Independent advice for publishing, knowledge and digital businesses
We turn change into progress.
fullstopp helps leaders make clear decisions, build resilient business models and turn transformation into measurable progress. The work draws on more than 25 years of experience—while staying curious, open and ready to learn.
What we do
Deep sector knowledge.
Clear judgment.
Direct, independent and hands-on support—from the first strategic question to implementation.
Consulting
Strategy, positioning, business models and transformation grounded in industry reality.
Advisory
Independent counsel for owners, executives and founders facing high-impact decisions.
Entrepreneurship
Support for building, validating and scaling new ventures and services.
Strategic Investments
Market screening, strategic fit and alignment between established companies and start-ups.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Clear judgment in complex situations.
Mergers and acquisitions in publishing are rarely just financial transactions. They involve people, intellectual property, technology, culture and long-standing relationships. Success depends on understanding how these elements fit together — and on retaining perspective when the situation becomes complex.
fullstopp has advised on 12 M&A transactions, all within the publishing industry. This advisory experience is complemented by hands-on management responsibility for more than 20 additional transactions.
This combination of advisory and operational experience helps owners, management teams and investors assess opportunities realistically, identify risks early and maintain a clear view of the whole picture. Discretion and trust are essential throughout: from the first confidential conversation and strategic assessment to negotiations, due diligence, integration or exit.
Artificial Intelligence & Business Models
From capability to
viable business.
Artificial intelligence can lower costs, improve products and create new revenue—but only when it is embedded in a coherent value proposition and a sustainable business model.
Product & Value
Identify where AI solves a real customer problem, improves an existing offer or enables a genuinely new service.
Economics
Test data, compute, workflow integration, pricing and margins before technical possibility is mistaken for commercial viability.
Rights & Trust
Design for intellectual property, provenance, governance and transparency—especially in publishing and knowledge markets.
We help publishing and knowledge businesses identify defensible use cases, test commercial assumptions and build models that remain Strategic investments From Berlin, fullstopp has built an international portfolio across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific—supporting founders and specialist teams in publishing, research infrastructure, media, AI-enabled research services and digital knowledge products. Since April 2025 · Auckland, New Zealand Since February 2025 · Hamburg, Germany Since September 2024 · New York, United States September 2024 — February 2026 Since June 2024 May 2024 — December 2025 Since March 2023 Since January 2023 Since December 2022 Since 2022 April 2022 — December 2025 Since December 2021 Since October 2020 Since May 2020 Since June 2016 March 2016 — December 2021 · Acquired by Wiley December 2015 — June 2022 November 2015 — January 2022 · Exit at the end of the investment phase November 2015 — August 2019 · Exit at the end of the investment phase Publications DOI links lead to the respective publication records; access conditions may vary. 2026-01-14 | Preprint Septentrio Conference Series · 2024-11-04 | Journal article Information Services & Use · 2024-08-23 | Journal article Minerva Cardiology and Angiology · 2024-06-01 | Journal article Bibliotheksdienst · 2021-10-05 | Journal article 2019-10-08 | Report Information – Wissenschaft & Praxis · 2019-08-06 | Journal article Bibliotheksdienst · 2019-08-05 | Journal article Against the Grain · 2019-01-24 | Journal article Against the Grain · 2019-01-24 | Journal article Against the Grain · 2019-01-24 | Journal article UKSG eNews · 2018-12-07 | Magazine article Against the Grain · 2018-12-01 | Journal article Against the Grain · 2018-11 | Journal article Society of Scholarly Publishing · 2018-05-14 | Interactive resource ScienceOpen, Inc. · 2018-01 | Journal article Praxishandbuch Open Access · 2017-05 | Book chapter Bibliothek Forschung und Praxis · 2017-04-01 | Journal article Bibliotheksdienst · 2016-01-01 | Journal article ZfBB · 2014 | Journal article Learn. Pub. · 2013-01-01 | Journal article ZfBB · 2011-08 | Journal article ScienceOpen, Inc. · 2009-03 | Book chapter ScienceOpen, Inc. · 2009-03 | Book chapter ScienceOpen, Inc. · 2009-03 | Book chapter Klaus G. Saur – Die Berliner Jahre · 2009-01 | Other 2000 | Book BIBLIOTHEK Forschung und Praxis Bibliotheksdienst Book Insights Bibliothek Forschung und Praxis Archive 2015–today Essays, interviews and talks about publishing, digitality, strategy and change — collected in one place. HighWire Press webinar · 2025 panel · English editorial feature · English talk · English panel · English expert interview · Deutsch talk · English podcast interview · English community commentary · English personnel news · Deutsch podcast interview · English panel · English video podcast · English interview · English webinar panel · English interview · Deutsch opinion · Deutsch profile interview · Deutsch introduction · English closing · English guest commentary · Deutsch talk · English panel · English guest article · Deutsch interview · Deutsch webinar · Deutsch interview · Deutsch guest article · Deutsch keynote · English commentary · Deutsch interview · Deutsch column · English reply · Deutsch interview · Deutsch talk · Deutsch article · Deutsch talk · English interview · English commentary · Deutsch commentary · Deutsch feature interview · English conference commentary · Deutsch commentary · Deutsch interview · Deutsch interview · Deutsch commentary · Deutsch interview · Deutsch talk · Deutsch short interview · Deutsch commentary · Deutsch company profile · Deutsch panel · Deutsch company news · Deutsch interview · English Blog Short observations on publishing, digitality, strategy and change.International by design.
Litmaps
dskrpt
Atom Grants
Sylla
Signals
Anywyse
Knowledge Gate Group
Chime
Ex Ordo
Reviewer Credits
UNFIA
SISTRIS
SciFlow
Zapnito
JoMI
Knowledge Unlatched
Sample of Science
Labiotech.eu
Inkitt
Writing & research
2026
Startups to watch – Innovators of tomorrow
Open DOI ↗2024
Openness and Transparency in Peer Review
Open DOI ↗Is the tail wagging the dog? Understanding the value of incentives in peer review
Open DOI ↗Recognition and reward in peer review: The ReviewerCredits vision
Open DOI ↗2021
Neue Wildnis in geordneten Märkten
Open DOI ↗2019
Open Access Monographs in the UK: A data analysis
Der Conférencier der Wissenschaftsverlage: Arnoud de Kemp zum 75.
Open DOI ↗Das Große Abendländische Schisma im Open Access: Warum Bücher und Zeitschriften angeblich so unterschiedlich sind – und das dem Modell schadet
Open DOI ↗Choosing Independence or Feeding the Beast? The Big Deal and Small or Society Publishers
Open DOI ↗Learning from Knowledge Unlatched 2016: Making OA Work
Open DOI ↗Misleading Perceptions of the Open Access Book Market
Open DOI ↗2018
Open access: closing the loop
Open Access in Its Next Phase: From Single Products to Marketplaces
Open DOI ↗Stop, Look, Listen – OA Books Funding: The Next Phase
From Supermarkets to Marketplaces
OPERAS Open Access Business Models White Paper
Open DOI ↗2017
Querfinanzierung von Open Access und Print
Open DOI ↗Von der Digitalisierung zur Digitalität: Wissenschaftsverlage vor anderen Herausforderungen
Open DOI ↗2016
Open Access entlang bekannter Erwerbungspfade: Knowledge Unlatched
Open DOI ↗2014
Forschungsinformation und Bibliothek aus der Perspektive der Wissenschaftsverlage
2013
We need integrated publishing
2011
Kommentar aus Sicht eines Wissenschaftsverlegers
2009
Der große Wissenschaftsverleger
Open DOI ↗Frontmatter
Open DOI ↗Klaus G. Saur und die Altertumswissenschaften: Etappen einer Annäherung
Open DOI ↗Inhalt
Open DOI ↗2000
Grammatiken der Macht
Undated
De Gruyter Open Library – Das Open Access-Modell eines Universalwissenschaftsverlags für Bücher und Zeitschriften
Integriertes Publizieren
Klaus G. Saur – Die Berliner Jahre
Profile – Sven Fund
Will Open Access Change the Game?
Texte & Reden
Understanding How Peer Reviewers Use AI Tools: Practical Insights for Editors and Publishers
Video · English2025
One System, Many Contexts: International Reflections on AI in Peer Review
Peer Review at a Crossroads – The Reviewer-Centric Future
AI-Generated Peer Reviews: Can Machines Be Trusted to Review Science?
Using AI in Peer Review: Caution, Capability, and Community Input
Wie bringt die Wissenschaft ihr Wissen künftig in Umlauf?
2024
Peer Review and Research Integrity: Harnessing the Full Potential of Digitization
Sven Fund
Ask the Community — Thoughts on a Class Action Lawsuit Brought Against Scholarly Publishers
Sven Fund verlässt Wiley
2023
The Evolving World of Open Access with Sven Fund and Frances Pinter
Research Integrity: Technology, Trust, and Transparency
Peer Review and the Future of Publishing
Ten Years of Knowledge Unlatched, and What’s Next for Open Access
2022
Coopetition in Open Access Management: Practices, Pain Points, and Participation
Sven Fund: Die Peer-Review-Müdigkeit bekämpfen
Ein Atavismus in der digitalisierten Welt
2021
Forschernetzwerk Researchgate sucht Nestwärme bei Verlagen
Frankfurt Conference 2021 – Academic Publishing: Welcome and Introduction
Frankfurt Conference 2021 – Academic Publishing: Conclusion
Windhund-Rennen um Open Access
2020
Open Access: Where Are We?
Digital Publishing: Business Models and Protection
Wie mittelständisches Open-Access-Publishing sichtbar bleibt
Digitale Sichtbarkeit fürs Kunstbuch herstellen
Open Access: Einstieg und Tipps zum Geschäftsmodell
Steigende Interaktion mit Open-Access-Büchern
2019
2018
Projekt DEAL, Open Access und Crowdfunding – Alternativen zum Gang der Diskussion
Open Access Books – From Pariah to Shooting Star?
Dunkelmänner im Labor?
Wer von japanischer Bindung mehr weiß als von XML, sollte über seine Prioritäten nachdenken
Stop, Look, Listen — Academic Content for Generation Y: Videos in Scholarly Publishing
Open Access und Bibliotheken – Is Honeymoon over?
Open Access für Bücher
Besser als DEAL: Wie eine institutionelle Förderstruktur zu einem offenen Publikationsmarkt für OA-Bücher führen kann
2017
Offen ist bei Open Access vor allem die Finanzierung
Knowledge Unlatched: Making Open Access Work
Knowledge Unlatched Announces Transformation: An Interview with Sven Fund
Quo vadis Abonnement?
Nach Open Access und Copyright – Technologie!
Sven Fund’s ‘Bridge’ to Open Access: Knowledge Unlatched
Ist Qualitätssicherung ein stabiles Fundament?
Blockchain: Technik statt Vertrauen?
Knowledge Unlatched ist der bessere DEAL
Die Verlagsgruppe Peter Lang und die Frage des Open-Access für Monographien
2016
Open Access Reloaded
Das Kerngeschäft der Verlage voranbringen
Knowledge Unlatched
Ich meine, dass man nicht alles teilen muss
Der Zweck heiligt nicht die Mittel
2015
Sven Fund gründet Verlagsdienstleistungsunternehmen Fullstop
Literaturversorgung anders gedacht: Das ganz andere Open-Access-Modell
Sven Fund gründet fullstopp
Undated
Sowing the Seeds of Profound Impact: Sven Fund on Loving What You Do, Nurturing Relationships, and Scaling in EdTech
A Thousand Words
Every entry stays under 1,000 words.
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