Kno

Kno, Inc. was an American educational technology company focused on digital textbooks and software for students, educators, and academic publishers. Founded in May 2009 by Osman Rashid and Babur Habib, the company initially pursued a hardware-led strategy: it designed large-format tablet computers intended specifically for reading and interacting with digital textbooks. Its founding proposition was to create a student-oriented digital textbook platform rather than a general-purpose consumer tablet. The company was based in Santa Clara, California, and sought to combine publisher content, annotation tools, multimedia, search, and touch-based reading in a dedicated academic environment. Kno publicly introduced its tablet concept in June 2010. The proposed devices used one or two 14.1-inch touchscreens and were built around a Linux- and WebKit-based operating environment. The dual-screen model was positioned as a digital alternative to the physical textbook, with the form factor intended to support simultaneous viewing of multiple pages or materials. This hardware approach reflected the company’s effort to make digital course content feel closer to a conventional book while adding interactive capabilities. Kno’s strategy changed in 2011. In April of that year, the company announced that it had licensed its hardware design to Intel and would concentrate on software instead of manufacturing and selling its own tablet products. Two months later, Kno released an application for Apple’s iPad. It subsequently broadened software compatibility to additional platforms, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Android devices running Jelly Bean, Windows 7 and Windows 8 computers, and web browsers. This transition enabled Kno to reach students through devices they already owned and reduced its dependence on a specialized hardware product. The company’s content offering also broadened. In August 2012, Kno expanded beyond college textbooks into the K–12 education market, seeking to serve younger students and schools as well as higher-education users. Its business depended on relationships with educational publishers and on the digitization and delivery of textbook content through its applications and web-based services. Kno raised nearly $100 million in venture capital from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Intel Capital, Goldman Sachs, FLOODGATE, and GSV Capital. In November 2013, Intel acquired the company. Following the acquisition, the Kno website was eventually shut down and the service was renamed Intel Education Study. As a result, Kno no longer operates as an independent brand or company. Its significance lies in its early attempt to build a dedicated digital textbook ecosystem, its move from specialized educational hardware to cross-platform software, and its eventual absorption into Intel’s education technology activities.

Kno was founded in May 2009 in Santa Clara, California, by Osman Rashid and Babur Habib. The company entered the education technology sector at a time when publishers, schools, and universities were exploring alternatives to printed textbooks. Its initial concept was a dedicated student platform combining digital course materials with a purpose-built reading device. In June 2010, Kno announced tablet computers aimed at the academic market. The planned products included a single-panel model with a 14.1-inch touchscreen and a dual-panel model with two 14.1-inch touchscreens. The devices used an operating environment based on Linux and WebKit. Their large displays and book-oriented design were intended to support textbook reading, annotation, navigation, and other forms of interactive study. Rather than competing directly as a general consumer electronics company, Kno presented the tablets as tools for replacing or supplementing conventional academic textbooks. The company’s hardware strategy was short-lived. In April 2011, Kno announced that it had licensed its hardware design to Intel and would concentrate on software development. This represented a significant change in business direction: instead of requiring students to purchase a specialized Kno device, the company could distribute its textbook platform through existing computing and mobile ecosystems. In June 2011, Kno released an iPad application. It later offered versions for the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Android Jelly Bean, Windows 7, Windows 8, and web browsers and devices. The software-led model allowed Kno to emphasize access to digital textbooks and related educational materials across multiple platforms. The company worked with publishers to offer digitized academic content, while its applications were intended to provide students with a centralized environment for reading and studying. In August 2012, Kno broadened its catalog from college textbooks to include K–12 materials, extending its potential customer base from higher education to schools and younger learners. Kno was financed by venture investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Intel Capital, Goldman Sachs, FLOODGATE, and GSV Capital. The company ultimately raised nearly $100 million in venture capital. Intel’s involvement progressed from investment and hardware licensing to ownership. In November 2013, Intel acquired Kno. After the acquisition, the independent Kno service was eventually discontinued and renamed Intel Education Study. The shutdown ended Kno as a standalone operating brand. Its development nevertheless illustrates an early education technology transition from dedicated textbook hardware toward platform-compatible digital content and software.

• 2013

  Intel acquires Kno

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Intel acquired Kno in November 2013; the service was later renamed Intel Education Study.

• 2012

  Kno enters the K–12 textbook market

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  The company expanded its catalog beyond college textbooks to include K–12 educational materials.

• 2011

  Hardware design is licensed to Intel

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Kno announced that Intel had licensed its hardware design while Kno shifted its main focus toward software.

• 2011

  Cross-platform software rollout begins

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Kno released an iPad application and later extended its platform to Android, Windows, and web environments.

• 2010

  Kno announces textbook tablets

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Kno announced single-screen and dual-screen 14.1-inch touchscreen tablets designed for academic reading and digital textbook use.

• 2009

  Kno is founded

  [1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Osman Rashid and Babur Habib founded Kno in May 2009 as an education technology company focused on digital textbooks and student learning tools.

Kno positioned itself as a student-focused digital textbook and learning platform, initially differentiated by purpose-built large-screen tablet hardware and later by cross-platform educational software and publisher content.

• Educational hardware · 2010

  Kno textbook tablets

  Kno’s original hardware line consisted of large-format tablet computers designed for academic use. The announced configurations included a single 14.1-inch touchscreen and a dual-screen design with two 14.1-inch touchscreens. The products were intended to provide a digital alternative to printed textbooks and to support interactive reading and study. Their operating environment was based on Linux and WebKit. Kno later licensed the hardware design to Intel and moved away from a hardware-centered strategy.

• Educational software · 2011

  Kno digital textbook platform

  The Kno platform delivered digital textbooks and other educational materials in cooperation with publishers. It was designed around student access to course content and was offered across multiple device types after the company shifted away from specialized hardware. The platform supported distribution through iPad, Android, Windows, and web environments, allowing Kno to reach users through existing computers and mobile devices.

• K–12 educational content · 2012

  Kno K–12 digital textbook catalog

  In 2012, Kno expanded its catalog from college textbooks into K–12 educational materials. This broadened the platform’s intended audience to include schools, younger students, and educators in addition to higher-education users. The K–12 offering formed part of Kno’s broader publisher-content strategy and was delivered through its digital applications and web-compatible services.

• 2013

  Intel acquisition of KnoM&A

  Background

  Kno had raised nearly $100 million in venture capital and had an existing relationship with Intel through investment and hardware licensing.

  Action taken

  Intel acquired Kno in November 2013.

  Aftermath

  Kno ceased operating as an independent company. Its website was later shut down and the service was renamed Intel Education Study.

  Source

• 2012

  Expansion from college to K–12 educationStrategy

  Background

  Kno’s original content focus included college textbooks and academic users.

  Action taken

  The company expanded its catalog to include K–12 educational materials.

  Aftermath

  Kno broadened its target market to schools and younger learners, although the available reference material does not specify the commercial results of the expansion.

  Source

• 2011

  Shift from proprietary tablets to softwareStrategy

  Background

  Kno had initially presented dedicated tablets as the foundation of its digital textbook proposition. The company subsequently licensed its hardware design to Intel and chose to focus on software.

  Action taken

  Kno moved toward applications and platform compatibility, beginning with an iPad application and later supporting Android, Windows, and web environments.

  Aftermath

  The change allowed Kno to distribute its educational content through devices that students already owned and laid the groundwork for its broader digital textbook platform.

  Source

• 2013

  Intel acquires Kno[1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Intel acquired Kno in November 2013 after the company had raised nearly $100 million in venture capital. The service was later renamed Intel Education Study.

• 2012

  Kno expands its catalog into K–12 education[1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  Kno expanded its digital content catalog from college textbooks to include materials for the K–12 education market.

• 2011

  Kno licenses tablet design to Intel and shifts toward software[1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Kno announced that Intel had licensed its hardware design and that Kno would focus more heavily on educational software rather than producing its own tablet hardware.

• 2011

  Kno releases an iPad application[1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Kno introduced an iPad application, beginning the expansion of its digital textbook platform onto widely available consumer devices.

• 2010

  Kno announces dedicated digital textbook tablets[1]Knoen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Kno announced a line of large-format tablet computers designed for the academic market and digital textbook use, including single-screen and dual-screen configurations.

1. 1Knoen.wikipedia.org