Rocketbook

Acquired

Overview

Rocketbook manufactures reusable, cloud-connected notebooks that digitize handwritten notes through a smartphone application. The company bridges analog note-taking with digital cloud storage, allowing users to capture notes and erase pages for reuse. Rocketbook gained recognition as the #1 selling notebook on Amazon and achieved significant crowdfunding success, particularly with its Everlast model which raised $2.5 million on Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

History

Founded in 2013 by Joe Lemay and Jake Epstein, Rocketbook launched its first product, the Rocketbook Wave, in 2014—a microwave-erasable, digitally connected notebook revealed at the Launch Festival in San Francisco. The company achieved notable success through crowdfunding campaigns and became known for innovative products that connected handwritten notes to cloud services like Google Drive and Evernote. Despite appearing on Shark Tank Season 8 seeking $400,000 for 10% equity, the founders declined investment offers. BIC acquired Rocketbook in December 2020 for $40 million, integrating the brand into its product portfolio.

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
Rocketbook Wave	Microwave-erasable smart notebook	$25 - $35
Rocketbook Everlast	Premium reusable notebook with cloud integration	$35 - $50
Rocketbook Smart Notebook App	Cloud connectivity and note transcription software	Free
Rocketbook Planners	Reusable planning and organization notebooks	$30 - $45

Manufacturing

Rocketbook products are manufactured through outsourced production while the company maintains design and software development in-house. The notebooks utilize proprietary microwave-erasable paper technology and are distributed globally through retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

Notable Products

Rocketbook Wave - Microwave-erasable notebook that connects handwritten notes to cloud services via smartphone app
Rocketbook Everlast - Premium reusable notebook that became the #1 office/school product in crowdfunding history with $2.5M in Kickstarter support
Rocketbook Smart App - Mobile application that recognizes and transcribes handwritten notes and integrates with multiple cloud platforms

Reputation

Rocketbook is recognized as an innovative solution for digitizing analog note-taking, appealing to professionals, students, and environmentally conscious consumers seeking to reduce paper waste. The brand built strong credibility through successful crowdfunding campaigns and achieved mainstream visibility via Shark Tank and Amazon prominence. Some skepticism exists regarding product longevity and the practical advantages over digital-native alternatives, though the brand maintains loyal customer support for its hybrid analog-digital approach.

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