XanEdu and SharedBook, Home to AcademicPub, Finalize Merger

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- XanEdu, Inc.™ and SharedBook Inc., home to AcademicPub™, today announced the completion of their previously announced merger.  The deal creates the industry's only unified solution that combines best-in class technology and services across the entire custom course materials delivery spectrum.

XanEdu is the nation's leading full-service provider of custom course materials through campus bookstores, academic programs, and faculty.  Over 1,000 institutions and more than 630,000 students use XanEdu course materials each year.  Professors and college bookstores rely on XanEdu to help them through the challenging process of finding custom content outside of traditional textbooks, clearing copyright permissions, and delivering a dynamic digital experience for students.  Course materials are made available to students in print, and in digital format via the myXanEdu content delivery platform, the most robust and award-winning student experience for interacting with course packs and custom books online and on tablets. 

AcademicPub is the leading provider of self-service technology used by faculty to quickly source, aggregate and order custom course materials online, enabling faculty to build course packs in minutes.  The company has accumulated the largest library of over 12 million copyright-cleared content items, from 265 of the most respected academic publishers of books and journals, from which professors can preview and select.  Professors may also upload their own materials or search the web to include additional items via the platform.  Within minutes, fully cleared and composed custom course packs are available and ready for students to purchase in either print or digital formats.

Custom books, course packs, and training materials enable educators to select precisely the right articles, textbook chapters, readings and multimedia that will engage their students and support their teachings. Learners, in turn, pay for or receive only what they will use and what will be taught.

"Now that we've brought these two companies together, our combined value proposition is unmatched," said John DeBoer, CEO, XanEdu.  "We now offer the most comprehensive full-service and do-it-yourself custom solution in the market.  The combined entity will allow us to better serve all of our customers– institutions, faculty, students, bookstores, publishers – as well as enter new markets."

SharedBook and AcademicPub former CEO Caroline Vanderlip adds: "By combining XanEdu's unparalleled full-service solution and their market-leading student experience with AcademicPub's unrivaled self-service technology platform, the combined company offers an expanded solution that surpasses any other custom provider in the market."                                             

The merger includes AcademicPub as well as the non-educational operations of SharedBook, such as Blog2Print.  The combined entity will operate under the XanEdu brand with DeBoer remaining CEO, and the employees of both companies reporting to DeBoer.  Vanderlip now joins the XanEdu board of directors.

About XanEdu
XanEdu is helping institutions change the course of learning and instruction with innovative solutions for creating, delivering and managing course materials.  XanEdu helps educators, corporations and learners save money, improve efficiency, collaborate, engage more with content and improve learning outcomes.  XanEdu course materials, including course packs, custom books, and lab manuals, are 100 percent copyright compliant and accessible on iPad and Android tablets. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI since 1999, XanEdu is privately held and funded by Plymouth Ventures and Superior Capital Partners, LLC.  More information can be found at www.xanedu.com.

About AcademicPub
AcademicPub, SharedBook Inc.'s technology platform for higher education, assembles, composes, prices and delivers custom textbooks in eBook and/or print format. AcademicPub allows for immediate creation and inclusion of copyright-cleared content from anywhere, such as web articles, self-generated lectures or from the AcademicPub Content Library.  Digital or print distribution generates a fast and easy way for educators to provide an engaging educational experience, with lower prices and up-to-the-minute materials for students.  More information and free registration for faculty is available at www.academicpub.com.  

SOURCE XanEdu, Inc.