Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan interview with Asian Business Review
Dec 9, 2022 |
5 Mins ReadThe Middle East startup landscape is buzzing with breakthrough innovation and creativity. Zendy is proud to play a role in the ecosystem of MENA-based startups and we're thrilled to accept the award for Best Startup - Education at the Middle East Technology Excellence Awards.
Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan recently sat down with Asian Business Review to accept the award and discuss Zendy's mission, vision, and values.
Kamran commenced the interview by giving a big shoutout to the Zendy team for their tireless commitment to Zendy's mission of providing affordable and accessible academic content to knowledge enthusiasts globally.
Zendy: knowledge without barriers
In 2019, Zendy embarked on an ambitious journey to offer an alternative model of access to scholarly literature. The traditional pay-per-article model was and still is increasingly unattainable for individuals and researchers, especially in emerging regions where access is already limited.
Looking at the success of the subscription market, namely products like Netflix and Spotify, Zendy founders thought why not offer the same experience for users to discover academic literature? Thus, Zendy was born. Zendy is an affordable academic library that offers unlimited access to journals, articles, e-books, proceedings, and more for the monthly price of a single research paper.
With Zendy, students, researchers, and professionals can read, cite, and download leading research. The added benefit of Zendy is saving money, traditional models of access force individuals to pay between $15 - $40 per research paper.
What does the future of academic access look like?
When asked about the future of Zendy and what's next, Kamran Kardan spoke of Zendy mission which is to continue to reduce inequalities of access to knowledge. As a firm supporter of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Zendy (a product of Knowledge E), is working hard to reach new emerging regions.
To strengthen its mission of creating a global knowledge economy without barriers, in October 2021, Zendy launched its free Open Access platform. Zendy Open features over 43 million free Open Access publications on one easy-to-use platform.
With the support of leading publishers, Zendy's growth is a collaborative effort, and the next 12 months will be defining for the company. In September 2022, Zendy launched in Nigeria and has since acquired over 7,000 from the booming African region.
"We're grateful to be recognised as a leading EduTech Startup in MENA and we're inspired by the many other innovators in the industry who are using technology to make a positive impact in communities globally. The team is currently working on significant updates to the Zendy experience and we're so excited to launch new features in Q1 2023. Day by day we inch closer to our mission of creating a world where everyone, everywhere can access knowledge without barriers," said Zendy Co-founder Kamran Kardan.
Click here to watch the full interview: https://bit.ly/3PcgxPB
Zendy and Liverpool University Press Partner to Expand Global Access to Academic Research
Oxford, UK – August 19, 2025 – Zendy, the digital research library, has signed a partnership agreement with Liverpool University Press (LUP), one of the UK’s oldest and most respected academic publishers. This collaboration will make a curated collection of Liverpool University Press’ books available on Zendy platform, extending access to high-quality scholarship for students, researchers, and independent learners worldwide. As part of this initiative, Zendy users will gain access to titles across a range of disciplines, including history, literature, politics, cultural studies, postcolonial studies, international development, and Hispanic and Francophone studies. The partnership also includes works from the prestigious British Academy publishing portfolio, following Liverpool’s recent appointment as the Academy’s publishing partner for its academic books programme. This partnership strengthens Zendy’s offering in the humanities and social sciences, providing users with valuable perspectives on human experience and society. It reflects the shared mission of both organisations to break down access barriers and promote educational equity across underserved regions. About Zendy Zendy is an AI-powered, mission-driven research library dedicated to increasing the accessibility and discoverability of scholarly literature, particularly in the global south and underserved regions. The platform currently serves over 780,000 users across 200+ countries and territories, offering a comprehensive collection of academic journals, books, and reports to empower researchers, educators, and students. Zendy also provides AI tools, including its research assistant ZAIA, to help users read, analyse, and summarise academic content more efficiently.Website: https://zendy.io About Liverpool University Press Founded in 1899, Liverpool University Press (LUP) is the UK’s third oldest university press and has built a reputation for publishing exceptional scholarship across the humanities and social sciences. LUP publishes around 200 books annually, alongside 50 journals and more than a dozen digital collections. It also operates Liverpool Distribution Services and Liverpool Subscription Services, supporting the dissemination of scholarly research on behalf of university presses, foundations, and non-profits.Website: www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk For more information, please contact: Lisette van KesselHead of Marketing, Zendyl.vankessel@knowledgee.com Catherine DuttonHead of Books Marketing, Liverpool University Presscatherine.dutton@liverpool.ac.uk .wp-block-image img { max-width: 75% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Introducing the Zendy App: Smarter Research in Your Pocket
We’re excited to announce the launch of the Zendy App, now available on iOS and Android. Accessing research just became easier and faster. With the power of ZAIA, your AI research assistant, within Zendy App, you can now carry 40+ million scholarly articles wherever you go. Easier Research - Anytime, Anywhere At Zendy, we’re on a mission to make academic content accessible, discoverable, and now mobile. The Zendy App takes that mission a step further, offering a seamless mobile experience that gives students, researchers, academics, and professionals the freedom to access powerful AI tools directly from a mobile phone. With the Zendy App, you can: Ask ZAIA your research Q&A and receive quick, insightful research-backed answers. Speed up literature reviews with summaries and keyphrase highlights Browse research from top journals and publishers Stay updated with a list of collections in your field With Zendy App, you don’t have to go through dense academic texts or search endlessly for the right paper. You can get quick answers, reliable insights, and curated knowledge—all with just a few taps. Flexible Plans for Every Researcher We understand researchers have different needs, so we’ve made Zendy App as accessible as possible. PlanPriceBenefitsRecommended ForZendy OpenFree- Access to essential features- Limited daily interactions with ZAIA - Free access to open-access contentBest for those just getting started with ZendyZendy ToolsUnder $10/month- Everything in Zendy Open, plus:- Unlimited use of ZAIA- Unlimited PDF Analysis- Unlimited Summarisation- Unlimited Keyphrase HighlightingBest for saving time for literature review, understanding complicated topicsZendy Plus$29.50/month- Everything in Zendy Tools, plus:- Full access to Zendy’s research library of over 40 million paywalled articles from world-leading publishers like EBSCO, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, IT Governance, De Gruyter, Bristol University Press and Lived Places PublishingBest for those seeking affordable alternatives to access paywalled content Whether you're working on a literature review, trying to understand a dense article, or just looking for quick answers, the Zendy App is here to make the process easier and smarter. Why Zendy App? Your research doesn’t have to wait until you’re at your desk. Whether you’re managing tight deadlines, moving between meetings, or studying late at night, the Zendy App is built to keep up. The clean, intuitive interface makes it easier to stay informed and make progress, even when life is busy. Mobility – Access research from anywhere Efficiency – Spend less time searching, more time learning Simplicity – Designed to be intuitive and user-friendly Support – With ZAIA, you’re never researching alone We developed the Zendy App to meet the evolving needs of research. It's clear that research is no longer confined to a single location, and it certainly doesn't pause when we step away from our desks. We recognise this shift and built an app to support it. Deadlines, ideas, and questions come up at random moments, during commutes, late at night, or between meetings. Having ZAIA’s feature in a mobile app means you can still get answers to tough research questions right when you need them. Experience the next level of research Download the Zendy App today Download for Android Download for iOS Research smarter. Anywhere, anytime. With Zendy App. Note: If you’re already a Zendy subscriber, there’s no need to pay twice; your plan works across both desktop and mobile. Simply sign in with your Zendy account and enjoy more value with one subscription. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
Exclusive Offer for Zendy Users: SAVE UP TO 35% on UpToDate® Subscription
Zendy has partnered with UpToDate® to bring you trusted, evidence-based clinical decision support — now at a special discounted rate. As a Zendy user, you can now access upto 35% discount on annual (or longer) UpToDate® subscriptions. About UpToDate: UpToDate is the evidence-based, physician-authored resource trusted for reliable clinical answers. It incorporates the latest medical findings, the best available evidence, and practical recommendations for patient care — so whatever your clinical question, you can be sure to find the answers you need. With a personal subscription to UpToDate, you can: Benefit from the expertise and clinical experience of more than 7,600 physician authors, editors, and peer reviewers who collaborate to produce trusted evidence-based content and recommendations. Increase your knowledge with access to more than 13,000 clinical topics in 25 specialties. Access select medication dosing and monographs, including interactive tools and enhanced international drug entries from our included drug reference, UpToDate® Lexidrug™. UpToDate® Lab Interpretation and UpToDate® Pathways You can also provide more personalised care with this interactive clinical decision-making resource. With UpToDate® Lab Interpretation and UpToDate® Pathways, included in all newly purchased personal subscriptions, you’ll have access to laboratory monographs and accompanying static algorithms to help you quickly interpret abnormal test results and choose next steps, along with interactive, evidence-based guides you can use for easy navigation of complex decision points‡. UpToDate MobileComplete™ Zendy members can also save on our mobile add-on, UpToDate MobileComplete™. MobileComplete allows you to download our full content onto your mobile device for faster access anywhere. The content is stored on the device for quick and convenient 24/7 availability regardless of signal strength or internet connection.§ About the offer Zendy professional and student members in select countries can enjoy up to 35% off an annual or longer personal subscription to UpToDate. The exact discount will be shown during checkout. Log in with your member credentials to access discounted rates and elevate your clinical knowledge today. If you’re in a participating country, a promo code will be provided during checkout, be sure to enter it when purchasing to receive your savings. Grab the offer now How to avail of the offer? To subscribe and save, simply log in with your member credentials. Zendy rates will be reflected in the special store. Please note that the availability of special pricing will expire 30 minutes after you click the link to the UpToDate login store. If you begin the order process and do not complete it within 30 minutes, prices will default back to regular rates. You will need to click the link again to initiate a new order session. Proof of status is required for all student orders. Subscribe UpToDate content is protected by copyright and owned and/or licensed by UpToDate, Inc. By accessing or using UpToDate content, you accept the terms and conditions of the CE Terms of Use, which prohibit the use, training, inputting or processing of UpToDate content by or into automated software or tools, including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence solutions, algorithms, machine learning, and/or large language models. *Quoted savings rates are applicable to annual and longer subscriptions only, are based on the specified subscription type, and are reflected in the UpToDate store when you are signed into the Zendy website with your membership login. Applicable taxes may apply. Proof of status is required for all student orders. †Access to UpToDate mobile app or UpToDate MobileComplete™ requires a personal subscription. Wi-Fi access is required for initial MobileComplete download as well as content updates. Find current information on supported devices at http://www.uptodate.com/mobile. ‡UpToDate Pathways and UpToDate Lab Interpretation are included in all newly purchased individual UpToDate Online subscriptions. §Access to UpToDate mobile app or UpToDate MobileComplete™, our native mobile app, requires an individual subscription. Wi-Fi access is required for initial MobileComplete download as well as content updates. Find current information on supported devices. .wp-block-image img { max-width: 85% !important; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; }
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