Discover Bukz, a Colombian Library Startup Launched in Medellin

Colombia, often celebrated for its musical heritage, is also a nation of writers and readers. Following this tradition, young entrepreneur Esteban Restrepo launched Bukz, a library that adopts an innovative approach to the book market.

This Colombian startup offers books through subscription programs, providing customers with numerous benefits, including price reductions and exclusive products.

An innovative library concept

Founded in 2019 as an online library, Bukz and its catchy slogan “Nadie Lee” (Nobody Reads) have achieved spectacular success among the residents of Medellin. Its first shop was opened in 2020 in Medellin’s Provenza neighborhood, and Bukz now boasts a total of four retail locations, three of them in Medellin and one in Bogota.

With a catalog of 750,000 titles, Bukz sold nearly 100,000 books in 2023 and aims to double the figure this year. Indeed, the startup has already attracted half a million dollars (nearly 2 billion COP) in investments and plans to expand with a new shop in Envigado, south of Medellin, and a second one in Bogota. Interestingly, while Bukz was originally an online library, its online sales now represent only 25% of the total, highlighting Colombians’ interest in books.

Colombia, the startup nation

As stated by its founder, Medellin-born Esteban Restrepo, Bukz combines “the best of startups and technology with the world of books”. Indeed, for years now, Colombia has been at the forefront of entrepreneurship and start-up development in Latin America.

Bogota and Medellin, in particular, rank as the second and the seventh best startup environments in the subcontinent, according to the specialized website StartupBlink. Esteban Restrepo’s Bukz underscores once again that entrepreneurship is an integral part of Medellin and Colombian culture, with significant growth potential.

Following in the footsteps of Rappi, the Colombian delivery app that expanded across Latin America, Bukz has already begun international deliveries, particularly in Panama, where it has already attracted a significant clientele.