With the rapid development of technology, electronic products have replaced more and more traditional functions, but there are still many people who prefer the real touch of handwriting and hand drawing, enjoying the process of creating with their own hands.

It is precisely based on this segmented demand that electronic ink tablets have emerged.

 

Image source:Google

Unlike conventional tablets with LCD and OLED screens, electronic ink tablets use reflective imaging, which can provide a reading and writing experience close to that of paper books, and can maintain clear display even in strong light environments.

In addition, with extremely low power consumption, a single charge can support weeks of use, making it very user-friendly for those who need to write, read, and draw for long periods.

Don’t underestimate this niche track, as it contains huge business opportunities and the market growth momentum is very strong.

According to Verified Market Research:

The global electronic ink tablet market size is estimated at $2.29 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach $4.54 billion by 2032, maintaining steady expansion at a compound annual growth rate of 8.95% during the forecast period.

 

Image source:Verified Market Research

Many domestic brands have already entered this track, trying to avoid the red ocean competition and open up new space in the segmented field.

Today, we will introduce Supernote, which is one of the representatives.

From an emerging small brand to a leading player with annual sales exceeding 300 million, let’s take a look at how it managed to break through?

 

Image source:Supernote

From Payment Terminals to Electronic Ink Screens: A Precise Track Switch

According to public information, Supernote is a brand under Shanghai Ratta Technology focusing on electronic ink tablets, founded by Mr. Zhao in 2016.

Its story can be traced back to 2005, when the parent company Ratta Technology was officially established. In the early days, it did not enter the consumer electronics field, but focused on payment terminal R&D, mainly POS machines and various financial hardware products.

The turning point came in 2016, when founder Mr. Zhao felt the problems of complex demand, long project cycles, and fierce market competition in the original business, and also observed that most electronic ink devices focused on reading rather than handwriting, leaving a clear market gap.

So, he decided to start a second business, focusing on the handwriting experience, and officially founded the Supernote brand in Shanghai in 2016.

 

Image source:Supernote

After two years of refinement, in 2018, Supernote’s first product A6 was officially launched. The product adopted a hard pen + soft film design, highly simulating the real paper writing feel, and successfully raised $200,000 on Kickstarter, initially verifying the market potential.

In 2020, Supernote launched the upgraded A5 series, introducing ceramic pen tips and flexible ink screen technology to achieve wear-free writing. The series raised as much as $1.7 million on Indiegogo, further consolidating the foundation for overseas market development.

 

Image source:Supernote

Since then, the brand has continued to iterate its products, successively introducing Feel Write2 self-healing soft film, modular detachable design and other innovative technologies, constantly strengthening the core handwriting experience.

In 2023, its annual sales successfully exceeded 300 million yuan; in 2024, it was also listed in TIME magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year, becoming the only electronic ink device on the list.

Today, Supernote’s products have entered more than 50 countries and regions worldwide, with core markets covering the US, Canada, Germany, France, UK, Japan, South Korea, etc., making it a highly influential leading player in this segmented track.(Data from Ebrun)

 

Image source:Supernote

Social Media Empowerment: Leveraging Real Experiences to Tap into Overseas Markets

In the era of social media, it is far from enough for brands to only refine technology and improve product strength; efficient communication and marketing are also needed to truly reach users.

Brands like Supernote understand this well, and continue to make efforts in social media marketing, accurately reaching target users through mainstream overseas platforms such as TikTok, and continuously expanding brand influence through collaborations with influencers.

On TikTok, Supernote has cooperated with many vertical influencers, focusing on real handwriting creativity and scenario-based usage experiences, integrating the product naturally into various scenarios to impress potential users and achieve efficient seeding and conversion.

For example, targeting the group of hand-drawing and painting enthusiasts, Supernote has cooperated with many art influencers on TikTok. The creator @svv_art, who has 224,400 followers, is a very representative one.

 

Image source:TikTok

He/she filmed an unedited, one-take promotional short video for the Supernote brand, fully recording the entire process of creating art with the Supernote electronic ink tablet.

Users, while watching, can intuitively feel the device’s smooth strokes, no lag, and natural coloring. There is no excessive marketing, only the actual usage effect speaks for itself.

The data performance of this video is very impressive. So far, the number of views has reached 2.4 million, with as many as 202,600 likes.

A large number of users also asked questions out of curiosity under the video:

"Is it similar to an iPad? Or is it more like a magnetic children's drawing board? Does this need to be charged?"

"Can I know if it can save drawings, color them, and use different brushes? Or is it more like an entertainment tool?"

"Is it analog? Or digital?"

It can be seen that this kind of influencer real-shot, one-take, pure process display content can effectively retain users’ attention and truly stimulate potential consumers’ curiosity and purchase interest.

 

Image source:TikTok

In addition, targeting office workers, students and other daily users, Supernote has also cooperated with many lifestyle influencers on TikTok who share daily study and work, launching scenario-based promotional short videos.

Among them, influencer @earghh’s promotional effect is particularly outstanding. Although she only has 5,804 followers, the promotional video in cooperation with Supernote achieved very good results.

 

Image source:TikTok

In the video, @earghh shows herself unboxing the Supernote electronic ink tablet and using it to make study plans and practice questions in her real daily life.

So far, this video has received 2.9 million views and 153,900 likes.

In the comments section, when users compared Supernote with other brands, influencer @earghh replied:

"I prefer Supernote. Its screen is larger, the memory configuration is higher (4GB RAM + 32GB storage, and supports 2TB SD card expansion). When taking notes, SN’s pen stroke is closer to a real pen, while other brands feel too much like a pencil. I still prefer the pure pen feel."

Some parents also commented that this product is very suitable for their children, so they don’t have to worry about ordinary tablets affecting their studies. Influencer @earghh replied:

"This device fits your needs very well. It has no social software, no extra distractions, and no open internet, so it’s highly focused."

In the process of answering user questions above, not only do potential users gain a clearer understanding of product advantages and usage scenarios, but their favorability towards the brand is also effectively improved, purchase concerns are reduced, and conversion is greatly promoted.

 

Image source:TikTok

Conclusion: Segmented Blue Ocean, Just in Time

Currently, global consumers’ demand for products is shifting from ownership to fit. They are more willing to pay for professional tools that can accurately solve specific problems and improve the quality of life or work.

The steady growth of the electronic ink tablet market is a true reflection of this consumption trend.

It is not just the rise of a hardware category, but also reflects the inner desire of global users to reduce digital distractions and return to focus and creation.

For domestic companies intending to go Tuke, the electronic ink track is still a blue ocean field worth paying attention to.

If you can focus on differentiated functions, refine the ultimate user experience, and then build brand awareness through content marketing, even new brands entering the market can find their own growth opportunities on this track.