Livani
Livani is a family-owned Greek publishing house founded in 1972 in Athens that publishes and distributes Greek-language books across literature, children's, educational, and specialty categories through a physical bookstore and the livanis.gr e-commerce platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersAthens, Greece
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Livani does
Livani (legal name: Εκδοτικός Οίκος Α.Α. Λιβάνη) is a Greek publishing house established in 1972 and headquartered at Solonos 98, Athens. The company operates across the full book publishing value chain, acquiring, producing, and distributing Greek-language editions of literature, children's books, educational materials, scientific works, self-improvement titles, and specialty cookbooks. Its catalog spans Greek and translated international literature, segmented by audience (children aged 0-3, 3-6, 6-12, teens, and adults) and educational level (Elementary Δημοτικό, Middle School Γυμνάσιο, High School Λύκειο). Notable catalog assets include the Greek edition of Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist,' which the company reports has sold 65+ million copies worldwide and holds a Guinness World Record for being translated into 71 languages.
Distribution operates through a dual channel: a flagship physical bookstore in Athens and the livanis.gr e-commerce platform, supplemented by recurring book launch events in partnership with cultural foundations, municipal libraries, and venues such as PAIR ACROPOLI. Pricing is unit-based, with physical books ranging from €4.90 (children's titles) to €30.00 (academic and specialty editions), and most fiction and non-fiction titles priced between €10-20. The company employs 11-50 staff and shows no evidence of external institutional investment; the 'A.A.' in the legal name indicates family ownership, likely tied to the founder's initials.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time book sales, with secondary lines in audio books and special promotional offers. A payment processing partnership with Viva Wallet supports e-commerce transactions. A dedicated translation rights contact ([email protected]) handles outbound licensing of Livani titles to foreign publishers, providing a low-effort channel for international IP monetization. The company holds no subsidiaries, has no disclosed funding history, and operates as an actively operating private entity with the broader Greek domestic market as its primary geography.
Livani firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Livani
- Legal name
- Εκδοτικός Οίκος Α.Α. Λιβάνη
- Website
- https://livanis.gr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Livani is a family-owned Greek publishing house founded in 1972 in Athens that publishes and distributes Greek-language books across literature, children's, educational, and specialty categories through a physical bookstore and the livanis.gr e-commerce platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Livani industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF), Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC), Core Subject Textbooks (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies) (EDAGAAAA)
Keywords
Where Livani is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Athens
- HQ country
- Greece
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Livani business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Book sales: Sale of published books across multiple categories including literature, children's books, educational materials, essays, and specialty topics. Revenue generated through direct retail sales, e-commerce, and wholesale distribution.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual book prices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Livani product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Livani is a Greek publishing house that publishes and sells books across multiple categories including Greek and translated literature, children's and teen books, educational materials for elementary through high school, essays, scientific works, audio books, and specialty titles (e.g., cookbooks). Books are sold directly to consumers via the livanis.gr e-commerce platform and a physical bookstore in Athens, with additional wholesale distribution to other Greek retailers.
Product overview
Livani is a Greek publishing house established in 1972, operating as a comprehensive book publisher with a multi-category portfolio. The core offering is the Livani Publications brand encompassing both Greek and foreign literature, children's and teen books, educational materials, self-improvement and essay collections, scientific works, and various topics including politics, cooking, art, and poetry. The company also offers audio books as a separate product line, along with special promotional offers. The publishing house distributes through both physical retail (address: Solonos 98, Athens) and an e-commerce online shop platform. Notable specialized publications include medical cookbooks like 'ΝΕΦΡΟΙΑΤΡΙΚΗ ΚΑΙ ΠΕΣΚΙΑΣ' for renal patients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Livani Publications (Εκδόσεις Λιβάνη) The main Livani publishing brand offering a wide range of books across multiple genres including Greek and foreign literature, children's books, educational materials, essays, poetry, and scientific works, sold to individual readers in Greece.
- Audio Books
Quantifiable outcome
- 65+ million copies sold of The Alchemist
Companies that use Livani
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Livani technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Livani partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Λέσχη ΑλεξανδρουπολιτώνminorCollaborative book presentation events, such as the presentation of 'Οι Απόρρητοι Φάκελοι Καραμανλή' by Μανώλης Κοττάκης
- ΔΗΜΟΤΙΚΗ ΒΙΒΛΙΟΘΗΚΗ ΛΥΚΟΒΡΥΣΗΣ-ΠΕΥΚΗΣminorJoint book presentation events with municipal library for community engagement
- Ελληνικό Ίδρυμα ΠολιτισμούminorCultural foundation partnership for book events and cultural presentations
- PAIR ACROPOLIminorVenue partnership for book launch events in Athens
- Glykeria Markopoulou (Translation Rights Contact)minorContact person for translation rights requests and licensing of Livani publications to foreign publishers
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Livani competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Minoas Publications: Minoas is a Greek publisher with strength in children's literature and educational books. This is a focused direct peer in the segment where Livani has invested (children's literature awards and educational publishing across school levels).
- Kastaniotis Editions: Kastaniotis is a Greek publisher with a long history in literature, education, and general interest non-fiction. Comparable to Livani in publishing heritage, multi-category catalog, and reliance on the Greek-language market.
- Kedros Publications: Kedros is a major Greek publishing house offering literature, children's books, and translated works. It is the most direct comparable to Livani in terms of category breadth, market position, and Greek-language focus, both serving overlapping consumer segments in physical retail and trade publishing.
- Gavrielides Editions: Gavrielides is a Greek publisher active in literature, children's books, and educational publishing. Overlaps with Livani's multi-category strategy and serves the same general Greek readership base through retail and educational distribution.
- Patakis Publishers: Patakis is one of the largest Greek publishers with a broad catalog of Greek and foreign literature, children's books, and educational materials. Directly competes with Livani across most consumer categories and shares the same target market of Greek readers.
- Psichogios Publications: Psichogios is a leading Greek publisher with strong presence in popular fiction, self-improvement, and translated international bestsellers. Overlaps with Livani's foreign literature and self-improvement categories, serving comparable Greek consumer audiences.
- Estia Publications: Estia is a long-established Greek publishing house with strength in literature, essays, and humanities. Comparable to Livani in publishing heritage and presence in the Greek trade book market across multiple non-fiction categories.
- Metaichmio Publications: Metaichmio is a major Greek publisher known for literature, children's books, and educational content. It competes directly with Livani in the core trade publishing segments and shares similar multi-channel distribution including physical retail and e-commerce.
Broad incumbents
- Penguin Random House: The world's largest trade publisher and owner of many international bestsellers that Livani licenses for the Greek market. Functionally a global incumbent whose catalogs compete with and feed into Livani's translated literature offering.
- HarperCollins: Global English-language publisher whose titles are frequently translated into Greek. Comparable as a fellow publisher of commercial fiction, non-fiction, and children's books, but operates at vastly broader scale across English-speaking markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Livani social profiles
Digital presenceLivani financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Livani leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Livani funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Livani 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 Livani
What does Livani do?
Livani is a Greek publishing house that publishes and sells books across multiple categories including Greek and translated literature, children's and teen books, educational materials for elementary through high school, essays, scientific works, audio books, and specialty titles (e.g., cookbooks). Books are sold directly to consumers via the livanis.gr e-commerce platform and a physical bookstore in Athens, with additional wholesale distribution to other Greek retailers.
Is Livani a public or private company?
Livani is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Livani founded?
Livani was founded in 1972. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Livani based?
Livani is headquartered in Athens, Greece, in the Europe region.
How does Livani make money?
One revenue line is on record: book sales.
Who are Livani's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Minoas Publications, Kastaniotis Editions, Kedros Publications, Gavrielides Editions, Patakis Publishers, Psichogios Publications, Estia Publications and Metaichmio Publications. Broad incumbents are Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.
Does Livani have an API?
No public API is recorded for Livani.
What industry is Livani in?
Livani's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJAFAF, Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.