Bookinou: the children's story companion

Meet Vincent Gunther, founder of Bookinou, the children's story companion.

What is Bookinou? Bookinou is a storyteller for children that allows them to listen to an audio story recorded by their parents or a loved one, while following along in their paper book. So it is grandpa, grandma, a big brother, big sister or that aunt-who-lives-far-away who record the child's favourite stories, and the child can listen to them at will! In practice, Bookinou is a reading device shaped like a friendly, smiling book.

The child picks up their Bookinou, scans one of their books on which the parents have previously stuck an identifying sticker for the story, and settles in with book and Bookinou to listen to the tale told by a familiar voice. Beforehand, of course, the relatives will have recorded themselves using the mobile application provided by Bookinou. A wonderful way to give the youngest children, especially those who cannot yet read on their own, a love of books and stories. On top of that, the child maintains a bond with family members who may be far away (or in lockdown!

). The Bees went to meet Vincent GUNTHER, co-founder of Bookinou and a client we have the pleasure of supporting, to find out more... How was Bookinou born? A few years ago, I was working with Guillaume at a Lyon-based startup that created mobile applications.

We both had the desire to build a business, to create. The idea came from Guillaume, and more specifically from his wife, who is a speech therapist. We identified the need to support reading among the very young by giving them a love of books, while developing their independence. Given our background, we quickly envisioned the application that would allow stories to be recorded and brought to life for children.

But we also wanted, above all, to keep the physical book. That is where we imagined Bookinou, the companion that would allow the child to make the link between the spoken story and the paper book. How did you know, "That's it! Let's go for it!

"? And how did you do it? At the beginning, even though you have thought the project through, it seems like a mountain to climb! While we were well-prepared for launching a software project (which requires app development), the hardware, the physical product itself, was really not our thing!

We studied our project seriously – looked at what was on the market, what the expectations and consumption habits were. We knew that the failure rate for companies developing "hardware products" was very high. We started with a prototype, made of wood. We tested it.

We went to libraries, we observed user reactions, their feedback. The reception was very positive. We launched a crowdfunding campaign. The aim was of course to raise funds but also to gauge the interest our project was generating.

This campaign attracted attention and we quickly received contacts from distributors. We were also supported by the Reseau Entreprendre network. All of this enabled us to secure the funding needed for our R&D and to refine our product. Where are you today?

Bookinou's commercialisation began in November 2017. Today, our Bookinou is sold by prestigious retailers: FNAC, Vertbaudet, Oxybul, Nature et Decouvertes... We are so proud! In the coming months, many challenges await us.

Our goal is to work with more distributors, accelerate our commercial development, and diversify our revenue streams. Since the end of lockdown, our Bookinou has also been increasingly purchased by schools, particularly nursery and Year 1 classes. This does not yet represent a large market, but we are very happy about this reach. School, for us, is the symbol of learning and reading support.

And if we can contribute to that, then we have achieved our goal. What drives you in your project? What gives you energy? Bookinou is a project close to our hearts. It is an adventure built on convictions, on the desire to be close to children, to limit screens, to create family bonds.

It is truly a project and product that motivates from the outset through its "universal dimension". There is also an emotional aspect. We notice that the people we work with are those who share our passion for Bookinou. Since the beginning, I believe our partners, suppliers, distributors and funders support us also because it is a heartfelt cause.

We feel that for us, they go the extra mile! We also draw energy from our customers' feedback, and that really gives us a boost! How does Fifty Bees contribute to your success? Our adventure with Fifty Bees started when we met Berenice, at the time of the company's creation.

We were particularly interested in your offering tailored to startups and innovation. Fifty Bees is a precious partner for us. We have been remarkably well supported, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank your team. Let's be honest, a startup does not generate much revenue at the outset for a firm like yours.

We are a company that carries risk, we are not the ones who will drive your turnover! At the start, I am sure we took up more of your time than we brought in revenue... I really appreciated the fact that despite everything, you were there. We work with Berenice, Melody and Nicolas on a daily basis and they are wonderful in terms of trust and responsiveness.

During lockdown, your team was on deck the whole time. You were incredibly responsive, you advised and supported us, even though it must have been hectic on your end, well done! A final word? Yes, a word for my team at Bookinou, who carry the project every day.

We are a team of 10 people driven by enthusiasm and dynamism. We are very united around this heartfelt project, it is a wonderful adventure. To find out more, visit the Bookinou website! The Bees wish you all happy family reading times...