De Marque
De Marque is a privately held Canadian digital content distribution company operating the Cantook platform ecosystem, providing ebook and audiobook distribution, library e-lending, K-12 reading, and academic and professional streaming services to publishers, libraries, schools, businesses, and consumers across the Americas, Europe, and francophone Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersQuebec, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What De Marque does
De Marque is a privately held Canadian digital content distribution company, founded in 1990 in Quebec by Marc Boutet and now operating across Canada, Europe, and select Latin American and African markets with 70+ employees in Quebec City, Montreal, Barcelona, and Paris. Under its Cantook brand umbrella, the company delivers a multi-vertical platform that distributes ebooks and audiobooks on behalf of publishers (Cantook Édition), powers library e-lending (Cantook Bibliothèques, including flagship deployments such as Quebec's PRETNUMERIQUE.CA), and serves K-12 reading (Cantook Éducation, including the Biblius platform covering 98% of Quebec schools). Acquired subsidiaries extend the footprint into academic and professional streaming (ScholarVox, BusinessVox, via the 2022 acquisition of Cyberlibris), Spanish-language distribution (Libranda, 2018), online consumer retail (Feedbooks, 2018), and mobile reading (Aldiko, 2018; 50M+ downloads to date).
Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring and transactional streams: institutional subscriptions for libraries, schools, universities, and corporations; publisher distribution fees (Cantook Édition serves 3,000+ publishers distributing 3M+ titles to 1,300+ retailers and 1,700+ libraries globally); per-title EPUB conversion services compliant with WCAG 2.0 AA; and consumer transactions via the Feedbooks storefront and Aldiko app. The company also monetizes accessibility tooling (Cantook Access, launched May 2025), training content (The Visual), and streamable audiobook/narrative content (FROG-format via MOBiDYS).
Underlying technology consists of a proprietary distribution and DRM platform with multilingual support (French, English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Ukrainian), live sales/KPI dashboards for publishers, EPUB 3 conversion tooling, and an AI-assisted alt-text generation module (Cantook Access). The company is founder-controlled, has raised $10M CAD in growth financing from CIBC and BDC Capital (2022), and relies primarily on direct enterprise sales, government partnerships, and channel partners rather than mass-market advertising. Strategic emphasis is on accessibility compliance under the European Accessibility Directive, multilingual market expansion (Portugal, Argentina, Ontario), and productization of accessibility services into a standalone SaaS offering.
De Marque firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Marque
- Legal name
- De Marque
- Website
- https://demarque.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- De Marque is a privately held Canadian digital content distribution company operating the Cantook platform ecosystem, providing ebook and audiobook distribution, library e-lending, K-12 reading, and academic and professional streaming services to publishers, libraries, schools, businesses, and consumers across the Americas, Europe, and francophone Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Marque industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Content Distribution Platforms
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Software Publishers (513210), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer) (MPAJAIAD), E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)
Keywords
Where De Marque is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Quebec
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
De Marque business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Publisher Distribution Services: De Marque charges publishers for distribution services through Cantook Publishers, providing access to over 1,300 retailers and 1,700 libraries globally. Publishers upload files and pay for distribution reach and marketing services.
- Library E-Lending Subscriptions: Cantook Libraries and Cantook Éducation operate on subscription/site license models where libraries and schools pay for access to the lending platform, with unlimited simultaneous loans of the same title.
- Academic & Professional Streaming (ScholarVox/BusinessVox): Institutional subscription model for academic (ScholarVox) and professional (BusinessVox) streaming services, with flat-rate personalized subscriptions allowing unlimited simultaneous readers.
- Consumer Book Sales (Feedbooks): Direct consumer sales of ebooks and audiobooks through the Feedbooks online bookstore to individual readers worldwide.
- EPUB Conversion Services: Professional conversion services converting publisher PDF files to accessible EPUB format, priced per title or as a service package.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | ScholarVox Academic Streaming - Custom institutional subscription |
| Subscription | Annual | BusinessVox Professional Streaming - Custom business subscription |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Feedbooks Consumer Bookstore - Transaction-based pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | EPUB Conversion Service - Per-title service pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
De Marque product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Marque operates the Cantook platform suite, an integrated digital content distribution ecosystem for ebooks and audiobooks. The company distributes publisher content to over 1,300 retailers and 1,700 libraries globally, and operates e-lending platforms for public libraries and K-12 schools, professional and academic streaming services, and consumer reading applications including a digital bookstore and a mobile reading app.
Product overview
De Marque operates a platform-plus-modules ecosystem unified under the Cantook brand. The core Cantook distribution and e-lending platform is segmented by market: Cantook Édition serves book publishers with global digital distribution; Cantook Bibliothèques serves public libraries with e-lending; Cantook Éducation serves K-12 schools with digital reading; and BusinessVox serves businesses with professional streaming content. The consumer layer includes Aldiko (Cantook App) for end-reader mobile reading, Feedbooks for consumer bookstore purchases, and ScholarVox for academic institution subscriptions. Ancillary services include EPUB Conversion, Cantook Access (accessibility tooling), and The Visual (educational resource). The ecosystem was built through strategic acquisitions (Libranda, Feedbooks, Aldiko, Cyberlibris) and organic product development since 1990.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cantook: Umbrella brand for the company's ebook and audiobook distribution ecosystem, including Cantook Publishers (distribution service for publishers), Cantook Libraries (e-lending for public libraries), Cantook Éducation (K-12 digital reading platform), Cantook Access (accessibility solution for creating alt-text), Aldiko reading app, and Feedbooks bookstore.
- Feedbooks
- Aldiko
- BusinessVox
- ScholarVox
- Biblius
- Cantook Education
Products and services
- Cantook Édition (Cantook Publishers) All-in-one ebook and audiobook distribution platform for book publishers, providing sales representation to over 1,300 retailers and 1,700 libraries worldwide, distributing more than 2 million titles from 3,000 publishers. Includes EPUB conversion, accessibility metadata, DRM, multi-currency sales, and live sales analytics.
- Cantook Bibliothèques (Cantook Libraries) E-lending service for public libraries enabling patrons to borrow ebooks and audiobooks in-browser or via a dedicated mobile app. Connects to over 1.2 million titles from international publishers, with usage analytics, multiple cart options, ISBN batch importing, and patron dashboards.
- Cantook Éducation K-12 digital reading and e-lending platform enabling students to borrow ebooks and audiobooks directly in a web browser without downloads. Features teacher-curated reading lists, audio playback, adaptive page layouts, interactive whiteboard support, and simultaneous reading functions.
- BusinessVox E-reading streaming service for technical and professional books targeting corporations and academic institutions in the Francophone world. Offers flat-rate subscriptions with unlimited simultaneous readers, sophisticated DRM, and personalization across domains including international business, accounting, IT, project management, marketing, and corporate strategy.
- ScholarVox Academic e-reading streaming service offering full-text access with unlimited simultaneous readers and a sophisticated DRM system. Collections span economics, education, history, computer science, humanities, psychology, hospital/medical, and recreational topics. Sold to universities and academic libraries globally through institutional subscriptions.
- Aldiko (Cantook App) Universal reading application for consumers available on iOS and Android. Allows users to buy ebooks and audiobooks, borrow from local libraries, and import personal digital books into a single app. Features customizable reading settings (fonts, margins, line spacing, day/night mode), audiobook playback controls, and text-to-speech integration.
- Feedbooks Online digital bookstore accessible worldwide, offering fiction and non-fiction titles in French, English, Spanish, Italian, and German. Curated by human booksellers rather than algorithms, with a children's catalog classified by reading level.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 19 million titles loaned by public libraries using Cantook
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use De Marque
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
De Marque technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature9 records
De Marque partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- SupaduflagshipPartnership linking Supadu's publisher storefronts with De Marque's distribution network, providing international distribution and instant e-book reading capabilities. This creates a one-stop shop for direct sales and international distribution for book publishers.
- Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques (Le Centre Franco)coreOntario's French-language educational resource center adopts Cantook Éducation as its digital reading platform for all 12 French-language school boards and Consortium Centre Jules-Léger, starting September 2025. Replaces Overdrive's Sora platform with a Canadian-developed solution.
- City of Buenos AiresflagshipPartnership to launch the Jorge Luis Borges Digital Public Library, Buenos Aires' first public digital library. Powered by Cantook Libraries platform, featuring 1,000 titles with 30,000 registered members. Readers can borrow titles for up to 30 days with 30 simultaneous users per title.
- Directorate-General for Books, Archives and Libraries (DGLAB) - PortugalflagshipPartnership with Portugal's Ministry of Culture to create the country's national digital public library. De Marque handles the entire project from platform design to launch, including librarian training and user promotion. Includes access to Portuguese-language ebook and audiobook catalogs.
- MOBiDYS CanadacoreStrategic partnership making De Marque the authorized distributor of MOBiDYS's universally accessible FROG-format children's ebooks in Canada. Makes titles available on Biblius in Quebec and Cantook Éducation elsewhere in Canada. Includes ~200 accessible digital books from publishers including Québec Amérique, Bouton d'or Acadie, Apprentissage illimité, Les 400 coups, and Les Malins.
- CyberlibriscoreAcquisition of Cyberlibris, French pioneer in digital library services for academic and corporate markets. Added ScholarVox platform (launched 2001) and expanded De Marque's presence in North America, Latin America, French-speaking Europe, Spain, and francophone Africa.
- Benetech and eBOUNDminorPilot project enrollment enabling Saint-Jean publisher catalog to obtain Benetech GCA certification for accessible ebooks.
- Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL)corePartnership with ANEL to develop De Marque's distribution warehouse and accessibility tools, including participation in video training capsules on ebook accessibility.
- NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service)minorPartnership with NNELS to audit De Marque's EPUB conversion service to meet WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility standards, producing reference documents for publishers.
- LibrandacoreAcquisition of Libranda, Spanish-language digital content distributor based in Spain, expanding De Marque's presence in Spanish-language markets.
- FeedbookscoreAcquisition of Feedbooks, the digital bookstore platform, adding a consumer-facing online bookstore to De Marque's ecosystem.
- AldikocoreAcquisition of Aldiko mobile reading app, which has been rebranded as Cantook app and downloaded over 50 million times.
- BiblioprestocoreLong-standing partnership enabling the introduction of digital lending in Quebec's public libraries through PRETNUMERIQUE.CA service, which has served over 15 million loans.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights8 records
De Marque competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Marque social profiles
Digital presenceDe Marque financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Marque leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
De Marque subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
De Marque funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Marque 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 De Marque
What does De Marque do?
De Marque operates the Cantook platform suite, an integrated digital content distribution ecosystem for ebooks and audiobooks. The company distributes publisher content to over 1,300 retailers and 1,700 libraries globally, and operates e-lending platforms for public libraries and K-12 schools, professional and academic streaming services, and consumer reading applications including a digital bookstore and a mobile reading app.
Is De Marque a public or private company?
De Marque is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was De Marque founded?
De Marque was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is De Marque based?
De Marque is headquartered in Quebec, Canada, in the North America region.
How does De Marque make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Publisher Distribution Services are the primary driver. The others are library E-Lending Subscriptions, academic & Professional Streaming (ScholarVox/BusinessVox), consumer Book Sales (Feedbooks) and EPUB Conversion Services.
Does De Marque have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Marque.
What industry is De Marque in?
De Marque's product category is Digital Content Distribution Platforms. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAA, E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices), with a secondary code of MPAJAIAD, Audiobook Retail & Subscription Platforms (Direct-to-Consumer). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.