• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

1

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American

2

Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026

3

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
TechOyster

Oyster, a Netflix for e-books, to shut down

By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kia Kokalitcheva
Kia Kokalitcheva
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 21, 2015, 8:48 PM ET
Photo Infinity
Bookcase illusionPhotograph by Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Oyster, a “Netflix for e-books,” has closed its doors, the company said in a blog post on Monday.

The New York City-based startup premiered a subscription service in 2013 that let members read an unlimited number of digital books from its collection for $9.95 monthly. Its model has been compared to that of media streaming services like Netflix (NFLX) Hulu, and Spotify.

However, after raising more than $17 million in funding, the startup abruptly announced that it would shutter its service and take on “new opportunities to fully realize our vision for ebooks.” For at least some of the team, these new opportunities will be at Google (GOOG).

A spokesperson for the Internet giant confirmed to tech news site Re/Code that some Oyster employees have joined the Google Play division. It’s unclear whether Google has also acquired part of Oyster, although sources told Re/Code that it had, in fact, done so.

Earlier in the summer, Google served as a soft landing for about 20 of home cleaning startup Homejoy’s employees when the service shuttered. The tech giant was readying its own home services marketplace at the time.

Today’s news that Google has absorbed some of Oyster’s employees could signal that it’s planning to introduce a similar service. If so, it would go head to head with that of longtime rival Amazon, which debuted its own last year.

Subscribe to Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the business of technology.

For more about Amazon’s unlimited e-book subscription service, watch this Fortune video:

About the Author
By Kia Kokalitcheva
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A headshot of Dave Bozeman, CEO of C.H. Robinson.
NewslettersEye on AI
The secrets of an unheralded AI success story
By Jeremy KahnJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
Phones in hand
CybersecurityPrivacy
A new FCC proposal could spell the end of the burner phone. Even if you don’t use one, privacy experts say you should be worried anyway
By Catherina GioinoJuly 14, 2026
2 hours ago
The AI boom drove China’s 27% export jump in June as AI and the Iran war reshape global trade
AsiaChina
The AI boom drove China’s 27% export jump in June as AI and the Iran war reshape global trade
By The Associated Press and Chan Ho-HimJuly 14, 2026
3 hours ago
Topgolf CEO David McKillips
C-SuiteSports
Topgolf’s CEO thinks the sport’s next star could get their start at one of its driving ranges
By Catherina GioinoJuly 14, 2026
3 hours ago
‘Those who condemn AI are themselves spitting upward’: SoftBank’s CEO estimates $5 trillion needed annually to meet AI demand
AISoftbank
‘Those who condemn AI are themselves spitting upward’: SoftBank’s CEO estimates $5 trillion needed annually to meet AI demand
By The Associated Press and Mayuko OnoJuly 14, 2026
3 hours ago
Ramp’s billionaire CEO ignores résumés and Ivy League degrees—he’s more interested in engineers who built Minecraft servers as teens
SuccessHiring
Ramp’s billionaire CEO ignores résumés and Ivy League degrees—he’s more interested in engineers who built Minecraft servers as teens
By Sydney LakeJuly 14, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
North America
Summer camps remain a battleground over what it means to be American
By Seth T. Kannarr, Derek H. Alderman and The ConversationJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 13, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 13, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 13, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, July 14, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 14, 2026
11 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.