Axel Springer

Axel Springer, founded in 1946 in Hamburg, is a prominent media company based in Berlin, specializing in publishing newspapers, magazines, and digital content. It has established itself as Europe’s largest digital publishing house, maintaining strong positions in print and digital markets, as well as in digital marketing and classifieds. The company's significant transformation and international expansion over the past decade have led to digital media revenues comprising nearly 70 percent of total revenues across more than 40 countries. Axel Springer remains committed to enhancing its digital portfolio through strategic ventures, including its investment arm, Axel Springer Digital Ventures, which focuses on early-stage investments in classified ad models, marketing solutions, and digital publishing. The company's goal is to foster innovation and maintain its leadership in digital journalism while actively engaging with modern digital startups to drive its ongoing digitization strategy.

Jan-Philipp Gräfe

Principal

Past deals in Publishing

Inkitt

Series B in 2021
Inkitt GmbH owns and operates an online community for writers and readers of stories. The company also publishes books based on crowd wisdom. It offers Inkitt, an online platform for authors to share, review, and promote their writings. The company provides its services for various categories, such as horror, fandoms, fantasy, romance, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, humor, action, adventure, children, drama, poetry, erotica, and more. It also operates an application for readers. Inkitt GmbH was formerly known as Inkitt UG (haftungsbeschränkt). The company was founded in 2013 and is based in Berlin, Germany.

Scroll

Series A in 2018
Scroll is a subscription-based service that provides users with an ad-free online journalism experience. Headquartered in the United States, the company aims to present high-quality content to engaged readers while minimizing distractions from advertisements. By allowing users to access articles on participating news sites without ads, Scroll creates a sustainable revenue model that benefits both users and publishers. This approach not only enhances the reading experience but also supports journalism by sharing revenue with the publishers, thereby fostering a more informed and engaged audience. Through its innovative platform, Scroll seeks to address the challenges posed by the distraction economy and filter bubbles, encouraging readers to focus on meaningful content.

Scroll

Seed Round in 2016
Scroll is a subscription-based service that provides users with an ad-free online journalism experience. Headquartered in the United States, the company aims to present high-quality content to engaged readers while minimizing distractions from advertisements. By allowing users to access articles on participating news sites without ads, Scroll creates a sustainable revenue model that benefits both users and publishers. This approach not only enhances the reading experience but also supports journalism by sharing revenue with the publishers, thereby fostering a more informed and engaged audience. Through its innovative platform, Scroll seeks to address the challenges posed by the distraction economy and filter bubbles, encouraging readers to focus on meaningful content.

Mic

Series B in 2015
Mic Network Inc. operates an online platform dedicated to publishing news, focusing on issues relevant to society's changemakers. Established in 2011 and headquartered in New York, the company provides original reporting across various topics, including politics, business, culture, science, and the environment. Mic aims to reach an audience of 50 million monthly, delivering diverse perspectives that challenge conventional viewpoints. As of November 2018, Mic Network Inc. is a subsidiary of BDG Media Inc.

Mic

Series B in 2015
Mic Network Inc. operates an online platform dedicated to publishing news, focusing on issues relevant to society's changemakers. Established in 2011 and headquartered in New York, the company provides original reporting across various topics, including politics, business, culture, science, and the environment. Mic aims to reach an audience of 50 million monthly, delivering diverse perspectives that challenge conventional viewpoints. As of November 2018, Mic Network Inc. is a subsidiary of BDG Media Inc.

Grunderszene

Acquisition in 2014
Gruenderszene is the German-speaking online magazine for the digital industry in Germany. Vertical Media is the publishing house behind the magazine which is based in Berlin. It started as a privat blog-project of the German serial-entrepreneur [Lukasz Gadowski](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/lukasz-gadowski). Gruenderszene has become a major player in the online coverage of the startup industry in Germany,it delivers news and articles about the German internet, web and tech scene. Gruenderszene is also an organizer of industry events, such as e.g. the "Spätschicht" event in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich. The English version of Gründerszene is called VentureVillage.eu. The company was acquired by [Axel Springer](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/axel-springer) in June 2014.

InterRed

Venture Round in 2011
InterRed GmbH is a prominent provider of software solutions that specialize in content management systems and editorial tools. The company focuses on delivering advanced software for multi-channel publishing, knowledge management, and online content management tailored for newspapers, magazines, corporate publishing, and catalogs. InterRed's product offerings include the InterRed Print editorial system, the web content management system InterRed Online, and the InterRed AppPublishing solution. Additionally, the company features modules such as InterRed ContentAgents for knowledge management and InterRed LiveReporting for web analytics. With a diverse array of tools designed for various industries, InterRed addresses the needs of businesses seeking effective print, web, and mobile solutions.
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