Frankfurt am Main / Berlin, April 30, 2026 – Following the closing in March and the subsequent analysis phase, Bookwire is taking the next steps together with Zebralution. Over the coming months, the publishing business will be transferred to Bookwire OS, and customers will be gradually migrated to provide them with a seamless setup and a clear development roadmap in the future. At the same time, the music division will be established as an independent company to focus on further development within its own ecosystem.
The global publishing market is highly competitive and increasingly technology-driven. “In an environment where global tech conglomerates can enter new markets very quickly and turn value chains upside down in no time, the only long-term winners are those who continue to expand their technological lead while also having a deep understanding of the needs of publishers and labels,” says John Ruhrmann, CEO & Co-Founder of Bookwire.
For the company, one thing is clear: those who set technological standards in publishing must also take on responsibility. “Precisely because our market relies on technology and at the same time feels unsettled by AI, we see it as our mission to combine values and technology,” says Jens Klingelhöfer, also CEO & Co-Founder of Bookwire. “Publishing thrives on rights, fair value creation, and trust. We take this very seriously and translate it into technology and processes that empower our customers.”
Bookwire is thus positioning itself as a technology partner with a clear stance, aiming to support the publishing industry in the next stage of digitalization through innovation, cutting-edge technology, and efficient processes. To further expand this position, the company is leveraging two key strategies: the merger with strong players like Zebralution, and a consistent focus on technology and product development. “The merger with Zebralution was an important strategic step because it brought together complementary strengths and established customer relationships,” says Tina Jürgens, Managing Director of Zebralution. “This puts us in a stronger position in the market.”
The consolidation of the publishing business on one platform is, according to the company, not only a matter of technological focus, but also of efficiency. “A strong future requires change. Only by aligning roadmaps, teams, and delivery toward a common goal and reducing duplicate structures can we leverage our strengths effectively while remaining efficient enough to sustain our position in the market,” says Christian Lindemann, COO of Bookwire. “Of course, we know that these measures represent a significant cut for the affected employees at Zebralution. Such decisions are always difficult. However, we place great importance on finding fair solutions for everyone.”
As part of the migration to Bookwire OS at Zebralution, this currently affects 12 positions. Bookwire and Zebralution emphasize that the measures will be implemented in an orderly and phased manner, with a focus on transparency, respect, and fair solutions for those affected.
The migration for customers will take place gradually over the coming months. Customers will be informed in a timely manner about the next steps. Existing points of contact will remain the same.
About Bookwire
Bookwire GmbH was founded in Frankfurt in 2010 as a service provider for the distribution of e-books and digital content. Since then, Bookwire has developed into one of the leading international companies in the field of digital publishing technology. Currently, more than 170 employees in Germany, the UK, Spain, France, Brazil, Italy, and the US serve more than 3,500 publishers in the areas of e-books, audiobooks, podcasts, and print-on-demand. Around 1,800,000 e-books and 300,000 audiobooks are delivered, analyzed, and marketed via the "Bookwire OS – One Solution" software in all relevant distribution channels. In addition to the latest technology, Bookwire GmbH's publishing customers also have access to the individual support from publishers' relations and marketing managers, who provide customers with comprehensive support. Bookwire GmbH is managed by its founders Jens Klingelhöfer (CEO) and John Ruhrmann (CO-CEO) as well as Christian Lindemann (COO) and, in addition to its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and its "Development Hub" in Dortmund, also has offices in Austin, Barcelona, London, Milan, São Paulo, New York, and Paris.
Further information is available at: www.bookwire.com
About Zebralution
ZEBRALUTION was founded in 2004 as the first digital distributor for independent labels in Europe. The company operates with its own development, marketing, and business teams from ten offices in eight countries and distributes and markets over 1,500 labels, publishers, and producers from around the world. In addition to music distribution, ZEBRALUTION has also been developing new marketing models for publishers and their audiobook productions since 2010. In 2018, this was expanded to include podcasts in the form of the subsidiary ZEBRALUTION Podcast (formerly zebra-audio.net). With the acquisition of the platform company Encoding Management Service (EMS) in 2019, the development and operation of technologies for digital media distribution has also been added to ZEBRALUTION's portfolio.
Further information is available at: www.zebralution.com
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jan Stausberg
Corporate PR Manager Bookwire
jan.stausberg@bookwire.de
