NextShark
NextShark is a Los Angeles-based digital media company that publishes news and culture content for Asian American and Pacific Islander audiences via its website, mobile apps, newsletter, and social channels, monetizing through AAPI-targeted advertising and community donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What NextShark does
NextShark is a privately held digital media company headquartered in Los Angeles that publishes news, culture, business, opinion, and lifestyle content targeted at Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) audiences in the United States and globally. Founded in 2013 (per firmographic records; the company history also references a 2016 founding for its current news platform), the company is led by founder Benny Luo, who was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2018. The core product is the nextshark.com news website, supplemented by the Sharkbites email newsletter (delivered via Beehiiv), native iOS and Android mobile applications, and community-oriented features including a job board, an events directory, a talent and castings platform, and an AAPI Resources directory.
The platform is built on a standard web publishing stack with social media distribution across Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp, and claims a reach of over 100 million people per month with more than 80 million social impressions monthly. NextShark monetizes primarily through advertising packages tailored to brands seeking access to AAPI audiences, supplemented by a donation program offering one-time, monthly recurring ($8/$23/$33), and annual recurring ($49/$99/$199) contribution tiers. The company does not hold 501(c)(3) status, confirming its for-profit orientation, and has no disclosed institutional funding rounds. Recent strategic activity in 2026 includes an equity stake in Journey Optics (an AAPI-owned sunglasses brand) and partnerships with Tokyo X and Wong Fu Productions, suggesting early moves toward brand investment and live events.
NextShark firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NextShark
- Legal name
- NextShark, Inc.
- Website
- https://nextshark.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- NextShark is a Los Angeles-based digital media company that publishes news and culture content for Asian American and Pacific Islander audiences via its website, mobile apps, newsletter, and social channels, monetizing through AAPI-targeted advertising and community donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NextShark industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News and Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications (MPACAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Syndication & RSS/Feed Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAF), News & Current Affairs Aggregators (MPACAKAA)
Keywords
Where NextShark is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
NextShark business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Advertising: NextShark offers advertising packages tailored for Asian American audiences through custom coverage packages and community bulletin advertising.
- Donations and Subscriptions: The company accepts one-time donations, monthly subscriptions, and annual donations from supporters. NextShark does not have 501(c)(3) status, so contributions are not tax-deductible.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | One-time donations at various levels |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly recurring donations |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual recurring donations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
NextShark product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NextShark publishes English-language news, opinion, and cultural content covering Asian and Asian American communities across business, culture, entertainment, politics, technology, and lifestyle topics. The platform operates a free-to-reader website, an email newsletter, native iOS and Android apps, and supporting community sections including a job board, events listing, and talent/castings directory. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising sales and reader donations.
Product overview
NextShark is a digital media platform offering a comprehensive news website as its core product, supplemented by the Sharkbites newsletter, native mobile applications for iOS and Android, and community-focused features including a job board, events directory, and talent/castings platform. The company also maintains an AAPI Resources directory. The platform reaches over 100 million people monthly and serves as the leading source for Asian and Asian American news coverage across business, culture, entertainment, politics, technology, and lifestyle categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Rebel Yellow Newsletter: A newsletter from NextShark focused on reclaiming Asian American stories and celebrating voices.
Products and services
- NextShark News Website Primary digital news platform covering Asian and Asian American news across business, culture, entertainment, politics, technology, and lifestyle, reaching over 100 million people monthly. Targeted at AAPI readers seeking dedicated coverage.
- Sharkbites Newsletter Email newsletter delivering curated Asian American news and NextShark updates to subscribers, powered by the Beehiiv platform.
- NextShark Mobile Application Native mobile applications for iOS and Android providing access to NextShark's news content on mobile devices.
- AAPI Resources Directory A curated directory of links, organizations, advocacy groups, and resources for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
- NextShark Job Board Job board platform connecting AAPI professionals with employment opportunities within the community.
- NextShark Events Directory Listing and coverage platform for Asian American cultural events, festivals, and community gatherings.
- Talent & Castings Platform sections connecting Asian American talent with casting and employment opportunities in entertainment.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 million people reached monthly
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use NextShark
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
NextShark technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NextShark partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Tokyo XcoreNextShark has partnered with Tokyo X, a fast-growing Japanese culture festival held annually at NRG Center in Houston. Tokyo X 2026 will take place September 26-27 and brings Japanese food, anime, cars and culture to Houston.
- Wong Fu ProductionsminorWong Fu Productions acquired Nathan Xia's short film Adam's Song for distribution alongside NextShark, FilmShortage, and PBS. This represents content distribution partnership.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NextShark competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Remezcla: Remezcla is a digital media company covering Latinx culture, news, and entertainment with a similar community-focused, niche-ethnic-media business model. Useful comparable for multicultural audience monetization strategies.
- Angry Asian Man: Angry Asian Man is one of the original Asian American digital media brands covering pop culture, news, and AAPI issues. Comparable founder-driven, niche-ethnic digital media model targeting similar audiences.
- AsAm News: AsAm News is a long-running Asian American news publication covering community news, politics, and culture. It directly competes with NextShark for AAPI audiences and advertisers with similar content-led, donation/subscription-supported model.
- Koreaboo: Koreaboo is a digital media platform covering Korean pop culture, entertainment, and Korean American news. Operates a similar content-led model with social distribution and advertising monetization targeting an Asian diaspora audience.
- 8Asians: 8Asians is a multi-author blog network covering Asian American issues, culture, and entertainment. It mirrors NextShark's community-publishing structure with multiple contributors and overlapping AAPI audience.
Broad incumbents
- Hypebeast: Hypebeast is a Hong Kong-founded digital media platform covering culture, fashion, and lifestyle with significant Asian American and Asian diaspora audience overlap. Operates a similar content-plus-commerce model at larger scale.
- Mic: Mic was a millennial-focused digital media outlet that similarly targeted younger, diverse audiences via social distribution. While now operating in reduced form, it remains a useful comparable for digital-native niche content business model.
- NBC News Asian America: NBC News Asian America was a mainstream media vertical dedicated to Asian American news and culture. As a large incumbent's AAPI offering, it represents direct competition from a resource-rich publisher.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NextShark social profiles
Digital presenceNextShark financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NextShark leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
NextShark funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NextShark M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NextShark
What does NextShark do?
NextShark publishes English-language news, opinion, and cultural content covering Asian and Asian American communities across business, culture, entertainment, politics, technology, and lifestyle topics. The platform operates a free-to-reader website, an email newsletter, native iOS and Android apps, and supporting community sections including a job board, events listing, and talent/castings directory. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising sales and reader donations.
Is NextShark a public or private company?
NextShark is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was NextShark founded?
NextShark was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NextShark based?
NextShark is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does NextShark make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are donations and Subscriptions.
Who are NextShark's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Remezcla, Angry Asian Man, AsAm News, Koreaboo and 8Asians. Broad incumbents are Hypebeast, Mic and NBC News Asian America.
Does NextShark have an API?
No public API is recorded for NextShark.
What industry is NextShark in?
NextShark's product category is Digital News and Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAIAG, Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications, with a secondary code of MPACAIAF, Syndication & RSS/Feed Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 7310.