What Altraverse does

Altraverse GmbH is a German-language manga and webtoon publisher founded in 2017 in Hamburg by Joachim Kaps. The company licenses Japanese manga and Korean webtoon IP and localizes them for the DACH market, offering physical tankobon volumes, premium collector's editions, merchandise, digital e-books, and since November 2024 a Simulpub platform that releases chapters simultaneously with their source markets.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model primarily through its own e-commerce storefront at altraverse.de, supplemented by digital distribution via Amazon Kindle and the Tolino ecosystem (Thalia, Hugendubel), and by a physical retail network of German comic shops and bookstores accessed through an integrated shopfinder tool. Revenue is generated through one-time purchases of physical volumes (typically 5-16 EUR), higher-priced collector's editions (22-32 EUR), individual digital chapters, and ancillary merchandise.

Altraverse invests heavily in community engagement, maintaining regular exhibitor presence at all major German anime/manga and book conventions (AnimagiC, DoKomi, Manga-Comic-Con Leipzig, Connichi, Frankfurter Buchmesse) and operating altraworld, a physical flagship showroom and event space in Hamburg that opened in July 2025. The company also publishes two digital magazines — Shojo★Stars (since September 2019) and MANGA ISSHO — that serve as promotional and community channels. With 11-50 employees and no disclosed external funding, Altraverse functions as a focused, bootstrapped niche publisher.

Name

Altraverse

Legal name

Altraverse

Website

https://altraverse.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Altraverse GmbH is a Hamburg-based German-language publisher founded in 2017 that licenses, localizes, and distributes Japanese manga, Korean webtoons, and related merchandise across DACH via own e-commerce, Amazon, Tolino, retail partners, and the altraworld event space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Manga and Webtoon Publishing

NAICS

Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

akta.pro primary industry

Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Comic Books & Graphic Novel Collectibles Retail (CRALAGAH), Books, Media, Collectibles & Hobby Marketplaces (CRAFABAL), E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)

Keywords

• Manga publishing
• Webtoon publishing
• Digital simulpub
• Manga distribution
• Light novel publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Manga and Webtoon Sales: Sale of printed manga volumes and webtoon tankobon editions in physical format through their e-commerce website and retail partners.
2. Digital Simulpub Chapters: Digital chapter releases for manga and webtoon series sold individually through Amazon and Tolino platforms.
3. Collector's Editions and Premium Products: Higher-priced collector's editions with special covers, boxes, and exclusive content for popular series like Solo Leveling and Penelope.
4. Merchandise: Sale of manga-related merchandise including wallpapers and other promotional items.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Altraverse publishes, localizes and distributes Japanese manga, Korean webtoons and related merchandise in the German market. Its product mix spans printed volumes, collector's editions, individual digital simulpub chapters released in parallel with the original market, and small-format merchandise. Sales flow primarily through its own online shop plus Amazon, Tolino and a network of physical comic shops and bookstores in Germany.

Product overview

Altraverse is a German manga and webtoon publishing company based in Hamburg, founded in August 2017. The company operates a comprehensive publishing platform offering Japanese manga and Korean webtoons in the German market. The core product portfolio consists of Manga and Webtoon divisions, supplemented by Simulpub (simultaneous digital publishing), Downloads (wallpapers and digital magazines), and E-Book offerings. The company also operates the altraworld physical event space in Hamburg for community events and signings. Products are distributed through the online shop, third-party retailers, and digital platforms including Amazon and Tolino. The company publishes popular series such as Solo Leveling, Frieren, Made in Abyss, Kakegurui, and Goblin Slayer!, while also developing original magazine titles like Shojo★Stars and MANGA ISSHO.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• altraworld: Physical retail store concept operated by Altraverse, with the first location opening in Hamburg in July 2025.

Products and services

• Manga (printed volumes) Physical German-language editions of licensed Japanese manga series across fantasy, action, romance and shojo genres, sold per volume through the company's own shop and partner retailers in Germany.
• Webtoon (printed volumes) Physical German-language tankōbon editions of licensed Korean webtoon series across romance and fantasy genres, typically priced higher per volume than standard manga due to larger trim size and full color.
• Merchandise Manga and webtoon-related merchandise products (e.g., series wallpapers, promotional items) sold alongside the core publishing catalog through the altraverse.de online shop.
• Simulpub (digital chapter releases) Simultaneous digital publishing service releasing new German-language chapters of selected series in parallel with the original market; the latest chapter is free and older chapters can be purchased individually via Amazon and Tolino.
• Collector's Editions Higher-priced premium editions of selected manga and webtoon volumes with special covers, slipcases and exclusive bonus content, sold per volume through the online shop (typically €22–32).
• Shojo★Stars Digital Magazine Free online digital magazine featuring previews of shojo manga titles, interviews with mangaka and sample chapters, published by Altraverse and viewable through the Fliphtml5 platform.
• MANGA ISSHO Digital Anthology Magazine

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmazon serves as a key distribution channel for digital simulpub chapters. Chapters are available for purchase on Amazon.de for Kindle devices and apps. This partnership enables wide digital distribution for the German market.
• TolinocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTolino platform (including Thalia, Hugendubel, and other partners) provides digital simulpub chapter distribution for German e-readers and apps. Important for reaching readers in the Tolino ecosystem.
• AnimagiCmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular exhibitor and participant at AnimagiC convention in Mannheim. Hosts signing sessions, panels, and fan engagement activities at this major German anime/manga convention.
• DoKomimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular exhibitor at DoKomi convention in Düsseldorf. Participates with artist alleys, signings, and creative competitions for fans.
• Manga-Comic-Con / Leipziger BuchmessemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular exhibitor at Manga-Comic-Con held alongside Leipziger Buchmesse (Leipzig Book Fair). Major event for manga publishers in Germany.
• ConnichimajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular exhibitor at Connichi convention in Wiesbaden. Hosts signing sessions with artists and participates in panels and fan activities.
• Frankfurter BuchmessemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegular exhibitor at Frankfurter Buchmesse (Frankfurt Book Fair), the world's largest book trade fair.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crunchyroll Manga: Crunchyroll (Sony-owned) operates a global manga and digital publishing platform with licensed titles available in multiple languages, including German. It competes with Altraverse particularly on digital simulpub chapters and on cross-language licensing deals with Japanese/Korean rights holders.
• Yen Press: Yen Press is a major English-language manga and light novel publisher with growing localization reach into European markets. While primarily English-first, it is increasingly relevant as a competitor for global Korean/Japanese licensing rights that feed Altraverse's catalog.
• Egmont Manga / Egmont Publishing: Egmont is a large Scandinavian/German publishing group with manga and graphic novel imprints active in DACH. As an established multi-vertical incumbent, it overlaps with Altraverse on manga licensing and retail distribution, though manga is one of many categories it carries.

Direct peers

• Carlsen Verlag: Carlsen is Germany's largest children's and young-adult book publisher and operates one of the most established German manga imprints (Carlsen Manga). It competes directly with Altraverse on licensing marquee Japanese titles, retail placement, and pricing on standard-format tankōbon.
• Kaze Manga: Kaze (formerly Kaze Manga / Kazé, now part of Crunchyroll) is a France-headquartered manga publisher with active German-language distribution through partners. It competes with Altraverse on German manga licensing and localization, particularly on shōnen and seinen titles.
• Tokyopop (Germany): Tokyopop is a Hamburg- and Düsseldorf-based manga and anime publisher with one of the largest German-language catalogs. It directly competes with Altraverse for Japanese/Korean licensing rights, shelf space at conventions, and shelf space in comic shops and bookshops across Germany.
• Cross Cult (Vereinigte Verlagsgemeinschaft): Cross Cult is a German publisher specializing in manga, light novels, and graphic novels in the DACH market, with a catalog that competes directly with Altraverse's on Japanese fantasy/action titles and German convention presence.
• Panini Comics (Germany): Panini operates a major German comics and manga publishing arm with deep catalog exposure (Marvel, DC, manga). It competes directly with Altraverse in manga publishing, German-language localization, and shelf space at conventions and bookstores.

Others

• Thalia Bücher (retailer channel): Thalia is one of Germany's largest bookstore chains and a core Tolino partner distributing Altraverse's simulpub digital chapters. While not a publisher, Thalia is a critical downstream ecosystem partner and concentration point for Altraverse's reader discovery.

Emerging players

• Manga Pass / Webtoon Entertainment: Webtoon Entertainment (Naver) is the dominant global webtoon platform and increasingly active in European localization. As a digital-first webtoon publisher, it is a forward-looking competitor to Altraverse's growing Korean webtoon (e.g., Solo Leveling, Penelope) catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/altraverse_de
• Facebookfacebook.com/altraverse.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/altraverse-gmbh

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 Altraverse