# Inkitt

Startup profile on Capital Atlas: https://capitalatlas.ai/startups/inkitt

- Industry: Media
- Headquarters: Berlin, Germany
- Website: www.inkitt.com
- Total disclosed funding: $119M
- Latest round: Series C (Dec 21, 2023)
- Investors on record: 13

## About

Based in Germany, Inkitt GmbH operates a reader-powered publishing platform that empowers emerging authors by allowing them to publish their work while retaining full copyrights and providing free access to readers across various genres.Inkitt GmbH is a German publishing platform that focuses on discovering and nurturing new literary talent. Founded in 2014 in Berlin, the company has successfully completed 6 funding deals, with the most recent one on December 21, 2023, raising USD 37.00 mn in Series C funding led by Khosla Ventures. The founding team includes Ali Albazaz, Denis Stepanov, Emma Tonner, Lauren Burns, and Linda Gavin, with Ali Albazaz currently serving as CEO. The company has not announced any significant pivots in its business strategy or operations.Inkitt operates as a reader-powered publishing platform, primarily focused on discovering and nurturing emerging authors. Its core offerings include the ability for authors to write and upload their manuscripts for free while retaining 100% of their copyrights. The platform provides readers with access to a diverse selection of genres, including fantasy, sci-fi, romance, and drama, all available for free without advertisements. Inkitt leverages reader engagement metrics to identify manuscripts with high potential, subsequently publishing successful works on its sister app, Galatea, which is designed to enhance reader experience through interactive storytelling. The company serves a global audience, with its products available to users in North America, Europe, and other international markets, facilitating a broad reach for both authors and readers.Inkitt's revenue model is primarily based on reader engagement and publication performance on the Galatea app. The company generated an EBITDA of USD -22,239,769.30 in the most recent year of 2022. Income is derived from the publication of books that demonstrate significant reader interest, structured as direct-to-consumer offerings through the Galatea app. The platform's focus on reader-driven success ensures that revenue is closely tied to the popularity and engagement of the published titles, providing a dynamic and responsive business model.In December 2023, Inkitt GmbH raised USD 37.00 mn in Series C funding, with plans to utilize this financial support to increase production and expand its artificial intelligence platform. The company aims to launch new products designed to enhance user experience and author engagement. Furthermore, Inkitt is exploring opportunities for expansion into new international markets, thereby broadening its reader and author base globally.

## Funding rounds

- Series C, Dec 21, 2023, $37M — Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, Khosla Ventures, HV Capital, Speedinvest, Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Redalpine, Dresselhaus Ventures
- Series B, Sep 17, 2021, $59M — Kleiner Perkins, New Enterprise Associates, HV Capital, Speedinvest, Axel Springer Digital Ventures, Redalpine
- Series A, Aug 28, 2019, $18M — Kleiner Perkins
- Seed, Jun 24, 2017, $3.9M — Speedinvest, Redalpine, Frontline, Dresselhaus Ventures, Mercutio GmbH, Snow Ventures GmbH, SVM Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH
- Seed, Nov 15, 2015, $1.1M — Speedinvest, Heilemann Ventures, Dresselhaus Ventures

## Investors

- Speedinvest (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/speedinvest) — Seed, Series B, Series C
- Heilemann Ventures — Seed
- Dresselhaus Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/dresselhaus-ventures) — Seed, Series C
- Redalpine (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/redalpine) — Seed, Series B, Series C
- Frontline (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/frontline) — Seed
- Mercutio GmbH — Seed
- Snow Ventures GmbH — Seed
- SVM Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH — Seed
- Kleiner Perkins (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/kleiner-perkins) — Series A, Series B, Series C
- New Enterprise Associates (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/new-enterprise-associates) — Series B, Series C
- HV Capital (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/hv-capital) — Series B, Series C
- Axel Springer Digital Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/axel-springer-digital-ventures) — Series B, Series C
- Khosla Ventures (https://capitalatlas.ai/funds/khosla-ventures) — Series C