LiquidText

LiquidText, Inc. develops and markets a software platform for active reading, document analysis, and note-taking. The company was founded in 2012 by Craig Tashman, who developed the core technology as part of his doctoral thesis at Georgia Tech. Tashman's academic research in human-computer interaction focused on improving deep, critical reading on digital devices, which formed the foundation of the product. His background includes research internships at IBM, Microsoft Research, and Steelcase, spanning fields from interactive visualizations to 3D imaging.

The company's principal offering is the LiquidText application, a tool designed for knowledge-intensive professionals such as lawyers, doctors, engineers, and students. It operates in the productivity and document management software market, targeting users whose work involves analyzing complex sets of documents. The platform provides a unified workspace where users can view source documents and notes simultaneously. Its features allow users to pull excerpts from documents into a dedicated note-taking area, visually link ideas, and annotate directly on documents and within the workspace. This integrated environment aims to move beyond the limitations of traditional paper or separate digital applications by making connections between disparate pieces of information more fluid and intuitive. The software supports various file types, including PDFs, Word documents, and web pages, which are converted into a unified format within a project.

LiquidText's business model incorporates both a one-time purchase and subscription tiers. The 'Pro' version is a one-time purchase, while subscription models ('Live' and 'Live Unlimited') offer cloud synchronization across devices and, more recently, real-time collaboration features. These collaboration tools, launched in April 2025, enable multiple users to edit and comment on documents concurrently, targeting high-stakes professional environments like M&A negotiations and courtroom litigation. The application is available for iPadOS, Windows, and MacOS platforms, supporting a range of input methods including touch, pen, mouse, and trackpad. The company has received recognition from both Apple and Microsoft, earning an Editor's Choice award from each.

Keywords: document analysis, active reading, note-taking app, PDF annotation, research tool, knowledge management, legal tech, academic software, mind mapping, collaborative workspace, document integration, digital workspace, Craig Tashman, information synthesis, visual note-taking, patent research, litigation support, professional productivity, document linking, interactive documents