Bastei Lübbe AG acquires Hörcompany GmbH and thus expands its audio activities

Cologne, 30 July 2024. Bastei Lübbe AG (ISIN DE000A1X3YY0), a general-interest publisher listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, is additionally expanding its audio activities by acquiring Hörcompany from the W1-Media Group in an asset deal with effect from 1 July 2024. Founded in 2000 by Angelika Schaack and Andrea Herzog, the audiobook publisher specialises in high-quality audiobooks for children and young people. Bastei Lübbe has been growing in the audio sector at a disproportionately strong rate for years. The Executive Board’s declared goal is to additionally expand this business. The acquisition marks a step in this direction: “With Hörcompany, we have found an ideal addition to our audiobook and audioplay catalogue. The brand and its productions epitomise high quality and top entertainment, while offering lots of fun. That’s a perfect fit for us,” says Soheil Dastyari, CEO of Bastei Lübbe AG.

The Hamburg-based publisher’s catalogue includes many award-winning productions, as well as the audiobook adaptations of the books by the successful duo Axel Scheffler & Julia Donaldson, the ”Skulduggery Pleasant” series by Derek Landy and the classic “Sängerkrieg der Heidehasen” by James Krüss. Hörcompany has received the German Audiobook Award four times and the hr2 Children’s and Youth Audiobook Award of the Year on repeated occasions. Some of the best-known and most popular speakers – such as Rainer Strecker, Martin Baltscheit, Jens Wawrczeck and Julia Nachtmann – lend their voices to the Hörcompany’s productions.

For Simon Decot, Chief Programme Officer at Bastei Lübbe AG, these high-quality standards will be preserved in the Hörcompany’s catalogue in the future: “We are committed to continuing the high and award-winning content standards of the Hörcompany brand and look forward to producing many great new titles for our new audio imprint that reflect this.”

“We have found in Bastei Lübbe the ideal solution for the continuation of the programme. Angelika Schaack, who will oversee the handover until the end of the year, and I know that our productions and the further development of the brand are in good hands at Lübbe Audio,” adds Jan Weitendorf von Hacht, Managing Director of the W1-Media Group.

About Bastei Lübbe AG:

Bastei Lübbe AG is the leading independent publishing group in Germany. The company, based in Cologne, focuses on the publication of books, audiobooks, and eBooks with high-quality popular entertainment, as well as periodically released serialized novels. The company comprises fifteen publishing brands in total. Bastei Lübbe positions itself as an innovation driver in the industry and has successfully established several rapidly growing community-driven business models. In the field of digital media, Bastei Lübbe AG is also a pioneer, producing thousands of audio and eBooks that are distributed through all digital channels. The AG generates annual revenue of over 110 million euros (financial year 2023/2024). Since 2013, the company's shares have been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (GSIN A1X3YY, ISIN DE000A1X3YY0). Further information can be found at https://bastei-luebbe.de/en.

Contact Bastei Lübbe AG:

Barbara Fischer
Head of Press and Public Relations
Phone: +49 (0)221 8200 2850
E-Mail: barbara.fischer@luebbe.de