• NewsReach

  Led · Seed · Jan 2023

  Newsreach, founded in 2018 by Darshan Shah and Soniya Kundani, operates a tech-enabled local news community focused on vernacular hyper-local publications. The platform lets creators license original work across a network and offers brands advertorial and sponsored-content options to reach local audiences. Management positions the product as an alternative to search and display advertising dominated by global giants, targeting users in tier‑2 cities and beyond. The company describes its mission as building an equitable content ecosystem and enabling better ROI and engagement for local advertising. Newsreach has previously received backing from individual and angel investors, and the recent seed award has filled its current funding round. The article does not disclose revenue or user metrics. NewsReach runs a content marketplace and SaaS aimed at vernacular content creators and publishers, enabling buying, selling and licensing of content in regional languages. The company’s marketplace is currently in public beta on an invitation basis. NewsReach says it serves the creator-economy demand for vernacular publishers and content creators and aims to digitize and consolidate the news media ecosystem. The startup plans to use fresh capital to strengthen company operations and its technology stack, including its content e-commerce/marketplace. The article notes the company has seen over 10x growth in signup-request traction in the last month and that overall revenue has seen a multi-fold increase due to digital adoption. Vyomeen Media operates NewsReach, a platform that aggregates news from local publishers and other original content providers, focused on rural and semi-urban areas. The service publishes in English, Hindi, Gujarati and Bengali and offers partner publications a digital footprint plus monetisation via advertising and licensing to larger publications. The company plans to use the fresh capital to improve technology, acquire publishers and for marketing. Financial terms of the seed round were not disclosed. NewsReach was founded in 2018 by Darshan Shah and Soniya Kundnani and is based in Ahmedabad. The founders also co-founded digital advertising agency VyomDisk Media and previously worked at Vertoz Advertising; earlier backers included Hiren Shah and Ashish Shah.

• NewsReach

  Led · Seed · Jan 2023

  NewsReach provides a platform that helps local newspaper publishers, reporters, stringers and PGCs aggregate their content and monetize it beyond traditional advertising. The company operates an open news marketplace where publishers and original content providers can sell, license or syndicate content to big media houses, fellow publishers, or other content buyers. NewsReach emphasizes both ad-based revenue and direct content sales/licensing as monetization channels. The company says it aims to revive the local news industry by digitizing publishers and creating visibility and marketability for their content. In April the company engaged Mumbai Angels Network and the founder said the funding transfer was completed rapidly. Founder Darshan Shah praised Mumbai Angels for their speed and professionalism during the Covid-19 period. Founded in 2018 by Darshan Shah and Soniya Kundani, Newsreach runs India’s first local news community focused on vernacular hyper-local publications. Its tech platform enables creators to license original work across a network and offers brands advertorial and sponsored-content opportunities to reach local audiences. The company positions itself to target users in tier‑2 cities and beyond through localized advertising alternatives to search and display. Newsreach says its platform improves engagement and ROI for advertisers by facilitating sponsored content distribution across local publishers. The startup stated the recent funding round made the current round fully subscribed. Prior funding came from individual and angel investors including BharatPe co‑founder Shashvat Nakrani, JITO Angel Network, Beyond Partners, Sharan Aggarwal and Oasis. NewsReach creates a news ecosystem 2.0 focused on original and hyper-local content by empowering offline local publishers and reporters to go online. The company offers a proprietary content marketplace and an online publication system delivered in a DIY SaaS model for publishers. It aims to digitise and facilitate the news media landscape via a single-platform SaaS and marketplace. NewsReach plans to use new funding for technology innovation, hiring talent, and expansion into multiple states. The startup is backed by investors including CIIE Initiative startup Oasis, a US-based venture firm, and Omnivore VC’s managing partner. Founded in 2018 and based in Ahmedabad, NewsReach previously raised $150,000 in a pre-seed round last year and now closed a new seed round. NewsReach creates a platform that digitises offline local news publishers and reporters to produce and syndicate original, hyper-local content. The startup enables journalists to quote fair prices for their stories while providing media organisations a consolidated platform to view and license content without large on-roll teams. It aims to syndicate hyper-local and other content in text, video and other formats for licensing in an open market. NewsReach also helps publishers monetise through advertisements and news marketplaces. The company plans to expand its offering into southern Indian languages, starting with Telugu. NewsReach was founded in 2018 by Darshan Shah and Soniya Kundnani and is based in Ahmedabad.

No current team members are available.