Books Beyond Borders

What Books Beyond Borders does

Books Beyond Borders is a Singapore-based social enterprise bookstore founded in 2019 by Randall Chong, operating from a single retail location at 33 Erskine Road (open daily 11am–8pm) alongside a global e-commerce storefront at booksbeyondborders.org. The company sells customizable A5 notebook sets ($38) with vegan leather covers, magnetic closure, card and document pockets, pen holders, and a refillable insert system; handcrafted wool journals ($34.90) featuring localized Singapore and cultural themes (SMRT, National Day, Chicken Rice, among others); and a range of accessories including notebook refills ($12.90–$16.90), the Reader's Tote canvas bag ($55), felt coaster sets, gift cards (from $50), and a $2.50 monogram engraving add-on. The business was sparked by the founder's solo backpacking trip to Nepal, with the stated mission of funding girls' education in that country; the company reports over $40,000 donated since 2019 and over 20,000 books rehomed in Singapore.

The product and brand architecture centers on the refillable A5 system (160-page, 100 GSM ivory paper inserts in undated weekly planner, dotted, ruled, and blank formats) and the artisan wool journal line, which draws on a partnership network of more than 100 Nepal craftspeople, many of whom are mothers supporting school-going children. In 2024 the company extended this ecosystem with sister brand Two Storytellers, dedicated to sustainably sourced, one-of-a-kind gifts from Nepal artisans, including felt coasters and "tiny companions." Operational infrastructure is supported by a partnership with Storhub Self Storage (since 2022) for inventory management, and the company has built earned-media credibility through features in The Straits Times, CNA Lifestyle, Zaobao, Pride in Kindness, SIF Singapore Magazine, and Read-a.com.

Books Beyond Borders monetizes through four primary streams: (1) one-time product sales of notebooks, journals, and accessories via e-commerce and retail; (2) corporate gift bulk orders and customized B2B merchandise; (3) professional services revenue from storytelling workshops (e.g., for Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School) and speaking engagements on social entrepreneurship and women's empowerment (e.g., for Organon Singapore); and (4) sales from the Two Storytellers artisan gift line. The team comprises approximately five employees, the company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, and customer mix is dominated by individual consumers supplemented by episodic corporate and educational engagements. Geographic footprint spans Singapore (retail and primary market) and Nepal (artisan sourcing and impact destination), with global e-commerce delivery.

Name

Books Beyond Borders

Legal name

Books Beyond Borders

Website

https://booksbeyondborders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Books Beyond Borders is a Singapore-based social enterprise founded in 2019 that sells customizable A5 notebooks, wool journals, and artisan gifts through a physical store and e-commerce platform, channeling proceeds to fund girls' education in Nepal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Stationery

NAICS

Office Supplies, Stationery, and Gift Retailers (4594), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)

SIC

Blankbooks, Looseleaf Binders & Bookbindg & Relatd Work (2780)

akta.pro primary industry

Humor, Gift & Specialty Format Books (Journals, Coloring, etc.) (MPAJAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hobby & Craft Instructional Books/Patterns Retail (In-store/Physical) (CRALACAL)

Keywords

• Custom stationery
• Personalised notebooks
• Social enterprise bookstore
• Corporate gift solutions
• Storytelling workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Notebook and Journal Product Sales: Primary revenue stream from sale of customised A5 notebook sets (vegan leather folio), handcrafted wool journals, refills, and accessories. Products feature personalisation options and are sold through e-commerce and retail.
2. Corporate Gifts and Bulk Orders: Sale of customised corporate gift sets to businesses. Targets corporate clients for team events, employee gifts, and branded merchandise orders.
3. Workshop and Speaking Engagement Services: Conducts storytelling workshops for educators, corporate teams, and students. Provides speaking engagements on social entrepreneurship and women's empowerment topics.
4. Sister Brand - Two Storytellers: Sustainably sourced one-of-a-kind gifts from Nepal artisans, launched in 2024. Products include felt coasters and artisan crafts. Partnership with skilled artisans, many mothers supporting school-going children.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Books Beyond Borders sells personalised A5 notebook sets with vegan leather covers and handcrafted wool journals through a physical bookstore in Singapore and an e-commerce storefront. The company operates as a social enterprise, directing proceeds from stationery and book sales toward girls' education scholarships in Nepal. Additional offerings include corporate gift packages, storytelling workshops for schools and corporate teams, and speaking engagements on social entrepreneurship.

Product overview

Books Beyond Borders is a social enterprise operating as an e-commerce bookstore offering customizable notebooks, journals, and planners alongside artisanal gift products. The core product line consists of A5 Notebook Sets (with vegan leather covers in Plum, Wine, Mocha, Navy, and Forest colors) featuring personalization through name engraving, and handcrafted Wool Journals in various themes. The product ecosystem is designed around a refillable notebook system where customers can purchase replacement inserts. Additional offerings include Corporate Gifts for businesses, Storytelling Workshops for educators and teams, Speaking Engagements, and the sister brand Two Storytellers (launched 2024) featuring sustainably sourced artisan gifts from Nepal. The company also offers Gift Cards and accessory products like The Reader's Tote and Felt Coaster Sets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Two Storytellers: A sister brand launched in 2024, dedicated to sustainably sourced, one-of-a-kind gifts. Partners with skilled artisans in Nepal, many of whom are mothers supporting school-going children. The brand focuses on empowering women with sustainable incomes.

Products and services

• A5 Notebook Sets Personalised A5 notebook sets with vegan leather covers featuring magnetic closure, card/document pockets, pen holder, and refillable inserts. Available in multiple colours with optional name engraving. Sold to individual consumers and via corporate gift orders.
• Wool Journals Handcrafted wool journal covers in various themes and designs (Best Friend Kitty, Polar's Little Passenger, Marley & Jerry, Birthday Boy, The Daisy Gatherer, Lazy Sloth, The Butt Detective, Dragon Playground, SMRT, 1965 National Day, Chicken Rice) with customisable inserts. Sold to individual consumers and as gifts.
• The Reader's Tote Canvas tote bag designed for book readers. Available in Olive, Navy, and Black colours. Sold to individual consumers through e-commerce and physical store.
• Always By Your Side - Felt Coaster Set Felt coaster set sourced from Nepal artisans through the Two Storytellers sister brand. Sold to individual consumers as artisan gift products.
• Asha - Tiny Companions Small felt companion products crafted by Nepal artisans through the Two Storytellers sister brand. Sold to individual consumers as artisan gift products.
• Gift Card Prepaid gift cards available from $50 for giving as presents. Sold to individual consumers and corporate buyers for gifting purposes.
• Corporate Gifts Ethically sourced, customisable corporate gift solutions sold to businesses for employee gifts, team events, and branded merchandise orders. Targets corporate clients and HR/CSR teams.
• Storytelling Workshops Educational workshops for teams, educators, and students covering storytelling skills and social impact. Programs include chapters on story fundamentals, crafting stories with six elements, and interactive story relay activities. Sold directly to schools, organisations, and corporate teams.
• Speaking Engagements Speaking engagements sharing the company's story, social entrepreneurship journey, and mission around women's empowerment and education. Sold to corporate audiences and event organisers.
• Two Storytellers Sister brand launched in 2024, dedicated to sustainably sourced, one-of-a-kind gifts. Partners with skilled artisans in Nepal to create products that empower women with sustainable incomes. Sold through the booksbeyondborders.org storefront.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $40,000 donated to girls' education in Nepal since 2019
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Storhub Self StoragecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since 2022, Books Beyond Borders has partnered with Storhub Self Storage to streamline management of large book and product inventories. This partnership enables the social enterprise to operate more efficiently by utilizing Storhub's storage facilities for inventory management. The partnership was highlighted as a key operational support for the growing social enterprise.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Papier: DTC customisable stationery brand selling personalised notebooks, journals, and planners online. Most directly comparable on product (custom stationery), business model (DTC-first, personalisation upsells), and target customer (gift-giving individuals and corporates).
• Leuchtturm1917: Premium German notebook brand famous for numbered pages and refillable A5/Dotted/Ruled insert variants. Direct peer on product (notebook + refill architecture) and customer overlap (journaling enthusiasts).
• Paperblanks: Specialty journal and notebook publisher known for decorative covers and refillable systems. Comparable on specialty-format journals with cultural/artistic covers — similar to BBB's wool journal collection.
• Rifle Paper Co. Design-led stationery, journals, and gift brand with strong floral/cultural illustrations. Comparable on premium gift-format stationery and direct-to-consumer gifting, though US-based.

Broad incumbents

• Moleskine: Global premium notebooks and journals brand with refillable insert systems. Comparable on core product (A5 hard-cover notebooks, refillable system) but Moleskine is a broad incumbent with a much larger portfolio (bags, smart writing tools) and global retail distribution.
• Smythson: British heritage luxury stationery brand selling leather-bound notebooks, diaries, and personalised goods. Comparable on premium leather-bound journals and personalisation, but at a much higher luxury price tier.
• Typo: Mass-market stationery, gift, and lifestyle retailer (owned by Cotton On). Comparable on stationery + gift positioning and omnichannel retail, but with a much broader, lower-priced assortment.

Regional players

• The Paper Bunny: Singapore-based stationery and lifestyle retailer with strong social media presence and curated notebooks, planners, and gifts. Closest regional comparable on Singapore stationery retail and DTC gifting.
• Bynd Artisan: Singapore-based retailer of locally made artisan leather goods and gifts, including customisable notebooks. Closest regional comparable on Singapore retail footprint and custom stationery/product positioning.

Emerging players

• Field Notes Brand: US-based independent notebook maker with quarterly limited-edition releases. Comparable on craft-led small-batch notebooks, though at a different price tier and US market focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/booksbeyondborders

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 Books Beyond Borders