Rethink Books has just shared announced that it has closed a $2 million Series A round led by Ambassador Technologies. The Dallas-based Rethink Books will use the funding for product development of apps including FirstChapters, its eBook discovery and purchase platform, and to cultivate relationships with publishing partners.
TechCrunch first covered Rethink Books last year when it showed them an unreleased tablet eReader app that let users add notes, view notes of friends, and share excerpts. Similar features have since been integrated into the popular eReader apps and devices, prompting Rethink Books to move in the direction of discovery.
Its recently released FirstChapters, which lets users scan a physical book or browse popular book lists from the New York Times, Oprah, and more. Users can then read the first few chapters of a selected book, and if they like it, purchase a digital copy through Apple, Amazon, and other online retailers.
With the eReader devices such as the Kindle Fire proliferating, the potential user base for Rethink Books’ products is rapidly expanding. The opportunity to earn a share of the purchases that will fill these devices seems to have attracted Ambassador Technologies.
Rethink Books’ CEO Jason Illian says “along with the applications that make digital reading more accessible and social, we’ll be focusing on the Christian and evangelical book market.” This sector isn’t typically a focus for Silicon Valley companies, and the company’s Dallas location could give it an advantage in signing partnerships with Christian and evangelical publishers.
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(Via TechCrunch.)
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