Worldreader Mobile app reaches more than 500,000 readers globally

We know that eBook industry is doing well mostly in developed countries, such as US, France and Germany. People in developing countries have been living a hard life, not to mention modern electric devices or eBook reading. According to GoodeReader, Worldreader, a non-profitable organization, has distributed black-and-white Kindle devices together with dedicated iOS and Android apps to Africa, succeeded in helping more than 500,000 people globally read eBooks with its Worldreader Mobile app.

Worldreader, founded by David Risher and Colin McElwee in 2010, is based in San Francisco and Barcelona, aiming to let people in less developing countries have access to eBooks by using eReaders or reading apps on mobile phone. As a non-profitable organization, it accepts donations from individuals, communities, enterprises and other organizations. Individual donators include Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, who contributed $500,000 to Worldreader in early 2013.

As to eBook titles, Worldreader offers not only African textbooks, stories books and newspapers, but also worldwide classics and contemporary fictions. It is reported that there are more than 500,000 readers read per month, with more than one third registered users included. Mobile phone users generally spend 600,000 hours on eBooks per month and they read as many as 17,000 eBooks in January.

Worldreader conducted a 20-eReader trial at Ghana (Africa) in March 2010 and later launched similar eReader programs in Kenya, Uganda Rwanda and Tanzania. It has set up partnerships with Amazon, FC Barcelona and many big publishers such as PCaine Prize for African writers.