Sarah Hijazi Freelancer

What began as a Danish startup in Copenhagen in 2006, Issuu has evolved into an industry-leading digital publishing platform. The company was founded by Michael Hansen, Ruben Bjerg Hansen, Mikkel Jensen, and Martin Ferro-Thomsen. By 2011, Issuu's software was already being utilized by numerous online publications. A significant turning point came in early 2013 when Issuu opened an office in the vibrant tech hub of Palo Alto, California. This strategic move included the appointment of Joe Hyrkin, with his extensive experience from Reverb, Trinity Ventures, and Yahoo!, as CEO to spearhead its Silicon Valley operations. Soon after, the company relocated its headquarters to Palo Alto. The founders articulated that this move was driven by the vision of social media and digital distribution partnerships as pivotal to their growth, shifting focus from primarily publishing relationships. Also in 2013, Issuu expanded its capabilities by acquiring Magma, a Denmark-based software company. Magma's software facilitated collaboration among editorial teams for organizing, laying out, and proofing publications.

Over the years, Issuu continued to innovate and expand its reach. In January 2014, an Android app was launched, followed by an iOS app in October 2014, making Issuu accessible on Apple devices. By that year, the platform boasted over 18 million publications and 83 million users. A key development in 2019 was the introduction of Issuu Promote, an ad integration tool for Facebook and Instagram, enabling content distribution across multiple social media channels. While the dedicated iOS and Android apps were discontinued in April 2023, Issuu's platform continued to thrive. In a major development, July 2024 saw the acquisition of Issuu by the Italian technology company Bending Spoons. Today, Issuu stands as a self-service platform that empowers a diverse range of users, from individuals to global brands, to transform static documents into dynamic digital experiences. With over a million creators and marketers using the platform annually and 100 million unique users per month consuming Issuu-processed content, it has become a de facto standard for digital audience reach and expansion. Issuu's mission is to help businesses market themselves and grow by enabling them to host, distribute, measure, promote, and monetize their content, while also helping readers discover and share meaningful content on any device.