What Trending Topics does

Trending Topics is an Austrian digital media platform, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Vienna, that covers the European startup and technology ecosystem across eleven specialized editorial channels — Startups, Crypto, Climate, Fintech, Health, Mobility, AI & Robots, Investors, Ecosystem, International, and People. The platform distributes content through a multi-channel owned-and-operated footprint that includes a daily-updated website in both German and English, a free bi-weekly newsletter, two podcasts (Trending Topics Tech Talk and the AI-focused Wasner + Steinschaden | Der KI Podcast), and event coverage including the #glaubandich CHALLENGE startup competition. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising and sponsorship, including sponsored content, display advertising, and branded article placements from advertisers seeking reach into the Austrian and broader European tech and startup audience; the consumer-facing content offering is free, and the business does not disclose subscription pricing or contracts. Operational scale is small, with a stated headcount of 1–10 employees, no disclosed funding history for Trending Topics itself, and no public revenue figures. In June 2025, Trending Topics was acquired by newsrooms.ai, an Austrian AI startup that had raised €750,000 in pre-seed funding, with the stated intent of combining AI technology with publishing to develop AI-driven SaaS for content production, optimization, and personalized multimedia services.

Name

Trending Topics

Legal name

Trending Topics

Website

https://trendingtopics.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Trending Topics is an Austrian tech media platform, headquartered in Vienna, covering AI, startups, crypto, and technology across eleven editorial channels plus podcasts, events, and newsletters, serving advertisers and tech/startup audiences in DACH and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media & Publishing

NAICS

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

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL), Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data) (MPAJADAK)

Keywords

• Tech news media
• Startup ecosystem coverage
• Digital publishing platform
• Sponsored content advertising
• Technology podcasts

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorship: Media platform generating revenue through sponsored content, display advertising, and branded article placements from partner companies and advertisers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Trending Topics is an Austrian digital media platform publishing breaking news and deep-dive content on AI, startups, crypto, fintech, and technology across 11 specialized channels, plus podcasts and startup rankings. Revenue is driven by sponsored content, display advertising, and branded article placements aimed at the Austrian and European tech audience.

Product overview

Trending Topics is a multi-channel media platform covering AI, startups, crypto, and technology news in Austria and Europe. Following its acquisition by newsrooms.ai in June 2025, the platform is being integrated with AI-driven SaaS capabilities for content production and optimization. The product portfolio includes news channels (Startups, Crypto, AI & Robots, etc.), podcasts (Wasner + Steinschaden, Tech Talk), the RankMyStartup ranking platform, and deep dive content series like Investment Trackers and IPO Spotlight. The platform operates both German-language and international English sections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RankMyStartup: Platform for ranking and evaluating startups, featured as a deep dive section on the website.
• Wasner + Steinschaden | Der KI Podcast
• Trending Topics Tech Talk

Products and services

• News Channels Topic-specific news channels covering Startups, Crypto, Climate, Fintech, Health, Mobility, AI & Robots, Investors, Ecosystem, International, and People, serving tech enthusiasts and startup ecosystem readers.
• Wasner + Steinschaden | Der KI Podcast A podcast series covering AI news, models, and strategies in the German-speaking market.
• Trending Topics Tech Talk A podcast featuring interviews with industry leaders and innovators for tech professionals.
• RankMyStartup A startup ranking platform that enables founders to track and improve their standing among top entrepreneurs.
• Deep Dives Specialized content series including the Startup & Scale-up Investment Tracker, IPO Spotlight, Future{hacks}, and the #glaubandich CHALLENGE startup competition.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• newsrooms.aicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 June 2025Newsrooms.ai, an Austrian AI startup that raised €750K in pre-seed funding, acquired Trending Topics. The deal involves development of AI-driven SaaS for content production and optimization, with strategic expansion planned into multimedia and personalized AI services. The merger aims to combine AI technology with publishing, enhancing content creation and distribution.
• RankMyStartupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRankMyStartup is featured on Trending Topics as a partner platform, offering startup ranking services to the Trending Topics audience.
• AI Factory Austria AI:ATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrending Topics provides coverage of AI Factory Austria initiatives and events, including the ZERO ONE HACK hackathon showcasing European AI infrastructure.
• Wiener Börse (Vienna Stock Exchange)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrending Topics partners with Wiener Börse on IPO Spotlight content series, providing coverage and analysis of stock market listings.
• 2 Minuten 2 Millionen (Puls 4)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrending Topics provides comprehensive coverage of the 2 Minuten 2 Millionen startup TV show Season 13, featuring all startups, deals, and behind-the-scenes content.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Silicon Canals: European tech and startup news outlet publishing deal coverage, founder interviews, and ecosystem analysis — a near-identical content/niche overlap with Trending Topics, though anchored in Benelux rather than Austria.
• EU-Startups: Pan-European online media outlet covering startups, tech, and venture funding with articles, newsletters, and a startup database — the closest direct comparator to Trending Topics' model of European startup ecosystem coverage and sponsored content monetization.
• Sifted: European startup and tech newsroom (backed by the Financial Times) producing daily reporting, newsletters, and a deep-dive data product on European tech — competes for the same advertisers and European founder/investor audience as Trending Topics.

Broad incumbents

• VentureBeat: US-based enterprise and emerging-tech newsroom covering AI, data, and startups with newsletters and sponsored content — same content-adjacency (AI, startup funding) and overlapping enterprise tech advertiser pool.
• The Next Web (TNW): Larger, broader European tech publication covering startups, AI, and digital policy across news, events (TNW Conference), and newsletters — overlaps on European tech/startup reporting but at substantially greater scale than Trending Topics.
• TechCrunch: Global tech/startup news leader with original reporting, newsletters, and a major events franchise — competes for the same advertiser segment (tech vendors, VCs) that buys Austrian-targeted inventory on Trending Topics.
• Wired (DE edition): Global technology and culture publication with a German-language edition covering tech, science, and business — competing brand in the same premium German-speaking tech-news category advertisers evaluate.

Emerging players

• Heise Online: Long-established German-language tech news publisher (Heise Verlag) covering IT, business tech, and developer topics with paid and ad-supported products — direct adjacency to Trending Topics' German-language tech/news audience in DACH.
• Golem.de: Leading German-language IT and technology news site with articles, a paywall, and video — comparable publication model and overlapping German-speaking tech audience, though broader IT focus rather than European startups.
• t3n magazine: German digital business and technology magazine (print + digital) covering digital transformation, startups, and the platform economy — overlaps with Trending Topics' fintech/climate/AI/startup verticals and the German-speaking B2B ad base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TrendingTopicsA
• Facebookfacebook.com/trendingtopics.at
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trendingtopics-at

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Trending Topics