MVF is proud to welcome our newest portfolio company, Bookclubs
News
Bookclubs makes organizing and joining a book club simple, and is currently helping over 350,000 members get organized and read together with tools to build community, schedule meetings, facilitate book discussions, and discover what to read next.
In the United States, 13 million people are in a book club, and 125 million adults are considered avid readers. Nearly a billion people worldwide read at least one book a month. Bookclubs’ mission is to connect all social readers, one book club at a time. The company is building the world’s most engaged community of book lovers.
Anna Ford, Bookclubs Co-founder & CEO commented, “Years before Bookclubs was a startup venture, my partner Ian and I built the site as a tool to help my book club get organized and stay together. I’ve been in or leading a book club, usually multiple at a time, for over 15 years. I’m passionate about the personal growth and connections that come through a discussion of books. Book clubs are needed now more than ever, but poor organization can cause even the most cherished book club to fail, and it’s not easy to start or find a book club if you aren’t already in one. Which is why we built Bookclubs.”
Bookclubs provides all of the organizational tools a book club needs for free, combining the ability to track, rate, review, and recommend books and technologies like facebook groups, email chains, and doodle, into one app.
Bookclubs started as a management system for traditional book clubs, and the product has evolved over the past year with custom features for enterprise and institutional clubs like bookstores and libraries, and a “Join a Book Club” marketplace with hundreds of online and location-based book clubs — all open to the public. It’s where readers can find the perfect book club for them.
Bookclubs (Bookclubz, Inc) is based in Camden. Its seed investment round will allow the company to further product development and implement marketing strategies to accelerate user growth, which has mostly been organic to date. Funds will also be used to launch a book delivery subscription service, and test other new revenue streams, like paid premium features.
“Our strong executive team, brought together through books, combines over forty years of book club leadership with technical expertise and industry experience in publishing and startups,” said Ford. “We’re excited to enter the next chapter of growth for Bookclubs, and are grateful for the support of Maine Venture Fund and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Maine as we scale the business.”
Bookclubs team: welcome to the Maine Venture Fund portfolio!
See Bookclubs’ website: www.bookclubs.com
About Maine Venture Fund
Maine Venture Fund invests in dynamic businesses that have the potential for significant growth and impact in Maine. For more information, visit maineventurefund.com.
Inquiries:
Terri Wark
Maine Venture Fund
(207) 924.3800
terri@maineventurefund.com
