TreeRing
 | |
| Industry | Internet |
|---|---|
| Founded | San Mateo, California, United States (September 8, 2009) |
| Founder |
Aaron Greco,[1] Brady McCue, Kevin Zerber (co-founders) |
Area served | United States, Canada [1] |
| Products | yearbooks |
| Website |
www |
TreeRing is a Silicon Valley, CA-based technology company providing on-demand digital printing of customizable school yearbooks in the US and Canada.[2][3]
It is one of the first start-ups that changed the traditional yearbook industry: the company designed free software with social-networking features allowing the creation of personalized yearbooks [4] and offered a new business model eliminating the financial cost of yearbooks for schools.
Distinctive features
TreeRing's publishing platform allows the school community to collaborate on web-based yearbooks saved using cloud storage. Its users can add, share, and comment on photos, memories, and events. Students and their parents can customize their copy of the school yearbook by uploading their own content for personalized pages.[5][6][7] As a result, in addition to a print version, schools can opt to share an online yearbook.[2]
The company's business model does not impose any financial obligation on schools signing up with TreeRing. Unlike traditional publishers business models based on offset printing techniques, there are no minimum orders.[8][9] The ordering and paying for yearbooks is done online.[7]
Business activities
In 2012, TreeRing printed 125,000 yearbooks and raised $3.6 million in the first round of venture funding in the Silicon Valley. The list of the company's investors included Mike McCue (a Flipboard co-founder), Rich Barton (Expedia and Zillow founder), Second Avenue Partners, Cedar Grove Investments and others.[1][10]
In 2013 the company served more than 2,000 schools across the US and was anticipating production of over 200,000 yearbooks.[8]
Awards
Social responsibility
The company prints its yearbooks on recycled paper and plants a tree for every printed copy.[6][13]
References
- 1 2 3 Ki Mae Heussner (25 September 2012). "With $3.6M, TreeRing revives the yearbook for the Facebook generation". GigaOM. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- 1 2 Jacob Hawkins (23 January 2013). "College yearbooks retain relevance in print". USA Today. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ Scott Eidler (26 June 2012). "More school yearbooks adding online content". Newsday. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ Art McFarland (19 June 2012). "Creating high school memories digitally". WABC-TV. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ Beth Whitehouse (23 September 2013). "LI school yearbooks get a boost from technology". Newsday. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- 1 2 Leah Gonzalez (30 May 2013). "High-Schoolers Can Personalize Yearbooks with Facebook Pictures". PSFK. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- 1 2 Margo Pierce (29 April 2013). "Yearbooks in the Age of Cloud Computing". The Journal. 1105 Media Inc. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- 1 2 Farhad Manjoo (28 May 2013). "Most Likely to Succeed". Slate Magazine. The Slate Group. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ Ryan Novack (19 June 2013). "New yearbook model is a win for students—and schools". eSchool News. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ John Cook (25 September 2012). "A yearbook for the Facebook generation: Rich Barton, Mike McCue back TreeRing". GeekWire. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ "T&L Announces Awards of Excellence Winners in 31st Annual Competition". Tech & Learning Magazine. NewBay Media, LLC. 1 November 2013.
- ↑ "Our readers' top 40 ed-tech services for 2013-14". eSchool News. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ↑ David Zax (15 February 2011). "Yearbook dorks lose iron grip on content with customizable, crowdsourced books". Fast Company (magazine). Retrieved 16 January 2014.
Further watching
- "A yearbook that looks like Facebook (Video Interview)". CNN Money. 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2014. (3:12 minutes) (
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