Acquired.FM

What Acquired.FM does

Acquired.FM, operating legally as ACQ, LLC (Washington State LLC, founded 2015), is a boutique podcast media company that produces long-form, deeply researched audio episodes on the history and strategy of the world's most iconic companies. Co-founded and hosted by Ben Gilbert (ex-Microsoft, Madrona, Pioneer Square Labs) and David Rosenthal (Princeton, Stanford MBA; former VC), the flagship Acquired Podcast follows a 'conversational audiobook' format with 4+ hour episodes and 200+ hours of research each, complemented by the ACQ2 interview show (launched 2021), an email newsletter, and a 12,000+ member Slack community. Distribution is platform-mediated across Spotify (including a synchronized video/audio product co-developed with Spotify), Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Overcast, and Pocket Casts; the show currently ranks #1 in technology on both Apple and Spotify with over one million listeners per episode. Revenue is generated almost entirely from sponsorships — J.P. Morgan as flagship presenting partner, plus Statsig, Vercel, Anthropic, Modern Treasury, and others — and from large-scale live events (Radio City Music Hall, NVIDIA GTC, Chase Center) and merchandise. The company is bootstrapped, founder-owned, profitable on the audience's growth curve, and has no external institutional investors.

Name

Acquired.FM

Legal name

ACQ, LLC

Website

https://acquired.fm

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Acquired.FM is a bootstrapped podcast media company producing 4+ hour, deeply researched deep-dive episodes on iconic company histories, plus a companion interview show, serving tech executives, founders, and investors through sponsorships and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Podcast Media

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (51229), Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Sound Recording Industries (5122)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers (MPACADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE), Podcast Ad Sales Networks & Monetization Platforms (MPACADAD), Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms (MPAIADAC)

Keywords

• Business podcast production
• Long-form audio content
• Podcast media network
• Company history storytelling
• Tech industry interviews

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: Podcast sponsorships from enterprise technology companies. The show selectively partners with sponsors aligned with the audience's interests, including J.P. Morgan (presenting partner), Statsig, Vercel, and Anthropic.
2. Video Content Partnership: Partnership with Spotify for synchronized video/audio podcast distribution across platforms.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acquired.FM produces and distributes long-form (4+ hour) deep-dive podcast episodes that tell the complete history and strategy of iconic technology and business companies, supported by a companion interview show (ACQ2), a listener Slack community, and an email newsletter. The company monetizes this content primarily through podcast sponsorships from enterprise technology and finance brands.

Product overview

Acquired.FM is a podcast media company offering two core products: the main Acquired Podcast (a 4+ hour deep-dive series into company histories and strategies) and the ACQ2 Show (interviews with founders and executives). The portfolio is supported by an email newsletter and Slack community for listener engagement. The company does not operate a software platform, SaaS product, or API-based service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACQ2: Interview show featuring conversations with founders, investors, and operators behind companies covered on the main Acquired podcast.

Products and services

• Acquired Podcast Long-form (4+ hour) deep-dive podcast episodes that tell the complete history and strategy of a single iconic company from founding to present day, blending 200+ hours of primary-source research, financial document analysis, and exclusive founder/CEO interviews into a conversational audiobook-style format.
• ACQ2 Show (Interview Show) Companion interview-format podcast featuring conversations with founders, investors, and operators, covering topics such as productivity, AI, business strategy, and technology trends; serves as the LP-style show to the main Acquired podcast.
• Live Podcast Events In-person live podcast recordings and fireside conversations held at major venues, sometimes featuring on-stage interviews with high-profile guests and presented with brand partners such as J.P. Morgan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million listeners per episode across all platforms
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• J.P. MorganflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 July 2025J.P. Morgan serves as the presenting partner for Acquired's live events and podcast episodes. They partnered on the Radio City Music Hall live show featuring Jamie Dimon, where J.P. Morgan's payments team demoed technology. J.P. Morgan is described as 'an incredible partner' of Acquired.
• SpotifycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic video partnership where Spotify provides synchronized video/audio podcast distribution. The video product syncs across devices - users can watch on video, switch to audio (e.g., for a walk), and it stays synchronized.
• StatsigminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'the best way to do experimentation and more as a product development team.'
• VercelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'your complete platform for web development.'
• AnthropicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'the makers of Claude.'
• Modern TreasuryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcquired conducted mutual interviews with Modern Treasury for the ACQ2 show. Modern Treasury is a fintech startup that has been featured as a sponsor and interview subject.
• Fika VenturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFika Ventures introduced Joseph Gordon-Levitt for an ACQ2 fireside chat and arranged the interview for their annual meeting.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lex Fridman Podcast: Long-form, deeply researched interviews with global tech, business, and scientific leaders. Comparable in production depth, audience composition (founders/executives), premium sponsor monetization, and reliance on a single host's brand.
• Masters of Scale: Reid Hoffman's long-form interview and storytelling podcast focused on how iconic businesses scale. Closest direct competitor to Acquired in the 'premium business/tech storytelling' category with similar audience of founders, executives, and investors.
• Freakonomics Radio: Long-form, research-driven, narrative-style podcast on business, economics, and human behavior — produced by a small core team with sponsor-supported monetization. Highly comparable in production depth and premium positioning.
• Huberman Lab: Premium single-host podcast with deep research per episode, large sponsor roster (including enterprise brands), and a top-of-category ranking. Comparable business model and creator-led, deeply produced positioning to Acquired.
• All-In Podcast: Tech and business industry podcast among high-profile venture investors with sponsor-driven monetization. Comparable audience (founders, VCs, tech execs), enterprise sponsorship model, and premium business content positioning.
• 20VC (Harry Stebbings): Founders/VC-focused long-form interview podcast with sponsor-driven monetization. Directly overlaps Acquired on audience (VCs, founders), sponsor category (enterprise tech/fintech), and creator-led premium production.
• The Tim Ferriss Show: Long-form, deeply researched interviews with world-class performers, monetized via premium sponsorships. Overlaps Acquired on audience (founders, executives, investors), format (long-form premium), and monetization model (sponsors).

Broad incumbents

• NPR News Podcasts: Public broadcaster operating a portfolio of narrative, deeply researched podcasts (e.g., Planet Money, How I Built This). Comparable in production-style narrative audio but distributed under a much larger umbrella with different monetization.
• The Daily (The New York Times): Single-topic, narrative-driven podcast produced by a major media organization with sponsor revenue. Comparable in production quality and daily-listener business model, but operates inside a much larger news publisher.
• Planet Money: Long-running NPR podcast applying accessible storytelling to business and economics. Comparable in narrative depth and episodic cadence but operates as part of a larger public broadcaster with broader distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acquiredfm
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AcquiredFM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acquired-fm
• Facebookfacebook.com/acquiredfm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Acquired.FM