YouScribe

YouScribe operates as a digital library, providing access to a vast collection of written and audio content through a streaming model. The company was founded in 2011 by Juan Pirlot de Corbion, a seasoned entrepreneur in the digital publishing space, who previously founded the online bookstore Chapitre.com. Pirlot de Corbion, with a background in both literature and management, envisioned a platform that would function like a "Spotify or Netflix" for books, making a diverse range of materials easily accessible.

Initially launched with a focus on being a free platform for document sharing, YouScribe transitioned to a subscription-based model by 2015. The core of its business is a premium subscription, which offers users unlimited, ad-free access to its entire catalog for a monthly fee. Revenue is also generated from on-demand sales and the monetization of its audience through advertising on the free tier. The company has a revenue-sharing model with publishers, where it remits 60% of its revenues based on pages read or minutes listened to.

The service is accessible on multiple devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets, with mobile apps that feature offline reading capabilities. YouScribe's catalog is extensive, containing over a million items such as e-books, audiobooks, comics, press publications, educational documents, and even sheet music. The platform also serves as a self-publishing tool, allowing users to upload and share their own documents.

A significant milestone in the company's history was its strategic pivot to the African market, a move that began around 2017 after Pirlot de Corbion identified a substantial need for accessible reading and learning materials on the continent. This expansion was facilitated through key partnerships with major telecom operators like Orange and MTN, enabling affordable subscription payments via mobile money instead of traditional banking methods. This strategy proved highly successful, with the company reaching 1 million subscribers by September 2022, primarily across several African nations. YouScribe has secured significant funding to fuel its growth, including a €2 million round in 2012 from investors like Iris Capital and Orange, and a €5 million investment in 2022 from Banque des Territoires to further its African expansion.

Keywords: digital library, ebook subscription, audiobook streaming, online publishing, self-publishing platform, content streaming, French-language books, African market, mobile reading, educational content, digital press, Juan Pirlot de Corbion, Chapitre.com, Orange partnership, telecom billing, reading platform, e-learning, document sharing, digital content distribution, multilingual library