Kosmos Uitgevers
Kosmos Uitgevers is a Dutch trade publisher with over 100 years of history, producing children's books and lifestyle non-fiction under parent VBK Groep. It serves Dutch families and adult readers via print, e-book, and audiobook formats sold through its own Boekenwereld.com store and physical bookstores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kosmos Uitgevers does
Kosmos Uitgevers is a Dutch trade book publisher with over 100 years of history, specializing in two core verticals: children's books (adventure series, graphic novels, escape books) and lifestyle non-fiction (cooking, nutrition, health, travel, spirituality, and self-help). The company is a publishing brand under Veen Bosch & Keuning Uitgevers Groep B.V. (VBK), headquartered at Herculesplein 96 in Utrecht, Netherlands, and operates with 11-50 employees. Its catalog is built around long-term relationships with prominent national and international authors and brands, including Mel Robbins (The Let Them Theory, De 5 Seconderegel), Jord Althuizen (Smokey Goodness BBQ series, 450,000+ copies sold), Dafne Schippers (autobiography, nominated for Sports Book of the Year), and YouTube creators Glowmovies (Jesper Weijs and Rik Kleeven), whose children's graphic novel series is a category highlight.
The technology layer is a standard publishing e-commerce platform supporting physical paperback and hardcover books, e-books, and audiobooks, accessed through the company's own bookstore Boekenwereld.com and the audiobook storefront Luisterrijk.nl. Distribution combines this direct-to-consumer channel with traditional Dutch physical bookstore retail and digital formats. The business model is largely transactional: unit-priced book sales across formats, supplemented by a bi-weekly co-marketing newsletter ('Gezond aan tafel', 10,000+ subscribers) that drives lifestyle book promotion. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but the bestseller signals (millions of copies tied to Mel Robbins globally, hundreds of thousands domestically for Smokey Goodness) suggest a mid-sized trade publisher with concentrated hit-driven economics rather than uniform catalog depth. The company operates primarily in the Netherlands and Benelux region, with a Foreign Rights page on its website indicating limited but present focus on international rights licensing. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no recent funding activity, no M&A, and no major leadership changes in the available data.
Kosmos Uitgevers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kosmos Uitgevers
- Legal name
- Veen Bosch & Keuning Uitgevers Groep B.V.
- Website
- https://kosmosuitgevers.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kosmos Uitgevers is a Dutch trade publisher with over 100 years of history, producing children's books and lifestyle non-fiction under parent VBK Groep. It serves Dutch families and adult readers via print, e-book, and audiobook formats sold through its own Boekenwereld.com store and physical bookstores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kosmos Uitgevers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Health, Wellness & Fitness Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAK), Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC)
Keywords
Where Kosmos Uitgevers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kosmos Uitgevers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Book sales: Sale of physical books (hardback, paperback) and digital formats (e-books, audiobooks) through direct online sales and distribution to physical bookstores.
- Subscription newsletter content: Partner newsletter 'Gezond aan tafel' with over 10,000 subscribers provides marketing reach and indirect revenue through book promotion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical books (paperback) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hardcover books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | E-books |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Audiobooks |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Kosmos Uitgevers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kosmos Uitgevers is a Dutch trade book publisher that creates, edits, and publishes children's books (adventure series, escape/puzzle books, and graphic novels such as De Zoete Zusjes and the Rik en Jesper series from YouTubers Glowmovies) and lifestyle non-fiction books covering cooking/BBQ, self-help, sports biographies, royalty/fashion, travel, health, spirituality, and general non-fiction. Books are released across paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats and sold directly to consumers through their own online bookstore Boekenwereld.com, through Dutch physical bookstores, and through the Luisterrijk.nl audiobook platform.
Product overview
Kosmos Uitgevers operates as a traditional book publisher offering two main product lines: children's books (including adventure series and graphic novels) and lifestyle non-fiction books (cooking, self-help, sports biographies, royalty/fashion). The company publishes books in multiple formats including physical paperbacks/hardcovers, ebooks, and audiobooks. Notable brands include the Smokey Goodness BBQ series by Jord Althuizen and the Rik en Jesper children's graphic novel series from Glowmovies YouTubers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Children's Books Trade children's books published under the Kosmos Uitgevers imprint, including adventure series (De Zoete Zusjes), escape and puzzle books for ages 9+ (Rik en Jesper escapeboek), and graphic novel series from YouTube creators Jesper Weijs and Rik Kleeven (Glowmovies). Targeted at Dutch families with children, parents, and gift-givers. Available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
- Lifestyle Non-Fiction Books Trade lifestyle non-fiction books published under the Kosmos Uitgevers imprint, spanning cooking and BBQ (Smokey Goodness series by Jord Althuizen), self-help and personal development (Mel Robbins titles such as The Let Them Theory and De 5 Seconderegel), sports biographies (Dafne by Dafne Schippers), royalty/fashion, health, travel, spirituality, and general non-fiction. Targeted at Dutch adult readers seeking inspiration, relaxation, or deepening of knowledge. Available in paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats.
Companies that use Kosmos Uitgevers
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kosmos Uitgevers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Kosmos Uitgevers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National and international authorscoreKosmos works with the best national and international authors and brands who are experts in their respective fields. This includes bestselling authors like Mel Robbins (The Let Them Theory, De 5 Seconderegel), Jord Althuizen (Smokey Goodness BBQ series), and YouTube creators like Jesper Weijs and Rik Kleeven (Glowmovies series). These partnerships ensure access to important insights, latest trends, and the best stories for readers.
- Gezond aan tafelminorNewsletter partnership providing bi-weekly recipes and reading tips to over 10,000 subscribers. Kosmos promotes this partner's newsletter on their website, driving cross-promotion of lifestyle content and books.
- Boekenwereld.comcoreBoekenwereld.com serves as Kosmos Uitgevers' own online bookstore, handling direct sales of physical books, e-books, and audiobooks to consumers. They offer secure payment options and handle order fulfillment.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kosmos Uitgevers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Overamstel Uitgevers: Dutch publisher focused on lifestyle, cooking, health, and personal development non-fiction. Directly comparable to Kosmos's Smokey Goodness and Mel Robbins-adjacent lifestyle catalog, competing for the same adult lifestyle reader.
- Clavis Uitgeverij: Belgian children's book publisher with strong Benelux distribution and similar age-range coverage. Comparable to Kosmos's children's segment, particularly for illustrated and early-reader titles sold across the same regional retail channels.
- Uitgeverij De Bezige Bij: Leading Dutch trade publisher of literary fiction and quality non-fiction, headquartered in Amsterdam. Directly comparable to Kosmos in being a Dutch trade imprint focused on curated, premium non-fiction and lifestyle content for adult readers.
- Uitgeverij Gottmer: Dutch children's book publisher with a long heritage. Directly comparable to Kosmos's children's segment, competing for the same family buyers, library distribution, and school channels in the Netherlands.
- Uitgeverij Prometheus / Bert Bakker: Dutch non-fiction imprints publishing essays, biography, current affairs, and lifestyle-adjacent titles. Comparable to Kosmos's adult non-fiction line covering self-help, biography (Dafne), and general lifestyle subjects.
- Lannoo Group: Belgian-Dutch publishing group with strong lifestyle, cooking, health, and children's book segments. Closely comparable to Kosmos's lifestyle non-fiction and children's verticals, and competes for the same Benelux household reader.
- Uitgeverij Leopold: Dutch children's book imprint, part of WPG Uitgevers, known for high-quality illustrated and adventure children's titles. Closely comparable to Kosmos's children's graphic novels and adventure series targeting families.
Broad incumbents
- WPG Uitgevers: Dutch publishing conglomerate housing multiple imprints including VBK (Kosmos's parent). Comparable as the broader group that competes for the same Dutch consumer mindshare and shelf space, with portfolio scale Kosmos cannot match independently.
- HarperCollins Holland: Dutch subsidiary of HarperCollins publishing global lifestyle and self-help titles in Dutch translation. Comparable as an international incumbent competing for the same Dutch reader interested in translated non-fiction bestsellers like those Kosmos publishes.
- Penguin Random House Nederland: Dutch arm of global trade publishing giant. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering overlapping lifestyle, self-help, and children's categories with deeper marketing budgets and international author pipelines than Kosmos can match.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kosmos Uitgevers social profiles
Digital presenceKosmos Uitgevers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kosmos Uitgevers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kosmos Uitgevers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kosmos Uitgevers 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 Kosmos Uitgevers
What does Kosmos Uitgevers do?
Kosmos Uitgevers is a Dutch trade book publisher that creates, edits, and publishes children's books (adventure series, escape/puzzle books, and graphic novels such as De Zoete Zusjes and the Rik en Jesper series from YouTubers Glowmovies) and lifestyle non-fiction books covering cooking/BBQ, self-help, sports biographies, royalty/fashion, travel, health, spirituality, and general non-fiction. Books are released across paperback, hardcover, e-book, and audiobook formats and sold directly to consumers through their own online bookstore Boekenwereld.com, through Dutch physical bookstores, and through the Luisterrijk.nl audiobook platform.
Is Kosmos Uitgevers a public or private company?
Kosmos Uitgevers is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kosmos Uitgevers founded?
Kosmos Uitgevers was founded in 1894. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kosmos Uitgevers based?
Kosmos Uitgevers is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Kosmos Uitgevers make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Book sales are the primary driver. The others are subscription newsletter content.
Who are Kosmos Uitgevers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Overamstel Uitgevers, Clavis Uitgeverij, Uitgeverij De Bezige Bij, Uitgeverij Gottmer, Uitgeverij Prometheus / Bert Bakker, Lannoo Group and Uitgeverij Leopold. Broad incumbents are WPG Uitgevers, HarperCollins Holland and Penguin Random House Nederland.
Does Kosmos Uitgevers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kosmos Uitgevers.
What industry is Kosmos Uitgevers in?
Kosmos Uitgevers's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAL, Health, Wellness & Fitness Trade Publishing, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAK, Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.