This Knowledge-app Is At The Forefront Of Europe’s Most Exciting EdTech Ecosystem

The global education technology scene has grown remarkably over the last decade, and the experts at Forbes predict the sector will be worth $252 billion by the end of 2020. According to a study by Brighteye Ventures, US companies dominate the market, but possibly not for long. In 2019 alone, over half a billion dollars worth of funding poured into European ventures.

Blinkist is at the heart of Europe’s blossoming EdTech scene — the startup is behind a cutting edge knowledge app that gives you the lowdown on nonfiction books in just 15 minutes. With Blinkist, you can get smarter, pick up new skills, and stay in the know.

Since it was founded in 2012, Blinkist has grown into an app used by 14 million people and along the way, it’s won massive praise. In 2016, the experts at Wired UK named it one of the top startups in Berlin, and in 2017, Apple feautured Blinkist as one of the world’s best apps. A year later, LinkedIn named it one of the top startups in Germany, and in 2019 startup news site TechRound called out Blinkist as an EdTech startup to watch out for.

“When we started, most apps were for social media or gaming. We wanted to do something different and build an app that would add genuine value to someone’s life”. — Holger Seim, CEO of Blinkist.

Today Blinkist boasts over 14 million users and $35 million in funding. The app is now so popular it ranks in the top twenty brands featured in the App Store’s lifelong learning category. This year, two separate industry experts — GP Bullhound and the German equivalent of TechCrunch, Gruenderszene — both predicted that Blinkist would become worth $1 billion in the near future.

Now let’s take a look at what makes Blinkist such a rising star of the European EdTech scene and why the cutting edge app they’re building is so unique.

Blinkist is at the Forefront of Microlearning

Microlearning — condensed learning that allows learners to pick up new skills and apply knowledge quickly — is set to transform the future of education. According to new research from MarketsandMarkets, the microlearning sector is expected to grow from $1.5 billion in 2019 to $2.7 billion by 2024.

Blinkist has become a major player in microlearning. In 2019 alone, the app’s user base grew from 8.5 to 13 million. The industry insiders at BusinessWire, Cision, and Forbes have each predicted that Blinkist has what it takes to lead this new way of learning into the future.

“We’ll also see an increase in microlearning. Blinkist condenses the most important information from nonfiction books into 15 minutes of audio, and currently has a community of 13 million learners. Education will have to adapt to our ever-shortening attention spans.” – Forbes.

What makes Blinkist such a powerful app for microlearning is because, unlike conventional learning methods, Blinkist is there whenever you have time. With a 15 minute explainer pack that offers the key messages from nonfiction books, Blinkist makes learning more flexible, accessible, and engaging for everyone.

Big Investors back Blinkist

Blinkist has raised over $35 million in under six years. The app has received backing from some major players in the startup scene like VC firm Insight Partners — who were early investors in Twitter, Tumblr, and HelloFresh. Global capital firm E.ventures, an investor in MADE.COM and Groupon, is also backing Blinkist.

“As a concept and an investment opportunity, Blinkist offers something genuinely unique. The company presents an exciting model which is defining and spearheading a whole new category of self-development. […] We only want to work with the brightest and most ambitious teams, and we know that Blinkist and its founders share our vision for making a positive, global impact.” — Harley Miller, Vice President at Insight Partners, Blinkist Investor.

A Book Explained in 15 Minutes

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends around 19 minutes reading per day. With a 300-page book taking approximately 8 hours to complete, it could take you nearly a month to finish a nonfiction title. But with Blinkist, you can get the key insights from a major nonfiction work in as little as 15 minutes.

Get the key takeaways from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

These short bursts of learning are perfectly designed to fit your day. So you can sharpen your knowledge while getting ready for work, shopping for groceries, or running between meetings.

“I use Blinkist when I’m in between meetings and can’t get a giant task done, but at least I can be productive.” — Sarah Schupp, Professor & Founder of UniversityParent.com

One of the World’s Best Apps

Experts agree that Blinkist is an EdTech company that should be on your radar. Now let’s take a look at what major organizations have to say.

Blinkist made the App Store’s Best of 2017 selection, Google gave the team a Material Design award, and in 2018, judges gave Blinkist an Android Excellence award. Blinkist has also made headlines in The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Huffington Post.

“This is where it [the Blinkist concept] genuinely shines […] this summary is actually interesting and helpful. I suddenly understand the theory of relativity and what the uncertainty principle is.” — Sian Cain, The Guardian

However, the best praise for Blinkist hasn’t come from major media but from its users. To date, over 90 thousand users have given the app a five-star review, across Android and iOS.

“As a productivity coach and one of the life long learners, I can’t tell you how happy I was to find Blinkist. If you enjoy nonfiction reading and are short on time, Blinkist will be your new favorite app.” — Karen Trepte, Huffington Post.

It’s Backed by Science

After a long day at work, we don’t want to wrestle with the complex theories from a nonfiction book. That’s why Blinkist uses smart neuroscientifically-proven techniques to unravel big ideas in a way that anyone can understand. The content for each explainer pack is also designed to be engaging to the user, so when you finish a long day, you’ll want to start learning with Blinkist.

So paying for a @blinkist membership is probably some of the best money I've spent in a while

— YNNA heat of the moment (@YNNABEAT) April 9, 2019

For instance, the content team employs relatable examples, anecdotes, and case studies to give you the key messages without getting bogged down in complexities that would turn off your brain. Plus, where relevant, each explainer pack gives you actionable insights to take with you at the end so you can apply meaningful advice to your daily life.

Learning on the Go

Sometimes reading just can’t fit into our busy lives. That’s why Blinkist allows you to stay in the know while on the go with audio — whether you’re preparing for the start of your day, or taking a walk at lunchtime.

“I’ve used commutes for learning, listening to many audiobooks. I often pick my books by first listening to book summaries in the Blinkist and Instaread apps. Sometimes, the summaries are enough to get a sense of the general ideas in a book. Listening to a broad spectrum of books that I may not have read otherwise, I learned a lot about leadership, product development and entrepreneurship.” — Yana Welinder, Kraftful CEO and Co-Founder

Professional narrators read each audio explainer pack. Some even use audio cues — like birds tweeting in a primordial jungle or the music of Beethoven — to give you an immersive experience.

Stay Up to Date With the Latest Books

With Blinkist, you can finally be a part of the conversation and get around to the trending books that may have passed you by this year. There are 4,000 titles in the app, with 70 new additions every month chosen from the bestseller lists of major publications like The New York Times and the most popular nonfiction books from Goodreads.

In as little as 15 minutes, you can finally enjoy books from authors such as Jared Diamond, Bill Bryson, and Michelle Obama. You can also immerse yourself in the biographies of some of history’s greatest thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, Stephen Hawking and Harriet Tubman.

There’s no better time to join the Blinkist learning revolution. Download the app today, and start your free trial.