Storytel

Storytel AB
Company typePublic
Nasdaq Stockholm: STORY B
IndustryAudiobooks
Founded2006; 19 years ago (2006)
FoundersJonas Tellander
Jon Hauksson
HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
Key people
Johannes Larcher (CEO)
Websitestorytel.com
audiobooks.com

Storytel AB is a Swedish e-book and audiobook subscription service based in Stockholm. It is available in more than 25 countries.[1] Its English audiobook service Audiobooks.com is available in more than 150 countries.[2]

History

Storytel was founded in 2006 by Jonas Tellander and Jon Hauksson.[3]

In 2016, Storytel acquired Norstedts förlag, one of Sweden's largest book publishers, and Mofibo, a Danish book service.[4][5] The following year, Storytel acquired People's Press, another Danish publisher, and expanded its operations to Russia, Spain, India, and the United Arab Emirates.[6]

In 2018, Storytel acquired Seslenen Kitaplar, a Turkish audiobook service.[7] A year later, in 2019, it acquired Gummerus, Finland's oldest publishing house.[8]

In July 2020, Storytel acquired a 70 percent stake in Forlagið, an Icelandic publishing house.[9]

In November 2021, Storytel acquired Audiobooks.com from RBMedia for $135 million.[10][11]

In February 2022, Jonas Tellander stepped down as the CEO for personal reasons and joined the board of directors.[12] In August 2022, Johannes Larcher, formerly an executive at HBO, was appointed as the new CEO.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Audiobook streamer Storytel sees pandemic spurring subscriber growth". Business Insider.
  2. ^ "Storytel enters the U.S. with acquisition of Audiobooks.com". Reuters.
  3. ^ "Sweden's Storytel Continues Its Global Expansion". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  4. ^ "Sweden's Storytel to enter four new markets". Reuters. March 24, 2017 – via Reuters.
  5. ^ "Storytel køber bogtjenesten Mofibo | Mofibo". via.ritzau.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  6. ^ "Storytel opkøber forlaget People's Press". mediawatch.dk (in Danish). 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
  7. ^ "Türkiye, 19 ülke içinde en hızlı büyüyen oldu". Ekonomist (in Turkish). 2020-04-28. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
  8. ^ "Kirjojen suoratoistopalvelu Storytel ostaa Suomen kolmanneksi suurimman kustantamon Gummeruksen". Helsingin Sanomat. 2019-09-17. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  9. ^ "Storytel Purchases Majority Share in Forlagið, Iceland's Largest Publisher". July 3, 2020.
  10. ^ Ruth Comerford (November 13, 2021). "Storytel extends into English language market with $135m Audiobooks deal". The Bookseller. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Heloise Wood (April 11, 2017). "Newly formed RBmedia buys Audiobooks.com". The Bookseller. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  12. ^ "Jonas Tellander to step down as Storytel CEO – search process for a new CEO initiated". Storytel. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  13. ^ https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/international/international-book-news/article/90204-sweden-s-storytel-appoints-hbo-exec-as-ceo.html