Scientific American
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1845
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Scientific American firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scientific American
- Legal name
- Scientific American, a division of Springer Nature America, Inc.
- Website
- https://scientificamerican.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1845
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scientific American industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science Journalism and Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ), Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)
Keywords
Where Scientific American is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Scientific American business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Subscription Revenue: Annual digital, print-digital, and unlimited subscriptions for individual consumers. Print issues delivered 10 times per year with combined July/August and December/January issues. Automatic renewal program with annual billing.
- Institutional Licensing: Unlimited IP-based subscriptions for academic institutions, governments, and corporations. Tailored licensing based on population served and research intensity. Offered through Springer Nature licensing.
- Advertising and Sponsorships: Display advertising, programmatic advertising, and marketing services through media kit offerings. Worldwide audience of over 9 million readers provides advertising reach.
- Travel Programs: Science-focused travel experiences including solar eclipse cruises, wildlife migrations, and destination-specific tours. Managed through Academic Travel Abroad with deposits and final payment scheduling.
- International Edition Licensing: Partnership agreements with international publishers to translate and distribute content in multiple languages including German, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, French, Polish, Dutch, and Taiwanese editions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Subscription - $39/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Unlimited Subscription - $199/year |
| Subscription | Annual | U.S. Print & Digital - $79/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Canada Print & Digital - $89/year |
| Subscription | Annual | International Print & Digital - $99/year |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Travel Programs - Variable pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Scientific American product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scientific American publishes a flagship monthly science magazine and operates a multi-platform digital media ecosystem including a website, iOS/Android mobile apps, podcasts (Science Quickly), email newsletters, games, themed special editions, institutional site licensing for academic and corporate customers, international edition licensing, custom branded content services, and a science-themed travel program. Content spans science, health, technology, environment, space, biology, and society, supported by editorial independence and a 180+ year archive of articles by more than 200 Nobel Prize winners.
Product overview
Scientific American operates as a multi-platform science media company offering a portfolio of products centered around its flagship magazine (the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., founded in 1845) and its digital platform ScientificAmerican.com. The product ecosystem includes mobile apps for iOS and Android, the Science Quickly podcast, newsletters (Today in Science), games (Spellements and Math Puzzles), special editions, and a travel program. The company also licenses its content through international editions in multiple languages and offers institutional subscriptions for academic and corporate customers. Print subscriptions include 10 issues per year with combined July/August and December/January issues, while digital subscriptions provide access to the website's extensive archive spanning centuries of content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scientific American Magazine Flagship monthly print magazine covering important research and ideas in science, health, technology, and society. Published continuously since 1845 with 10 issues per year (combined July/August and December/January issues), sold via print and print-digital subscriptions.
- ScientificAmerican.com
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaches over 20 million people monthly across all platforms
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Scientific American
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Scientific American technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature3 records
Scientific American partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Springer NaturecoreParent company and publisher of Scientific American. Springer Nature is a research publisher home to trusted brands including Springer, Nature Research, BMC, and Palgrave Macmillan. Scientific American maintains strict editorial independence from Springer Nature.
- Academic Travel AbroadcoreProfessional travel company hired as independent contractor to manage Scientific American Travel program. Handles logistics, customer service, booking, and on-ground operations for science-focused tours. ATA acts as agent for passengers in transportation, hotels, and reservations.
- Spektrum der Wissenschaft (Germany)coreGerman-language edition of Scientific American published by Spektrum der Wissenschaft Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, established 1978. Also publishes Gehirn&Geist (2002) and Mente & Cervello (2003) editions.
- Le Scienze (Italy)coreItalian-language edition published by Le Scienze SpA, established 1968. Also publishes Mente & Cervello (2003) for the Italian market.
- Global Science (China)coreChinese-language edition established 1979, serving readers in China with translated Scientific American content.
- Nikkei Science (Japan)coreJapanese-language edition established 1971, published for Japanese readers interested in science journalism.
- Pour la Science (France)coreFrench-language edition published by Edition Belin, established 1977. Also publishes Cerveau & Psycho (2003) for the French market.
- Polityka Spolka (Poland)corePolish-language edition published by Prószyński Media Sp, established 1991, distributing Scientific American content in Poland.
- Cascade (Belgium)minorDutch-language edition published by Cascade, established 2003, serving readers in Belgium with science content.
- Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd. (Taiwan)coreTaiwanese edition established 2002, published by Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd. for readers in Taiwan.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Scientific American competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Nature: Premier peer-reviewed scientific journal from Springer Nature, Scientific American's sister brand under the same parent until June 2026; comparable in audience prestige but serves professional/academic researchers rather than general consumers.
- National Geographic: Iconic monthly science, nature and culture magazine with global brand recognition, large subscription base and multi-platform content; broader in scope than Scientific American and part of a much larger Disney-owned media portfolio.
Direct peers
- Discover Magazine: Long-running U.S. consumer science magazine covering research in biology, astronomy, health and technology; overlaps directly with Scientific American's editorial scope and audience profile.
- IEEE Spectrum: Magazine and digital publication from IEEE covering engineering and technology; comparable to Scientific American's technology coverage but with a more engineering/technical professional tilt.
- Smithsonian Magazine: Monthly consumer magazine from the Smithsonian Institution covering science, history, nature and culture; competes for the same intelligent-curious subscriber audience with similar subscription pricing and multi-platform distribution.
- Quanta Magazine: Editorially independent online publication covering fundamental research in mathematics, physics, biology and computer science; competes with Scientific American for the same high-end science reader and shares overlap in staff (multiple Scientific American reporters were former Quanta writers).
- New Scientist: Weekly science and technology magazine with consumer subscriptions, podcasts, and a website; closest direct competitor to Scientific American in the popular science magazine category, serving similar curious general readers.
- MIT Technology Review: MIT's magazine and digital publication covering emerging technologies and their commercial impact; competes with Scientific American for tech-curious professionals and offers similar subscription, advertising, and event revenue streams.
- Popular Science: U.S. consumer science and technology magazine covering discoveries, gadgets, and the environment; competes directly with Scientific American for the same enthusiast and gift-subscription market.
Emerging players
- Live Science: Digital-first science news site with breaking news, explainers and reference content; competes for the same digital science readership but without Scientific American's print flagship and Nobel-laureate archive pedigree.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Scientific American social profiles
Digital presenceScientific American compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Scientific American financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scientific American leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Scientific American funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scientific American M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Scientific American
What does Scientific American do?
Scientific American publishes a flagship monthly science magazine and operates a multi-platform digital media ecosystem including a website, iOS/Android mobile apps, podcasts (Science Quickly), email newsletters, games, themed special editions, institutional site licensing for academic and corporate customers, international edition licensing, custom branded content services, and a science-themed travel program. Content spans science, health, technology, environment, space, biology, and society, supported by editorial independence and a 180+ year archive of articles by more than 200 Nobel Prize winners.
Is Scientific American a public or private company?
Scientific American is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Scientific American founded?
Scientific American was founded in 1845. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Scientific American based?
Scientific American is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scientific American make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are institutional Licensing, advertising and Sponsorships, travel Programs and international Edition Licensing.
Who are Scientific American's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Nature and National Geographic. Direct peers are Discover Magazine, IEEE Spectrum, Smithsonian Magazine, Quanta Magazine, New Scientist, MIT Technology Review and Popular Science. Live Science is listed as an emerging player.
Does Scientific American have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scientific American.
What industry is Scientific American in?
Scientific American's product category is Science Journalism and Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAL, Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJAAAJ, Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.