Total amount raised
$34.8 Millions
Latest funding date
Location
Blinkist has successfully raised funding over multiple rounds, achieving a Series C status. The platform offers an app that allows users to read key insights from non-fiction books in just 15 minutes.
Keep reading to explore the intricacies of Blinkist's fundraising journey and the investors backing this innovative platform.
What Is Blinkist?
Blinkist, founded on August 21, 2012, is based in Berlin, Germany. The company was established by Holger Seim, Niklas Jansen, Sebastian Klein, and Tobias Balling.
It offers an app that distills key insights from over 2,500 bestselling non-fiction books into 15-minute reads or listens. The service aims to help users learn faster and smarter by providing summaries of books and podcasts.
Currently, Blinkist employs between 101 and 250 people, contributing to its mission of making knowledge more accessible and convenient.
How Much Funding Has Blinkist Raised?
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: €147K
- Date: August 2012
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To kickstart the development of the Blinkist platform and bring the initial product to market.
- Seed Round
- Amount Raised: €1.8M
- Date: November 2013
- Lead Investors: Not publicly disclosed
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To expand the content library and enhance the app's features.
- Series A
- Amount Raised: €4M
- Date: January 2016
- Lead Investors: Greycroft, Headline
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To scale the platform and increase user acquisition.
- Series B
- Amount Raised: $9M
- Date: January 2017
- Lead Investors: Insight Partners
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To further expand the team and enhance the product offering.
- Series C
- Amount Raised: $18.8M
- Date: June 2018
- Lead Investors: Insight Partners
- Valuation at Round: Not publicly disclosed
- Motivation Behind the Round: To grow the Berlin-based team, establish Country Managers for individual markets, scale the international customer base, and continue to improve the product.
Total amount raised: $35M
Current valuation: Not publicly disclosed
Key Investors
- Insight Partners
- Details: Insight Partners is a global private equity and venture capital firm investing in growth-stage technology and software companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Software, Internet, Data
- Notable Investments: Twitter, Shopify, DocuSign
- Greycroft
- Details: Greycroft is a venture capital firm focused on investments in the internet and mobile markets.
- Investment Focus Areas: Internet, Mobile, Media
- Notable Investments: Venmo, The RealReal, Scopely
- Headline
- Details: Headline is a global venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Technology, Consumer, Enterprise
- Notable Investments: Bumble, Farfetch, Sonos
- IBB Bet
- Details: IBB Bet is an investment firm, likely based in Berlin, that supports innovative companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Innovative companies, likely with a focus on technology and startups
- Notable Investments: Specific notable investments are not mentioned.
- e.ventures
- Details: e.ventures is a global venture capital firm that invests in consumer internet, media, and mobile companies.
- Investment Focus Areas: Consumer internet, Media, Mobile
- Notable Investments: Groupon, Sonos, Farfetch
What's Next for Blinkist?
With a fresh infusion of $18.8 million, Blinkist is poised to seize numerous opportunities. The company plans to expand its Berlin-based team, establish Country Managers for individual markets, and scale its international customer base. Additionally, Blinkist aims to localize content into more languages and explore new delivery formats beyond text and audio. These steps could significantly broaden its user base, which already stands at 6 million globally.
Future fundraising seems promising, given the involvement of prominent investors like Insight Venture Partners and Greycroft. The addition of experienced board members further bolsters Blinkist's potential to attract more investment. However, the company will need to navigate challenges such as competition from major players like Amazon and Audible, and the complexities of localizing content for diverse markets.
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