Widbook

Widbook was a Brazilian-based startup that operated a global, social, and collaborative platform for writing and reading e-books. Founded in 2012 by Flávio Aguiar, André Campelo, and Joseph Bregeiro, the company was headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, and later opened an office in San Francisco. The idea for Widbook originated from a tool developed for a university professor to collaborate on projects with students. Recognizing a market gap for collaborative digital projects in an e-book format, the founders launched the platform.

The company's primary offering was a free-to-use platform where users could write, publish, and read e-books. A key feature was its collaborative nature, allowing multiple authors to work on a single e-book or for writers to receive contributions and suggestions from the community. The platform was designed for a wide range of users, from independent authors and readers to journalists and teachers. By February 2014, the platform had amassed over 200,000 members and hosted thousands of published and in-progress works. Users could create profiles, follow authors, and organize their favorite books on a personal shelf. The platform also integrated with other social networks like Facebook and Twitter and offered mobile applications for both iOS and Android devices for on-the-go access.

Widbook's business model focused on providing a free service to build a large community of writers and readers. The platform aimed to capitalize on the growing trend of digital media consumption and the popularity of e-reading devices. In January 2013, the company secured an early-stage venture capital investment from A5 Capital Partners. Despite its initial growth and user engagement, PitchBook data indicates that Widbook went out of business around April 2019.

Keywords: collaborative writing, e-book publishing, social reading platform, digital publishing, author community, crowdwriting, free e-books, online writing community, book collaboration, self-publishing platform, digital books, Flavio Aguiar, Andre Campelo, Joseph Bregeiro, Brazilian startup, social network for writers, collaborative storytelling, reader engagement, user-generated books, e-book creation