Bastei Lübbe AG Acquires Papertoons to Boost Comic and Manga Strategy

Bastei Lübbe AG, a prominent publishing group listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, has strengthened its position in the comic and manga segment by acquiring the German publisher Papertoons. The acquisition, effective from January 1, 2026, aims to expand Bastei Lübbe’s community-driven portfolio in this fast-growing entertainment category.

Papertoons, founded in 2022, is Germany's first publisher focusing exclusively on webtoons and manhwas. It specializes in bringing international successes from South Korea and China to German audiences. With this move, Bastei Lübbe plans to leverage its experience in building entertainment brands to support Papertoons' future development.

CEO Soheil Dastyari emphasized that Papertoons aligns with Bastei Lübbe’s strategy of using passion and expertise to fortify growth within young publishing brands. The integration includes retaining Papertoons’ team and assuming program distribution duties from February 2026.