MuckRock

What MuckRock does

MuckRock Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in Massachusetts in 2010 and headquartered at 263 Huntington Ave, Boston, that operates a collaborative government-transparency platform. It serves individual journalists, newsrooms, academic researchers, and members of the public by enabling the filing, tracking, and sharing of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state-level public records requests, with 178,088 filed requests across 28,399 agencies and 59,683 fulfilled requests as disclosed on the platform.

The core technology stack is a Django web application spanning MuckRock Requests (request filing and tracking), DocumentCloud (document hosting, annotation, search, and publishing with 7,123,551 public documents and 119,927,077 public pages), FOIA Machine (request automation), oTranscribe (browser-based audio transcription), and the Data Liberation Project (government dataset reformatting and dissemination). Supplementary tools include the MuckRock API v2 with a python-squarelet Python SDK, an IPFS/FileCoin Batch Uploader Add-On for large document sets, partner platforms Big Local News and Agenda Watch that leverage MuckRock account verification, and educational programs FOIAFriday, Investigating with Sunlight, and Building with MuckRock.

MuckRock's revenue model is a hybrid of philanthropic and commercial streams: tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3), Pro subscriptions at $20/month allowing 20 requests per month with private submissions, annual Sunlight Research Desk memberships for newsrooms (post-merger with Sunlight Research Center in October 2025), fee-based custom training programs, and a merchandise storefront. Documented 501(c)(3) nonprofit. DocumentCloud was absorbed via a 2018 merger, and Sunlight Research Center in October 2025; major disclosed grants include $440K from Democracy Fund (2017) and $1,250,000 from Press Forward (2025).

Name

MuckRock

Legal name

MuckRock Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://muckrock.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MuckRock Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a collaborative FOIA and public records request platform alongside DocumentCloud, serving journalists, newsrooms, researchers, and the public with document analysis and investigative tooling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Records & FOIA Software

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Libraries and Archives (519210)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Q&A and Knowledge Discovery Platforms (BPAMAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Reference (Public Administration, Regulatory Guidance) (EDAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Public records requests
• FOIA request management
• Document analysis platform
• Investigative journalism tools
• Government transparency software

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting government transparency mission. MuckRock is a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 81-1485228.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Pro accounts ($20/month for 20 requests with privacy options) and organizational accounts providing revenue from individual journalists and newsrooms.
3. Sunlight Research Desk Memberships: Premium membership program for newsrooms providing research experts, training, and support for investigative reporting
4. Custom Training Services: Fee-based custom training programs tailored for organizations including FOIA workshops, tool onboarding, and investigative research skills
5. Merchandise Sales: Swag store selling MuckRock branded merchandise (hoodies, t-shirts) with proceeds supporting operations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MuckRock operates a centralized web platform for filing, tracking, and sharing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state public records requests across more than 28,000 government agencies. Its DocumentCloud subsidiary provides a document hosting, annotation, and publishing platform used by thousands of newsrooms to analyze primary source documents. Complementary tools include oTranscribe for audio transcription, FOIA Machine for automated request workflows, the Sunlight Research Desk membership program delivering expert research support to newsrooms, and the Data Liberation Project for distributing government datasets of public interest.

Product overview

MuckRock is a nonprofit collaborative news organization that provides a suite of government transparency tools. The core offering is MuckRock Requests (a FOIA/public records request filing and tracking platform), supplemented by DocumentCloud (for document analysis and publishing) and oTranscribe (for audio transcription). Additional services include FOIA Machine (request automation), Sunlight Research Desk (research support membership), and the Data Liberation Project (government dataset liberation initiative). Community programs include FOIAFriday podcasts and monthly workshops like Building with MuckRock and Investigating with Sunlight.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sunlight Research Desk: Membership program providing newsrooms with research experts to help with investigative reporting, backgrounding sources, tracking campaign money, and connecting dots in public records.

Products and services

• MuckRock Requests Core platform for filing, tracking, and sharing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state public records requests. Users can submit requests to government agencies, track their status, and access responsive documents publicly. Free accounts available; Pro accounts (US$20/month) offer 20 requests per month with private/embargoed submission options.
• DocumentCloud Document analysis and publishing platform used by thousands of newsrooms to analyze, annotate, and publish primary source documents. Offers upload, search, and annotation features for large document sets, plus an IPFS/FileCoin Batch Uploader Add-On for decentralized storage of large document collections.
• oTranscribe Browser-based utility that simplifies the process of transcribing audio files, making it easier for journalists to convert spoken content into written records.
• FOIA Machine FOIA request facilitation tool that helps automate and manage the public records request process, enabling users to file and track multiple requests efficiently.
• Sunlight Research Desk Membership Premium annual membership program offering newsrooms exclusive access to research experts who assist with backgrounding sources, tracking campaign money, and connecting dots in public records for investigative reporting. Also includes training resources and collaborative investigative support.
• MuckRock API v2 REST API enabling programmatic access to FOIA request management and document retrieval on the MuckRock platform, with companion python-squarelet Python library for simplified token management and authentication.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12 million pages of government documents released to the public
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sunlight Research CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2025MuckRock and Sunlight Research Center merged in October 2025. Sunlight provides training, tools, and support for investigative reporting with focus on local news. The Sunlight Research Desk membership program helps newsrooms with backgrounding sources, tracking campaign money, and connecting dots in public records. Brandi Swicegood (Sunlight co-founder) and Anna Massoglia (Sunlight's former director of investigations) now lead MuckRock's editorial and research programs.
• Trans Journalists AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to document the impact of anti-trans federal activities. TJA and MuckRock filed over 350 public records requests to track implementation and practical effects of executive orders, legislation, and federal action targeting trans communities. This open-source project aims to uncover and preserve newsworthy documents revealing real-world effects of anti-trans policies.
• DocumentCloudcoreTechnology or IntegrationDocumentCloud is a platform managed by MuckRock Foundation that thousands of newsrooms use to analyze, annotate and publish primary source documents. It provides document upload, storage, search, and annotation capabilities integrated with MuckRock's FOIA request system.
• New York FocuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on Behind the Badge project to investigate police misconduct. Team of reporters working with MuckRock and New York Focus obtained over 27,000 pages of police disciplinary files in New York state.
• Northwestern FOIA PracticumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership contributing to police disciplinary files project with students working on FOIA requests.
• Cicero IndependientecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative investigative partnership on 'The Air We Breathe' project monitoring air pollution in Cicero. Yearlong investigative project found Cicero's air quality worse than surrounding Cook County neighborhoods.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: ProPublica is a major nonprofit investigative newsroom that uses MuckRock's DocumentCloud tool. It produces original investigative journalism on government accountability and is a leading figure in the same civic journalism space, though it operates at much larger scale and primarily as a publisher rather than a platform.

Direct peers

• The Markup: The Markup is a nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on technology and its impact on society. Like MuckRock, it produces original accountability journalism, operates as a 501(c)(3), and serves a similar audience of journalists, researchers, and civically engaged readers.
• Center for Public Integrity: Center for Public Integrity is one of the largest nonprofit investigative journalism organizations in the US. It focuses on government accountability, money in politics, and systemic injustice, overlapping directly with MuckRock's mission and target audience.
• OpenSecrets: OpenSecrets (Center for Responsive Politics) tracks money in US politics and provides public access to government data on campaign finance, lobbying, and spending. It is highly comparable to MuckRock's Data Liberation Project and shares multiple former staff/board members (Anna Massoglia, Kelly Kauffman).
• Bellingcat: Bellingcat is an independent investigative journalism group specializing in open-source investigations. It shares MuckRock's emphasis on using public records, transparency tools, and collaborative journalism to hold power accountable, with significant overlap in audience and methodology.
• Sunlight Foundation: Sunlight Foundation is a nonprofit focused on government transparency, open data, and accountability. It pioneered tools for tracking lobbying and federal spending and is highly comparable in mission to MuckRock, with related board connections (Rebecca Williams worked at Sunlight Foundation).
• Freedom of the Press Foundation: Freedom of the Press Foundation supports press freedom through secure communication tools, SecureDrop, and advocacy. It operates in the same government transparency ecosystem as MuckRock and has direct personnel connections (Freddy Martinez was a Mozilla/Ford Open Web Fellow there).
• Big Local News: Big Local News is a collaborative data and reporting project at Stanford that provides tools and data infrastructure for local newsrooms. It is a direct technology partner of MuckRock and serves an overlapping audience of investigative journalists.

Others

• DocumentCloud: DocumentCloud is actually a wholly-owned subsidiary/product of MuckRock Foundation, but it functions as a standalone platform serving thousands of newsrooms. Listed here as an ecosystem participant and direct competitive benchmark in document analysis tooling.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): IRE is a nonprofit membership organization for investigative journalists that provides training, resources, and the NICAR database. It is a key community/ecosystem participant and shares MuckRock's mission of supporting investigative journalism through tools and training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLBGm5TjywchNbi1z3UBPS9DATtvDdATnX
• Xx.com/muckrocknews
• Facebookfacebook.com/muckrock
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muckrock

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

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 MuckRock