Inkling Signs Deals with Pearson, Elsevier

By Calvin Reid | PW - July 16, 2013

Inkling, a software platform specializing in creating multimedia e-books for the iPad, has reached major agreements with Pearson and Elsevier to create “next generation,” digital educational content using its Habitat authoring tool. In addition, the company has secured $16 million in series C funding from Sequoia Capital’s Growth Fund and additional funding from its other investors. Inkling also announced the hiring of three new executives to direct its marketing, business development and finance and operations activities.

Pearson and Elsevier have signed on to use Inkling’s Habitat, a multimedia authoring tool that allows the creation of media-enriched content distributable through a variety of online channels, as their primary platform for creating digital-first educational content. Although both publishers have been working with Inkling to convert some of their content using Habitat, the new multi-year agreements mean the publishers “are licensing the software as cornerpiece of a digital-first authoring platform,” said Inkling CEO Matt MacInnis during a phone interview. “Publishers are transitioning to creating content in digital formats first rather than in print. No more shipping CDS, no ink and paper, they don’t start in InDesign, you start with Habitat—you can also output to print—the value chain is changing,” MacIness said.

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