Improving Productivity and Collaboration of Teams: A Rising SaaS Unicorn in Asia, Kdan Mobile Software Ltd., Scripts to Foray into New Markets

Over the last decade, there has been an explosion in smartphone usage. Gone are the days when phones were used only for calling and messaging. Blackberry introduced one of the first widely-used smartphones that allowed people to send and receive emails. Later on, Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone, and the rest is history.

The popularity of smartphones and the app store has skyrocketed, with Android having the largest market share, closely followed by Apple. Smartphone applications have revolutionized the way we live, work and socialize. Whether it is to find a date, pay utility bills, buy movie tickets, make travel reservations or order food, everything can be done with the push of a button on our smartphones. Several small companies have made a lot of money by developing apps for a wide variety of uses. One such company, started in Taiwan, is looking to capitalize on the exploding smartphone market. Kdan Mobile Software Ltd. began as an application developer for the iOS platform and later branched out to the Android platform, where they have developed superb apps, such as PDF Reader, NoteLedge, and Animation Desk.

The birth of Kdan Mobile Software

The founder of Kdan, Kenny Su, bought an iPhone to help him with his research. It was then that he realized the potential for the pervasiveness of the Apple App Store. Motivated to try his hand at developing, Mr. Su found unexpected success in his first attempt when he created an app that can read PDF files. With this app he found a way to turn a handwritten document into a PDF Document, with the click of a button. This app was well-received by the market, getting downloaded by many users. Inspired by his first successful venture, Kenny Su created Kdan Mobile Software Ltd. in 2009 with a vision to help people perform everyday tasks conveniently.

The firm initially developed applications for the iOS platform but later on extended over to Android and Windows, following the widespread use of smartphones. Later on, Kdan also started developing apps for the tablet and the PC in order to bolster their standing in the market.

Kdan’ suite of applications

With a sizeable portfolio of products for a variety of uses, Kdan launched the Kdan Cloud, for users to store all of their documents. Additionally, Kdan integrated all of their apps, including PDF Reader, Markup, NoteLedge, Animation Desk, Write-on Video, and Pocket Scanner, with the cloud, allowing users to store, retrieve, convert, edit and fax documents with ease, all at the push of a button. The company has established itself as a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider that leverages state-of-the-art technology to provide creative and innovative solutions for content professionals.

Kdan rolled out Creativity 365, which is a cross-device content creation suite of tools to improve productivity and collaboration of teams. Additionally, it also offers over one terabyte of storage on the cloud. Document 365 is another one of Kdan’s signature products, and is a cross-device documents solution to help teams improve cohesion and deliverability. Both services help professionals utilize their time efficiently by allowing them to work on projects anywhere, anytime. This also means that users can pull up a project while on the move, when at home, during meetings and so on, on any device.

Kdan Mobile Software Ltd. claims over 120 million downloads and over 3.5 million cloud users.

Current standing in the market

Kdan’s products have attracted the attention of many corporations and educational institutions. When it comes to companies, Kdan focuses mainly on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), law firms, sales teams, design studios, insurance companies those who work with a large number of documents on a daily basis. On the other hand, the company’s focus on education includes targeting mobile learning schools, design schools and teachers that instruct courses online.

The senior management team at Kdan is well aware of the competition posed by behemoths like Google, Microsoft, and Adobe with their Google Docs, Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, respectively. But, as many users of these services know, accessing PDF documents on smartphones and tablets is frustrating due to a poor interface. Kdan’s services are fully compatible with mobile devices and are extremely user-friendly.

Kdan hopes to achieve the distinction of becoming a ‘unicorn’ (a company with a billion dollar evaluation). The growing customer base in Asia and Kdan’s heritage in the market has positioned them uniquely to deliver something that is western in nature and caters to the oriental mindset.

One of the challenges the company faces is the lack of the competitive edge against the west. However, Kdan’s efforts to fill the void between both mobile and desktop, and professionals and amateurs has created a unique opportunity. The firm’s holistic view of the market allows it to deliver better products.

An eye on the future

Kdan hopes to cultivate opportunities in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, developing real-time collaboration and encrypted document solutions to support all of their clients. Furthermore, the company is currently focused on expanding to the American and Chinese markets while developing new features for educational institutions as well as corporations.

Client testimonials

“I have been using Kdan’s PDF series for a while and have loved them. Especially now with new features and Kdan Cloud package, I am glad that they are all in one! Very nice!” - An IT Manager from the United States.

“I’ve been using the Creativity 365 apps for years now. From the versatile video editing range of Write-on Video, the creative variety in Animation Desk, and the multimedia, web page and information recording giant that is NoteLedge, you really will find them difficult to beat.” - An Assistant Service Manager at Aberlour Child Care Trust.

Meet the brains behind Kdan Mobile Software

The founder of Kdan Mobile Software, Kenny Su became an entrepreneur by chance. At his first job, Mr. Su bought an iPhone for his research and happened to come upon the amazing world of the Apple App store. Intrigued by the apps, Kenny decided to try his hand in creating one and unexpectedly acquired numerous downloads. It was this initial taste of success that inspired Kenny to found a company to create apps to enable people to improve their productivity and efficiency.

Kenny Su studied computer science and Information Engineering. He is the father of two delightful young boys.

“Our solutions empower the world to create, distribute, and conjoin projects via the use of mainstream digital devices.”