“Those three things combined with the fact that the market has just exploded, that’s a recipe for massive growth and scale.”ĭigital books aren’t a new business, but the increasingly popularity of smartphones, tablet devices and Web-enabled e-readers such as Sony Corp.’s Reader - all of which support Kobo’s e-book store– is beginning to prompt book lovers to think about going paperless. “We’re the only pure play that’s in this game and from the very beginning we’ve focused on being global, being open and being the best partner for all the device manufacturers for booksellers,” he said. Unlike Amazon, the company doesn’t sell physical products - except its eReaders - and its devices aren’t multi-purpose machines such as Apple iPads. What separates Kobo, whose parent company, Indigo Books & Music Inc., owns 60% of the Toronto startup, from its competitors is its singular focus on digital books and digital books alone, Mr. Serbinis, who allows that net revenue is growing at between 300% and 500% per quarter. When the company, which is privately run and does not publish financial details, launched it had just 20 employees by the end of this year, Kobo’s head count will be close to 200, said Mr. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Its eReaders are sold in bookstores across North America and around the world. There are now more than 2.2 million digital books available in the Kobo store. Each week, its applications, which run across multiple smartphones, on websites and various e-readers and tablets, are accessed from more than 200 countries. Since launching in December, Kobo has attracted more than a million users to its service. and, of course, the iPad and iBookstore operated by Apple. Kobo’s eReaders and digital bookstore compete with Inc.’s Kindle reader, digital offerings from Google Inc. Serbinis speaks are indeed the titans of the technology industry and present a formidable challenge for the young company. “Well, when you’re David and you’re fighting Goliath, every day feels like Fight Club.” The Goliaths of which Mr. “I know what you’re thinking, ‘Now I have to sign an NDA to go to a Kobo event? What is this, Fight Club?’ ” he says with a laugh.
#KOBO INC. PARENT ORGANIZATION SERIES#
In typical Steve Jobs fashion, at a methodical pace he walks the audience through a series of eye-popping stats to illustrate Kobo’s growth over its nine-month history before taking a few subtle digs at his competitors.įinally, he tops it all off with the unveiling of a new product: Kobo’s new wireless eReader, the latest addition to the company’s arsenal in the battle for control over the exploding market for electronic books. There’s even an Applelike air of secrecy to the event, with everyone in attendance being asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement on the way down in the elevator. Serbinis is trying to do his best impression of the Apple Inc. As he stands at the front of the darkened theatre clutching a can of Red Bull, Mr.
0 kommentar(er)
