About OverDrive
OverDrive is a Media & Entertainment company based in Cleveland (United States) founded in 1986, and was acquired by KKR in December 2019. Digital content distribution is facilitated for libraries and schools by OverDrive. It operates on a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) and Freemium model. The company has 413 employees. OverDrive has completed 3 acquisitions, including Booki.sh, Kanopy and RB Digital. Its website overdrive.com draws about 14.3 million monthly visits. OverDrive offers products and services including Libby, Kanopy, Sora, and TeachingBooks. Its focus areas include Technology, Digital Media, Content Distribution and Education. Its legal entity is OVERDRIVE, INC. Its competitors include Scribd and VoyceMe; 2 of its 2 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Digital content such as ebooks, audiobooks, and movies is provided by OverDrive to public libraries, schools, and businesses. Services are offered through apps like Libby, Kanopy, Sora, and TeachingBooks, targeting various user groups including library patrons, K-12 students, and educators. Solutions are designed to maximize discoverability and inspire reading, with a focus on transforming library services and meeting educational needs. Partnerships with publishers are established to drive sales and enhance global digital distribution.
Products & Services of OverDrive
OverDrive offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Libby, Kanopy, Sora, and TeachingBooks.
Access to ebooks and audiobooks is provided for free.
Free movie streaming is offered through public libraries.
Ebooks for K-12 students are made easily accessible.
Reading materials for children are enriched through resources.
Apps and channels of OverDrive
OverDrive publishes 1 mobile app.
Funding Insights of OverDrive
- Total Rounds 1
- Investors Count 1
All 1 funding rounds of OverDrive with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2010 | Private Equity Round | – | – |
3 investors in total: 3 institutional.
Investors in OverDrive
OverDrive has secured backing from 3 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Rakuten, KKR and Insight Partners.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Investment firm scaling software and technology companies from early to late stages. | insightpartners.com | |||
Multiple sectors are invested in by this private equity firm. | 1976 | kkr.com | New York, United States | |
Cashback is provided on multi-category products through an app-based platform. | 1997 | rakuten.com | San Francisco, United States |
Investor details for OverDrive
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- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of OverDrive
177 people are tracked at OverDrive (14 in leadership, 4 in board & advisors, 159 in team); the tracked headcount is 413.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Greg Farmer | CFO | Leadership |
Steve Potash | Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Jeff Sterling | CTO | Leadership |
Lori Franklin | COO | Leadership |
Sam Rosselot | HR Business Partner | Leadership |
Dave Passerallo | Director Of Finance & Controller | Leadership |
Jennifer Leitman | Chief Marketing Officer | Leadership |
Rose Donohoo | Director, Content Services | Leadership |
Renee Bixler | Director Of Marketing Services | Leadership |
John Sobolewski | Director Of Software Development | Leadership |
Rebecca Gallagher | Executive Assistant To Chief Executive Officer | Leadership |
Shannon Lichty | Vice President, Partner Services | Leadership |
Rick P. | Director | Leadership |
Megan Baechle | Manager, Office Of The CEO | Leadership |
Chresten Knaff | Director | Board & advisors |
Ted Oberwager | Director | Board & advisors |
Richard Sarnoff | Director | Board & advisors |
Milena Alberti-Perez | Director | Board & advisors |
Sarah Delano | Team Lead | Team |
Cynthia Orr | Digital Collection Advisor | Team |
157 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for OverDrive
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
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Investments & Acquisitions by OverDrive
OverDrive has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 3 companies. Notable acquisitions include Booki.sh, Kanopy and RB Digital.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Video-streaming services are offered to libraries and universities. | kanopy.com | San Francisco, United States | 2008 | Jun 2021 | •••• | |
Print and publishing services are provided by RB Digital. | rbdigital.com | 2008 | Jun 2020 | •••• | ||
Cloud-based platform for eBooks distribution and access is provided. | booki.sh | Cleveland, United States | 1986 | Mar 2012 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for OverDrive
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of OverDrive
7 dated milestones of OverDrive across 35 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded OverDrive is founded.
- Funding First funding round.
- Acquisition Acquires Booki.sh.
- Exit Acquired by Rakuten.
- Exit Acquired by KKR.
- Acquisition Acquires RB Digital.
- Acquisition Acquires Kanopy.
Competitors of OverDrive
OverDrive has 2 listed competitors in our database, 2 of them funded. They include Scribd and VoyceMe.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scribd.com | 2006 | San Francisco, United States | $105.24M | 300 | SaaS-based book reading platform | |
| voyce.me | 2020 | New York, United States | $16.9M | Online comic books are delivered in multiple genres. |
Detailed competitors of OverDrive
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
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Web traffic of OverDrive
The website of OverDrive (overdrive.com) receives about 14.3M visits a month and ranks #3,464 among all websites worldwide, #351 in Books and Literature.
- Monthly visits14.3M
▲ 6.1% vs previous month
- Unique visitors3.6M
per month
- Global rank#3,464
among all websites
- Category rank#351
Arts and Entertainment · Books and Literature
- Bounce rate36%
- Pages per visit5.5
- Average visit3 min 55 sec
- DevicesDesktop 48% · Mobile 52%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with OverDrive. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| gutenberg.org | 100% | 8.1M | #7,610 | View details | |
| librivox.org | 94% | #34,974 | View details | ||
| kobo.com | 86% | 8.8M | #5,694 | View details | |
epub.pub | epub.pub | 83% | #4,877 | – | |
munseys.com | munseys.com | 82% | – | ||
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 40 similar websites and full traffic analytics for OverDrive
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- 40 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Book & Digital Reading Platforms
3 companies that operate in the same segment as OverDrive (Book & Digital Reading Platforms) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Digital audiobooks are produced and streamed via a SaaS platform. | 1995 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | USD 6 M | |||
Rental books and homework help are provided to university students. | 2005 | Santa Clara, California, United States | USD 205.99 M | USD 376.91 M | 1,270 | |
SaaS-based book reading platform | 2006 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 105.24 M |
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Related news about Overdrive
Complete news archive for OverDrive
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Frequently Asked Questions about OverDrive
OverDrive was founded in 1986 and raised its 1st funding round 24 years after it was founded.
OverDrive is headquartered in Cleveland, United States. It is registered at Cleveland, Ohio, United States.
OverDrive has 413 employees.
Digital content such as ebooks, audiobooks, and movies is provided by OverDrive to public libraries, schools, and businesses. Services are offered through apps like Libby, Kanopy, Sora, and TeachingBooks, targeting various user groups including library patrons, K-12 students, and educators. Solutions are designed to maximize discoverability and inspire reading, with a focus on transforming library services and meeting educational needs. Partnerships with publishers are established to drive sales and enhance global digital distribution.
OverDrive offers Libby, Kanopy, Sora, and TeachingBooks.
OverDrive has made 3 acquisitions, including Booki.sh, Kanopy, and RB Digital.
OverDrive has 3 investors. Key investors include Rakuten, KKR, and Insight Partners.
OverDrive operates through Overdrive, Inc..
Yes. OverDrive was acquired by KKR in December 2019.
Yes. OverDrive publishes Libby, the library app.
The website of OverDrive receives about 14.3 million visits a month and ranks #3,464 among all websites worldwide.