kno

Kno, Inc. was an American technology company that developed digital textbooks and a multimedia e-reading platform for higher education. Founded in 2009 and based in Santa Clara, California, Kno aimed to transform how students access and interact with textbooks on digital devices.

The Kno platform offered digital editions of textbooks with features such as full-text search, note-taking, highlighting, and synchronized multimedia components. It supported online and offline access across devices, including tablets running iOS and Android. In addition, Kno released a dedicated tablet designed for textbooks, known as the Kno Tablet, which featured a large display and software tailored to reading and studying.

Kno partnered with major academic publishers to publish digital content and marketed its services to students through app stores and campus channels. The platform emphasized a connected study experience, with features like integrated note-taking, annotations, and cloud synchronization across devices.

In 2013, Kno was acquired by Intel, and its digital textbook technology and team were integrated into Intel’s education initiatives. The Kno consumer products and branding were gradually phased out as the assets were absorbed into broader educational software offerings. Kno is frequently cited as an early example of the move toward digital, interactive textbooks in higher education.