David Roche to Chair Libraro, Where Every Story Deserves Discovery
LONDON, Nov. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Libraro, a community-driven platform reshaping manuscript discovery in publishing, announces the appointment of David Roche as Chairman alongside the closing of an initial £500,000 investment from Ayre Ventures as part of a new funding round, capped at £2m. This builds on Libraro's earlier £2 million pre-seed round, which secured patents for the platform's manuscript protection and rights management technology.
London Book Fair Chair and former Borders CEO David Roche believes he's found publishing's next game-changer. "I've seen countless start-ups promising the holy grail of discoverability for authors and readers, but none have come close—until now," says Roche, who joins Libraro as Chairman. "Libraro brings together a community of readers and writers with inclusivity at its heart. Readers play an active role in deciding what gets published, expanding the gatekeeping process based on real demand. It's a shift that can only benefit both authors and readers."
With 30 years in publishing, Roche has witnessed the industry's evolution firsthand, with pivotal roles as CEO of Borders & BOOKS etc., Group Sales and Marketing Director at HarperCollins, board positions at Waterstones and HMV, and as chair of New Writing North and a trustee of BookTrust, as well as being a published author. Currently non-executive Chair of the London Book Fair and Senior Advisor to PEN International, Roche is recognised as a transformative figure with a deep commitment to innovation.
Roche sees Libraro as a complement to the publishing industry, not a competitor. "By broadening the ways stories are discovered and shared, Libraro is creating genuine opportunities for talented authors while supporting the industry's mission to connect meaningful work with audiences. Libraro's tools bridge emerging voices and the established literary landscape."
Libraro's growing leadership team is ready to drive its vision forward. Paul Manning joins as Chief Marketing Officer, bringing over two decades of experience as a multi-award-winning Creative Director. He has led creative teams at BBH, Imagination, and other top West-End agencies, shaping campaigns for brands like Canon, Virgin, and Jaguar Land Rover. Through his agency, Outfly, founded in 2010, he has guided hundreds of technology innovators and scale-ups to success.
The leadership team is further strengthened by CFO Sead Haxhijaha, whose financial strategy expertise has driven sustainable growth for numerous scale-ups. As founder of Solid Accountants, he brings valuable operational insight to Libraro's publishing innovation.
"This team will help realise our vision of supporting the publishing industry with enhanced manuscript discovery tools," says Arsim Shillova, Co-Founder and CEO. "Our platform helps publishers and agents identify promising manuscripts through reader engagement data while enabling writers to connect meaningfully with audiences. Libraro opens pathways for emerging voices and creates new opportunities for the literary community, without replacing traditional roles."
Libraro empowers writers with reader engagement insights and full ownership of their work. Publishers and agents can securely explore promising manuscripts, while established writers gain valuable audience insights to enhance their publishing journey. Readers and writers earn tokenised rewards, redeemable for exclusive events, showcases, and collaborations—creating a lively, inclusive literary community where everyone's contributions are valued.
The company is now inviting the literary community to join its journey by investing in its upcoming Crowdcube campaign. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of publishing discovery. To learn more, visit https://www.crowdcube.com/early-access/libraro
Notes to Editors:
Founded in 2023 within the Block Dojo incubator, Libraro is a community-driven platform that connects readers, writers, and publishers to discover fresh voices and create new opportunities for emerging authors. At the heart of Libraro's technology is blockchain, which ensures the security and transparency of intellectual property rights. By leveraging this technology, we protect authors' work and offer a trusted environment for collaboration, making Libraro a pioneer in safeguarding creative content in the digital age. Led by Arsim Shillova, who brings 25 years of experience commercialising technology solutions for global organisations, including space tech companies like Airbus and ESA, and whose own journey began with playwriting, Libraro enhances book discoverability through crowd-reading and data insights. With plans to expand its industry partnerships, Libraro is preparing for a full platform launch in early January. Learn more at www.libraro.io.
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