Youboox

Youboox operates as a digital book streaming service, originating in Paris, France. The company was established in 2011 by co-founders Hélène Mérillon, Vincent Daubry, and Fabien Sauleman, with Mérillon serving as CEO. Mérillon, an alumna of ENSAE Paris with a background in finance and digital entrepreneurship, identified an opportunity to make reading more accessible, envisioning a platform that functions like a "Netflix for books".

The platform provides subscribers with unlimited access to a vast catalog of digital content, including e-books, audiobooks, comics, and magazines, for a monthly fee. Initially launched with a freemium model supported by advertising, Youboox later pivoted to a subscription-based revenue stream. The business also pursues a B2B2C strategy, forming partnerships with companies, libraries, and schools to offer its service as a co-branded benefit. Key partnerships have been established with major telecommunication companies like Orange, Free, and SFR, which significantly expanded its user base.

Accessible via its app and website, the service allows users to stream content on multiple devices. By July 2019, it became the sole French platform offering full access to books in audio, text, and illustrated formats. The platform focuses on the French-language market, which represents a global audience of 300 million people. To build its initial publisher relationships, the founders, who were new to the publishing world, attended literary fairs and created a digital book award.

Throughout its history, Youboox has secured approximately $3.3 million to $4.21 million in funding over several rounds to fuel its technological and marketing development. A significant milestone occurred in October 2021, when the Swedish book streaming service Nextory acquired Youboox for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition was a strategic move for Nextory to enter and expand within France and other French-speaking markets. Following the acquisition, Youboox was set to continue its operations, with Hélène Mérillon remaining as the CEO of Youboox/Nextory France, combining Youboox's local market expertise with Nextory's technical capabilities.

Keywords: digital library, ebook streaming, audiobook service, French publishing, subscription service, online reading, digital content platform, Hélène Mérillon, Nextory acquisition, mobile reading app, B2B2C book service, literary tech, e-learning, digital magazines, comic streaming, French-language books, content subscription, Paris startup, publishing partnerships, book-tech