Iwan Books announced the completion of its first investment agreement in its history with Ahmed Sami, who joined the company as a strategic investor and second co-founder, while also taking on the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Mohamed Gamal continues in his role as first co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The company did not disclose the investment amount or the terms of the agreement, but it explained that the funding would be directed toward completing the platform’s development and advancing its technical infrastructure, including web releases and mobile applications running on iOS and Android, in addition to supporting tablets.
A Self-Publishing Platform Targeting a New Generation
Iwan Books is working to build a Self-Publishing platform aimed particularly at Generation Z, using artificial intelligence tools to help authors produce and publish their works. The company says it is targeting a market comprising approximately 500 million Arabic- and English-speaking authors and readers worldwide.
According to Mohamed Gamal, work on the platform began over the past few months, and trial versions for the web, mobile phones, and tablets have already been launched. The company has also begun a campaign to attract early users from among content creators, with the aim of enabling them to publish and launch their works through the platform.
The Founders’ Roles and the Investor’s Experience
Ahmed Sami has more than 20 years of experience in investment, entrepreneurship, technology, and artificial intelligence. He is the founder and CEO of Eye Advertising Group, which has operated in communications and integrated marketing since 2012. His portfolio includes investments in companies such as Zaher AI, which specializes in Generative Engine Optimization, and BlinkBot, which operates in artificial intelligence revenue platforms, in addition to service-based investments including Nest.
Mohamed Gamal previously founded Kotobna, a platform and publishing house, and has 19 published works, including works that have been translated or adapted into audiobooks. He also received the MIT Pan Arab Award in 2015 in Kuwait and the global SeedStars award in Cairo during the same year, and was selected among the 50 leading entrepreneurs in Africa in 2022 by African Business Heroes.
What Is Changing in Practice?
The investment represents Iwan Books’ transition from developing the idea and experimental prototypes to building a product capable of being tested across more than one platform. The company presents a vision that goes beyond the print-book model by combining artificial intelligence tools, self-publishing, and digital content formats that it says are more suited to Generation Z’s preferences, such as video, designs, audio clips, and short-form content.
However, the available information does not yet clarify the nature of the artificial intelligence tools the platform will provide, its revenue model, mechanisms for protecting authors’ rights, or the markets in which it will begin commercial operations. The figure of 500 million also represents the size of the target audience according to the company’s vision, not the number of actual users. Therefore, the current stage remains tied to the success of the trial versions and the platform’s ability to convert early users’ interest into sustained use.