NewsBreak

What NewsBreak does

NewsBreak (legally Particle Media, Inc., a Delaware corporation headquartered at 800 W. El Camino Real, Suite 300, Mountain View, CA) operates a mobile-first local news aggregation and personalization platform serving more than 50 million users across all 50 U.S. states. Founded in 2015 and operating with 101–250 employees, the company is self-described as 'the nation's leading local news app.' Its core product is an iOS and Android application that delivers location-based news, breaking alerts, and push notifications ranked by user zipcode, complemented by a daily email newsletter producing more than 50 million editions per day to 6+ million daily active readers.

The platform is built on two AI-driven technology components: a personalization engine that learns individual reading habits and preferences to tailor the news feed, and ClearStream, an AI-powered ad quality and ranking engine that filters deceptive advertising and dynamically routes demand to compliant alternatives. Content is aggregated from a partner publisher network including The Associated Press, CNN, NBC, CBS, Fox News, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee, Sports Illustrated, and thousands of local outlets, supplemented by independent journalist contributions through the Contributors Platform (creators.newsbreak.com). The platform publishes more than 100,000 pieces of content daily and is delivered across iOS, Android, web, and email channels.

NewsBreak operates a multi-sided business model. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising — both programmatic/national buys reaching 40+ million monthly active readers and small-business targeting via the SPOTLIGHTS program (localbusiness.newsbreak.com). Additional monetization streams include premium subscription tiers with automatic renewal and contributor revenue sharing through the Contributors Platform. Go-to-market combines product-led growth via the app stores (4.7/5 Apple from 773k ratings; 4.2/5 Google Play from 330k ratings) with B2B channels for publisher licensing (publishers.newsbreak.com), advertiser direct sales (biz.newsbreak.com), and SMB self-serve onboarding.

Name

NewsBreak

Legal name

Particle Media, Inc.

Website

https://newsbreak.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NewsBreak (Particle Media, Inc.) operates a mobile-first, AI-personalized local news platform with 50+ million users across all 50 U.S. states, aggregating content from top national and local publishers and monetizing via advertising, SMB programs, and subscription tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital News Aggregation

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI), Creator Publishing & Membership Platforms (Writer-Centric) (MPACAIAD)

Keywords

• Local news aggregation
• Mobile news app
• Content personalization
• Hyperlocal news
• Digital advertising platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Mountain View

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising: ClearStream ad technology enables publishers to scale operations with enhanced trust and efficiency. Connects advertisers with 40+ million monthly active users across the US.
2. Subscription: Subscription-based premium features with automatic renewal. Free newsletter available, with premium subscription tiers offering additional benefits.
3. Contributor Revenue Sharing: Top independent journalists, subject-matter experts, and local voices earn recognition and revenue by sharing stories on the platform.
4. Small Business Advertising: SPOTLIGHTS program helps small business owners tell their stories and reach 40 million monthly active NewsBreak readers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NewsBreak operates an AI-powered local news aggregation and personalization platform delivered via mobile apps (iOS/Android) and the web, reaching 50+ million users across all 50 U.S. states. The platform aggregates content from major national publishers (CNN, NBC, CBS, AP, Fox News, NY Times, LA Times) and thousands of local outlets, combined with independent contributors, then delivers location-based, personalized news feeds and breaking alerts. Monetization is driven by advertising (national and local SMB), premium subscriptions, and contributor revenue sharing, supported by the proprietary ClearStream ad-quality engine.

Product overview

NewsBreak is a platform-based local news aggregation and delivery service positioned as 'the nation's leading local news app.' The core product is a mobile application delivering location-based local news, breaking alerts, and personalized content to users across the U.S. The platform aggregates content from a Partner Publisher Network of established news organizations (CNN, CBS, AP, NBC, The Hill, Fox News, and local outlets) alongside contributions from independent journalists through its Contributors Platform. Additional modules include a Newsletter service delivering personalized daily digests (50M+ editions daily), the SPOTLIGHTS program for local business storytelling, and ClearStream, an AI-powered ad quality engine. The company also offers advertising solutions for local and national businesses targeting its 40M+ monthly active users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NewsBreak Mobile App Free iOS and Android mobile application delivering location-based local news, breaking news alerts, push notifications, and a personalized feed to 50+ million users across all 50 US states. Targets individual US consumers seeking hyperlocal news and community information.
• NewsBreak Newsletter Free email newsletter service delivering 5 top local stories every morning, fully customizable by location. Serves 6+ million daily active readers with 3-7 issues per week. Targets US consumers who want a digest of hyperlocal news in their inbox.
• Partner Publisher Network B2B content distribution product for established news publishers and news agencies who maintain formal partnership accounts and curate their own content on the platform, reaching 50+ million NewsBreak users and monetizing via ClearStream.
• Contributors Platform Self-serve platform at creators.newsbreak.com enabling independent journalists, subject-matter experts, and local voices to publish stories, build a following, and earn recognition and revenue through NewsBreak's contributor revenue-sharing program.
• SPOTLIGHTS Program Program for local SMB owners to tell their stories and reach 40 million monthly active NewsBreak readers, providing hyperlocal brand storytelling and local-business visibility to community audiences.
• Local & National Business Advertising Advertising platform at biz.newsbreak.com connecting local and national businesses with 40+ million US users via targeted, location-aware ad products. Pricing is custom/quote-based depending on targeting and reach requirements.
• ClearStream Ad Quality Engine AI-powered ad quality and ranking engine (B2B product for publishers) that filters deceptive ads and dynamically routes demand to compliant alternatives, helping publishers like Weather.com protect users from harmful ads while maximizing revenue.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ million users on platform
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Weather.comcoreTechnology or Integration · 9 December 2025Publisher using NewsBreak's ClearStream technology. ClearStream helps Weather.com protect users from harmful ads while maximizing revenue by filtering deceptive ads and routing to compliant alternatives.
• The New York TimescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor publisher partner providing content to NewsBreak's 50+ million users. Content appears in NewsBreak's aggregated news platform alongside other national sources.
• Los Angeles TimescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner publisher providing content to NewsBreak platform. One of the major California news sources distributed through the app.
• CNNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted national news source partner on NewsBreak platform. Listed as one of the key trusted sources alongside CBS, AP, and NBC.
• NBCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted national news source partner on NewsBreak platform. Listed as key trusted source alongside CNN, CBS, and AP.
• CBScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrusted national news source partner on NewsBreak platform. Listed as key trusted source alongside CNN, NBC, and AP.
• The Associated PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner publisher with 2.3 million followers on NewsBreak. One of the largest partner publishers on the platform providing breaking news coverage.
• Fox NewscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner publisher with 2.1 million followers on NewsBreak. Major cable news network distributing content through the platform.
• The HillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner publisher with 1.6 million followers on NewsBreak. Political news outlet distributing content through the platform.
• Miami HeraldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional newspaper partner providing Florida and South Florida news coverage to NewsBreak users.
• Sacramento BeeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional newspaper partner providing California news coverage to NewsBreak users.
• Sports IllustratedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSports media partner providing sports coverage to NewsBreak users.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Medium: Medium is a broader online publishing platform with article-level content and partner network. While more open publishing focused, it overlaps with NewsBreak's content aggregation and discovery model for news and informational content.
• BuzzFeed News: BuzzFeed operates as a digital media company with news aggregation and original content. It overlaps with NewsBreak in aggregating trending news and reaching consumer audiences through digital platforms.

Direct peers

• Microsoft Start (MSN): Microsoft Start aggregates news from publishers and serves as the news backbone for MSN and Microsoft Edge. Competes with NewsBreak in content aggregation and distribution to consumers.
• SmartNews: SmartNews is a direct competitor—a mobile-first news aggregator with strong local news focus in the US and Japan. Very similar product positioning to NewsBreak with AI-powered personalization and publisher partnerships.
• Flipboard: Flipboard is a news aggregation platform that curates content from publishers in a magazine-style format. It competes with NewsBreak in aggregating publisher content for personalized reading experiences.
• Google News: Google News/Discover is a primary news aggregation platform that delivers personalized news, including local content, to billions of users. It competes directly with NewsBreak in content aggregation, personalization, and local news delivery.
• Apple News: Apple News is a major news aggregator pre-installed on iOS devices with personalized local news delivery. It competes directly with NewsBreak in aggregating content from major publishers and delivering personalized news to consumers.

Others

• Pocket (Mozilla): Pocket is a content saving and recommendation service owned by Mozilla. While not a direct aggregator, it operates in adjacent content discovery space with personalized reading recommendations.

Emerging players

• Substack: Substack is a creator publishing platform that allows independent journalists to monetize newsletters. It overlaps with NewsBreak's Contributors Platform and newsletter product in enabling independent content creators to build audiences.
• Ground News: Ground News is an emerging news aggregator that focuses on news bias transparency and source comparison. It overlaps with NewsBreak in local news aggregation but differentiates through media literacy features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xplay.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.particlenews.newsbreak&hl=en&gl=US
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/particle-media-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NewsBreak