combel editorial sa

What combel editorial sa does

Combel Editorial SA is a Barcelona-based children's book publisher operating since 1989 as an imprint of Editorial Casals, SA, a privately held Spanish publishing group. The company specializes in lavishly illustrated children's literature across formats including board books, picture books, pop-up and 3D novelty books, lift-the-flap books, bath books with PEVA pages, interactive cloth books, touch-and-feel formats, graphic novels for early readers, activity books, and illustrated classics adaptations. Its catalogue targets children aged 0–12 and is organized into roughly 20 themed collections such as Ticniks (bestselling graphic novels, 50,000+ copies in under one year), Victory Series (personal growth, 13-language rights), A Kiss Goodnight (90,000 copies, 11 languages), Mi Sol Si (songbooks with QR-coded audio), Tuli (flap books), Rob & Ot, Bitmax & Co., Mía Fantasía, EcoSphere non-fiction, and Cuadernos neuroeducation workbooks. The portfolio relies on paper-engineering craftsmanship — 3D pop-ups, pull-tabs, PEVA pages with magic ink, sound buttons — rather than digital or AI-driven technology.

Combel earns revenue primarily through one-time unit sales of physical books priced between approximately €8.17 (basic board books) and €25.87 (premium pop-ups), distributed via bookshop retail partnerships, direct e-commerce through combeleditorial.com and a dedicated Mexican storefront (combeleditorial.com.mx), and a secondary stream of foreign-rights licensing royalties covering 11–13+ languages per flagship title. Go-to-market combines event-driven activity (literary fairs, bookshop self-managed activity collections) with direct-to-consumer digital channels (newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, ContaCombel author-narrated storytelling platform). Customer segments span end consumers (parents, gift buyers), mid-market retail (bookshops), and education (schools and educators using neuroeducation-based activity workbooks). The illustrator roster — anchored by award-winning artists Arnal Ballester and Cristina Losantos, plus recurring creator partnerships with Martí & Salomó, Copons & Fortuny, Patricia Geis, and Àngels Navarro — represents the principal creative asset. Combel is privately held, has no disclosed funding rounds, no app, no public API, and no AI/ML capabilities evidenced.

Name

combel editorial sa

Legal name

EDITORIAL CASALS, SA

Website

https://combeleditorial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Combel Editorial SA is a Barcelona-based Spanish children's book publisher (founded 1989, imprint of Editorial Casals, SA) that produces illustrated board books, pop-ups, graphic novels, and novelty titles for ages 0–12, distributed via bookshops, direct e-commerce, and foreign rights licensing across 11–13+ languages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Book Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Picture Book Publishing (MPAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s Activity & Practice Books (Workbooks, Puzzles, Handwriting) (EDAGAIAE), Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Children's books
• Pop-up books
• Board books
• Graphic novels
• Picture books

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of physical children's books across multiple formats including board books, picture books, novelty books, graphic novels, pop-up books, activity books, and non-fiction titles. Products are sold through direct online sales, bookshops, and distribution channels.
2. Foreign Rights Licensing: Combel licenses translation and adaptation rights of their titles to international publishers. The Ticniks series has rights sold in 11 languages, and Victory series in 13 languages. Rights contacts managed through their Foreign Rights department.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Combel Editorial SA is a Barcelona-based children's book publisher founded in 1989 that produces pop-up books, novelty books, board books, bath books, lift-the-flap books, touch-and-feel books, picture books, graphic novels, and activity workbooks targeting children aged 0–12. Operating as an imprint of Editorial Casals, SA, the company sells directly online and through bookshops, and licenses foreign rights to international publishers.

Product overview

Combel Editorial is a children's and young adult book publisher and imprint of Editorial Casals, SA, based in Barcelona, Spain, operating since 1989. The company publishes lavishly illustrated children's books across multiple formats including board books, picture books, novelty books, pop-up books, graphic novels, activity books, and non-fiction. Their portfolio includes over 100 distinct products organized into themed collections such as ticniks (bestselling graphic novels), Mi Sol Si (songbooks with QR codes for audio), Tuli (flap books), Rob&Ot (early reader graphic novels), Agus y los monstruos, Mía Fantasía (fantasy series), La cereza (musical storybooks for 0-5), Tiempo de clásicos (classic literature adaptations), Cuadernos (neuroeducation-based activity workbooks), Victory Series (personal growth), EcoSphere (environmental non-fiction), and various novelty formats including pop-up, bath, touch-and-feel, and lift-the-flap books. Products target age groups from 0 to 12 years and are distributed internationally through foreign rights agreements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Combel: Children's and youth literature publishing imprint specializing in illustrated books, pop-up books, board books, graphic novels, and picture books for readers of all ages.

Products and services

• Pop-up Books Engineered three-dimensional novelty books with paper-engineered mechanisms for young children, sold through bookshops and direct online channels.
• Board Books Durable thick-cardboard format picture books designed for infants and toddlers (typically 0–3 years), sold through retail and direct channels.
• Bath Books Waterproof, plastic-format novelty books designed for use during bath time by infants and toddlers.
• Lift-the-Flap Books Interactive picture books with flaps that lift to reveal hidden images, aimed at toddlers and preschoolers.
• Touch-and-Feel Books Sensory picture books incorporating different textures for tactile exploration by very young children.
• Picture Books (Albums Ilustrados) Illustrated storybooks for children covering a range of ages and themes, sold through retail and direct channels.
• Graphic Novels for Children Comic-style illustrated narratives aimed at older children and pre-teens, including series such as Agus y los monstruos, Rob&Ot, and Tuli.
• Activity Books and Cuadernos Workbooks and activity books for children covering educational exercises and games.
• Songbooks / Musical Books (Mi Sol Si) Books combining illustrations with music or song-based content, including the Mi Sol Si series.
• Foreign Rights Licensing Licensing of translation and publication rights for Combel titles to international publishers in other markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000+ copies sold in under one year for Ticniks series
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Shaanxi Science and Technology PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 June 2026Combel welcomed Shaanxi Science and Technology Press to their Barcelona offices to sign Simplified Chinese rights agreements and strengthen international publishing ties through a day of cultural exchange and collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chronicle Books: US-based independent publisher known for innovative, design-led children's formats including pop-ups and tactile books. Highly comparable in design-forward novelty positioning and gift/retail channel strategy.
• Usborne Publishing: UK-based independent children's book publisher of comparable scale and similar specialization in lift-the-flap, novelty, and interactive formats for ages 0–12. Direct competitor in pop-up and tactile formats and the most analogous mid-sized European children's imprint.
• Edelvives: Spanish children's and educational publisher of similar size and scope, competing head-to-head in Iberian school and bookshop channels. Operates a comparable mix of picture books, textbooks, and educational novelty.
• Editorial SM (Grupo SM): Spanish-language children's and educational publisher with similar child-segment focus and strong Iberian and Latin American distribution. Comparable competitor for bookshops, schools, and rights licensing.
• Anaya Infantil y Juvenil (Grupo Anaya): Spanish children's and young adult imprint of Grupo Anaya with overlapping catalog in picture books, early readers, and educational formats. Direct competitor in Spanish bookshops and schools.

Regional players

• Editorial Casals: Parent company of Combel and fellow Spanish children's and educational publisher in the same group. Useful as the closest structural reference point for understanding Combel's economics and product mix.

Broad incumbents

• Santillana: Large Spanish-speaking educational and children's publisher with significantly broader scale and deeper school-channel relationships across Spain and Latin America. Competes for shelf space and institutional contracts.
• Penguin Random House Children's Books: Global mass-market children's publisher whose picture book, novelty, and licensed character catalogs dominate retail shelf space. Sets the competitive ceiling on pricing and selection in mainstream bookshops.
• Scholastic: Global children's publisher and book club operator with deep school-channel reach. Comparable in targeting parents and educators, and a structural competitor for educational curriculum-aligned titles.

Emerging players

• Albert Whitman & Company: Mid-sized US children's book publisher focused on picture books and social-emotional titles. Smaller and narrower than Combel but comparable as a niche independent children's imprint pursuing rights licensing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CombelEditorial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/combeleditorial
• Facebookfacebook.com/combeleditorial/?locale=es_ES
• Instagraminstagram.com/combeleditorial

Compliance1 record

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 combel editorial sa