The Local

What The Local does

The Local is a privately held digital media company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden (The Local Europe AB, Västmannagatan 43), that operates multi-edition English-language news publications for nine European country markets — Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Norway — each delivered through a country-specific domain (e.g., thelocal.se, thelocal.de, thelocal.fr) and unified under a single membership and brand. It is led by CEO and Publisher James Savage. Its product surface consists of a core news and guides website built on a standard CMS, native mobile applications on iOS and Android, a jobs marketplace portal (jobs.thelocal.com) where employers can post recruitment advertisements, and an audio extension via the Talking France podcast.

The company serves English-speaking expatriates and international residents living across Europe who need local news, practical information (housing, taxation, citizenship, employment), and cultural context in English. Its content combines breaking and editorial coverage with evergreen practical guides and is produced by locally based editors who write in English. Distribution is primarily organic via SEO, country-domain SEO, email newsletters, and apps, supplemented by social media.

The Local operates a hybrid revenue model: (1) individual recurring annual membership subscriptions that unlock premium content behind a paywall, with free articles available to non-members; (2) corporate membership packages sold to businesses; (3) third-party display and targeted advertising (with IAB Europe TCF consent management); and (4) recruitment-advertising revenue through its jobs portal. The company is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant, uses Google reCAPTCHA for spam protection, and has participated in three disclosed funding rounds between 2007 and 2011 (totaling roughly $3.94M from IQube, The Sixth AP Fund, and Almi Invest) plus a 2008 acquisition of Toytown Germany.

Name

The Local

Legal name

The Local Europe AB

Website

https://thelocal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Local Europe AB is a Stockholm-based digital media company publishing English-language news, practical guides, and editorial coverage across nine European country editions (Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Norway) for English-speaking expatriates and international residents, monetized through annual memberships, corporate memberships, advertising, and a recruitment jobs portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

Keywords

• Online news media
• Expat news coverage
• News subscription service
• European journalism
• Digital media publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The Local generates revenue through individual membership subscriptions that provide access to exclusive articles and content, with free content available to non-members. The company also offers corporate membership packages for businesses.
2. Advertising: The site displays third-party advertising from external advertising companies, using cookies for targeted advertisements based on user visits across sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Local publishes English-language news, opinion, and practical guides across nine country-specific European editions (Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Norway). Its core offering combines free editorial coverage with a paid individual and corporate membership that unlocks member-exclusive analysis and the Talking France podcast. The company has reported approximately 50,000 supporters/members and distributes content via the web and mobile apps.

Product overview

The Local is a multi-edition English-language news publication offering coverage of European countries (Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Norway). The product portfolio consists of a core news website with localized editions, a mobile app available on iOS and Android platforms, a membership subscription service providing exclusive content, and a jobs portal for European employment opportunities. The company operates under a franchise model with country-specific editions (e.g., thelocal.se for Sweden, thelocal.de for Germany, etc.).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Local News Website (multi-edition) Multi-edition English-language news publication providing news, opinion, analysis, and practical guides about nine European countries, with country-specific domains and a unified editorial brand.
• The Local Mobile App Native mobile applications available on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, providing English-speaking readers access to The Local's European news, opinion, and practical-guide content on smartphones and tablets.
• The Local Membership Recurring annual subscription offering with individual and corporate access tiers that unlocks exclusive editorial content, member-only analysis, and an enhanced reading experience across all country editions.
• The Local Jobs Portal Employment portal where employers can post job advertisements aimed at English-speaking job seekers across The Local's European audience, with the public-facing job listings surfaced via a dedicated Jobs tag on the news site.
• Talking France Podcast Audio podcast covering French politics and current events, produced by The Local's France editorial team and distributed to the brand's English-speaking audience.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RDC DeutschlandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 22 December 2025RDC Deutschland is the German partner of Swedish train company SJ, which took over operation of the Stockholm-Berlin EuroNight train route after SJ discontinued it. The partnership ensures continued international rail connectivity.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thelocaleurope
• Facebookfacebook.com/thelocal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Local