Spines is a mobile app that uses computer‑vision AI to read book spines from a photo of any shelf—thrift stores, charity shops, libraries or home collections—and instantly match each title to award listings, bestseller data and global reader ratings. It then provides personalized “For You” recommendations based on the user’s preferred authors, genres and publishers, helping readers quickly spot high‑quality or hidden‑gem books without manual searching.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Finding worthwhile books in thrift stores, charity shops, libraries, or personal shelves requires manually checking each title, which is time‑consuming and often leads to missed award‑winning or highly rated titles.
Solution
Spines uses computer vision and AI to analyze a photo of any bookshelf, recognize book spines—even on crowded or angled shelves—and instantly match each title to comprehensive metadata, including literary awards, bestseller status, and global reader ratings. The app then presents personalized “For You” recommendations based on the user’s preferred authors, genres, and publishers, refining suggestions as more books are scanned and saved. Users can view key quality signals at a glance, revisit previous scans, and make informed purchasing decisions without manual searching.
Target Audience
Primary users are avid readers who frequent thrift stores, charity shops, libraries, or manage personal book collections and seek efficient discovery of high‑quality or hidden‑gem titles.
Features
- AI-powered spine recognition that works on messy, partially hidden, or angled bookshelves
- Real‑time cross‑referencing of titles with award lists (Pulitzer, Booker, National Book Award, Women’s Prize) and bestseller data (NYT)
- Aggregated worldwide reader ratings displayed alongside each book for quick quality assessment
- Personalized recommendation engine that learns from user’s favorite authors, genres, and publishers
- Scan history feature allowing users to revisit and manage previously scanned shelves
- Mobile app available on iOS and Android with in‑app subscription for premium features