Squid

What Squid does

Squid, operated by Steadfast Innovation, LLC, is a digital handwriting and PDF markup application for Android devices, Chromebooks, and tablets. The product is built on a proprietary Vector Graphics Engine that renders handwritten notes at zoom-independent quality, with active pen support including pressure sensitivity, stroke-based erasing, and an infinite canvas. Core functionality is free; premium capabilities (PDF Import, Tool Pack, Cloud Backup to Google Drive/Dropbox/Box, and Premium Paper Backgrounds) are available via a subscription or individual in-app purchases. The product integrates tightly with Google Workspace (Classroom, Drive, Gmail, Photos) and supports presentation casting to Chromecast, Miracast, and HDMI.

The company is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California, where it originated from Cal Poly's CIE HotHouse Summer Incubator in 2011 under founder Andrew Hughes. Originally launched as Papyrus alongside the first Samsung Galaxy Note device, the app was renamed Squid in 2015 after adding PDF import and resolving a trademark conflict. Strategic partnerships with Samsung, Google, and Google for Education underpin its go-to-market, with distribution through Google Play, Amazon Appstore, and Samsung GALAXY Apps. The primary customer segment is education (K-12 through college students and teachers), served via EDU Bulk Licensing through Google Workspace for Education at $4/user/year with volume discounts at 500+ users; individual consumers form a secondary horizontal segment.

Squid operates as a bootstrapped, founder-led private LLC with 1-10 employees and no disclosed external funding. The company holds Google Play Editor's Choice recognition and is featured on the Google for Education App Hub. Compliance certifications include COPPA, FERPA, and GDPR, supporting its use in K-12 environments. Revenue is generated through consumer subscriptions, one-time in-app purchases, EDU bulk licensing, and a Chromebook Perks embedded distribution channel, though specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Squid

Legal name

Steadfast Innovation, LLC

Website

https://squidnotes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Squid is a digital handwriting and PDF markup app for Android and Chromebook, serving K-12 and higher education students, teachers, and individual consumers through a freemium model with EDU bulk licensing via Google Workspace for Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Productivity Software

akta.pro primary industry

Assistive Reading & Writing Tools (Text-to-Speech, Speech-to-Text, OCR, Dyslexia Support) (EDAFAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology for LD (Reading/Writing Tools & Training) (EDAKAJAH), Handwriting & Fine-Motor Writing (Print/Cursive) (EDAMAJAE)

Keywords

• Digital note-taking
• PDF annotation
• Stylus writing app
• Education software
• Handwriting productivity

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Squid Premium Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription unlocking all premium features including PDF import, cloud backup, tool pack, and premium paper backgrounds. Users can switch between monthly and yearly billing.
2. Individual In-App Purchases: PDF Import and Tool Pack can be purchased individually as one-time in-app purchases within Squid, separate from subscription
3. EDU Bulk Licensing: Annual licenses for schools, districts, and organizations based on number of users. Pricing starts at $4 USD per user for academic year with volume discounts for 500+ users.
4. Chromebook Perks: Eligible Chromebooks receive 6 months of free Squid Premium as part of Google Chromebook Perks program

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Squid is a digital handwriting application for Android and Chrome OS devices that enables users to take handwritten notes with a stylus, markup PDFs, annotate and sign documents, and organize notes in notebooks. The product uses a proprietary vector graphics engine with active pen support and pressure sensitivity. It is offered via a freemium model, with premium features (PDF Import, Tool Pack, Cloud Backup, premium paper backgrounds) available through subscription or individual in-app purchases, plus an EDU Bulk License program for schools and districts.

Product overview

Squid is a handwritten note-taking application for Android and Chrome OS devices. The core product enables users to take digital handwritten notes using stylus input with features like vector graphics, infinite canvas, and active pen support. The company offers a freemium model where core functionality is free, with premium features available through Squid Premium subscription (combining PDF Import, Tool Pack, Cloud Backup, and Premium Paper Backgrounds) or individual in-app purchases. Educational institutions can purchase EDU Bulk Licenses through Google Workspace for Education. The app was originally launched as Papyrus in 2011 and renamed to Squid in 2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Squid A handwritten note-taking application for Android and Chrome OS devices that allows users to take digital notes with a stylus, markup PDFs, sign documents, and organize notes in notebooks. Core functionality is free with optional premium features.
• Squid Premium A monthly or annual subscription service that unlocks all premium features including premium paper backgrounds, PDF Import, Tool Pack, and Cloud Backup.
• PDF Import Standalone one-time in-app purchase allowing users to import PDFs as backgrounds for notes, enabling markup, annotation, and editing while preserving original PDF quality on zoom.
• Tool Pack

Quantifiable outcome

• Schools can significantly reduce photocopying budget using PDF Import premium feature for digital assignment-to-feedback workflow
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SamsungcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Strategic partnership formed early in Squid's history. Squid launched with the first Samsung Galaxy Note device. Deep integration with Samsung S Pen and Galaxy Tab devices with active pen support.
• GooglecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Partnership for Android platform development and Google Workspace for Education integration. Squid available on Google Play and Chromebooks; integrates with Google Classroom and Google Drive.
• NokiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly strategic partnership formed during company's initial growth phase.
• MicrosoftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership formed during early company development.
• QualcommminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for device optimization and performance enhancement.
• Google for EducationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on Google for Education App Hub showcasing best tools for teachers and students using Google Classroom and Chromebooks. Education bulk licensing integrates directly with Google Admin console.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evernote: Evernote is a long-established cross-platform note-taking and productivity suite with PDF annotation and notebook organization. It overlaps with Squid's consumer and SMB segments around document organization and markup, though with weaker handwriting optimization.
• Samsung Notes: Samsung Notes is Samsung's native note-taking app pre-installed on Galaxy devices with deep S Pen integration. It directly overlaps with Squid's premium features (PDF import, handwriting, shape tools) and ships for free on the same Galaxy hardware Squid depends on.
• Google Keep: Google Keep is Google's free, pre-installed note-taking app on Android and ChromeOS with Google Workspace integration. While lighter on handwriting features, it competes for the same consumer/student productivity workflow and benefits from default placement on Squid's target devices.
• Microsoft OneNote: OneNote is Microsoft's free cross-platform note-taking suite with handwriting and PDF markup support, bundled with Microsoft 365. It is a broad incumbent overlapping with Squid's note-taking, PDF markup, and education use cases, especially given free institutional licensing for schools.

Direct peers

• GoodNotes: GoodNotes is a leading handwritten note-taking app for iPad/Mac with PDF markup, sold via subscription. While Squid is Android/ChromeOS-only and GoodNotes is iOS/Mac-focused, they compete for the same underlying use case (digital handwriting + PDF annotation) across consumer and education segments.
• Notability: Notability by Ginger Labs is a premium handwritten note-taking app for Apple devices, primarily iPad. It competes head-to-head with Squid's core use case of handwritten notes plus PDF markup, particularly in the student/teacher segment.

Emerging players

• Xodo: Xodo is a cross-platform PDF reader/editor with annotation and markup features, available on Android/ChromeOS. It overlaps with Squid's PDF Import premium feature set and competes for the same document-markup workflow on shared platforms.
• CollaNote: CollaNote is a free, cross-platform (Android/iOS/ChromeOS) note-taking app with PDF markup and handwriting. It directly overlaps with Squid on Android/ChromeOS note-taking and adds a free tier that competes with Squid's free offering.
• Concepts: Concepts by TopHatch is an infinite-canvas sketching and note-taking app with vector precision. It overlaps with Squid's infinite-canvas, vector-based differentiation and targets a similar stylus-driven productivity user.
• Nebo (MyScript): Nebo by MyScript is a handwriting-first note app with strong handwriting-to-text recognition via MyScript's engine. It is comparable to Squid on the handwriting and education use case and represents the AI-adjacent direction Squid has not yet pursued.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/squidnotes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SteadfastInnovation
• Facebookfacebook.com/SteadfastInnovation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Squid