The Perseus Books Group was a former American independent publishing company, founded in 1996 by venture capitalist Frank Pearl. Its mission was to champion serious nonfiction and fiction that major publishers were increasingly overlooking, specializing in categories such as history, science, biography, and politics. The group was well-known for its innovative support for independent publishers and published many prizewinning works and prominent authors.
In a major transaction in 2016, the company was split: Hachette Book Group acquired its publishing operations, while Ingram Content Group purchased its distribution and client services arm. The former publishing division of Perseus now operates as a significant new division within Hachette Book Group. The distribution arm was rebranded as “Two Rivers Distribution” by Ingram in 2017.