Matter

What Matter does

Matter (also operating as Matter Ventures) is an early-stage media startup accelerator and venture capital firm founded in 2012 in San Francisco by Corey Ford and Lara Ortiz-Luis. It runs a 20-week immersive accelerator program combining Stanford d.school design-thinking methodology with venture investment, mentorship, workspace, and a culminating Demo Day for early-stage media entrepreneurs. The program operates bicoastally from offices in San Francisco's South Park neighborhood and New York City's Union Square (since February 2016), accepting roughly 12 startups per cohort per city through nine-plus cohorts to date. Matter invests equity in portfolio companies (e.g., NewsWhip, Parlio, This, Hearken, SpokenLayer, Huzza) and has realized at least one exit (Huzza's acquisition by Kickstarter in 2017).

Beyond the core accelerator, Matter operates three additional product lines. The Partner Program runs a parallel accelerator for established media institutions including the New York Times, Associated Press, McClatchy, KQED, and PRX, applying design-thinking methodology to internal innovation. The Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program, delivered in partnership with Columbia Journalism School, trains senior leaders of major news organizations (cohorts active through 2025), with Google News Initiative sponsoring diversity scholarships. Open Matter, launched in 2018 with Google News Lab and News Media Alliance sponsorship and hosted by journalism schools including CUNY, Missouri, Berkeley, and Georgia, offers tuition-free design-thinking bootcamps to for-profit local news organizations.

Matter's revenue model blends equity investment in accelerator startups, professional-services-style engagements with media institutional partners, and program management fees from the Sulzberger and Open Matter programs. Its go-to-market is direct-to-founder for the accelerator and direct enterprise sales to media institutions for the Partner Program. The team is small (approximately 9-10 staff across both offices), and the firm self-positions as the world's only independent startup accelerator exclusively focused on media entrepreneurs.

Name

Matter

Legal name

Matter

Website

https://matter.vc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Matter is an independent media startup accelerator and seed investor operating a 20-week design-thinking program in San Francisco and New York City, serving early-stage media entrepreneurs, established media institutions, and local news organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Media startup accelerator
• Venture capital investing
• Design thinking bootcamps
• Media entrepreneurship program
• Executive journalism leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accelerator Program Investment: Matter invests in startups accepted into their accelerator program, taking equity stakes in exchange for funding, mentorship, workspace, and program access. The program runs 20 weeks culminating in Demo Day where startups pitch to investors.
2. Seed Investments: Direct seed investments in media startups outside the accelerator program. Examples include Parlio, This, NewsWhip, and follow-on investments in portfolio companies like NewsWhip's $6.4M Series A.
3. Partner Program: Parallel accelerator program for established media institutions (New York Times, Associated Press, McClatchy, PRX, KQED) where Matter helps internal teams innovate using design thinking methodology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Matter runs a 20-week immersive accelerator program for early-stage media entrepreneurs in San Francisco and New York City, combining design thinking methodology, structured Design Reviews, mentorship from a network of hundreds of industry experts, speaker series, workspace, and seed funding in exchange for equity, culminating in a Demo Day pitch event. It also operates the Open Matter bootcamps for local news organizations, the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program with Columbia Journalism School, and the Partner Program for established media institutions.

Product overview

Matter is a startup accelerator and venture capital firm that operates as the world's only independent startup accelerator for media entrepreneurs. The company offers a 20-week accelerator program in San Francisco and New York City, combining design thinking methodology with entrepreneurship and venture capital principles. Key offerings include: the core Startup Accelerator Program featuring design reviews, mentorship, and Demo Day; The Drunken Walk podcast and speaker series; Open Matter bootcamps for local news organizations; the Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program in partnership with Columbia Journalism School; and a Partner Program for media institutions. All offerings are designed to support entrepreneurs building ventures that create a more informed, inclusive, and empathetic society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Drunken Walk: A series of live fireside chats, blog posts, and podcasts from Matter Ventures featuring media entrepreneurs and industry speakers
• Open Matter

Products and services

• Startup Accelerator Program A 20-week immersive accelerator program for early-stage media entrepreneurs operating bicoastally in San Francisco and New York City. Features design thinking methodology, mentorship from a network of hundreds of industry experts, structured Design Reviews, speaker series, dedicated workspace, seed equity investment, and a culminating Demo Day pitch event. Selected startups participate in a Bootcamp, ongoing Design Reviews, mentorship, and Demo Day presentations to investors.
• Partner Program A parallel accelerator track for established media partner organizations such as The New York Times, Associated Press, McClatchy, KQED, and PRX, where internal teams work on innovation projects using Matter's design thinking methodology. Runs alongside the entrepreneur cohort and includes shared bootcamps and cross-partner collaboration.
• Open Matter Bootcamps A series of tuition-free design thinking and business model innovation bootcamps offered to for-profit local news organizations, delivered in partnership with Google News Lab, News Media Alliance, and journalism schools including CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Missouri School of Journalism, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and University of Georgia.
• Sulzberger Executive Leadership Program An executive leadership program at Columbia Journalism School, facilitated and managed by Matter, that trains senior leaders of major news organizations and runs as an annual cohort starting each January (with cohorts documented for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025). Google News Initiative sponsors four scholarships per cohort for leaders from groups typically underrepresented in journalism.

Quantifiable outcome

• First exit achieved - Huzza acquired by Kickstarter
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at Missouri School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2018Host institution for Open Matter Mizzou bootcamp, one of four journalism school partners in the Open Matter program.
• UC Berkeley Graduate School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2018Host institution for Open Matter Berkeley bootcamp as part of the four-partner journalism school program.
• Google News LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2018Partnership for Open Matter: Local News Bootcamps - a series of four design thinking and business model innovation bootcamps at leading journalism schools, offered to for-profit news organizations. Google News Lab provides support and sponsorship for the program.
• News Media AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2018Partnership with News Media Alliance as part of Open Matter initiative to support local news organizations through design thinking bootcamps.
• CUNY Graduate School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2018Host institution for Open Matter NYC bootcamp, providing facilities and access to journalism students and faculty for the design thinking program.
• The New York TimesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2016Partner media institution in Matter's parallel accelerator program for established media organizations, where NYT staff work on innovation projects using design thinking methodology.
• GooglecoreTechnology or Integration · 10 June 2015Matter's first technology partner, providing technical resources and support for the accelerator program and its media startup ecosystem.
• Columbia Journalism SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSulzberger Executive Leadership Program - trains leaders of the world's most respected news organizations. Matter facilitates and manages the program, selecting fellows and coordinating with the journalism school.
• Associated PressflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner media institution in Matter's parallel program, with AP hosting bootcamp at their NYC headquarters for cross-partner collaboration.
• McClatchycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in Matter's parallel accelerator program. McClatchy won a company-wide contest for Kansas City Star staff to participate in design thinking program.
• KQEDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner media institution (NPR member station) in Matter's parallel accelerator program for established media organizations.
• Public Radio Exchange (PRX)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner media organization in Matter's parallel program for established media institutions, working on innovation projects alongside other media partners.
• The Kansas City StarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcClatchy newspaper whose staff won company-wide contest to participate in Matter's design thinking bootcamp, working on product innovation projects.
• Stanford d.schoolcoreTechnology or IntegrationMatter's program methodology is grounded in design thinking principles developed at Stanford's d.school. Corey Ford has taught at Stanford d.school.
• Gatehouse MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of 130 daily newspapers and 640 other publications, participated in Open Matter Mizzou bootcamp with Austin-based team.
• Schurz CommunicationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia company publishing newspapers in Indiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, represented at Open Matter Mizzou.
• TownNews (Lee Enterprises)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvider of Blox CMS powering 1,600+ local newspaper websites, participated in Open Matter Mizzou with revenue, product, tech, and business development team.
• The Virginian-PilotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCritical news publication in Norfolk, Virginia, participated in Open Matter Mizzou with editorial and digital team of four.
• The Dallas Morning News (AH Belo)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Texas newspaper serving Dallas for 133 years, participated in Open Matter Mizzou with editorial, digital, analytics, and retention team.
• St. Louis Post-DispatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Missouri newspaper (formed 1878) with team from reporting, design, development, digital strategy, and business participating in Open Matter Mizzou.
• TamediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwitzerland's largest private domestic media group - Matter's first European partner, expanding the program's impact to the European continent.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Lerer Hippeau: NY-based early-stage VC that is sector-agnostic but with strong portfolio tilt toward media, content, and consumer-internet founders — the same NY founder pool Matter draws from.
• Greycroft Partners: Early-to-growth stage VC with historical strength in digital media and consumer internet investments — overlapping target market (media entrepreneurs) and stage of investment.

Direct peers

• Y Combinator: The original and largest US seed accelerator. Operates a twice-yearly cohort model with Demo Day and standardized seed investment in exchange for equity, structurally identical to Matter's accelerator business.
• Techstars: Global accelerator network running 13-week programs with mentorship-driven cohorts and Demo Days in exchange for equity; comparable to Matter in core operating model and cohort-based delivery.
• Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA): NY-based early-stage accelerator running cohort programs with seed investment and mentorship — same operating model as Matter but without the media-only vertical focus.
• gener8tor: US accelerator running bicoastal-style 12-week cohorts with cash investment and mentorship, structurally analogous to Matter's 20-week program.
• Dreamit Ventures: Industry-vertical seed accelerator (healthtech, urbantech, securetech) that runs cohort programs with customer-development focus — same accelerator economics and vertical-specialization approach as Matter.

Broad incumbents

• 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): Large global seed accelerator and venture fund investing in thousands of early-stage companies. Comparable accelerator plus fund model, though operating at materially larger scale and across many verticals.

Others

• John S. and James L. Knight Foundation: Major US philanthropic funder of journalism and media innovation, including local news. Not an accelerator, but shares Matter's focus on sustaining media entrepreneurship and is a counterparty for grants in the same ecosystem.
• Mozilla Foundation: Nonprofit that funds and supports an open media and internet ecosystem, including fellowships and grants for trustworthy AI in journalism — adjacent funder in the media-innovation space rather than a direct accelerator competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mattervc
• Facebookfacebook.com/mattervc
• Instagraminstagram.com/mattervc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matter-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments28 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Matter