BIS Publishers
BIS Publishers is an independent Dutch book and game publisher, founded in 1986 and based in Amsterdam, selling physical design, innovation, and creativity titles to consumers, professionals, educators, and corporate buyers through its own e-commerce storefront and a Laurence King distribution partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BIS Publishers does
BIS Publishers is an independent Dutch book and game publisher founded in 1986 and headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Timorplein 46). The company operates a single direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (bispublishers.com) selling physical books and games organized into two principal segments: business titles covering design, design thinking, leadership, creative business, innovation, branding and communication, architecture, and sketching and drawing; and consumer titles spanning sustainability, mindfulness, art, food and drink, gift books, kids books, photography, and creativity. Beyond books, BIS sells physical games — including business games for design thinking and team exercises, and consumer puzzles, memory games, family games, and educational games — plus curated gift bundles for both business and personal occasions. A distribution partnership with Laurence King Publishing extends the catalog with UK-origin children's books, puzzles, cards, and family games offered in Dutch-language editions.
The revenue model is one-time purchase unit pricing, with consumer books typically priced between €15.99 and €29.99, business books between €19.99 and €36.99, and games between €15.99 and €17.99. The company runs a small B2B channel for corporate gifts and bulk orders with contact-based discounts, and a separate program for educational institutions including academic inspection copies. Marketing is conducted through the company website, an email newsletter, and a content blog on innovation topics. BIS ships globally and offers free domestic shipping in the Netherlands on orders above €20.
The company serves a horizontally diversified customer base — designers and innovation professionals, general consumer readers, children, educational institutions, and corporate buyers — with no disclosed enterprise anchor accounts or major institutional contracts. There is no public listing, no parent company, no disclosed funding history, and no subsidiaries. The company is actively operating and continuously releasing new titles and revised editions of established backlist works, while the Graphic magazine (per short_description) is also part of its publishing portfolio. No AI/ML, API, or digital platform products are offered.
BIS Publishers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BIS Publishers
- Legal name
- BIS Publishers
- Website
- https://bispublishers.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- BIS Publishers is an independent Dutch book and game publisher, founded in 1986 and based in Amsterdam, selling physical design, innovation, and creativity titles to consumers, professionals, educators, and corporate buyers through its own e-commerce storefront and a Laurence King distribution partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BIS Publishers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB), Cookbooks, Food & Drink Publishing (MPAJAAAG), Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA), Puzzle Books & Brain Teasers Retail (CRALALAL)
Keywords
Where BIS Publishers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
BIS Publishers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book Sales: BIS Publishers sells books across business (design, design thinking, leadership, innovation, branding, architecture) and consumer categories (sustainability, mindfulness, art, food & drink, gift books, kids books, photography, creativity), as well as Dutch language books. Products are sold as one-time purchases through their e-commerce storefront.
- Game Sales: Sale of physical games including business games (design thinking, innovation, branding, sustainability) and consumer games (puzzles, memory games, family games, mindfulness, educational games). Products sold as one-time purchases through e-commerce.
- Gift Products: Sale of curated gift products including business gifts (books, games, Dutch language) and consumer gifts (books, games, children's gifts, Dutch language).
- Laurence King Publishing Products: Distribution/sale of Laurence King Publishing products including books, children's books, puzzles, boardgames, cards, and family games through BIS Publishers' Dutch language and European distribution channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Business books and resources |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Consumer books and resources |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Games and puzzles |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Bulk orders and business gifts |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
BIS Publishers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIS Publishers is an Amsterdam-based publisher that creates and sells physical books and games themed around design, innovation, and creativity. The catalog spans two parallel lines: a professional/business line covering design thinking, leadership, innovation, branding and architecture, and a consumer line covering sustainability, mindfulness, art, food and drink, photography, creativity, kids books, and gift books. The company also distributes Laurence King Publishing titles (books, puzzles, cards, family games) in Dutch-language markets and operates its own e-commerce storefront with global shipping.
Product overview
BIS Publishers is a Dutch book and game publisher specializing in design, innovation, and creativity. The company operates an e-commerce platform selling physical books and games organized into two main categories: Business offerings (books on design, leadership, innovation, and professional games for team building) and Consumer offerings (lifestyle books and recreational games). The portfolio includes sub-brands such as Laurence King Publishing (distributed titles) and features new releases like 'Bad Services' and 'Designing Creative Tools', alongside perennial bestsellers such as the 'Delft Design Guide' and 'Designing for Systemic Change'. BIS Publishers also offers gift collections for both business and personal occasions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Business Books Professional titles on design, design thinking, leadership, creative business, innovation, branding and communication, architecture, and sketching and drawing, aimed at designers, innovation professionals and creative leaders.
- Consumer Books Consumer lifestyle titles covering sustainability, mindfulness, art, food and drink, gift books, kids books, photography, and creativity, aimed at general readers.
- Dutch Language Books Original BIS titles and translations published in Dutch, segmented into Dutch language kids and Dutch language adults editions.
- Business Games Physical professional games for team and workshop use, themed around design thinking and innovation, branding and content, and sustainability.
- Consumer Games Physical recreational games for general consumers, including puzzles, memory games, family games, mindfulness, educational games, and Dutch-language games.
- Business Gifts Curated business gifting selections combining books, games, and Dutch-language titles, available for corporate bulk orders with discount pricing.
- Consumer Gifts Curated personal gifting selections including books, games, children's gifts, and Dutch-language titles.
- Laurence King Publishing Distribution Distributed collection of Laurence King Publishing titles in Dutch-language channels, covering books, children's books, puzzles and boardgames, cards, and family games.
- Bad Services: Beyond design — making services work (by Lou Downe and Claire Lyon) Book by Lou Downe and Claire Lyon on designing and delivering better services, aimed at design and service-design professionals.
- Designing Creative Tools (by Richard Shackleton, Sanya Rai, Guillaume Couche) Book on the design of creative tools, by Richard Shackleton, Sanya Rai and Guillaume Couche, aimed at designers and creators.
- Imagine Me (Revised) (by Lisa den Teuling) Revised edition of the Imagine Me book by Lisa den Teuling, a creative/imagination title for general readers.
- Busted: A Memory Game (by Thomas Eurlings) Card-based memory challenge game by Thomas Eurlings, part of the consumer games catalog.
- Collage Portrait Memory Game (by Anja Brunt) Memory game by Anja Brunt using collage-style portrait imagery, listed as a bestseller.
- Designing for Systemic Change Book focused on design approaches for systemic change in organizations and systems, listed as a bestseller.
- Delft Design Guide (Revised Edition) (by Jaap Daalhuizen, Jelle Zijlstra, Annemiek van Boeijen) Revised edition of the comprehensive design guide published in collaboration with Delft University of Technology, positioned as a core professional reference.
- Odd Socks Memory Game Memory game themed around finding missing socks, featured on the site as a new release / standout consumer game.
- Powerful Women Playing Cards (designed by Lisa den Teuling) Playing cards featuring powerful women, designed by Lisa den Teuling, part of the Laurence King card range distributed by BIS.
- The Mondrian Challenge (by Linda van Gaalen, Mia van Gaalen, Lilian van Dongen Torman) Creative challenge game inspired by Piet Mondrian's artistic style, by Linda van Gaalen, Mia van Gaalen, and Lilian van Dongen Torman, marketed as a featured consumer product.
- Autonomie als Strategie (by Marieke Pepers) Business book by Marieke Pepers framed around autonomy as a strategy, listed as a featured title.
Companies that use BIS Publishers
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
BIS Publishers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BIS Publishers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Laurence King PublishingcoreBIS Publishers serves as a distribution partner for Laurence King Publishing products in the Dutch language market. This includes books, children's books, puzzles, boardgames, cards, and family games. The partnership is prominently featured on BIS Publishers' website under a dedicated 'Laurence King' section with subcategories for various product types.
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
BIS Publishers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Dorling Kindersley (DK): Global illustrated reference publisher with a strong catalog of design, art, and creativity titles. Comparable to BIS on illustrated-style books and visual reference content, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader subject coverage.
- Penguin Random House: Largest global trade book publisher with extensive design and creative business lists. Adjacent incumbent in design/creative publishing space with significantly bigger marketing, distribution, and author acquisition capacity.
- Thames & Hudson: Major illustrated art and design book publisher with a global footprint. Directly competes in visual arts, design, and illustrated publishing, but operates across a much broader portfolio including architecture, fashion, and culture.
- Abrams Books: Publisher of illustrated art, design, photography, and lifestyle books including gift and children's formats. Comparable to BIS on art, photography, and illustrated design publishing, with an overlapping gift and consumer book audience.
Direct peers
- Workman Publishing: Independent publisher of gift books, puzzles, calendars, and novelty formats including children's titles. Overlaps with BIS on consumer gift books, puzzles, and children's books in the lifestyle and creativity category.
- Laurence King Publishing: Illustrated book and games publisher focused on design, art, and creative topics. BIS Publishers is both a Dutch distribution partner and a direct peer in the same design/creativity publishing niche with overlapping product categories.
- Princeton Architectural Press: Publisher of architecture, design, and visual culture books. Comparable to BIS on design and architecture titles and on the use of illustration-rich formats appealing to design professionals and enthusiasts.
- Phaidon Press: Global publisher of books on art, architecture, design, photography, and food. Closely comparable to BIS on art, design, illustration, and food & drink publishing, with a similar B2B/B2C split and a strong design-curated catalog.
- Gestalten: Berlin-based publisher specializing in design, architecture, visual culture, and creative lifestyle books and games. Highly comparable to BIS in editorial focus, product format (books plus games), and design-led consumer audience.
- Chronicle Books: Independent publisher of books, gift products, stationery, and games with a strong design and lifestyle aesthetic. Directly comparable to BIS on the books-plus-games-plus-gifts mix and on curated design-led consumer products.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BIS Publishers social profiles
Digital presenceBIS Publishers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BIS Publishers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
BIS Publishers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BIS Publishers 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 BIS Publishers
What does BIS Publishers do?
BIS Publishers is an Amsterdam-based publisher that creates and sells physical books and games themed around design, innovation, and creativity. The catalog spans two parallel lines: a professional/business line covering design thinking, leadership, innovation, branding and architecture, and a consumer line covering sustainability, mindfulness, art, food and drink, photography, creativity, kids books, and gift books. The company also distributes Laurence King Publishing titles (books, puzzles, cards, family games) in Dutch-language markets and operates its own e-commerce storefront with global shipping.
Is BIS Publishers a public or private company?
BIS Publishers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BIS Publishers founded?
BIS Publishers was founded in 1986.
Where is BIS Publishers based?
BIS Publishers is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does BIS Publishers make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are game Sales, gift Products and laurence King Publishing Products.
Who are BIS Publishers's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Dorling Kindersley (DK), Penguin Random House, Thames & Hudson and Abrams Books. Direct peers are Workman Publishing, Laurence King Publishing, Princeton Architectural Press, Phaidon Press, Gestalten and Chronicle Books.
Does BIS Publishers have an API?
No public API is recorded for BIS Publishers.
What industry is BIS Publishers in?
BIS Publishers's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAF, Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAB, Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.