Maroochydore business designs single-source automated publishing software for Lonely Planet, World Health Organization

A Maroochydore media company publishes content for print, web and mobile within seconds for global clients, such as Lonely Planet and the World Health Organization. Here is how they do it.

Sunshine Coast Typefi team. Picture: Supplied

A Sunshine Coast author who wanted to print more books, faster, was the initial brains behind thriving media production and process and automation company, Typefi.

While Typefi chief executive Chandi Perera said the company moved on quickly from its humble beginnings, the underlying desire to do things better, and faster, has remained intact.

Typefi is a global leader in single-source automated publishing software for print, web and mobile.

And based right here in Maroochydore, undoubtedly renowned as a world-class tourist destination, it’s apt that Typefi has cornered the market on every travel guide published across the world today.

Michael Cousins and Shanna Bignell from Typefi with former deputy mayor Tim Dwyer accept the Small Business Award at the 2016 Export Awards. Picture: Contributed

Yes, even that dog-eared Lonely Planet on your bookshelf.

Mr Perara said while 90 per cent of the company’s customers were offshore, Typefi had leveraged its Australian-heritage as a global selling point.

“Travelling the world to sell your products with the address Sippy Downs on your business card is a great conversation starter,” he said.

“We were always very happy to enlighten people as to where that is, and we have intentionally used an Australian tone and language in all of our messaging and communications because, globally, it’s an asset in competing markets to be from a place like the Sunshine Coast.”

Typefi is now operating out of Maroochydore with 50 staff and an impressive array of big-name clients.

The company won several Sunshine Coast Business Awards in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2018.

“We actually handled the original documentation for the Apple iPod when we had our first little office in Peregian Beach,” Mr Perera said.

“Nowadays we service the likes of the World Health Organisation and International Monetary Fund.”

Typefi’s cutting edge, user-friendly platform provides its customers with the ability to take a single source document and automatically render it in their choice of over 30 formats, in just minutes, with 100 per cent accuracy.

To this day, its core research and development team is based right here on the coast.

“Our R and D is so important to our continued success,” Mr Perera said.

“Our product ideas come from all over the world, but it’s a Sunshine Coast team that build and engineer our new lines and with a continued focus on development, we have limitless options for offerings to our customers as technological advancements continue.”

The Sunshine Coast Daily will launch the Daily Incubator on August 27 in its first weekly print edition. The exciting, new initiative aims to showcase the best of business and attract investment to the region.

Originally published as Maroochydore business designs single-source automated publishing software for Lonely Planet, World Health Organization