Indianapolis Business Journal

What Indianapolis Business Journal does

Indianapolis Business Journal (legal entity: IBJ Media) is a privately held regional business media company founded in 1980 and headquartered at One Monument Circle, Suite 300, Indianapolis. It operates as a multi-platform news and data business serving central Indiana and (following the 2021 acquisition of Inside INdiana Business) the broader statewide market. Core products include the IBJ.com digital news site, a weekly print edition (reproduced digitally via IBJ Digital Edition), The Book annual compilation of 72 industry lists, the IBJ Data Center covering 7,105 companies and 2,151 executives across 73 lists, a network of 13+ branded newsletters, multiple podcasts, a mobile app, and a People on the Move career-announcement feature. Distribution spans 31,000+ weekly print readers, 30,000 daily newsletter subscribers, 89,000+ job-board email subscribers, and 68,000+ Life Sciences & Health Care newsletter subscribers.

Revenue is generated through seven distinct streams: recurring subscriptions ($8/8-week intro offer, $170/year individual rate, with volume-discounted Group Plans and Premier Corporate Partner programs for 5+ and 501+ seats respectively), display and native advertising (including a Content Studio offering sponsored articles, custom emails, and microsites), job-board listings (starting at $400 per posting), classifieds and legal public notices, Data Center/The Book list sales in Excel/PDF format, People on the Move paid submissions ($350 standard, $595 spotlight), and 50+ annual events combining ticketing with sponsorship packages such as Forty Under 40, Women of Influence, CEO of the Year, Excellence in Health Care, and the statewide Innovate Indiana regional series. The company serves business professionals and executives (primary), corporate/enterprise buyers of group subscriptions (primary), employers and HR professionals using the job board (secondary), and government/legal entities placing public notices (secondary), with go-to-market executed through a hybrid of self-serve online subscriptions, field/direct sales for corporate tiers, and a multi-channel content marketing engine spanning newsletters, podcasts, events, and social media.

The underlying technology stack is described as a digital-first publishing platform integrating web (IBJ.com, individual brand sites such as InsideINdianaBusiness.com and TheIndianaLawyer.com), mobile applications (iOS and Android), and print, backed by an in-house engineering team (CTO/CDO, Technical Project Manager, Full Stack Developer, New Media Developer). No public APIs, SDKs, AI modalities, or proprietary AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the technology footprint is consistent with standard CMS-driven digital publishing rather than AI-differentiated product surface. Leadership consists of CEO & Publisher Nate Feltman, Chairman Michael Maurer, President Mitch Frazier, COO & CFO Laurinda Swank, CTO & CDO Byron Hardie, and Editor/Assistant Publisher Lesley Weidenbener.

Name

Indianapolis Business Journal

Legal name

IBJ Media

Website

https://ibj.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ Media) is a privately held regional business media company serving central Indiana business professionals, corporate subscribers, employers, and legal advertisers via a multi-platform news, data, events, and subscription business anchored by IBJ.com, The Book, and 50+ annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business News Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Business news publishing
• Subscription media
• Corporate events
• Industry rankings
• Recruitment advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Annual and monthly subscriptions providing unlimited digital access to IBJ.com, InsideINdianaBusiness.com, and TheIndianaLawyer.com, plus weekly print editions. Includes subscription tiers for individuals, corporate groups, and educational institutions.
2. Job Board Listings: Job postings include print newspaper placement, highlight in dedicated Job Board Email to 89k+ subscribers, and online listing on IBJ.com for 4 weeks. Pricing starts at $400.
3. Classifieds and Public Notices: Revenue from classified listings and public notice submissions including legal filings, business transitions, and sheriff sales.
4. Data Center and Lists: Sale of individual lists in Excel or PDF format through the IBJ Data Center. Also includes The Book annual compilation of 72 lists. Subscribers receive free access to all lists.
5. Advertising: Display advertising across digital platforms, print newspaper, newsletters, and event sponsorship opportunities.
6. People on the Move Submissions: Standard submissions at $350 per listing and Spotlight submissions at $595 for premium placement with enhanced company description and larger photo in print.
7. Events and Sponsorships: 50+ annual events including awards programs, power breakfasts, and industry-specific events. Includes event ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Indianapolis Business Journal is a regional business news publication and multi-platform media company that delivers daily and weekly business journalism covering central Indiana through print, digital, mobile app, newsletters, podcasts, and live events. It monetizes via individual and corporate subscriptions, advertising (display, classifieds, job postings, public notices), data/list sales, and event sponsorships, and also owns sister brands Inside INdiana Business, The Indiana Lawyer, and Indiana 250.

Product overview

Indianapolis Business Journal operates a multi-platform media ecosystem organized as a unified news organization with distinct branded products. The core offering consists of IBJ.com (the main digital news platform), the weekly print Indianapolis Business Journal publication (available via Digital Edition), and subscription-based access to premium content. Supporting products include The Book (annual compilation of 72 industry lists), IBJ Podcasts (multiple branded shows), Newsletters (13+ email products), People on the Move (career announcements), IBJ Data Center (searchable business lists), Job Board, Classifieds, and Public Notices (legal advertising). The company generates revenue through corporate subscription programs (Group, Premier Corporate Partner, Educational Partner tiers), individual subscriptions ($8 intro/ $170 annual), and advertising. Content Studio enables sponsored content, while the IBJ Media App extends access to mobile users. IBJ Media serves as the parent company for additional brands including Inside INdiana Business, The Indiana Lawyer, and Indiana 250.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBJ.com Digital News Platform Main digital destination delivering daily Indianapolis business news, articles, videos, industry lists, job postings, and multimedia content covering technology, banking, sports business, health care, real estate, and politics for business professionals.
• IBJ Weekly Print Newspaper and Digital Edition Weekly print publication with a digital replica edition offering comprehensive view, search, save, and email functionality, available individually at $10 per issue or bundled with subscriptions.
• Individual Subscriptions Paid subscriptions providing unlimited digital access to IBJ.com, InsideINdianaBusiness.com, and TheIndianaLawyer.com plus weekly print delivery, event discounts, and access to annual publications; offered with introductory, annual, auto-renew, and young professional pricing.
• Corporate Programs (Group, Premier, Educational) Volume subscription programs for organizations including Group Plan (5+ subscriptions, up to 30% off), Premier Corporate Partner (501+ subscriptions, up to 85% off) with cross-brand digital access, and Educational Partner plans for universities and colleges.
• The Book (Annual Lists Compilation) Annual publication compiling 72 weekly Top 25 industry lists covering central Indiana's top businesses, available in print and as downloadable data assets.
• IBJ Data Center / Lists Searchable database with 7,105 companies and 2,151 executives across 73 industry lists covering corporate Indiana, financial services, construction, real estate, health care, education, and more; sold individually in Excel or PDF format, with free access for subscribers.
• IBJ Podcasts Audio lineup including IBJ Podcast, Talent Scout with Dave Neff, Beyond Clarkonomics, Off the Record, The Pete the Planner Show, and The Freedom Forum, covering business news, sports business, personal finance, and diversity.
• Email Newsletters Branded email newsletters including Eight@8, IBJ Daily, Breaking News, Real Estate Weekly, North of 96th, The Rundown, Forefront, Life Sciences & Health Care, IBJ Podcast, Pete the Planner, and Inside INdiana Business and Indiana Lawyer branded editions.
• People on the Move Submissions Paid submission service showcasing new hires and promotions with Standard ($350) and Spotlight ($595) options for placement in print, on IBJ.com, and across newsletters.
• Job Board Recruitment advertising with job postings featured in the IBJ print newspaper, highlighted in a dedicated Job Board Email to 89,000+ subscribers, and listed online at IBJ.com for 4 weeks, starting at $400 per posting.
• Classifieds Classified advertising section reaching Indiana's business community in both print and online formats for business listings and announcements.
• Public Notices Public notice advertising including citizen participation notices, business and commerce filings, and sheriff's sales, providing access to local legal filings, business transitions, and judicial notices for legal and government clients.
• IBJ Events and Awards Programs Over 50 annual events and awards programs including Forty Under 40, Women of Influence, Fast 25, CEO of the Year & C-Suite Awards, Excellence in Health Care, Nonprofit Excellence Awards, Technology Power Breakfast, and the Innovate Indiana regional series, offered with ticket sales and sponsorship opportunities.
• Content Studio (Sponsored Content) Sponsored content and custom publishing service offering thought leadership articles, custom emails, custom print content, business cares microsites, Career Ready Indiana publications, and IEDC regional reports for corporate partners.
• IBJ Media Mobile App Mobile application delivering unlimited access to stories and video content from IBJ and Inside Indiana Business on iOS and Android devices.
• Inside INdiana Business (Statewide Television and Digital Brand) Statewide business news brand with television program and digital platform covering Indiana business news, acquired by IBJ Media and now operating as a wholly owned division.
• The Indiana Lawyer Wholly owned IBJ Media publication providing statewide legal news coverage and legal advertising services for the Indiana legal community.
• Indiana 250 Annual publication profiling 250 of the most influential Indiana business and civic leaders, produced under the IBJ Media umbrella.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards redeemable for a one-year IBJ subscription at $179, providing recipients with print and digital access, event discounts, and annual print editions.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grow Indiana Media Ventures LLCmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2021IBJ Media acquired Grow Indiana Media Ventures LLC and the Inside Indiana Business platform, including the television program hosted by Gerry Dick. The deal consolidated well-known business news brands and created a new division of IBJ Media led by Gerry Dick. Financial terms were undisclosed.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American City Business Journals: National chain of more than 40 regional business publications, including several that operate under the same 'Business Journal' model as IBJ. Direct comparability on subscription, events, and list products; much larger scale than IBJ.
• Bloomberg Industry Group: Operates business, legal, and government information services including industry-focused publications. Overlaps with IBJ on business intelligence / vertical data distribution but at national scale rather than regional.

Direct peers

• Crain's Chicago Business: Long-running regional business news publication covering the Chicago metro with print + digital + events. Operates a near-identical business model (subscription, advertising, lists, events) to IBJ, just in a larger market.
• Crain's Detroit Business: Sister publication to Crain's Chicago Business covering Southeast Michigan with subscription, events (e.g., 40 Under 40), and business lists. Closely analogous mid-market regional business journal.
• Columbus Business First: ACBJ-branded regional business journal in Ohio with identical product set (print, digital, lists, events). Useful mid-size market comparable for IBJ.
• Denver Business Journal: ACBJ regional business journal serving the Denver market. Identical product portfolio — print weekly, data lists, 40 Under 40-style events, corporate subscriptions — and a strong benchmark for IBJ's pricing and product packaging.
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal: ACBJ business journal in a similar mid-tier metro market with comparable subscription, events, and data-list revenue mix. Closely analogous size and revenue profile to IBJ.
• Inside Indiana Business (predecessor): Statewide Indiana business news platform acquired by IBJ Media in 2021; combined business news + TV program model is now part of IBJ Media but historically operated as a parallel regional business-news outlet.
• Pittsburgh Business Times: ACBJ regional business journal with a comparable mid-sized metro footprint and similar event/awards programming. Useful peer for read-across on subscription economics and event sponsorship rates.

Regional players

• Indianapolis Star: General-interest regional newspaper serving the same Indianapolis market where IBJ operates. Overlaps with IBJ on local business news coverage and advertising sales, but covers broader news topics rather than business-only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IBJnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZ9tIHv0e5LkICk7zEj4DDA
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndianapolisBusinessJournal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indianapolis-business-journal
• Instagraminstagram.com/ibjnews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Indianapolis Business Journal