Business students Carl and Marcus run the company Quiqly

Quiqly’s business idea evolved from a need that both they and many they know have. They product they have developed lets customers purchase individual articles on magazines’ websites, without having to sign up for a subscription.

“We make it possible for magazines to reach new readers who are interested in the content of the magazine but who do not act on subscription offers. In this way, we pick up the behavioural patterns of the younger generation, make them active readers, and create an additional source of income for the magazine”, Johansson explains.

A service that makes it easier for the magazine reader

The idea of Quiqly is to change the fact that a large share of the market is excluded and cannot take part of qualitative journalism, despite the fact there is an interest. The goal is to enhance and supplement the current business model, not to replace it.

“Quiqly contributes to awakening a will to pay so that the reader returns to the magazine. It also supplements the existing sales process and establishes a strengthened relationship with the readers by providing insights that the industry lack”, Johansson continues.

The service has been launched in both Sweden and Finland and is active on, among others, the magazines Juridik, Realtid, and Nya Åland. Quiqly’s idea distinguishes itself from other similar services.

“There are services that are similar to ours, but we stand out in a number of ways like, for instance, the fact that our dashboard, where we visualise data, has been developed by researchers within the field, we are highly solution-oriented and responsive, and offer an implementation that is smooth”, Johansson explains.

Gotten help with business development

The company has developed rapidly and Johansson and Öhrner are grateful for the help they have received at Linnaeus University.

“When we first started, we sat in Drivhuset’s facilities, but relatively soon after start we moved into Linnaeus University’s innovation office, LNU Innovation, where a person helped us with business development. He challenged us in a positive way and believed in us and our idea. The same guy also helped us get in touch with the incubator Företagsfabriken, which we have now been part of for one and half years”, says Öhrner.

Attracts investors

Quiqly draws attention and one of the latest to invest in the company is Linnaeus University’s holding company, Linnaeus Venture AB, which has contributed to the latest round together with other professional financiers. Johansson and Öhrner are very pleased about this.

“Apparently, Quiqly is the first student-run company that Linnaeus Venture invests in, which is very flattering. We see this as confirmation that we are doing something good, and the company gets a quality mark towards other interested parties. We will use the funds for market-promoting product development to meet additional needs that we have seen among actors on the market”, says Johansson.

Investment in technology that solves customers’ needs

Emma Burman, CEO of the holding company, explains the investment with the fact that the company has managed to come up with a solution for meeting the needs of the customers in a conservative industry.

“Johansson and Öhrner show a combination of great driving force and entrepreneurial skills while being responsive and persistent, which is required to succeed. Their idea is not entirely unique but, as opposed to their competitors on the market, they seem to have identified what makes the otherwise conservative industry interested. They have come up with a solution to meet the real needs of the customers. What is more, the technology is easy to implement for the customer and easy to use for the magazine reader”, Burman explains.

Studies have contributed to the success of the company

The fact that Johansson studies on the programme Enterprising & Business Development and Öhrner on the Business Administration and Economics programme has, naturally, proved beneficial when it comes to running a company. They have been able to use the knowledge they have acquired through their studies in the different development stages of the company, something they believe has contributed to the success of the company.

“We complement each other in a very positive way. We really think so and we also hear this from others, that the dynamics between us is great. For instance, Öhrner is really good with numbers while Johansson has a talent for understanding the market. That we complement each other in this way has probably contributed to us being able to move forward like this”, they both say.

Their time at Linnaeus University is now nearing its end. Johansson and Öhrner look forward to continuing developing their company.

“The future looks bright, even though there is a level of uncertainty as we are soon to graduate and then invest ourselves fully in the company. However, this is what we like doing most and, of course, it feels a bit safer to do it together. Five years from now, we hope that we have launched broadly on this market and, who knows, perhaps also taken the step onto other markets as well”, they both conclude.