Big Think

What Big Think does

Big Think is a privately held media and education platform founded in 2007 and headquartered in New York, operating under the corporate entity Freethink Media, Inc. The company curates and produces long-form, expert-driven video interviews, articles, columns, newsletters, and structured video classes spanning philosophy, science and technology, mind and behavior, business, and history and society. Its underlying technology is a digital media platform (bigthink.com) with supporting distribution on YouTube (8M subscribers), Substack, Instagram, X, and Spotify, reaching 20M+ monthly readers and viewers across 200+ countries and territories.

The product portfolio includes a free content hub, premium Membership (ad-free access, classes, monthly print issues, member-only events), 100+ expert-led video Classes, themed Monthly Issues, multiple Substack newsletters and columns (Mini Philosophy, Starts with a Bang, Big Think Books, Big Think Business, The Long Game, Strange Maps, The Well, 13.8, Work Wise), and Big Think+, an enterprise learning product used by hundreds of companies and Fortune 500 teams. The company also runs live events and operates a Creative Studio through Freethink Media for branded content and advertising.

Monetization is diversified across four streams: consumer membership subscriptions, Big Think+ enterprise subscriptions, advertising and sponsorships via the Creative Studio, and events/professional services. The company employs 11-50 people, has raised an initial $0-disclosed round from Founder Collective, and has no public ownership or ticker.

Name

Big Think

Legal name

Freethink Media, Inc.

Website

https://bigthink.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Big Think is a private media and education platform founded in 2007, publishing expert-driven video interviews, articles, classes, and newsletters to 20M+ monthly readers and viewers, monetized via consumer memberships, enterprise learning (Big Think+), advertising, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Education and Educational Media

NAICS

Publishing Industries (513), Information (51)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility (BPAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Reputation & Thought Leadership (MPAAAOAF)

Keywords

• Online education
• Corporate learning
• Expert interviews
• Video courses
• Educational media

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Premium membership providing access to ad-free content, monthly print issues, classes, early access to interviews, and member-only events.
2. Big Think+ Enterprise Learning: Corporate learning platform providing expert-led classes and insights for workplace training, used by hundreds of companies for employee development.
3. Advertising and Sponsorships: The Creative Studio (freethinkmedia.com) offers advertising opportunities to reach Big Think's influential, intellectually engaged audience of professionals, leaders, and lifelong learners.
4. Events: Live conversations, salons, and immersive gatherings that bring the Big Think community together featuring leading voices across disciplines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Big Think is a digital media and education platform that produces and distributes expert-led video content including 5,000+ interviews with Nobel laureates, CEOs, and leading academics, alongside 100+ structured video classes, articles, newsletters, and monthly themed issues. It operates a direct-to-consumer membership program and an enterprise learning solution (Big Think+) used by hundreds of companies for workplace training and development.

Product overview

Big Think is a media and education platform offering a comprehensive suite of content products centered around expert-driven educational content. The core offering includes the main bigthink.com platform with videos, articles, and interviews; a library of 100+ expert-led video Classes covering topics from philosophy to business; a premium Membership providing ad-free access, print issues, and member-only events; and Big Think+ for enterprise workplace learning. Supporting products include Columns & Newsletters (Mini Philosophy, Starts With A Bang, Books, The Long Game, Strange Maps, The Well, 13.8, Work Wise), Monthly Issues (magazine-style themed deep dives), and Events (live conversations and salons). The platform reaches 20+ million monthly readers and viewers across platforms including an 8 million subscriber YouTube channel, with content spanning Philosophy, Science & Tech, Mind & Behavior, Business, and History & Society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big Think+: Premium membership tier offering exclusive content, classes, and ad-free reading
• Big Think Media
• Big Think Business
• Big Think Books
• Freethink Media Creative Studio

Products and services

• Big Think Platform The main digital platform at bigthink.com offering educational content including videos, articles, interviews, and expert-led courses across philosophy, science, business, and other topics for curious adult learners.
• Classes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Chan Zuckerberg InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the philanthropy organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. Big Think has established partnerships with leading institutions as part of its collaborative ecosystem.
• Templeton FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the John Templeton Foundation supporting exploration of big questions in science, religion, and philosophy. Collaborates on content exploring the intersection of science and spiritual inquiry.
• Freethink MediacoreOthersBig Think operates under Freethink Media, which also runs Creative Studio for branded content and advertising solutions. Big Think, Big Think Plus, and Smarter Faster are trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc.
• UdemyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Udemy for distributing learning content and expanding global access to expert-led educational materials.
• Major UniversitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with major universities for content distribution, academic collaboration, and educational initiatives. Content is used in classrooms and universities around the world.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TED: Nonprofit media organization publishing short, idea-driven talks from leading experts. Closely comparable in content format (expert talks), audience (intellectually curious learners), and brand positioning as a thought-leadership platform.
• MasterClass: Subscription-based platform offering video classes from world-renowned experts. Direct competitor to Big Think in the expert-led premium video class category, with overlapping target audience of curious lifelong learners.
• Mindvalley: Personal growth and transformation platform featuring expert-led classes. Comparable in subscription model, expert-driven content, and target persona of ambitious self-improvers.
• Wondrium (formerly The Great Courses): Subscription service offering expert-led video courses across academic and professional topics. Directly comparable to Big Think's Classes product, with similar long-form, instructor-driven educational content.
• Curiosity Stream: Subscription streaming service offering factual and expert-led documentary content. Comparable in subscription-based delivery of expert educational video content to curious adult learners.

Emerging players

• Maven: Cohort-based learning platform featuring expert-led courses for professionals. Comparable expert-driven, premium-priced course model and target persona of ambitious professionals.
• Headspace: Subscription wellness and learning platform with B2B offering. Comparable in combining consumer subscriptions with an enterprise channel, though focused on mindfulness rather than intellectual content.
• Skillshare: Subscription learning community with creator-led video classes. Comparable subscription/PLG motion and audience of lifelong learners, though focused on creative and practical skills rather than expert thought leadership.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online learning platform partnering with universities and companies to deliver courses. Overlaps with Big Think+ in the corporate and adult learning segment, but is significantly broader and better capitalized.
• LinkedIn Learning: Enterprise learning platform owned by Microsoft offering video courses for professional development. Competes with Big Think+ in corporate L&D, with much larger distribution, capital base, and integration into enterprise workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BigThink
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/bigthink
• Instagraminstagram.com/bigthinkers
• Facebookfacebook.com/bigthinkdotcom

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Big Think