Octomedia

What Octomedia does

Octomedia is a privately held B2B specialist publisher headquartered in Sydney, Australia, operating a portfolio of seven vertical-focused media brands: Inside Retail, Inside FMCG, Inside Small Business, Inside Franchise Business, Franchise Executives, Internet Retailing, and Shopping Centre News. The company's origins trace to 1971/1972 with the launch of Inside Retail as a weekly newspaper; in early 2014 entrepreneurs Nati Harpaz (Chairman) and Oliver Ranck (Director) acquired the business and implemented a digital-first turnaround, growing it from a single masthead with seven staff to a seven-brand, multi-geography portfolio with reported 10x organic growth in four years and one of APAC's largest retail industry expo and conference platforms.

The core product is a multi-brand B2B publishing platform delivering content through owned digital websites, daily and twice-weekly email newsletters, quarterly print magazines, video, social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and a calendar of in-person industry events (Inside Retail Live, Masterclasses, Gala Dinners, women in leadership breakfasts, pitch fests). This is complemented by proprietary editorial IP such as the Australian Retail Outlook, Top 50 People in E-commerce, Top 50 Small Business Leaders, and Top 30 Franchise Executives reports, and a custom services offering covering content writing, design, EDM creation, tailored events, webinars, whitepapers and video production. Customers (advertisers and enterprise sponsors) include PepsiCo Australia and New Zealand, ACTA Capital, ABA Labels and QUT Business School, while the audience base spans 168,000+ professionals across retail, FMCG, small business, franchising, e-commerce and shopping centre verticals in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States (with offices in Sydney, New York and Hong Kong).

The business model combines subscription revenue (digital and print magazine subscriptions plus recurring reports/whitpapers), advertising and marketing services sold directly to enterprise and mid-market advertisers across the owned titles and channels, event and conference revenue (exhibitions, awards galas, masterclasses), and custom content/marketing services. Pricing is quote-based rather than published and is structured around annual subscriptions and multi-year enterprise contracts. The company operates with 11–50 employees, holds no disclosed external funding, and is led day-to-day by CEO Amie Larter, who also serves as Privacy Officer and DPO.

Name

Octomedia

Legal name

Octomedia Pty Ltd

Website

https://octomedia.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Octomedia is a Sydney-based B2B specialist publisher operating seven vertical media brands (Inside Retail, Inside FMCG, Inside Small Business, Inside Franchise Business, Franchise Executives, Internet Retailing, Shopping Centre News) delivering content, events, awards and custom marketing services to more than 168,000 professionals and enterprise advertisers across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Services: Digital and print magazine subscriptions and newsletter services delivered to professionals across their portfolio brands. Subscriptions available for Inside Retail, Inside FMCG, Inside Small Business, Inside Franchise Business, Franchise Executives, Internet Retailing, and Shopping Centre News.
2. Advertising and Marketing Services: Advertising placements across digital publications, websites, print magazines, and events. Services include content writing, design (print and digital), EDM creation, tailored events, webinars, reports and whitepapers, and video production.
3. Events and Conferences: Organizing and hosting industry events including Inside Retail Live, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, Retailer Awards Gala Dinner, women in leadership breakfasts, and pitch fest events. Events include Inside Retail Masterclasses and Top 50 People in E-commerce.
4. Reports and Whitepapers: Custom reports and publications including Australian Retail Outlook, Top 50 Small Business Leaders, Top 30 Franchise Executives, Top 50 People in E-commerce, and Shopping Centre News industry reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Octomedia operates APAC's leading B2B media portfolio of seven specialized trade publication brands — Inside Retail, Inside FMCG, Inside Small Business, Inside Franchise Business, Franchise Executives, Internet Retailing, and Shopping Centre News — delivering daily news, analysis, executive interviews, magazines, events, reports, and custom marketing services to professional audiences across retail, FMCG, small business, franchising, e-commerce, and shopping centre sectors in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the US.

Product overview

Octomedia is APAC's leading B2B publisher operating a portfolio of seven industry-specific publication brands: Inside Retail (flagship retail publication), Inside FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), Inside Small Business, Inside Franchise Business (franchise marketplace), Franchise Executives, Internet Retailing (e-commerce specialist), and Shopping Centre News. The company delivers content across multiple channels including digital platforms, print magazines, email newsletters, events, reports, and video production. The portfolio covers retail, FMCG, small business, franchising, and e-commerce sectors across Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and the US. The publications are complemented by a range of professional services for content creation, design, events, and marketing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inside Retail Australia's premier retail industry publication featuring daily news, analysis, executive interviews, digital content, magazines, and events. Over 100,000 professionals subscribe for retail news and information across Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and the US.
• Inside FMCG Australia's No. 1 fast-moving consumer goods publication delivered daily to 26,000 subscribers with a quarterly print magazine. Covers grocery, convenience, pharmacy, and impulse shopping news.
• Inside Small Business Essential news, in-depth features, and profiles for Australia's small business community delivered through magazine, daily newsbrief, and social media. Publishes the annual Top 50 Small Business Leaders report.
• Inside Franchise Business Australia's largest franchise marketplace and one-stop-shop for exploring and comparing franchise brands. Features a high-gloss magazine published four times a year and weekly email updates of franchise opportunities.
• Franchise Executives Digital publication providing news, analysis, and intelligence on the Australian franchise industry. Releases the annual Top 30 Franchise Executives report highlighting sector leaders.
• Internet Retailing Specialist information source on the Australian online retail industry delivering news updates twice a week via email. Creates the annual Top 50 People in E-commerce report.
• Shopping Centre News Foremost authoritative publication for the shopping centre industry in Australia and New Zealand, with increasing exposure in China and the US markets.
• Octomedia Services Professional services including content writing, print and digital design, EDM creation, tailored events, webinars, reports and whitepapers, and video production for enterprise clients across APAC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10x organic growth achieved in four years from 2014-2018
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Retail Week: UK-based B2B publisher covering retail industry news, analysis, and events. Closely comparable to Inside Retail in vertical focus and integrated content-events business model, though anchored in UK/Europe rather than APAC.
• Chain Store Age: US-based B2B retail industry publication covering retail news, technology, and operations. Comparable in editorial scope to Inside Retail and targets a similar enterprise retail audience, though focused on the North American market.
• Retail TouchPoints: US B2B media brand serving retail executives with news, research, and events. Highly comparable to Inside Retail's model of integrated content, custom reports, and awards programming for retail decision-makers.
• Power Retail: Australia-based B2B publisher focused on e-commerce and online retail, including the Power 50 rankings. Directly comparable to Octomedia's Internet Retailing brand and operates in the same APAC geography.
• Franchise Times: US-based B2B publisher covering the franchise industry with news, rankings, and events. Comparable to Inside Franchise Business and Franchise Executives in vertical coverage and franchise-marketplace model.
• Inside Asian Gaming: APAC B2B publisher focused on the gaming industry with news, events, and awards. Comparable to Octomedia's vertical B2B publishing approach and APAC geographic focus, though in an adjacent industry vertical.

Regional players

• Mumbrella: Australia-based B2B publisher covering media, marketing, and advertising industries. Operates the Mumbrella Publish Awards in which Octomedia has been a finalist; comparable APAC B2B media model and audience.
• The Shout: Australia-based B2B publication serving the hospitality, liquor, and retail-on-premise sectors. Comparable Australian B2B publishing model with multi-channel content and events.
• Business News Australia: Australia-based B2B news publisher serving SMB owners and executives, with rankings and events. Comparable in audience overlap with Inside Small Business and operates in the same APAC B2B media landscape.

Broad incumbents

• Informa (B2B Media division): Global B2B media and events group operating hundreds of trade brands across industries including retail. A scaled incumbent whose portfolio approach to B2B publishing is structurally comparable to Octomedia's multi-brand vertical strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scn_australia
• Facebookfacebook.com/InsideRetail
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/octomedia
• Instagraminstagram.com/insideretail

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Octomedia