What TEDMED does

TEDMED is a US-based, independently operated 501(c)(3) public charity and a licensee of the TED brand, focused exclusively on health and medicine content. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, the organization operates a content-driven digital media platform comprising video talks, audio podcast conversations, and curated thematic playlists designed to bridge the translational gap between cutting-edge medical science and the general public. The core product surface includes TEDMED Talks (video presentations from the TEDMED stage), TEDMED Conversations (podcasts distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), TEDMED Playlists (curated thematic collections), an Explore/Library for browsing by theme or speaker, the Surprise Me random discovery feature, the TEDMED Now weekly editorial feature, and a periodic email newsletter. The platform is built on a standard web content management system with no disclosed proprietary technology stack, API, mobile app, or AI-driven product features.

The organization's business model is donation-based rather than commercial. All content is provided free of charge to a global audience, and operating revenue is sourced from charitable contributions from individuals and organizations supporting its public-health mission. TEDMED serves two primary persona segments: healthcare professionals and researchers seeking exposure to ideas beyond their specialty, and a broader health-interested general public seeking accessible medical and wellness content. Customer logos are not disclosed because there is no enterprise customer base; instead, named community voices (e.g., the CEO of RVNAhealth, the Executive Director of Reach Western CT) appear as content endorsers and donors rather than paying clients.

Go-to-market is content-led: TEDMED acquires and retains audience through its owned website, third-party podcast directories, email newsletters, and social media, with no disclosed sales force, paid marketing spend, or B2B commercialization. Leadership is small and stable, with a CEO (Jose Suarez), Founder (Richard Saul Wurman), Chairman (Jay Walker), and President (Jon Ellenthal). The organization has no disclosed subsidiaries, parent company, funding rounds, M&A activity, patents, or partnerships, and operates with a lean staff of 11–50 employees, consistent with a non-profit media organization reliant on contributed content and donor funding.

Name

TEDMED

Legal name

TEDMED

Website

https://tedmed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TEDMED is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit and TED licensee that produces and distributes free video talks, podcasts, and curated playlists on health and medicine to a global audience of clinicians, researchers, and the general public, funded by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health and Medicine Education Content

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Lectures & Speaker Series (MPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Patient Education, Content & Personalized Journey Orchestration (HLACAEAE), Audiobook & Spoken-Word Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAE)

Keywords

• Health education content
• Medical science communication
• Healthcare video talks
• Medical podcast platform
• Nonprofit health media

Headquarters

HQ city

Stamford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) Public Charity, TEDMED relies on donations from individuals and organizations to support its mission of bridging the translational gap between high science and the general public in health and medicine.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TEDMED creates and distributes video talks, audio conversations/podcasts, and curated thematic playlists focused on health and medicine. Content features physicians, scientists, artists, and innovators sharing ideas shaping the future of health, accessible for free through its website and major podcast platforms.

Product overview

TEDMED is a content platform that bridges the translational gap between high science and the general public by creating and sharing stories that inform, inspire, engage, and provoke action across health and medicine. The platform operates as a single unified offering centered on video talks, audio podcasts/conversations, and curated thematic playlists. The core products include TEDMED Talks (video presentations from the stage), TEDMED Conversations (podcasts available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify), and TEDMED Playlists (curated thematic collections). Additional features include the Explore/Library for browsing content by theme or speaker, the Surprise Me random discovery feature, the TEDMED Newsletter for periodic updates, and the People/Community section featuring speaker profiles. All content is organized around themes including Brain & Body, Technology, Public Health & Policy, The Arts, Personal Well-Being, Medicine, Environment, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TEDMED Talks Video presentations delivered from the TEDMED stage featuring physicians, scientists, artists, and innovators sharing big ideas shaping the future of health and medicine. Available free via tedmed.com.
• TEDMED Conversations (Podcasts) Audio conversations beyond the TEDMED stage where leaders in health and science explore ideas, tensions, and possibilities driving change. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• TEDMED Playlists Curated thematic collections organized around ideas and breakthroughs shaping health and medicine, allowing users to explore topics through multiple perspectives.
• Explore/Library A broad library of TEDMED Talks and Podcasts that can be browsed by theme, specialty, or speaker, covering topics across medicine, science, and human health.
• TEDMED Newsletter A periodic newsletter delivering current topics in health and medicine that stimulate ideas, connection and creativity, including new content and event updates.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Broad incumbents

• TED Conferences: Parent licensor and direct conceptual sibling operating the flagship TED brand across all topics. TEDMED is a licensee of TED focused specifically on health and medicine, sharing management personnel and brand DNA.
• Mayo Clinic (Patient Education): Operates one of the most visited consumer health education platforms globally, offering expert-led videos, articles, and tools. Competes for the same audience seeking trusted, authoritative health content from credentialed experts.
• WebMD: Dominant consumer health information platform with extensive expert-reviewed content, video library, and health education tools. Competes for the lay audience seeking accessible, expert-vetted health information.
• Healthline Media: Major consumer health publisher with large editorial team producing expert-reviewed articles, video, and podcast content. Overlaps with TEDMED on accessible expert-led health storytelling for general audiences.
• Medscape: Leading clinician-facing health information platform featuring expert commentary, video, podcasts, and CME content. Overlaps with TEDMED on the healthcare-professional audience seeking cross-specialty exposure to health/medicine ideas.
• New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM): Premier peer-reviewed medical publisher producing journals, podcasts (NEJM Podcast, NEJM Interview), and videos featuring leading clinical experts. Overlaps with TEDMED's professional audience and expert-voice format.

Direct peers

• Stat News: Health- and medicine-focused digital media outlet producing investigative journalism, podcasts, and expert interviews for a professional and lay audience. Closely comparable to TEDMED's expert-led storytelling format within the health domain.

Emerging players

• Healthcare Triage: YouTube-first educational series explaining health and medicine research to general audiences using expert voices. Direct functional overlap with TEDMED's mission of translating high science for the public.
• The Doctor's Pharmacy (Mark Hyman): Popular health and medicine podcast featuring expert conversations on wellness, public health, and clinical innovation. Direct audio-format overlap with TEDMED Conversations on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• The Chopra Well: Wellness and integrative-medicine content platform producing video talks and podcasts featuring health experts. Thematically adjacent to TEDMED in blending science, wellness, and accessible expert narratives.

Market position

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tedmed
• Facebookfacebook.com/TEDMEDcommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tedmed

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 TEDMED