# FlatWorld

> FlatWorld is a Boston-based college textbook publisher on a mission to make high-quality course materials affordable for students. Founded in 2007 as Flat World Knowledge by publishing veterans Eric Frank and Jeff Shelstad, it pioneered low-cost, customizable digital textbooks before being acquired and rebranded in 2016 by Alastair Adam and John Eielson. Today FlatWorld offers 145+ peer-reviewed titles across 20+ disciplines, an auto-graded homework system, AI study tools, audiobooks and print-on-demand books - typically priced between roughly $25 and $42, a fraction of traditional textbook costs.

- **Founded:** 2007
- **Headquarters:** Boston, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Eric Frank (Co-founder (former Chief Marketing Officer)), Jeff Shelstad (Co-founder (former CEO))
- **Team size:** ~140 employees (50+ reported in earlier years)
- **Products:** FlatWorld Textbook Catalog, FlatWorld Homework System, SmartHelper, Audiobooks & Podcasts, Customization Platform
- **Notable:** Pioneered free, openly licensed college textbooks at launch in 2007-2009, Reached 400 colleges and 40,000 students by 2009, Over 1,300 educators adopting materials by 2010

## Products & services

- **FlatWorld Textbook Catalog** — 145+ peer-reviewed, professionally published textbooks across 20+ disciplines, available as online eReader, downloadable, and color print-on-demand editions, typically priced around $25-$42.
- **FlatWorld Homework System** — Auto-graded online homework tied to each textbook; 88% of professors recommend it and instructors report saving 40-80 hours per semester.
- **SmartHelper** — AI-powered study assistant embedded in the reading experience.
- **Audiobooks & Podcasts** — Chapter audiobooks available in 32+ languages and dialects, plus chapter-by-chapter podcasts.
- **Customization Platform** — Educator-driven tools to edit, reorder, add, or remove content so professors can tailor a textbook to their syllabus.
- **Instructor Supplements** — Free test banks, instructor manuals, PowerPoint slides, and sample syllabi bundled with each adoption.

## Achievements

- Pioneered free, openly licensed college textbooks at launch in 2007-2009
- Reached 400 colleges and 40,000 students by 2009
- Over 1,300 educators adopting materials by 2010
- More than 4,000 professors adopting titles after relaunch
- Grew catalog to 145+ titles across 20+ disciplines
- 88% professor recommendation rate for the Homework System

## Latest updates

- **2016-12** — Acquired by Alastair Adam and John Eielson, rebranded from Flat World Knowledge to FlatWorld and relocated to Boston.
- **2020-01** — Launched a fully customizable textbook subscription solution for universities.
- **2024-06** — Refreshed brand and expanded digital tools including SmartHelper AI study assistant and multilingual audiobooks.

## Links

- Website: https://flatworld.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flatworldtextbooks
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/flat_world
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FlatWorldTextbooks

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/flatworld
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-15