Dutch digital publishing start-up Blendle on Tuesday began selling articles from German publications such as newspaper Bild Die Welt and weekly magazine Der Spiegel.

The roll-out in Germany is the company’s first step to increasing its reach.

Nos correspondent Judith van de Hulsbeek says the question is whether the Germans will want to swap their paper newspapers for a digital version. ‘Of all the European users, the Germans have the least mobile internet and they are also the most wary of paying online,’ she said.

In March, Blendle signed a deal to sell articles from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post and the US is expected to be the next location for the company’s international roll-out.

Last October, the New York Times and the German Axel Springer publishing house said they were investing a combined €3m in the Dutch firm in return for a 23% stake.

Blendle was launched in April 2013 as a newspaper and magazine kiosk. It allows readers to pay a few cents to read individual newspaper and magazine articles and currently works with some 50 Dutch publications. Some 250,000 people have a Blendle account – most of them in the 20 to 35 age group. They buy on average five articles a month. Blendle takes 30% of the fee.