What Effie does

Effie is a cross-platform writing productivity application developed and operated by Shanghai Qijia Er Technology Co., Ltd. (上海七加二科技有限公司), a privately held company headquartered in Shanghai, China that was founded in 2021. The product combines a distraction-free text editor with outline and mind mapping modes within a single document, supported by a simplified markup language ("mark syntax") designed to be faster to learn than Markdown. It is available on macOS, Windows, and iOS, with automatic cloud synchronization and offline writing capability, and supports export to PDF, DOCX, Markdown, and a proprietary EffieSheet format.

The company monetizes through a freemium subscription model: a free tier provides core writing, outlining, and mind mapping functionality, while a paid subscription unlocks the integrated Effie AI assistant (summarization, outline generation, text expansion/condensing, polishing, translation, brainstorming) and advanced export options. Subscription billing is handled via Apple In-App Purchase on iOS and Alipay/WeChat Pay on other platforms. Pricing is not publicly listed; users are directed to an in-product membership center.

Distribution and customer acquisition are entirely product-led. The company runs a content marketing engine via its blog (知识库) covering writing methods, productivity, and Effie tutorials, with no paid advertising disclosed. The WeChat ecosystem (login, public account, sharing to Moments/groups) is the primary social channel. The customer base is concentrated among individual writers, content creators, knowledge workers, and solo professionals in China, with testimonials from a self-media CEO, a published author, and a financial blogger. No enterprise customers, channel partners, or institutional investors are identified in the source material.

Name

Effie

Legal name

Shanghai Qijia Er Technology Co., Ltd. (上海七加二科技有限公司)

Website

https://effie.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Effie is a cross-platform writing and mind mapping application for individual writers, content creators, and knowledge workers, offering a freemium subscription with integrated AI assistance and cloud sync.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Writing Productivity Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Collaboration, File Sync & Share (EFSS) (HDAEAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Model Serving, Inference & Deployment Platforms (APIs, Edge/On-Prem) (HDAEANAC)

Keywords

• Writing productivity software
• Mind mapping software
• Distraction-free writing tool
• AI writing assistant
• Cross-platform note-taking

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanghai

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Freemium Subscription (会员订阅): Effie operates a freemium model offering a free tier with basic features and a paid subscription for advanced features such as AI assistant capabilities, premium export options, and enhanced sync. The subscription is managed via Apple In-App Purchase on iOS and third-party payment platforms (Alipay, WeChat Pay) on Android and other platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Effie is a cross-platform writing productivity application for macOS, Windows, and iOS that unifies a distraction-free text editor, hierarchical outlines, and visual mind maps within a single document. It includes the proprietary Mark Syntax markup language for keyboard-driven formatting, local-plus-cloud sync with offline capability, multi-format export (PDF, DOCX, Markdown, EffieSheet, long images), and an embedded Effie AI assistant for summarization, outlining, polishing, translation, and brainstorming. The product is offered on a freemium basis, with the premium subscription unlocking AI features and advanced export options.

Product overview

Effie is a unified writing productivity platform consisting of a core writing application that integrates mind mapping, outline creation, and AI assistance features. The platform provides a distraction-free writing environment with multi-device synchronization and offline support, enabling seamless transition from writing to sharing. Key features include mark syntax support for formatting, one-click conversion between outlines and mind maps, and export capabilities to various file formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Effie AI: AI assistant feature integrated into Effie for writing assistance including summarization, outline generation, text editing, translation, and brainstorming.
• EffieSheet

Products and services

• Effie Cross-platform writing productivity application for macOS, Windows, and iOS that combines a distraction-free text editor with hierarchical outlines and visual mind maps within a single document. Includes the Mark Syntax markup language, local-plus-cloud synchronization with offline capability, multi-format export (PDF, DOCX, Markdown, EffieSheet, long-image graphics), and the embedded Effie AI assistant for summarization, outlining, expansion, polishing, translation, and brainstorming. Targeted at individual writers, content creators, researchers, and knowledge workers.
• Effie AI AI writing assistant embedded inside Effie that summarizes text, generates outlines, expands or condenses content, polishes prose, translates, corrects errors, and supports brainstorming for users during the writing workflow.
• EffieSheet Proprietary file format and export option for Effie documents that enables users to save and share their writing, outlines, and mind maps in a native Effie-compatible format.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Evernote: Evernote is a broad, established note-taking and productivity platform with cross-device sync and search. Comparable as an incumbent productivity/note-taking service targeting individual knowledge workers globally.
• Microsoft OneNote: OneNote is Microsoft's free, cross-platform note-taking and writing product with deep OS integration and AI features (Copilot). Comparable as a broad incumbent with substantial resources competing for individual knowledge-worker writing workflows.

Direct peers

• Notion: Notion is the most direct comparable — a unified writing, outlining, and database workspace with AI features, PLG distribution, and cross-platform sync. Both target knowledge workers who need structured, cross-device writing workflows.
• MindNode: MindNode is a cross-platform mind-mapping app with Apple ecosystem support. Comparable as the mind-mapping component of Effie's offering, providing a relevant reference for the integrated mind-mapping sub-feature.
• Scrivener: Scrivener is long-form writing software (novels, theses, scripts) with outlining, corkboard, and structured project organization. Comparable on serving long-form content creators with outline/document-structure tools.
• Ulysses: Ulysses is a distraction-free writing app for Mac/iOS with markdown support, outlines, cross-device sync, and export to multiple formats. Closely comparable on Apple-ecosystem reach, subscription model, and long-form writing focus.
• Obsidian: Obsidian is a markdown-based knowledge base for individual writers and researchers, with local files, cross-platform sync, and an extensibility ecosystem. Highly comparable on solo-creator focus, offline-first design, and markdown-like formatting philosophy.
• Bear: Bear is a Markdown writing and note-taking app for Apple platforms with tagging, sync, and a minimalist interface. Comparable on the distraction-free, keyboard-driven, individual-writer value proposition and Apple In-App Purchase subscription model.
• Roam Research: Roam pioneered networked/outline-first writing for knowledge workers, with bidirectional links and a block-based model. Comparable on the focus on structured thinking, outlines, and individual knowledge-worker targeting.
• Workflowy: Workflowy is an outlining and bullet-based writing tool that enables hierarchical organization of ideas, with cross-device sync. Comparable on outline-led writing and the use case of structuring complex ideas.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Effie