Waxmann
Waxmann Verlag GmbH is a Münster-based German academic publisher, founded in 1987, producing peer-reviewed books, journals, and series across 28 disciplines in education, social sciences, and humanities for researchers, students, and academic libraries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersMünster, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Waxmann does
Waxmann Verlag GmbH is a German academic publishing house founded in 1987 and headquartered in Münster. The company produces peer-reviewed monographs, anthologies, book series, and academic journals across roughly 28 disciplines, with particular depth in educational sciences (Erziehungswissenschaft), didactics, music, social sciences, and humanities. Its catalog spans hundreds of titles per category in core verticals (e.g., ~278 music publications, ~246 education titles, ~234 didactics titles) and is offered in both German and English.
The business model is content-led and sales-led. Waxmann sells individual books directly to academic buyers via its own e-commerce storefront (waxmann.com/shop), with unit prices typically ranging from €10 to €100, and offers both physical and e-book editions. It also operates a substantial Open Access program of 568 freely accessible digital titles, and collaborates on the UTB (Universitätstaschenbuch) university textbook series (52+ titles). Customer segments span academic researchers and educators (primary), university students, and academic libraries/institutions.
There is no proprietary software platform, AI/ML capability, API, or SDK disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct-to-customer online plus standard print fulfillment; go-to-market is supplemented by newsletter and social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn). The legal entity is a privately held German GmbH with no disclosed parent company, no venture backing, and no disclosed M&A activity, consistent with a stable, family- or employee-owned niche academic publisher.
Waxmann firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Waxmann
- Legal name
- Waxmann Verlag GmbH
- Website
- https://waxmann.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Waxmann Verlag GmbH is a Münster-based German academic publisher, founded in 1987, producing peer-reviewed books, journals, and series across 28 disciplines in education, social sciences, and humanities for researchers, students, and academic libraries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Waxmann industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH)
Keywords
Where Waxmann is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Münster
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Waxmann business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: One-time sale of physical and digital academic books and publications to individual buyers and institutions. Books are sold individually with prices ranging from approximately €10 to €100+.
- Open Access Publications: Open access digital publications available for free download, potentially supported by institutional funding or publication fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual academic books |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Waxmann product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Waxmann publishes and sells academic books, journals, book series, and Open Access publications across 28 disciplines, with a deep specialization in education, social sciences, linguistics, history, and humanities. The company operates a direct-to-customer online shop for individual book purchases and offers digital (e-book) editions alongside physical copies. Publications are released in German and English under a peer-reviewed editorial workflow.
Product overview
Waxmann Verlag GmbH is an academic publishing house offering a comprehensive portfolio of books, journals, and book series across 28 academic disciplines. The core offerings include physical and digital books (with 568 Open Access titles), the UTB university textbook series, and academic journals. The company specializes in educational sciences, psychology, linguistics, history, sociology, music, natural sciences, and related fields. Publications are available in both German and English, with many titles offered as e-books alongside print editions. The company operates e-commerce functionality through its website for direct sales to academic institutions, researchers, and students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Academic Books (Monographs and Anthologies) Peer-reviewed academic books across 28 disciplines including Education, Psychology, Linguistics, History, Sociology, Music, Philosophy, and more, published in German and English. Sold individually to researchers, educators, and students.
- Open Access Publications Digital academic publications available for free download, covering research across multiple disciplines. The Open Access program makes scholarly work accessible without paywall barriers.
- UTB (Universitätstaschenbuch) Series University textbook series (52 titles) published in collaboration with UTB, covering academic subjects for higher education at affordable paperback prices.
- Academic Journals (Zeitschriften) Peer-reviewed academic journals covering various scholarly disciplines, sold via subscription or individual issue purchase.
- Book Series (Reihen) Multiple specialized book series organized by academic discipline including Didactics, Education, Geography, History, Art History, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Law, Religion, Social Science, and Sports.
Companies that use Waxmann
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Waxmann technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Waxmann partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Waxmann competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nomos Verlag: German academic publisher specializing in law, political science, social sciences, and economics. Directly comparable to Waxmann in German-language academic publishing with strong institutional and library distribution.
- Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: Historic German academic publisher with deep roots in theology, humanities, and social sciences. Comparable to Waxmann as a German scholarly publisher with monograph and journal offerings across academic disciplines.
- De Gruyter: Major German academic publisher with strong presence in humanities, social sciences, and STEM. Directly comparable to Waxmann as both serve German and international academic markets with monograph and journal publishing, though De Gruyter operates at significantly larger scale.
- Klinkhardt Verlag: German academic publisher specializing in education research and pedagogy. Directly comparable to Waxmann's strong education science focus, competing for the same educational research manuscript pool.
- Transcript Verlag: German academic publisher based in Bielefeld with strong focus on cultural studies, social sciences, and humanities. Direct competitor to Waxmann in the German-language academic monograph market with similar disciplinary focus.
- Wilhelm Fink Verlag: German academic publisher with strong humanities and cultural studies orientation. Comparable to Waxmann in German-language academic monograph publishing for humanities and social sciences.
- Peter Lang Publishing: Switzerland-based academic publisher specializing in humanities and social sciences monographs. Comparable to Waxmann in its focus on academic books, multilingual publishing, and serving researchers across European academic institutions.
Broad incumbents
- Brill: Dutch academic publisher with comprehensive humanities and social sciences portfolio. Comparable to Waxmann in academic focus but operates at much larger scale with international reach and broader subject coverage.
- Springer Nature: Global academic publishing giant with extensive monograph and journal programs across all disciplines. Comparable to Waxmann in academic publishing but with vastly larger scale, broader international reach, and larger institutional partnerships.
Others
- UTB (Universitätstaschenbücher): German university textbook consortium that Waxmann participates in as a publishing partner. Both a partner and competitor, as UTB coordinates multi-publisher textbook offerings and could distribute away from Waxmann titles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Waxmann social profiles
Digital presenceWaxmann financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Waxmann leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Waxmann funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Waxmann 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 Waxmann
What does Waxmann do?
Waxmann publishes and sells academic books, journals, book series, and Open Access publications across 28 disciplines, with a deep specialization in education, social sciences, linguistics, history, and humanities. The company operates a direct-to-customer online shop for individual book purchases and offers digital (e-book) editions alongside physical copies. Publications are released in German and English under a peer-reviewed editorial workflow.
Is Waxmann a public or private company?
Waxmann is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Waxmann founded?
Waxmann was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Waxmann based?
Waxmann is headquartered in Münster, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Waxmann make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are open Access Publications.
Who are Waxmann's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nomos Verlag, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, De Gruyter, Klinkhardt Verlag, Transcript Verlag, Wilhelm Fink Verlag and Peter Lang Publishing. Broad incumbents are Brill and Springer Nature. UTB (Universitätstaschenbücher) is listed as an others.
Does Waxmann have an API?
No public API is recorded for Waxmann.
What industry is Waxmann in?
Waxmann's product category is Academic Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAH, Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.