Anobii

Anobii
Type of site
Catalog and community
OwnerOvolab
Created byGreg Sung
URLwww.anobii.com
CommercialYes
RegistrationFree
Launched2006
Current statusactive

Anobii (stylized, anobii) is a social networking site aimed at readers. Its website was launched in 2006 by Greg Sung. It was acquired by the publisher Mondadori in 2014 from a venture backed by HMV Group, HarperCollins, Penguin, and Random House.

The service allows individuals to catalog their books and rate, review and discusses them with other readers. The service is available via the Anobii website and iOS and Android apps. The apps allow individuals to barcode scan books and read both community and expert reviews.

Anobii has readers in over 20 countries but is most popular in Italy.

On 2 March 2011 it was announced that in 2010 Anobii had been acquired by a UK startup led by HMV Group and supported by HarperCollins, Penguin, and The Random House Group and that the company is working on a new version of the website with the possibility to buy books and most of all ebooks.[1]

On 12 June 2012, it was announced that HMV had sold its interest to UK supermarket company Sainsbury's for £1.[2][3]

In January 2013, it was announced that beta.anobii.com will be known as eBooks by Sainsbury's from 20 February 2013. Anobii.com will continue to exist as a social network for book lovers.[4]

In January 2014, Anobii Ltd was sold to the Italian publisher Arnoldo Mondadori Editore.[5]

On 29 May 2019, Anobii Ltd was sold to the Italian mobile apps and software developer, Ovolab.[6]

The word "Anobii" comes from Anobium Punctatum, the Latin name for the most common bookworm.[7]

  1. ^ Good News Archived March 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Anobii Blog, March 2, 2011.
  2. ^ "Sainsbury's moves into e-book space with acquisition of majority stake in online books platform Anobii". 12 June 2012. Archived from the original on 18 March 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  3. ^ "Sainsbury enters e-book market with Anobii buy". Reuters. Retrieved 22 October 2012.
  4. ^ "From 20th February 2013, this website will become eBooks by Sainsbury's". Anobii. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Notice of transfer of business". Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  6. ^ "OVOLAB CRESCE CON L'ACQUISIZIONE DI ANOBII, IL SOCIAL NETWORK DEI LIBRI".
  7. ^ About, The aNobii website, May 16, 2014.