Breaking news for London Book Fair

• xigxag has been announced as one of the ten winners of Tech Nation’s prestigious 2022 Rising Stars competition
• xigxag is the first publishing industry startup to win the high profile national competition
• The win follows a successful c.£500k fundraise, a second shortlisting for a startup award, and new distribution agreements with Pan Macmillan and Bonnier Books UK.

xigxag is an independent, UK-based, subscription-free audiobook app, offering over 35,000 titles from publishers including Penguin Random House, Hachette UK, HarperCollins, Faber, Boldwood and Canelo. In the week leading up to London Book Fair, xigxag reached new distribution agreements with Pan Macmillan and Bonnier Books UK. 

Now in its fourth year, the prestigious Rising Stars competition is judged by a panel of seven industry experts with extensive experience in starting and scaling tech businesses. The team had to demonstrate the essential characteristics of a fast-growth scaleup: a passion for innovation, purposeful disruption and proven commercial success. Winners also had to demonstrate investment success, intent and progress on diversity and inclusion, and net zero ambitions. xigxag are one of 10 winners, chosen from over 400 applications, 55 regional winners and 20 finalists. 

The team were also recently shortlisted for the StartUp Awards National Series in the Mobile & Emerging Technologies Category.

Kelli Fairbrother, Co-Founder and CEO at xigxag, said: “It is an absolute honour for xigxag to be recognised as one of the most innovative tech start-ups in the UK in 2022. Our aim has always been to make reading easier and more accessible, engaging, and sustainable so that everyone can enjoy more books.”

Esme Caulfield, Competitions Lead at Tech Nation, said: “I’m really excited to see xigxag as one of this year’s Rising Stars 4.0 Winners. Their innovative digital reading app and ambitious vision has truly set them apart at every stage of the competition. I wish them every success in their future and look forward to following their scaling journey.”