Jellybooks

What Jellybooks does

Jellybooks Ltd is a London-based publishing technology company founded in January 2011 by Andrew J. Rhomberg, Andy Robertson, and Jeff Abrahamson. The company provides a cloud-based platform of interconnected services for book discovery, reader analytics, and digital publishing, anchored by the Jellybooks Cloud Reader (a browser-based ePub reader built on Readium II open-source architecture), Jellybooks DISCOVERY (a cross-industry cloud platform offering 'peek inside' functionality for bookshops and publishers), and Jellybooks RADAR (a reader analytics service that recruits 300-800 test readers per campaign to produce audience engagement reports). Supporting modules include ORCA (online review copy distribution), ARTS (interactive magazines and catalogues), PREVIEW (advance reading copy distribution), and SMART links (social media sample integrations). The proprietary candy.js analytics software is embedded inside ebooks to track reading behavior across third-party reading apps, addressing a structural information gap since Amazon, Apple, and Google do not share reading data with publishers.

The business serves trade, academic, and professional publishers — including Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Pan Macmillan, Faber & Faber, Atlantic Books, Elsevier, and Bonnier Group — alongside a network of UK and Irish independent bookshops, with Blackwell's as a flagship retail partner. Revenue is generated through project-based reader analytics engagements and usage-based test reading campaigns for publishers, while the DISCOVERY platform is offered to booksellers on a freemium basis supported by Innovate UK and Arts Council England grants (£90,000 in October 2020 and £38,880 in April 2021). Distribution relies on B2B partnerships (Booksellers Association's Batchline ecommerce integration), direct enterprise sales, and a community-led model where readers receive free advance books in exchange for behavioral data. The company is privately held with 1-10 employees, has never raised venture capital, and operates from headquarters in Brixton, South London.

Name

Jellybooks

Legal name

Jellybooks Ltd

Website

https://jellybooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jellybooks is a London-based publishing technology company that provides a cloud-based platform combining a browser-based ePub reader (Cloud Reader), a 'peek inside' discovery service for bookshops (DISCOVERY), and reader analytics (RADAR) for trade, academic, and professional publishers and independent bookshops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Publishing Technology

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

eBook & Digital Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps (MPACAKAB), E-book Retail & Reading Platforms (Stores, Apps, Devices) (MPAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Reader analytics services
• Book discovery platform
• Ebook sampling technology
• Publishing technology solutions
• Advance reading copies

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Publisher Analytics Services: Publishers pay for reader analytics and audience insights services. Jellybooks conducts test reading campaigns with recruited readers, tracking engagement metrics and providing actionable marketing insights. Revenue generated through project-based research engagements with publishers.
2. Platform Licensing: DISCOVERY platform made available to bookshops and publishers for book excerpts and audiobook snippets. Currently grant-funded but positioned as commercial service for book discovery tools.
3. Test Reading Campaigns: Publishers commission test reading campaigns where readers receive free books in exchange for data. Jellybooks recruits 300-800 focus group readers per campaign, collecting reading behavior data and survey responses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Jellybooks provides a cloud-based publishing technology platform that combines a browser-based ePub reading application, a cross-industry book discovery platform (DISCOVERY) for bookshops, and reader analytics services (RADAR) for publishers. The company embeds proprietary JavaScript analytics (candy.js) in ebooks to track reading behavior and recruits 300–800 test readers per campaign to deliver audience insights, cover testing, and market positioning data.

Product overview

Jellybooks is a publishing technology specialist offering a platform of interconnected services for book discovery, reader analytics, and digital publishing. The core platform consists of the Jellybooks Cloud Reader (browser-based ePub reading application), Jellybooks DISCOVERY (cloud platform for book excerpts and peek-inside functionality), and Jellybooks RADAR (reader analytics service). Supporting modules include Jellybooks ORCA (online review copy distribution), Jellybooks ARTS (interactive catalogues and magazines), PREVIEW (advance reading copy distribution), and SMART links (social media integration). The platform serves trade, academic, and professional publishers as well as independent bookshops across the UK, Europe, and USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DISCOVERY: Cross-industry cloud platform for book excerpts and audiobook snippets providing 'peek inside' functionality for bookshops and publishers.
• RADAR
• ORCA
• Jellybooks ARTS
• PREVIEW
• Cloud Reader

Products and services

• Jellybooks Cloud Reader Browser-based ePub reading application that lets readers access and read ebooks and audiobooks with a single click on any browser-enabled device without app installation or file downloads. Supports different font sizes, night and day mode, re-flowable pages, and offline reading; covers fiction, non-fiction, illustrated books, graphic novels, manga, comics, and audiobooks. Built on the open ePub standard using Readium II architecture.
• Jellybooks DISCOVERY Cross-industry cloud platform providing 'peek inside' functionality for bookshops and publishers, enabling readers to sample book excerpts and audiobook snippets. Features buy buttons linking directly to individual retailers, QR codes for window displays, and integration with ecommerce platforms.
• Jellybooks RADAR Reader analytics service recruiting 300–800 test readers as online focus groups to test new or already published books and provide in-depth reports on engagement, audience make-up, cover testing, and market positioning. Helps publishers make data-driven decisions about marketing and book positioning.
• Jellybooks ORCA Online Review Copy Access system that widens the reach of pre-publication campaigns by securely distributing proofs and reading copies to press, bloggers, influencers, and the book trade via a browser-based platform without requiring file downloads or app installation.
• Jellybooks ARTS Interactive magazine and catalogue service for publishers supporting sales catalogues, rights catalogues, literary magazines, and book samplers. Based on the industry standard fixed-layout (FXL) format and supported by Innovate UK and Arts Council England grants.
• Jellybooks PREVIEW Program for distributing advance reading copies to reviewers and influencers, allowing publishers to generate early reader quotes and build pre-launch awareness through the Jellybooks DISCOVERY ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• Predicts book success or failure with 90% accuracy
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Blackwell'sflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2021Major partnership with UK's leading bookshop chain for DISCOVERY platform launch. Includes interactive window displays at flagship Oxford store, online integration, and QR code placement across UK stores. Blackwell's featured debut titles showcase and contributed to platform development.
• Batchline / Booksellers AssociationcoreTechnology or Integration · 22 June 2020Integration of Jellybooks DISCOVERY with Batchline ecommerce solution for independent bookshops. Enables turn-key installation of 'peek inside' functionality on retailer websites with minimal effort.
• Penguin Random HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor publishing client using reader analytics and test reading campaigns. Over 30,000 Penguin Random House titles available through DISCOVERY platform.
• LovelybooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman reading platform partnership for joint reader testing and rating solutions. Developed combined solution for pre-publication book testing and reader feedback.
• Pan MacmillancoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher partner in Summer of Reading campaign and DISCOVERY platform. Multiple titles featured across promotional campaigns.
• GrantacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher partner participating in DISCOVERY launch and promotional campaigns with titles including The Manningtree Witches.
• ElseviercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic publisher client using Jellybooks analytics for content optimization and reader engagement tracking.
• Bonnier GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean publishing group client for reader analytics services in Germany and internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NetGalley: NetGalley is the leading digital advance reading copy and reviewer distribution platform for publishers, directly comparable to Jellybooks ORCA and PREVIEW services.
• Edelweiss Analytics: Edelweiss by Above the Treeline offers analytics plus digital catalog and review-copy distribution to publishers and authors. It overlaps directly with Jellybooks ORCA and DISCOVERY capabilities.
• NPD Bookscan: NPD Bookscan (now Circana) is the dominant provider of point-of-sale book sales data to publishers. It competes with Jellybooks by serving the same publisher customers with adjacent (sales rather than reading behavior) data.
• Bookstat: Bookstat provides book sales and reader analytics for publishers, including bestseller tracking and marketing intelligence. It is the closest direct competitor to Jellybooks RADAR in the publisher analytics category.

Regional players

• BookBrunch: UK-focused publishing industry news and data service that also tracks bestseller and market data, serving the same UK trade publisher audience as Jellybooks.

Peers

• Glassboxx:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jellybooks
• Facebookfacebook.com/Jellybooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jellybooks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jellybooks