Oxford

What Oxford does

Oxford is a European stationery brand owned by the Hamelin Group (parent founded 1864; brand established 1916), operated through the French legal entity HOLDHAM (Société anonyme, SIREN 552 132 961) headquartered in Hérouville-Saint-Clair near Caen, France. The company manufactures and sells notebooks, notepads, writing books and filing products across three divisions — School Books & Pads, Adult Books & Pads, and Filing — serving both B2C consumers via mass retail and localized country websites and B2B institutional and office-supply channels across more than 20 countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Romania, Switzerland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Portugal, the Nordics and Australia. Manufacturing is split across France, Romania and the Czech Republic.

The core product platform rests on Oxford's proprietary OPTIK PAPER technology (launched 1990, upgraded as OPTIK PAPER+ in 2020), with signature product formats including the patented easyBook 3-in-1 system (2017), Black n' Red, Urban Mix and the FLASH 2.0 revision/study range. The Scribzee app (launched 2017) extends the platform digitally: it uses computer-vision page scanning, OCR, a spaced-repetition learning algorithm and a recommendation engine to convert handwritten notes into searchable, study-ready digital content. Oxford also holds the European Ecolabel for notebooks (achieved 2014, the #1 brand in this certification), FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody certifications, and ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 certifications.

The business model is a branded consumer-goods model with mass-market unit economics: Oxford sells 100+ million products per year through diversified retail and institutional channels. Revenue is generated through unit sales across notebooks, pads, filing and digital-adjacent accessories rather than through subscription or SaaS, although the Scribzee app creates a potential hybrid monetization pathway. Go-to-market combines owned localized consumer websites, retailer relationships across Europe, and B2B distribution to schools, offices and institutions. The 2001 partnership with Logitech around Anoto stylus/digital-pen technology was an early signal of the digital-paper direction that Scribzee later productized.

Name

Oxford

Legal name

HOLDHAM

Website

https://my-oxford.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Oxford is a Hamelin Group-owned European stationery brand (est. 1916) selling 100M+ notebooks, pads and filing products annually across 20+ countries, combining proprietary OPTIK PAPER+ technology with the Scribzee app for paper-to-digital note workflows.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Stationery Products

NAICS

Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223), Office Supplies (except Paper) Manufacturing (33994), Books Printing (323117)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780), Converted Paper & Paperboard Prods (No Contaners/Boxes) (2670), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Paper notebook manufacturing
• Stationery products
• Filing organization supplies
• Study companion apps
• School office supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Hérouville-saint-clair

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Notebooks and Stationery Products: Oxford generates revenue through the sale of physical notebooks, notepads, diaries, exercise books, flashcards, and filing/organization products. Products are sold through retail, wholesale, and direct-to-consumer channels across Europe and internationally. The product range spans school, student, professional, and personal use segments.
2. scribzee App (Free Tier): The scribzee mobile app is offered free to users, creating value by enhancing Oxford physical products and driving brand loyalty and differentiation. The app provides digital scanning, organization, and study tools.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Oxford manufactures and sells notebooks, notepads, diaries, flashcards, and filing/organization products for school, student, professional, and personal use under proprietary OPTIK PAPER+ technology. The portfolio is complemented by the free scribzee mobile app that scans handwritten notes, organizes study materials, and uses spaced repetition for revision.

Product overview

Oxford is a French brand of notebooks, notepads, diaries, and filing/classification products belonging to the Hamelin Group, founded in 1864 and based in Caen. The product portfolio is organized into School Books & Pads (Classic, Color System, easyBook, Duo, Flashcards FLASH 2.0, Lagoon, OpenFlex, Serpodile, Revision Cards, Students, Teachers, Touch'), Adult Books & Pads (Black n' Red, Essentials, Floral, International, My Colours, My Rec'Up, Orange Pads, Romance, Signature, Smart, Smart Chart, Task Manager, Urban Mix), and Filing products (Flashbox, 2ndLife, Bicolor Recyc+, CoLibrì, Color Life, Crossline, Eurofolio+, For Student, Harmonia, Hawaï, Magic Cover, Memphis, Osmose, Polyvision, Pulse, Quick'In, School Life, Students filing, Top File+, Touareg, Twice, Urban). Oxford also offers the scribzee digital study companion app that integrates with their paper products for scanning, organizing, and reviewing handwritten notes. Key innovations include proprietary OPTIK PAPER+ technology known for no bleed-through and superior writing quality, and the eco-friendly 2ndLife filing range made from recycled materials. The company emphasizes sustainability with European Ecolabel certification, PEFC/FSC certified paper, and 100% recyclable products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• scribzee: Free study companion app that allows students to scan handwritten notes, organize flashcards, track revision progress, and study anywhere, anytime
• OPTIK PAPER+
• easyBook
• FLASH 2.0
• Oxford Smart
• Black n' Red
• Oxford International
• Oxford Urban Mix
• Task Manager
• Campus
• Flashbox
• 2nd Life
• My Rec'Up
• Touareg
• OpenFlex

Products and services

• easyBook Durable waterproof polypropylene notebook with integrated 3-flap folder for tests and loose papers and a front pocket for class sheets. Designed for school organization and durability.
• Flashcards FLASH 2.0 Question and answer flashcards for memorization and self-assessment, designed for the Leitner learning method with colored frames for organizing subjects.
• scribzee App Free mobile study companion app that lets users scan handwritten notes, organize them digitally, create flashcards, track study progress, share notes, and use spaced repetition for effective learning. Available on iOS and Android.
• Task Manager Notebooks and notepads for creating and managing to-do lists with lined ruling, headers for task grouping, and automatic sorting when scanned with scribzee.
• Urban Mix Lightweight, highly durable, and waterproof notebooks with smooth opaque two-sided polypro cover, double spiral binding for 360 degree opening, and optional dividers.
• Campus Notebooks Student notebooks with multiple cover colors for subject categorization, strong twin wire bindings, and compatibility with OPTIK PAPER+ and scribzee.
• Oxford Smart Smart notebooks that combine digital technology with traditional paper for enhanced learning and writing experience.
• Flashbox Storage box designed to hold up to 500 Flash 2.0 flashcards organized by theme with adjustable dividers, with a cover designed for easy scanning with the scribzee app.
• 2ndLife Filing Filing products with colored translucent frosted-effect covers made from recycled polypropylene sourced from manufacturing waste. Scratch-resistant finish in five colors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 million Oxford products sold annually worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LogitechhistoricalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2001In 2001, Oxford partnered with Logitech to develop the first connected notebook kit using Anoto stylus technology, revolutionizing the integration of handwriting with digital technology. The partnership combined a special stylus with dot-printed pages and GPS-like location technology to synchronize handwritten notes with computers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Exacompta: French manufacturer of stationery, filing, and office supplies with strong European retail presence. Same home market as Oxford and overlapping product portfolio across pads, registers, and filing. Comparable in scale and channel coverage.
• Filofax: British organizer and personal planner brand built around ring-binder systems. Comparable to Oxford's planning and organization product lines (Task Manager, diaries) serving the same professional and personal organization segments.
• Rhodia: French premium notepad brand (now owned by Exacompta) known for top-stapled pads and high-quality paper. Directly comparable to Oxford's premium pad lines and targets similar stationery enthusiasts and creative professionals.
• Clairefontaine: French paper mill and notebook manufacturer known for high-quality smooth paper (the vellum Clairefontaine paper used in many premium notebooks). Directly competes with Oxford on paper quality narrative and serves the same European school/professional segments.
• Moleskine: Italian premium notebook and lifestyle brand selling hardcover notebooks, journals, bags, and writing instruments globally. Direct competitor to Oxford in the premium and creative notebook segment with overlapping target segments (students, professionals, creatives).
• Leuchtturm1917: German premium notebook manufacturer founded in 1917, specializing in hardcover journals and planners with numbered pages and indexing. Directly comparable to Oxford on premium positioning, heritage branding, and student/creative audience.

Regional players

• Herlitz: German stationery brand offering school supplies, notebooks, and back-to-school products primarily in DACH region. Overlaps with Oxford on school segment targeting and channel distribution but focused on German-speaking markets.
• Soennecken: German office supplies cooperative distributing stationery and office products through affiliated retailers in Germany. Comparable to Oxford on the office supplies and stationery categories but operating primarily through a regional cooperative distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• ACCO Brands: Large US-listed office products conglomerate owning brands like Swingline, GBC, and Kensington. Competes broadly with Oxford in the office supplies and organization categories at much greater scale, but as a wide portfolio incumbent rather than a focused stationery specialist.

Emerging players

• Muji: Japanese lifestyle retailer offering minimalist stationery, notebooks, and writing instruments under the Ryohin Keikaku brand. Comparable to Oxford on premium minimalist positioning and student/creative audience, but as a multi-category retailer rather than a stationery manufacturer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLNo2LQwIUFjRT52Ofhzk3mbIBFU3mGGSk
• Facebookfacebook.com/OXFORDandMe
• Instagraminstagram.com/oxfordgeneration_ch
• Xx.com/OxfordNotebooks

Compliance8 records

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 Oxford