Spines is a company that uses GenAI to streamline every part of the book publishing process (a century-old industry that has been disrupted), from proofreading, formatting, cover design, audiobook creation, distribution, marketing, etc. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Spines co-founder and CEO Yehuda Niv to learn more about the company.
Yehuda Niv’s Background
What is Yehuda Niv’s background? Niv said:
“I grew up in Be’er Sheva, a city in southern Israel, considered part of the country’s periphery. I attended a military school operated by the Israeli Air Force. As a teenager, I was passionate about music and dreamed of becoming a musician, even if I seemed to be the only one who believed in my music. I spent time writing songs, and that creative pursuit eventually inspired me to write a book.”
“Growing up in the periphery had its challenges. I had limited awareness of the vast opportunities the world had to offer. The prevailing mindset around me was that success could only be achieved by studying engineering; that’s what I heard from a very young age. I had no exposure to entrepreneurship or the alternative paths one could take to build a successful life. I initially pursued a degree in electrical engineering because that’s the direction I was pushed toward. It was only during my studies that I discovered entrepreneurship and realized there was another path—a path that allowed me to create and innovate in a way I hadn’t thought possible before.”
Formation Of Spines
How did the idea for the company come together? Niv shared:
“Years ago, I authored a book and, in my search for a publisher, I encountered a century-old industry ripe for disruption. I reacted by founding Niv Publishing, a publishing house that empowers authors. It has since grown to become the largest publishing house in Israel, publishing 15% of the new books in Israel within a decade. Eleven years after establishing Niv Publishing, I recognized that the true innovation the publishing world needed was rooted in technology. This led to the creation of Spines.”
(Spines Founders L-R Lev David, CMO, Yehuda Niv, CEO, Niv Ovdat, COO, Nir Kenner, CTO)
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Niv reflected:
“One of my favorite memories was placing the first order for printed books through Spines. Two years ago, we published the first books using our platform, and I ordered several copies to see the final result. Holding those books in my hands and comparing them to other books I had printed before was an emotional moment for me. Seeing the physical books and realizing that the technology we built worked perfectly filled me with pride. I’ve seen many books in my life, but this was the most meaningful for me. In that moment, I saw my vision physically come to life.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Niv explained:
“Spines is the only comprehensive AI-powered publishing platform simplifying the authorship journey so writers can focus on what they do best – telling great stories. The Spines platform revolutionizes every aspect of the publishing process, from proofreading, and formatting to cover design, audiobook generation, distribution, and marketing. Authors simply need to upload their self-written manuscripts, and within less than three weeks, they will be able to see their books published, optimized, and available to readers globally.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Niv and the team faced in building the company? Niv acknowledged:
“One of the biggest challenges we face when integrating AI into the publishing industry is overcoming misconceptions. When people hear that we use AI, many assume we’re creating AI-generated books. In reality, our mission is quite the opposite—I want to empower authors. My goal is to help them bring their creations to life, allowing them to focus on their craft: writing great stories, while AI handles the complex, time-consuming aspects of publishing.”
“The publishing industry, being deeply rooted in tradition, often views AI with skepticism. Spines is sometimes perceived as “the disruptor,’ challenging long-established norms. However, I see this not as an obstacle but as a natural phase for any innovation that transforms a traditional industry. Change always sparks resistance, but it also creates new opportunities.”
“Much like the evolution of media, where video didn’t eliminate radio but diversified the ways people consume content, I believe there will always be space for traditional publishing. My goal with Spines is to give a platform to the countless authors overlooked by traditional publishers, ensuring their masterpieces can reach readers and make an impact. By staying true to this vision, we’re redefining what’s possible in publishing.”
Evolution Of Spines’ Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Niv noted:
“Every week we release new features to streamline the publishing process. In the last few months we have enhanced these features:
— Book Cover Design: The Spines cover design feature simplifies the entire process by analyzing an author’s manuscript, theme, genre, audience and essence, followed by generating a range of professional and visually appealing book cover design options, all generated by technology and not involving a human. This tech-driven approach draws on a vast database of successful books across various genres to ensure that each cover matches criterias for the most appealing book covers. These tech-powered tools have unlocked a world of creative possibilities for authors, effortlessly generating a myriad of design options that capture the essence of a book with remarkable precision. Technology’s ability to analyze vast amounts of data and identify trends is invaluable in understanding which visual elements resonate most with readers across different genres. The platform suggests color schemes, layouts, and imagery likely to appeal to a specific audience, drawing on successful past designs. This technology assists in creating initial concepts and quickly generating varied designs based on the book’s genre, target audience, and themes. The platform doesn’t just design the front cover—it also creates the back cover and spine, delivering a complete, cohesive package, ensuring a harmonious visual cohesion for the book. This all-in-one approach is unmatched in the industry, helping authors present a professional, eye-catching product that appeals to readers from every angle.
— Audio Book generation: Spines offers fully narrated audiobooks generated within hours. With this service, authors can easily generate a completed audiobook, featuring a variety of real-life voices, accents, tones, and pronunciations, with just a few clicks. Spines’ Audiobook feature offers control to authors by allowing them to choose and customize different voices for characters and narration. The platform’s sophisticated technology lets authors adjust pronunciation, emphasize particular words, and modify volume, speed, and tone throughout the audiobook, ensuring that their vision is reflected in every aspect of the narration. All done with Spines’ technology with minimal input needed from the author.
— Translation: Spines now supports Spanish-language books. As the demand for Spanish content grows globally, Spines’ expansion is a significant step toward empowering Spanish-speaking authors by streamlining their publishing journey. We’re extending Spanish-language books, offering the same precision and efficiency while catering to linguistic nuances and cultural relevance. In addition, the book can be translated to English with just a click of a button. By expanding into Spanish, Spines is increasing the accessibility of Spanish-speaking authors.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Niv cited:
“Recently, we raised $16 million in Series A funding. Led by Zeev Ventures, with participation from previous investors Aleph, M-Fund, and LionTree, this funding will drive Spines’ rapid growth, enhance its innovative publishing platform, and introduce new, cutting-edge features to service authors. The current round brings Spines’ total funding to $22.5 million.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking about customer success stories, Niv highlighted:
“One of our most meaningful customer success stories comes from someone who had dreamed of becoming an author for years but didn’t know where to begin. A mother of three, she had always been a storyteller at heart, with countless ideas and half-finished manuscripts on her computer. But the traditional publishing process — finding an agent, securing a publisher — felt overwhelming and out of reach.”
“After discovering Spines, everything changed. With our technology and support, she was able to turn her story into a published children’s book, dedicated to her three sons. It was a deeply personal project, inspired by the challenges and joys of watching her oldest child grow up. What once seemed impossible became seamless and achievable.”
“Hearing her describe this as ‘the easiest thing ever’ and seeing her heart ‘bursting with joy’ at holding her first published book is exactly why we built Spines: to unlock creativity and make publishing accessible to everyone. Stories like hers are a testament to the power of what we do — helping people bring their dreams to life.”
Revenue
When asking about revenue, Niv revealed:
“Spines has achieved remarkable year-over-year revenue growth of 1,000%. The company published over 2,000 titles in 2024, a substantial increase from the 400 new titles published in 2023, and projects to reach 8,000 titles in 2025.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Niv assessed:
“ Each year, approximately two million books are published in the U.S., yet I estimate that only one in ten written manuscripts actually see the light of day. Many authors leave their work tucked away in a drawer, often disheartened by rejections from major publishers who accept only a small fraction of submissions—primarily from established names. Others explore self-publishing but quickly realize the challenges: timelines stretching from 6 to 18 months, costs ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, and the daunting task of coordinating professionals for each step of the process. This reality discourages countless authors, silencing voices and stories that deserve to be heard. This persistent issue, “the drawer,” inspires me every day. My mission is to help authors bring their books out of the drawer and publish them seamlessly through Spines, making their dreams a reality.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Niv affirmed:
“Our main competitors are the traditional publishers. For over a century, the traditional publishing industry has remained virtually unchanged. Self-publishing authors are trapped in a costly, labor-intensive process. Even those who manage to publish often face a difficult journey to monetization, burdened by high expenses and limited resources for effective marketing. Spines reduces publishing time from six months to less than three weeks and cuts costs by over 50%—while offering comprehensive services tailored to each stage of the publishing process.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Niv concluded:
“Our goal is to help one million authors realize their dream and publish their work of art. We are working day and night to achieve that.”
