Penguin Random House Acquires Wonderbly
Wonderbly is one of the U.K.’s fastest-growing independent publishers.
Penguin Random House has acquired Wonderbly, one of the UK’s fastest-growing independent publishers and the global leader in personalized gift books, including its Historic Newspapers business. The acquisition was announced last week by Nihar Malaviya, CEO of Penguin Random House; Paul Kelly, CEO of DK; and Asi Sharabi, CEO of Wonderbly.
Wonderbly will continue to operate independently within Penguin Random House, maintaining its entrepreneurial culture, brand identity, and leadership team. Asi Sharabi, Wonderbly’s co-founder and CEO, will remain in his role and continue to lead the business from its London headquarters. No changes are planned to Wonderbly’s locations as a result of the transaction. Together, writes Penguin Random House in its announcement, the companies will collaborate on a range of new initiatives and publishing ventures designed to accelerate growth, expand reach, and attract new audiences.
Pioneer of the direct-to-consumer publishing model
Founded in 2013, Wonderbly has pioneered a direct-to-consumer publishing model that blends proprietary technology with best-in-class creative, marketing, and print-on-demand production capabilities. With a catalog of over 150 personalized children’s and adult titles, Wonderbly has sold more than 11 million books in over 140 countries. The company was named “Children’s Publisher of the Year” at the 2021 British Book Awards and was shortlisted for both “Children’s Publisher of the Year” and “Publisher of the Year” at the 2025 British Book Awards. In 2021, the company was acquired by private equity firm Graphite Capital and expanded its adult gifting portfolio with the acquisition of Historic Newspapers, a publisher of bespoke historical newspaper compilations, in 2023. Wonderbly is also a certified B Corporation, reflecting its commitment to social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
‘A remarkable company’
“We’re thrilled to welcome Wonderbly to Penguin Random House,” said Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya. “Asi and the Wonderbly team have built a remarkable company at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and thoughtful gifting. We are excited to support their continued growth and to learn from their dynamic, customer-centric approach.”
“I have long admired what Asi and his team at Wonderbly have created, and I'm delighted we'll be joining forces,” said Paul Kelly, CEO of DK, who was instrumental in bringing this transaction to life. “How they've redefined storytime for millions of children around the world is truly inspiring. We’re excited to support Wonderbly’s expansion into new genres and publishing models, and to help grow their already impressive international reach. By combining the strengths of DK and Penguin Random House with Wonderbly's exceptional direct-to-consumer capabilities, I'm confident we'll reach even more audiences and create even more book lovers than ever before.”
„Wonderbly has been one of the most wondrous adventures; built by an extraordinary team, powered by passionate customers, and fueled by a shared belief in the power of books to spark joy and human connection,” added Wonderbly CEO Asi Sharabi. “We’re incredibly proud of the moments our stories have created for families around the world. As we join Penguin Random House, we’re stepping into an exciting new chapter - one that gives us the platform to dream bigger, reach further, and create even more meaningful connections for and between readers everywhere.”
