The Information
Med Traffictheinformation.com
Overview
The Information is a subscription-based technology journalism outlet founded in 2013 that covers the tech industry with in-depth, exclusive reporting. It targets professionals and investors who want deep investigative stories and scoops on Silicon Valley and the broader tech world. The publication is known for breaking major stories and maintaining a paywall-first, advertiser-free model.
By the Numbers
Founders
Former Wall Street Journal technology reporter who covered Silicon Valley and Apple for years before leaving to start The Information. She built the outlet from scratch as a bet on paid journalism at a time when most media was moving toward free, ad-supported models.
She reportedly turned down a job at Facebook before founding The Information, and her husband Tom Lessin is a former News Corp executive.
Funding
Competitors
Axios uses a broader free + Pro subscription model and covers politics and policy in addition to tech, with a more concise format.
Newer outlet co-founded by Ben Smith with global ambitions and a transparent fact-opinion format.
Writer-centric subscription model focused on insider coverage of Hollywood, finance, and politics alongside tech.
Much larger organization with terminal subscriptions, broader financial and macro coverage, and enterprise-scale resources.
Ad-supported with a lighter subscription tier, broader general business and tech coverage with higher volume but less exclusivity.
Key People
Former News Corp executive who joined The Information to help manage business operations. He has been instrumental in the company's growth strategy and fundraising.
One of the most prominent reporters at The Information, known for breaking major Apple supply chain and product stories. Previously reported from Asia covering the technology industry.
Veteran technology journalist and former Wall Street Journal reporter who covers major tech platforms including Google, Uber, and AI companies for The Information.
Covers enterprise technology, cloud computing, and semiconductors for The Information, with deep sourcing in Silicon Valley's enterprise sector.
Revenue & Model
Hiring Signals
Tech Stack
Notable Customers
Web Presence
Verified from public records — not AI-estimated.
How They're Doing
The Information continues to be one of the most influential subscription-based tech journalism outlets, consistently breaking major scoops on companies like Apple, Google, and AI startups. The publication has grown its subscriber base over the years and expanded its events business. It remains one of the few independent digital media companies to have built a sustainable paid model without relying on advertising.
●Consistently breaking exclusive stories on AI companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI
●Expanded events franchise including the annual subscriber summit and CEO interviews
Prognosis
The Information is well-positioned as AI and tech remain dominant topics of interest among investors, founders, and executives willing to pay for exclusive insights. Its biggest opportunity is expanding deeper into AI coverage and enterprise subscriptions, while its primary risk is competition from well-funded new entrants and platform AI tools that could commoditize information discovery.
●Growing demand for premium AI and tech intelligence among venture capital and enterprise audiences
●Expansion of events and data products as additional revenue streams beyond subscriptions
●Increasing competition from well-funded rivals like Semafor and Puck targeting the same premium audience
●AI-generated content and summarization tools potentially reducing willingness to pay for news subscriptions
Recent News
The Information publishes major scoop on OpenAI's internal tensions and board dynamics following 2023 CEO drama
The Information
Expands AI coverage team with new hires dedicated to covering generative AI startups and enterprise AI adoption
The Information
Breaks key details during the OpenAI board crisis involving Sam Altman's brief ouster
Multiple
The Information hosts annual subscriber summit featuring interviews with major tech CEOs
The Information
Controversies
The Information published a high-profile investigation into sexual harassment in Silicon Valley, which sparked significant industry debate but also drew criticism from some subjects who disputed details.
A story about alleged misconduct at YouTube generated significant controversy and pushback from Google, leading to public disputes about sourcing and accuracy.
Fun Facts
- 01The Information launched with a $399/year subscription price in 2013 when most tech media was racing to give content away for free — widely considered a contrarian and risky bet that ultimately proved prescient.
- 02Jessica Lessin cold-emailed tech executives and investors for subscriptions before launch and reportedly got dozens of paid subscribers before publishing a single article.
- 03The outlet operates without a single display advertisement, relying entirely on reader subscriptions and events revenue — a model that was nearly unheard of in digital media when it launched.
Timeline
Continues expanding AI coverage team amid surging reader interest in generative AI and enterprise technology
Breaks multiple major stories during the OpenAI board crisis, cementing its role as the go-to outlet for AI industry scoops
Launches expanded events business and subscriber summits as additional revenue stream
Closes Series B funding round (~$33M total raised) with backing from Andreessen Horowitz and others
Raises Series A funding to accelerate growth; expands coverage to include Asia tech and enterprise
Publishes landmark investigation into sexual harassment in Silicon Valley, influencing the broader #MeToo tech conversation
Raises early funding and expands editorial team, growing reputation for exclusive Silicon Valley scoops
Jessica Lessin founds The Information in San Francisco as a subscription-only tech journalism outlet at $399/year