Roland Pinto
Los Angeles, CA (USA)
Role(s):
C-Level Executive (CEO, CFO, etc.)
Flybook
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Startup
Location:
Los Angeles
Industry:
Manufacturing
Year Founded:
1990
Number Employees:
100-250 people
Description:
Flybook was founded in 1990 to focus on creating highly innovative, always connected, lifestyle, mini high fashion notebook computers. The company’s initial focus was quite revolutionary. Flybook brought on a team of very highly skilled industrial engineers and electronic engineers with focus on radio frequency and wireless and set out to develop the world's first cellular communications integrated ultraportable laptop computer.
After significant R&D, radio frequency innovation, multiple patents, and major industrial and thermal research and design, Flybook introduced the world’s first 8.9" touch screen, cellular connected, multi-color notebook computer. Never before had the world seen color available on notebook computers, and never before had a notebook computer been made available to consumers with a built in cellular connection. This allowed Flybook owners the ability to access worldwide connectivity in most every country! Flybook was the first in the world to introduce wireless wide area connectivity on GSM networks.
Over the years, Flybook has truly led in innovation and robust cellular carrier based features. Flybook's dedication to developing products that support the world's GSM cellular networks has allowed the firm to lead the way in always connected mobile notebooks.
Currently, Flybook’s two product models (Flybook VM and Flybook V5) are both award winning and enjoy prestigious industry recognition. Microsoft awarded the Flybook VM the "the most high fashion notebook computer PC in the world for 2008" at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Additionally, Intel awarded the Flybook V5 as the world’s smallest most high power notebook computer, also at CES 2008.
Flybook enjoyed rapid growth and brand development in 2002 and grew market penetration to include most of Western Europe, Asia, and the UK. In the last two years, Flybook has entered the North and South American markets, Australia, and the Middle East region. Currently, Flybook is a worldwide company with regional offices located throughout the globe.
Flybook is a small company with much talent. Revenues reached $40M at our peak in 2006. Current 2008 revenue will reach $35M. The company maintains audited financial reporting from a global top ten accountancy, and the firm enjoys a hefty margin, not standard in this sector of the industry. The company has some very strong growth opportunities at present. A growth cash infusion is required in order to allow the firm to reengineer and evolve the company’s manufacturing assets, fuel marketing, fund R&D on the company’s four new products, and to grow a global efficiency plan to allow for complete connectivity between all global offices, manufacturing facilities, and stocking warehouses.
Corporate evolution is needed now as the company enjoys competition from some of the world’s largest companies. Grabbing hold of economies of scale and scope is a must in order to compete and grow our market share. Flybook is a high margin, high growth firm. Our goal is to take on only one percent of the world’s notebook consumption. This is very achievable however will require investment in the proper processes and procedure as well as targeted marketing with our partners; Intel and Mircosoft.