Reading Platform Epic Had An Epic Year

Epic co-founders Kevin Donahue and Suren Markosian.

Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote about epic, how the company had just landed a $30 million investment and how their model was different. gives away its reading platform stocked with well-known books to teachers and school libraries.

You are reading: Who made epic books

The company was five years old at the time and already on a promising path. Apart from the investment, in January 2019 more than 10 million children had read 500 million books on the platform. it had a library of 35,000 books for readers under the age of 12. at the time, I wrote, “perhaps a subscription-based streaming platform built for kids and with a focus on learning and reading, one with millions of existing users, has a future.”

Two years later, it seems like the possible future is now because in 2020, epic posted some amazing numbers.

See Also: 11 Best Robin Cook Books You Should Read – Internet Pillar

Last year alone, the company grew from 20 million children’s readers to more than 50 million. in 2020, children read more than a billion books on its platform, a billion with a “b. “Half of those, half a billion books, were read by new readers. Now, over a million teachers use Epic to assign, track, and select readings. It’s not just volume either. the company says that in 2020, individual reading time, the amount spent per student per book increased by 60%.

“We’re in awe and really excited about this year,” said Kevin Donahue, co-founder of Epic. “From the very beginning, we had been building a foundation for the success that we are now seeing, always giving it free to schools and teachers, and that started to pay off,” he said. That “mass growth” is “at the core of what we do,” Donahue said.

See also  Shelf life | The Economist

Donahue and co-founder and CEO Suren Markosian always planned to build a company with a strong, for-profit, consumer-oriented structure, but with a “soul” built around inspirational reading, they said. that, they both said, is what has helped them reach another important milestone.

“That core has made us a brand that everyone recognizes,” Markosian said. “and, as a result, we have become a profitable company.” epic sells a subscription service for $7.99 a month.

See Also: Autism Books for Children on the Spectrum – Autism Parenting Magazine

There is no doubt that the path to millions of users and profitability was shortened by the covid-19 pandemic and the reliance on home learning and technology that accompanied it. but the company’s achievements are appreciable nonetheless. and perhaps most importantly, while the company may have benefited from the realities of pandemic learning, it’s clear that children did too, probably more so. a 60% increase in reading time is staggering. there is also other evidence of a benefit at the student level.

“Anecdotally,” said donahue, “we have a lot of information about how we’re helping fill the learning gaps for young learners this year.” In one example, Donahue says a teacher reached out to thank them because she had had a student stop attending virtual classes, a worryingly common and well-documented occurrence of remote learning, especially among younger students. In this case, however, Donahue said, “Teachers noticed that the student was still using Epic, reading books even though she wasn’t in class. and the teacher was able to build a bridge with the student by suggesting and assigning readings and staying informed of progress through the platform directly.”

See also  Alliteration: Definition and Examples from Literature - TCK Publishing

Looking into the future, it’s easy to predict that the company will continue to grow, based on the counterintuitive idea of ​​giving away its product. “We’re going to lean toward more free products and materials,” Donahue said. she also added that while there is “a lot more growth to be seen domestically, there is also a lot more growth to be seen around the world.” they don’t plan to focus internationally, just recognize the opportunities.

for markosian and donahue, knowing where they are and where they can go is understandably exciting, but in ways that relate to their initial vision. “What was really exciting for us is that we started the company with a simple vision to serve children, to help them have better access to reading materials,” Donahue said. “And that has been beyond our wildest dreams. it’s a healthy and growing business and we’re really hitting big numbers and we’re just getting started. It’s a much bigger opportunity than we realized.”

See Also: Nicholas Petrie – Book Series In Order

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *