Yahoo has sold popular tech news site TechCrunch to private equity firm Regent, marking the latest in a string of ownership changes for the outlet.
TechCrunch is one of the biggest names in tech journalism, covering stories across the industry. The company has been a part of Yahoo for years, but TechCrunch was something of an anomoly within Yahoo’s portfolio, as Editor in Chief Connie Loizos points out.
Yahoo decided to sell TechCrunch because, in the end, our DNA is simply different from the rest of its portfolio. While Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News, and Yahoo Finance excel at aggregation, TechCrunch has always been about original reporting and news analysis. The timing of the sale also makes sense. While much of the news industry has been punched in the face by a host of challenges — from AI-generated summaries to Twitter’s evolution into X — TechCrunch has bucked the trend over the last year, steadily regrowing its readership. Our secret? We put readers first, deliver must-know news without bias, and showcase the wild, often ridiculous, human side of the tech world.
Loizos assures readers that little to nothing will change, thanks to Regent founder Michael Reinstein being a long-time fan of the outlet.
Regent was founded 12 years ago by Michael Reinstein, a personable one-time startup founder who quickly realized he might have a brighter future as a PE executive and who has an undeniable passion for TechCrunch.
The best part: This deal is structured to ensure minimal disruption to TechCrunch’s operations. You can almost think of it more like a software update rather than a system overhaul. In San Francisco and New York, we’ll be moving into new offices leased by Regent. (Goodbye, Financial District; hello, SoMa!) And Yahoo isn’t severing ties entirely — it’s keeping a small interest in the company. (What can we say? It’s hard to let go of TechCrunch.) Relatedly, my personal thanks to Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone, who has been an incredible mentor and sounding board and to whom I’m deeply grateful.
Loizos says TechCrunch has exactly what it needs to continue doing what it does best.
As close followers of TechCrunch already know, this isn’t our first rodeo when it comes to new ownership (we all still have swag from AOL and Verizon). But what mattered most in this transition was ensuring that our team retains the freedom and support to do what we do best. With Regent, we have exactly that.
So to Yahoo, thank you for standing by us through some tougher times. And to Regent, we love your enthusiasm for what we do and we’re excited to embark on this next chapter with you. Now, let’s do this thang.
from WebProNews https://ift.tt/ynFT0wu
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