8 Top Journalism Startups to Watch

Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the most exciting journalism startups of 2023 that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow. 

Disclaimer: With so many exciting startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Funding: $2.7 Million 

You may not have heard of Vietcetera, but if you lived in Vietnam, it would be hard to miss. The company offers the people of Vietnam high-quality journalism across topics like business, news, culture, and lifestyle. It offers its written and video content in Vietnamese and English, but it targets the Vietnamese population where it thrives.

Location: Miami, Florida
Funding: $17 Million

Fanatiz is a digital media company that focuses on bringing sports coverage to any device, any time, anywhere. Subscribers are able to watch global coverage and even customize the experience based on their favorite teams. People can find information on sports they wouldn’t normally be able to watch locally so that they can consume any content they prefer. 

Location: Dublin, Ireland
Funding:  €2.3 Million

The rampant spread of misinformation online has influenced major political decisions worldwide, and Kinzen exists to stop it in its tracks. The company was founded by a former journalist and looks to use a combination of human and AI intelligence to identify and stop the spread of misinformation. The company is targeting policymakers who might integrate the system into current tech as well as big organizations looking to audit internal systems.

Location: Bengaluru, India
Funding: ₹18 Million

India has about 121 different languages spoken within its country’s borders. Online content doesn’t have the capacity to cater to all dialects, but Bluepad is paving the way for everyone in India to become informed. The company is a content-sharing service that translates content for everyone in India to understand.

Location: United States
Funding: $500,000

The Flip Side is a media startup seeking to combat political divisiveness through fair and balanced news reporting. Started as a newsletter post the 2016 election, The Flip Side gathers news from each side of the political spectrum to provide a balanced alternative to news consumption complete with a forum for healthy political discourse.

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Funding: $3 Million

When Minneapolis newspaper City Pages had to close its metaphorical doors, some members decided to take on the publications’ concept but with a different twist. Racket is a news media company that is completely reader-owned and funded. What makes the company special is that they focus on local Minneapolis news.

Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Funding: Undisclosed

Founded by the owner of The Boston Globe, Statnews is a health-focused news website that is produced by Boston Globe Media and is also headquartered in Boston. One of the big news headlines it has received is being the first to break the story of COVID-19. With such powerful backing and resources, it’s likely the health news site will continue to grow.

Location: New York, New York
Funding: Undisclosed, $7 million

Drawing its name from the Shakespearean character, Puck News was created by veterans of the New York media industry and has a modern twist on the idea of journalism. It takes journalists and turns them into social media influencers by creating a holistic approach to media. While other news companies focus on creating content for articles, Puck News turns those articles into Zoom calls, live events, podcasts, and more. 

Recommended: Check out our full list of the top startups to watch!