Postnauka

What Postnauka does

Postnauka (ПостНаука) is a Russian science education media platform founded in 2012 and operated as the publishing house «Издательский дом «ПостНаука»» out of Moscow. The company produces and curates popular-science content across 12+ disciplines including biology, physics, medicine, psychology, sociology, philosophy, economics, astronomy, neuroscience, mathematics, chemistry, and law. Its audience consists of Russian-speaking science enthusiasts, students and educators, and academic professionals interested in public communication of research.

The platform operates as a multi-format digital content hub with no native mobile app, distributing articles, longreads, FAQs, talks, video lectures, TV shows (including the «Мыслить как учёный» / «Thinking Like a Scientist» series), animation (Postnauka.Animate), books, structured courses, guides, interactive games/tests, and themed topic collections. Total content output visible on the platform is approximately 7,000+ publications (3,215 videos, 1,367 FAQs, 947 longreads, 405 talks, 132 WTF visual pieces, 97 courses, 64 guides, 459 TV items, 267 books, 281 book chapters, 13 animations). Distribution channels include the owned website (postnauka.org), YouTube, VK, Odnoklassniki, Telegram, Twitter, and a weekly email newsletter. Sub-brands include Postnauka.Academy (formal courses/webinars), Naukka Talents (scientist-community program), Special Projects (university and corporate partnerships), and Serious Science (English-language sister site).

The business runs on a voluntary subscription/donor model — core content is free, with users able to support the project by becoming subscribers («Стать подписчиком»). There are no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. The company has raised at least one funding round (approximately $1.55M in May 2019), operates with 11–50 employees, and has no disclosed revenue, patents, or certifications. Its go-to-market is community-led and content-led, with monetization supplemented by sponsored Special Projects with universities and technology/healthcare companies.

Name

Postnauka

Legal name

Издательский дом «ПостНаука»

Website

https://postnauka.ru

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Postnauka is a Moscow-based Russian-language science education media platform founded in 2012 that publishes multi-format popular-science content (articles, videos, courses, games) across 12+ disciplines, monetized via voluntary subscriptions and sponsored special projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Science Education Media

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Article & Blog Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAF), Short-Form Video for Education & Microlearning Platforms (MPACAHAK)

Keywords

• Science education media
• Online learning platform
• Popular science content
• Educational publishing
• Digital science courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Moscow

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription/Donation Model: Platform operates on a subscriber/donor model where users can support the project through membership ('Стать подписчиком'). Content is primarily free with premium support model.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Postnauka is a Russian-language science education media platform that produces and distributes popular science content across multiple formats: journal articles (talks, longreads, FAQ, WTF visual content), online courses and guides, video lectures and TV programs, books, and interactive games/tests. The platform covers more than 12 scientific disciplines including biology, physics, medicine, philosophy, economics, neuroscience, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, sociology, psychology, and law, delivering content free of charge with an optional subscriber/donor support model.

Product overview

Postnauka is a comprehensive Russian science education media platform offering content across multiple formats: Journal (talks, longreads, FAQ, WTF), Courses and Guides, Video content (including TV and Animate), Books, Games/Tests, and Themed topic collections. The platform also operates Special Projects partnering with universities and industries, Naukka Talents for researcher connections, Postnauka.Academy for courses and webinars, and Serious Science as an English-language spin-off. The platform covers diverse scientific disciplines including astronomy, biology, neuroscience, chemistry, economics, medicine, philosophy, physics, law, sociology, mathematics, and psychology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Serious Science: English-language science education project founded by Postnauka's founder

Products and services

• Journal (Журнал) Main editorial section of Postnauka offering multi-format science content: Talks, Longreads, FAQ articles, and WTF visual explainers. Targets Russian-speaking general readers seeking accessible popular science across multiple disciplines.
• Courses and Guides (Курсы и гиды) Structured educational courses and guides covering topics such as bioethics, nanotechnology, quantum computing, cognitive psychology, death studies, and the future. Designed for self-directed learners and students seeking organized study pathways.
• Video (Видео) Library of video content including lectures, interviews, animations, and TV series such as 'Thinking Like a Scientist' (Мыслить как ученый). Targets Russian-speaking science enthusiasts preferring visual and audio learning formats.
• Books (Книги) Book-related editorial content including book reviews, chapter excerpts, '5 books' curated selections, and 'What to read' recommendations for science readers. Targets readers seeking curated science book content in Russian.
• Games and Tests (Игры) Interactive educational games, quizzes, and brain trainers covering science topics (e.g., hydrogen energy, future education, neural networks). Targets learners seeking engaging, interactive science-based experiences.
• Themes / Topics (Темы) Thematic topic collections that organize content by scientific discipline, including astronomy, biology, neuroscience, chemistry, economics, medicine, philosophy, physics, law, sociology, mathematics, and psychology. Targets users browsing content by subject area.
• Postnauka.Academy (ПостНаука.Academy) Online educational academy offering courses and webinars on scientific topics including chemistry, sleep science, and anthropogenesis. Targets learners seeking deeper, structured engagement with specific scientific subjects.
• Serious Science English-language science education project featuring translated scientific content including videos on philosophy of science, evolution of altruism, and medical causal hypotheses. Targets global English-speaking audiences interested in scientific content originating from Russian academia.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Naukka TalentsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTalent partnership program connecting Postnauka with young scientists and professionals interested in science communication and careers in science-related fields.
• Serious SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish-language science media project founded by the creator of Postnauka. Serves as international counterpart offering scientific content to global English-speaking audiences.
• Partner UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial projects (Спецпроекты) developed in partnership with universities, focusing on science education and research communication initiatives.
• Technology Startups and CompaniesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial sponsorship projects with technological startups and companies developing human capital in science, medicine, and healthcare sectors.

Scale indicators23 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• N+1 (Nplus1.ru): Leading Russian-language popular science media platform publishing news, longreads, and videos. Directly comparable as a Russian-language science content publisher competing for the same audience and advertisers.
• Naked Science: Russian popular science media platform with articles, video content, and special projects covering multiple scientific disciplines. Comparable in content format (text + video + special projects) and target audience.
• Indicator.ru: Russian science news and analysis platform with structured coverage of scientific disciplines. Comparable as a long-running Russian-language science media outlet with similar editorial depth and audience.
• Lectorium (Лекториум): Russian open-lecture platform hosting video courses and academic lectures. Comparable in delivering multi-format (primarily video) science and academic content to Russian-speaking learners, including university partnerships.
• Universarium: Russian MOOC-style platform offering free online courses from leading universities. Comparable as a structured-course science education platform serving Russian-speaking audiences with similar donor/free-content dynamics.
• The Conversation: International academic-authored science and news media platform. Comparable as a multi-format science publishing platform driven by expert/author contributions with editorial structure, though operating in English with a different funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Global online learning platform offering courses across sciences, humanities, and professional fields. Comparable as a broad course-publishing platform with structured learning, but operates at vastly larger scale and with certification-driven monetization.
• edX: Global MOOC platform offering university-level courses including science content. Comparable as a broad incumbent in online learning content publishing, though focused on formal university partnerships globally.
• Khan Academy: Global free education platform covering science topics via video and interactive exercises. Comparable as a free, multi-format science education platform with a donor-supported model, though focused on K-12 rather than adult science popularization.

Regional players

• Geekbrains: Major Russian edtech platform with structured online courses. Adjacent rather than direct — focused on tech/professional skills rather than science popularization, but competes for the same Russian-speaking education market and donor/subscription wallets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/postnauka
• YouTubeyoutube.com/postnauka

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Postnauka