Издательский дом "Самокат"

What Издательский дом "Самокат" does

Издательский дом «Самокат» is a privately held Russian children's book publishing house founded in 2003, operating as OOO «Izdatelskiy dom «Samokat»». The company curates and publishes a catalog of approximately 600 titles spanning picture books, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, and activity books for readers aged 0-15+, plus a parallel parenting and educator line. It combines Russian-original works with Russian translations of internationally acclaimed children's literature (English, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, among others), partnering with award-winning illustrators and authors including Roald Dahl translators and Astrid Lindgren nominees.

The business operates an omnichannel distribution model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on samokatbook.ru with a loyalty program ('Клуб читателей Самоката'), two branded retail stores in Moscow and St. Petersburg selling at publisher prices, wholesale distribution to Russian bookstore chains, dedicated schools and libraries programs, bulk/wholesale pricing for legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, and international sales routed through partner SamTamBooks.com with a European warehouse. Revenue streams include physical book sales (unit pricing 100-2550 RUB), digital and audiobook versions distributed via Litres.ru, and ancillary merchandise (calendars, bags, stickers, gift certificates, activity kits). Pricing is pay-as-you-go with frequent 20-40% promotions and loyalty cashback incentives.

The publishing house is small (6 employees), organically funded with no PE/VC backing, and earns its market position through editorial curation quality rather than scale. Recognition includes a 2018 Bologna Best European Children's Publisher nomination, IBBY Honour List inclusions, multiple Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award nominations for its authors, and a 2025 Government of the Russian Federation Prize for poet Grigory Kruzhkov. Its primary customer base is Russian families with children, supplemented by schools, libraries, and bookstore chains.

Name

Издательский дом "Самокат"

Legal name

OOO «Izdatelskiy dom «Samokat»

Website

https://samokatbook.ru

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Издательский дом «Самокат» is a Russian children's book publishing house founded in 2003, curating ~600 titles for readers aged 0-15+ through e-commerce, retail stores, wholesale, and international distribution via SamTamBooks.com.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Book Print-on-Demand (Picture Books, Early Readers, YA) (MPAJANAC)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Illustrated picture books
• Young adult literature
• Russian book translation
• Literary book retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Physical): Physical book sales through own e-commerce, retail stores, and wholesale distribution network. One-time purchase model with prices ranging from 100₽ to 2550₽.
2. Digital/Electronic Books: Electronic versions of books sold through their website and partner platforms like Litres.ru.
3. Audiobooks: Audiobook versions distributed via partner Litres.ru platform.
4. Merchandise: Related products including calendars, bags, stickers, gift certificates ('Дарить легко'), and activity kits.
5. Wholesale/Bulk Sales: Special bulk pricing programs for legal entities (юридические лица) and individual entrepreneurs (ИП), as well as joint procurement organizers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Izdatelskiy dom "Samokat" is a Russian children's book publishing house founded in 2003, curating and publishing approximately 600 titles spanning board books, picture books, fiction, non-fiction, popular science, young adult literature, and parenting guides. The company sells physical books, e-books, audiobooks, and related merchandise through its own e-commerce site, two branded retail stores in Moscow and St. Petersburg, wholesale distribution to Russian bookstores, and the international partner SamTamBooks.com.

Product overview

Издательский дом «Самокат» is one of Russia's most respected children's book publishing houses, founded in 2003, publishing approximately 600 titles. The company operates as a multi-series publishing platform offering books across distinct product lines: (1) Age-targeted children's books spanning board books and picture books for toddlers (0-6 years), fiction and non-fiction for younger schoolchildren (7-12 years), and young adult literature for teenagers (13-15 years); (2) Parenting and adult books covering child psychology, parenting skills, and illustrated art books; (3) Popular science books in biology, geography, history, and other disciplines; (4) Themed book series including 'Лучшая новая книжка' (Best New Books), 'Классика Самоката' (Samokat Classics), 'Роальд Даль. Фабрика сказок' (Roald Dahl Fairy Tale Factory), 'Ну и история!' (What a History!) for science education, 'Ленинградские сказки' (Leningrad Fairy Tales), and interactive 'Игра-прогулка Ралли от Самоката' walking game books; (5) Merchandise including calendars, bags, stickers, and gift certificates. The publishing house connects Russian readers with international children's literature while also developing Russian authors for the global market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Book series "Лучшая новая книжка" (Best New Book) Series featuring the best new children's books, including titles by Russian and international authors. A flagship curated series of new releases.
• Book series "Классика Самоката" (Samokat Classics)
• Book series "Роальд Даль. Фабрика сказок" (Roald Dahl Fairy Tale Factory)
• Book series "Ну и история!" (What a History!)
• Book series "Ленинградские сказки" (Leningrad Fairy Tales)
• Books for toddlers and preschoolers (0-6 years)
• Books for younger schoolchildren (7-12 years)
• Books for teenagers (13-15 years)
• Books for parents and educators
• Popular science books
• "Игра-прогулка Ралли от Самоката" (Samokat Rally Walking Game)
• Gift certificates ("Подарочные сертификаты")
• Samokat merchandise (calendars, bags, stickers, kits)
• Electronic books (e-books)
• Audiobooks

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SamTamBooks.comcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational distribution partner for European customers. SamTamBooks.com provides faster and more cost-effective shipping from a European warehouse for customers outside Russia. Samokat redirects international visitors to this partner platform for better delivery economics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Litres (ЛитРес): Russia's largest digital book and audiobook platform; Samokat already distributes e-books and audiobooks via Litres. A key distribution/retail partner rather than a competitor, but representative of the digital publishing ecosystem Samokat depends on.

Broad incumbents

• Scholastic: Global children's book publisher and education distributor. Comparable to Samokat in its age-segmented approach (e.g., school book clubs, fairs, education channels) but at vastly larger scale and with broader genre coverage.
• Penguin Random House Children's: Global incumbent publishing many of the same international children's authors Samokat translates (e.g., Roald Dahl). Important as both a licensor and a benchmark for international children's publishing operations.
• AST (АСТ): One of Russia's largest general publishers with a substantial children's line. Competes across price tiers and shelf placement; Samokat's curated/premium positioning is the key differentiator against AST's scale.

Direct peers

• Machaon: Russian children's imprint of the Eksmo/AST group publishing translated and original children's titles. Overlaps directly with Samokat on picture books, fairy tales, and translated children's fiction aimed at families.
• Clever Media (Клевер Медиа): Russian publisher of illustrated children's books, activity books, and parenting titles. Competes with Samokat in the same 0-12 family segment, often at slightly lower price points and with broader mass-market distribution.
• ROSMAN: One of Russia's largest children's book publishers, with a deep catalog across picture books, school-age fiction, and YA. Closest direct competitor to Samokat in the Russian children's trade market and a natural benchmark for pricing, distribution, and shelf-share strategy.
• Walker Books: UK independent publisher of high-quality picture books and children's fiction (including Walker Studio). Strong analog to Samokat's curation-led, illustration-forward model at comparable scale.
• Gallimard Jeunesse: French premium children's publisher known for carefully edited picture books and YA. The closest European analog to Samokat's editorial positioning, and a potential model for international expansion.

Regional players

• Albatros Media: Czech-based children's book group operating across Central Europe with a similar mix of original and translated titles. Comparable business model and a useful reference point for CEE regional distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%D0%B8%D0%B7%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%B4%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D1%81%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Издательский дом "Самокат"