PR for startups
Startup PR: how early-stage companies get their first coverage
Startup PR is about earning the first stories that make a company real to customers, investors and future hires. Without a big brand, startups win on story: a founder with a sharp reason for building, a problem readers know well, and news with a hook such as funding, a launch or surprising traction. Most startups can do this themselves with a focused list and a good pitch.
Story angles that work for startups
Journalists do not cover companies, they cover stories. These are the angles that most often earn startups coverage:
- A funding announcement offered as an exclusive to one outlet
- A launch tied to a problem in the news right now
- Traction stories such as customer numbers, growth rates or notable clients
- Founder backstories that explain why this team is building this product
How to run startups PR yourself
- Pick one story. Choose the strongest angle above and write it in one sentence. If you cannot, the story is not ready.
- Build a short list. Find the 20 to 50 reporters who have covered startups recently. A short list that fits beats a long list that does not.
- Write a personal pitch. Three short paragraphs: the news, why it matters to their readers, and what you can offer such as data, interviews or images.
- Follow up once. Three to five working days later, add something new rather than "just checking in".
- Track what lands. Note who replied and what they wrote about, so your next pitch is warmer.
What reporters on this beat want
- Lead with what changed for users, not the feature list. Tech reporters see hundreds of launches a week.
- Offer data the reporter cannot get anywhere else: usage numbers, a survey, or benchmark results.
- Lead with the figure: revenue, deal size, growth or headcount.
- Offer the CEO or CFO for an interview. Business desks rarely quote PR staff.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hiring an expensive agency before there is a story to tell.
- Mass-emailing every tech reporter instead of the ten who cover your category.
Who covers startups
InsightFuse lists 4,106 journalists, editors and producers whose role or outlet points to startups coverage, across 104 countries. Here is where they work and what they do.
Where they work: top outlets and employers
- Entrepreneur
- Hindustan Media Limited Ventures
- Techcrunch
- This Old House Ventures
- Venture Corporation Limited
- Red Ventures
- Ellen Digital Ventures
- Ventures Africa
- Startup Vadisi
- Luft Media Group
- Mansueto Ventures
- The Startup
| Country | Journalists |
|---|---|
| United States | 1,845 |
| United Kingdom | 383 |
| India | 248 |
| Canada | 208 |
| Australia | 133 |
| France | 74 |
| Netherlands | 50 |
| Indonesia | 48 |
| Role | Journalists |
|---|---|
| Producers | 1,337 |
| Editors | 1,182 |
| Writers | 704 |
| Editors-in-chief | 579 |
| Journalists | 102 |
| Managing editors | 76 |
Counts come from the InsightFuse database and include only people with editorial job titles. Names and contact details are available inside the app.
Browse journalists on these beats
- Technology journalists55,605 worldwide
- Technology journalists in the United States25,632 journalists
- Technology journalists in India5,558 journalists
- Technology journalists in the United Kingdom3,723 journalists
- Business journalists5,562 worldwide
- Business journalists in the United States2,151 journalists
- Business journalists in the United Kingdom542 journalists
- Business journalists in India440 journalists
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Should a startup hire a PR agency?
Most early-stage startups get better results doing their own PR around one or two big moments, such as a launch and a funding round. An agency becomes worthwhile when news is regular and the team has no time to pitch.
How do startups get press for free?
Build a short list of reporters who cover your space, offer one of them an exclusive, write a pitch that leads with the news, and follow up once.
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