Animan Publications SA

What Animan Publications SA does

Animan Publications SA is a privately held Swiss publishing company founded in 1981 and headquartered in Echandens. It publishes Animan, a bimonthly travel magazine available in French and German editions, distributed nationwide in Switzerland through newsstands, direct-mail subscriptions, and the company's own WooCommerce-powered e-commerce site. Each ~80-page issue carries approximately five long-form travel reportages and one photography portfolio section, with editorial and design led by Editor-in-Chief Alexander Zelenka and Layout/Art Director Thierry Desplands-Monnier.

The company's product surface consists of seven core items: individual print issues (CHF 17), annual (CHF 94) and biennial (CHF 176) print subscriptions, an annual trial subscription at CHF 25, a branded binder (CHF 12), Issuc-hosted digital previews, and a portfolio section showcasing competitions such as Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Revenue is generated from one-time magazine sales, recurring subscriptions, advertising (with German-Switzerland ad sales outsourced to MHD SA), and a reader-travel program offering curated group trips (CHF 2,600-9,200 per person) to featured destinations including India, Japan, and Greece in 2026, delivered via partners such as Au Tigre Vanille and NaturaGreca. Subscription fulfillment and last-mile delivery are handled by Asendia Press Edigroup from Le Lignon.

Animan's customer base is a B2C controlled readership of approximately 62,000 Swiss consumers (per Mach Basic 2025-2 / 2024-2), segmented as French- and German-speaking Swiss travel enthusiasts, photography and nature-culture readers, with pricing differentiated between subscribers and non-subscribers. The business carries no public funding history, no disclosed headcount, and operates with a small internal team and a network of specialized channel, fulfillment, and travel partners.

Name

Animan Publications SA

Legal name

Animan Publications SA

Website

https://animan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Animan Publications SA is a privately held Swiss publisher, founded 1981, that produces the bimonthly Animan travel magazine in French and German editions, serving approximately 62,000 controlled Swiss readers through subscriptions, newsstand sales, and curated reader-travel packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Consumer Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

Keywords

• Travel magazine publishing
• Print subscriptions
• Nature photography portfolios
• Consumer travel content
• Reader travel packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Echandens

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Single-issue print magazine sales at CHF 17.00 per copy, sold through e-commerce and newsstands across Switzerland in both French and German editions
2. Print Subscriptions: Recurring subscription revenue from annual (CHF 94.00) and biennial (CHF 176.00) print subscriptions, providing 6 issues per year delivered to subscribers' homes
3. Advertising: Revenue from advertising sales including portfolio sponsorship, advertorials (publireportages), and custom editions. German Switzerland ad sales managed by MHD SA.
4. Reader Travel Packages: Organized group travel trips to destinations featured in the magazine (India, Japan, Greece), priced from CHF 2,600 to CHF 9,200 per person, generating revenue from tour packages

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Animan Publications SA publishes a bimonthly Swiss travel magazine in French and German editions, featuring five in-depth travel reportages and one photography portfolio per issue. The company sells the magazine through its own WooCommerce-powered website, newsstands across Switzerland, and annual/biennial print subscriptions, and additionally organizes curated reader travel packages to destinations featured in the magazine. It also monetizes its readership through advertising sales (portfolio sponsorship, advertorials, custom editions).

Product overview

Animan Publications SA publishes Animan, a Swiss travel magazine available in French and German editions. The product portfolio consists of the bimonthly Animan Magazine (with current and archived print issues), digital previews via Issuu, print and digital subscription plans with subscriber benefits, an online shop for magazine purchases and accessories, curated reader travel packages to featured destinations, and a portfolio section showcasing international photography competitions. The magazine specializes in travel reportages and nature photography, featuring approximately 5 detailed travel articles and 1 portfolio feature per issue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Animan Magazine (Individual Issues) Bimonthly Swiss travel magazine sold as individual print issues at CHF 17.00 per copy, featuring five in-depth travel reportages and one photography portfolio section per issue. Published in French and German editions for the Swiss consumer market.
• Print Subscription Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 62,000 controlled readership in Switzerland
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Au Tigre VanilleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTravel partner for reader trips, specifically the Japan (Tohoku) journey. Provides travel services and logistics for Animan reader excursions to featured destinations.
• NaturaGrecaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek travel specialist partner for reader trips to Greece (Zagori, Meteora, Olympus). Provides local expertise, guides, and logistics for hiking tours featured in Animan magazine.
• MHD SAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertising sales representative for German-speaking Switzerland, led by Dominique Breschan. Handles all advertising sales and advertiser relations for German-language edition and German Switzerland market.
• Asendia Press EdigroupcoreOthersSubscription fulfillment and distribution partner handling print delivery logistics. Located in Le Lignon, Geneva, managing home delivery of magazines to subscribers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Le Routard: Iconic French travel guide publisher with broader travel content portfolio. Comparable to Animan in deep reportage style and long-form country exploration, though it operates at much larger scale and primarily in France.
• National Geographic Traveler: Global flagship travel magazine emphasizing photography, cultural heritage, and environmental storytelling. Comparable to Animan in photography-driven storytelling and environmental themes, though at vastly larger international scale.
• Lonely Planet Magazine: Travel magazine tied to the iconic guidebook brand, featuring destination reportages and photography. Comparable editorial formula to Animan, with similar dual themes of cultural exploration and visual storytelling at greater international reach.
• Wanderlust: UK-based travel magazine focused on authentic, off-the-beaten-path destinations and cultural depth. Comparable to Animan's emphasis on non-superficial travel journalism and nature/cultural exploration, though primarily English-speaking.
• Condé Nast Traveler: Premium global travel magazine with curated destination coverage. Comparable to Animan in premium positioning, long-form journalism, and photography quality, though it operates globally with much higher advertising scale.

Direct peers

• Outdoor Magazine (Schweiz): Swiss outdoor and nature adventure magazine. Comparable to Animan in DACH-market readership and nature/exploration themes, with overlapping photography portfolios and German-language coverage.
• Terre & Nature: Swiss French-language magazine covering nature, agriculture, and environment. Comparable to Animan in Swiss francophone readership and nature/cultural themes, with overlapping photographer-contributor networks.
• Ulysse: Swiss travel publisher producing country guides and travel literature. Directly comparable as a French-language Swiss travel content publisher serving the same reader base as Animan's French edition.
• GEO (Switzerland / Germany): Long-established European travel and nature magazine covering cultures, environments, and photography. Comparable to Animan in editorial mix of long-form reportages and nature photography portfolios, and overlaps in the Swiss/German-speaking reader market.

Others

• Au Tigre Vanille: Swiss travel agency partnered with Animan for reader trips (Japan Tohoku journey). Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but represents the type of operator Animan could vertically integrate or expand partnerships with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/animan-publications-sa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Animan Publications SA