC), Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE)

Keywords

• Educational publishing
• Early childhood materials
• Religious education materials
• Storytelling teaching aids
• Picture card education

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Product Sales: One-time sales of educational materials including picture cards, books, games, theater sets, and craft kits for Kita, Grundschule, and religious education
2. Digital Products (eKami): Digital downloads of Kamishibai stories and bonus materials as PDF files
3. Training and Certification: Fee-based training programs including Kamishibai trainer certification seminars and fortbildungen
4. Book Publishing: Children's books and pedagogical publications under Don Bosco Bilderbücher line

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Don Bosco Medien is an independent German educational publisher specializing in storytelling-based pedagogical materials for early childhood education (Kita), primary schools (Grundschule), and religious education (Religionspädagogik). Its product range includes Kamishibai picture-card storytelling theaters, Erzählschiene story rails, Schattentheater shadow puppet sets, children's picture books, downloadable digital story sets (eKami), and continuing-education training programs via Don Bosco Akademie.

Product overview

Don Bosco Medien is a traditional educational publishing house that operates as a single-brand, multi-product catalogue rather than a unified software platform. The portfolio centers on physical storytelling and dramatic play tools—Kamishibai (picture card storytelling theater), Erzählschiene (story rail), and Schattentheater (shadow theater)—complemented by picture books and digital offerings. The eKami digital product extends the Kamishibai format to electronic screens. The company also provides professional development services through webinars and maintains an educational blog. All products serve educators in early childhood education, religious instruction, and primary school settings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kamishibai Storytelling Theater A picture-card storytelling theater consisting of a wooden frame and sequentially inserted illustrated cards used for group storytelling in Kita, Grundschule, and religious education settings. The Don Bosco catalog includes 40+ Bible-story sets and broad curriculum-aligned themes.
• eKami (Digital Kamishibai) A digital version of the Kamishibai format delivered as PDF downloads, enabling educators to present stories on screens, projectors, or interactive whiteboards. Bundled with bonus materials and digital sample previews (Leseprobe).
• Erzählschiene (Story Rail) A narrative rail system (also called Erzählbrett or Geschichtenbrett) where picture cards and movable figures are slid along a horizontal track to support sequential storytelling. Includes 30+ story sets covering religious education, literacy, and child development.
• Aufklappbares Schattentheater (Foldable Shadow Theater) A DIN-A3 collapsible shadow theater with pre-cut figures and templates for light-and-shadow storytelling in Kita and Grundschule. Priced at €89 with creative sets for dramatic play and creative expression.
• Don Bosco Bilderbücher (Children's Picture Books) Illustrated children's books and pedagogical publications covering religious education, early childhood development, social-emotional learning, values, and everyday themes, priced €10–€25 per title.
• Don Bosco Akademie Training and Certification Fee-based continuing-education and Kamishibai trainer certification seminars held at Benediktbeuern (Germany) and Baumkirchen (Austria), including Fortbildungen and online webinar programs.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Kita-OnlinekongressminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Don Bosco is a partner of the Kita-Onlinekongress 2026, a live webinar event for early childhood education professionals. This partnership provides visibility among Kita educators and supports customer acquisition through educational content marketing.
• VLB TixminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution through VLB Tix platform which serves the German book trade with product previews for Don Bosco Pädagogik and Don Bosco Kinderbuch lines.
• Mein Kamishibai Blog CommunityminorOthersAssociated community blog mein-kamishibai.de for Kamishibai storytelling method sharing practical tips and user-generated ideas, supporting product usage and community building.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Herder Verlag: Major German Catholic publisher producing children's religious education materials, picture books, and catechetical resources. Directly comparable to Don Bosco Medien's Religionspädagogik and Don Bosco Bilderbücher lines, with the same church-affiliated editorial DNA.
• Kallmeyer Verlag: German educational publisher serving teachers and educators across primary, secondary, and religious instruction. Comparable to Don Bosco Medien in channel (teacher-focused B2B/B2C), product mix (books and practice materials), and German pedagogical frameworks.
• AOL-Verlag: German publisher of educational materials for Kita, Grundschule, and special needs education. Comparable to Don Bosco Medien because both sell hands-on, picture-driven learning resources to the same German early-education market with a strong focus on practical educator tools.
• Gabriel Verlag: German Catholic publisher specializing in children's books and religious educational materials. Comparable niche overlap with Don Bosco Medien in religious children's publishing and faith-based early education content.
• Friedrich Verlag: German educational publisher focused on Kita, Grundschule, and religious pedagogy with picture-based teaching materials. Directly comparable to Don Bosco Medien in target audience (German educators), pedagogical specialization, and product format mix of books, cards, and practice materials.
• Verlag an der Ruhr: German educational publisher offering materials for primary school and religious education, including social-emotional learning resources. Closely aligned with Don Bosco Medien's Kita/Grundschule and SEL use cases (e.g., Eddie Gefühle).
• Bananenblau: German Kamishibai publisher producing Bildkartensets and storytelling theater products for Kita and Grundschule. Highly comparable to Don Bosco Medien as a direct Kamishibai-format competitor in the German early-education market.

Broad incumbents

• Klett Group: Major German educational conglomerate producing textbooks, learning materials, and teacher training resources for primary and secondary education. Comparable to Don Bosco Medien as a broad German education incumbent that touches the same Grundschule and religious-education segments.
• Cornelsen Verlag: One of Germany's largest educational publishers, covering school textbooks, digital learning, and teacher materials across all subjects. Relevant as a broad incumbent competing for the same educator wallet share as Don Bosco Medien, though with vastly broader scale and a more generalist catalog.
• Westermann Gruppe: Large German educational publisher and part of the Schroedel/Westermann group covering school books, learning software, and teaching aids. Overlaps with Don Bosco Medien on Grundschule and religious instruction content, but operates at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/donboscomedien
• Facebookfacebook.com/donbosco.verlag
• Instagraminstagram.com/donboscomedien
• Pinterestpinterest.de/donboscomedien/_saved
• Xx.com/donboscomedien

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Don Bosco Medien