It was founded in October 2003 by Cécile Pournin and Ahmed Agne. It released its first manga in March 2004, the first volume of Element Line. The name "Ki-oon" comes from an onomatopoeia meaning "having the heart inflated with emotion". With an increase in revenue of 80% in 2009, Ki-oon is in 2010 the most important independent publisher of manga in France.[2]