Folia
Folia (Branchfire, Inc.) develops digital document annotation software, led by iAnnotate — a top-grossing iOS PDF annotation app with 1M+ users — and the next-generation cross-platform Folia platform in early access, serving law firms, banks, government agencies, and entertainment studios.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBloomington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Folia does
Folia (legal entity Branchfire, Inc.), headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, is a private productivity software company that builds digital document annotation applications for professional and enterprise users. Its flagship product iAnnotate is an award-winning on-device PDF annotation application for iOS that has been a top-grossing business app on the iOS App Store for over a decade, with more than one million users and adoption reported across over 10,000 organizations including top U.S. law firms, major banks, government agencies, and Hollywood studios. The company is extending this base with Folia, a cross-platform, real-time annotation platform in early access that treats annotations as structured, attributable data to support audit trails, collaboration, and AI readiness across web, desktop, tablet, and mobile.
The underlying technology stack centers on proprietary document annotation patents (US8161369, US9275021), real-time multi-user collaborative editing, and native integrations with all major cloud storage providers (Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, Google Drive, iCloud, WebDAV) plus enterprise mobility management platforms (Microsoft Intune, BlackBerry) and Samsung Galaxy devices including S Pen and Galaxy AI features. An iAnnotate PDF SDK is licensed to third-party developers for embedded use. Folia monetizes through three streams: consumer one-time app purchases on iOS App Store and Google Play, quote-based enterprise volume licensing and subscriptions with annual billing, and SDK licensing royalties.
The company employs 11–50 people, was founded in 2012 by lawyer and entrepreneur Ravi Bhatt, and is led by a team including CPO Priya Premkumar (ex-Google Commerce/CCAI), CTO Suresh Marru (director at Georgia Tech's ARTISAN AI center), and multiple engineering directors with backgrounds in distributed systems and intelligent systems. It raised a $2 million seed round in May 2022 led by IU Ventures vehicles with Elev8 Venture Partners, and is currently privately held with no IPO contemplated.
Folia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Folia
- Legal name
- Branchfire, Inc.
- Website
- https://folia.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Folia (Branchfire, Inc.) develops digital document annotation software, led by iAnnotate — a top-grossing iOS PDF annotation app with 1M+ users — and the next-generation cross-platform Folia platform in early access, serving law firms, banks, government agencies, and entertainment studios.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Folia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Document annotation and collaboration software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Annotation Tooling & Workflow Management (HDAAALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Publishing Creation & Formatting Tools (EPUB, conversion, layout) (MPAJAMAG)
Keywords
Where Folia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bloomington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Folia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Mobile App Sales (iAnnotate): Consumer and professional app purchases through iOS App Store and Google Play, including paid downloads and in-app purchases for premium features. iAnnotate has been a top-grossing business app on the iOS App Store.
- Enterprise Licensing and Subscriptions: Volume licensing and enterprise subscription agreements for organizations deploying iAnnotate and Folia to large workforces, including custom pricing, dedicated support, and admin management tools.
- SDK Licensing: Licensing of Folia's annotation software development kit to third-party developers and companies that want to embed document annotation capabilities into their own products and platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual App Purchase (iAnnotate) |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise/Team Deployment |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Folia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Folia develops and sells digital document annotation and collaboration software. Its flagship products are iAnnotate, an award-winning on-device PDF annotation application for iPhone and iPad with markup, voice notes, search, and signing, and Folia, a cross-platform real-time annotation platform spanning desktop, tablet, mobile, and web. Enterprise variants include iAnnotate for Intune, iAnnotate for BlackBerry, and iAnnotate Private, and the company also offers the iAnnotate PDF SDK for embedding annotation into third-party applications.
Product overview
Folia offers a dual-product portfolio centered on digital document annotation. The flagship offering consists of two distinct products: (1) iAnnotate — an award-winning, on-device PDF annotation application for iOS (iPhone/iPad) that has been deployed across managed mobile environments at demanding enterprise firms, serving over one million users; and (2) Folia — a next-generation, cross-platform annotation platform (web, iOS, Android) in early access that treats annotations as structured, attributable data to enable collaborative document review, audit trails, and AI readiness. Enterprise variants include iAnnotate for Intune (Microsoft 365/Intune integration), iAnnotate for BlackBerry (BlackBerry Marketplace), and iAnnotate Private (isolated deployments). The company also offers the iAnnotate PDF SDK for developers wishing to embed PDF functionality in iOS applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- iAnnotate: Award-winning PDF annotation software for iPad and iPhone, with markup, voice notes, search, and signing capabilities. Also available for enterprise with BlackBerry, Microsoft Intune, and other MDM integrations.
- Folia
Products and services
- iAnnotate Award-winning on-device PDF annotation application for iPhone and iPad providing markup, voice notes, search, and signing capabilities with local file storage and cloud backup. Available on iOS App Store and Google Play, and deployed across managed mobile environments at demanding enterprise firms.
- Folia A cross-platform digital annotation platform spanning web, iOS, Android, and tablet that enables collaborative document review and annotation across devices, treating every mark, comment, and signature as structured, attributable data for audit trails and AI readiness.
- iAnnotate for Intune Enterprise-grade iAnnotate variant integrated with Microsoft Intune and Microsoft 365 for secure enterprise deployment with data-leakage controls, document workflows, and MAM/MDM capabilities.
- iAnnotate for BlackBerry Enterprise version of iAnnotate optimized for BlackBerry devices and the BlackBerry ecosystem, available on the BlackBerry Marketplace with enterprise mobility management integration for secure deployment.
- iAnnotate Private On-premise or dedicated deployment option for enterprises requiring isolated, dedicated environments with controlled data storage.
- iAnnotate PDF SDK Software development kit allowing developers to integrate iAnnotate's PDF functionality into iOS applications, available for both in-house and commercial applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million users have downloaded and used iAnnotate and Folia products
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Folia
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Folia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature5 records
Folia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SamsungcoreFolia has partnered with Samsung for native integration of iAnnotate with Galaxy S24 devices, including optimization for Samsung S Pen stylus and Galaxy AI features. The app is distributed through the Galaxy Store and promoted as a premier document annotation solution for Galaxy users.
- MicrosoftcoreFolia is an official Microsoft Intune Partner, enabling enterprise IT departments to deploy, manage, and secure iAnnotate through Microsoft Intune mobile device management. The partnership also includes integration with Microsoft OneDrive for document storage and synchronization.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Folia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Folia social profiles
Digital presenceFolia compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Folia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Folia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Folia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Folia M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Folia
What does Folia do?
Folia develops and sells digital document annotation and collaboration software. Its flagship products are iAnnotate, an award-winning on-device PDF annotation application for iPhone and iPad with markup, voice notes, search, and signing, and Folia, a cross-platform real-time annotation platform spanning desktop, tablet, mobile, and web. Enterprise variants include iAnnotate for Intune, iAnnotate for BlackBerry, and iAnnotate Private, and the company also offers the iAnnotate PDF SDK for embedding annotation into third-party applications.
Is Folia a public or private company?
Folia is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Folia founded?
Folia was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Folia based?
Folia is headquartered in Bloomington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Folia make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Mobile App Sales (iAnnotate) is the primary driver. The others are enterprise Licensing and Subscriptions and SDK Licensing.
Does Folia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Folia.
What industry is Folia in?
Folia's product category is Document annotation and collaboration software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAALAC, Annotation Tooling & Workflow Management, with a secondary code of MPAJAMAG, Digital Publishing Creation & Formatting Tools (EPUB, conversion, layout). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.