Acquired.FM
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
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.
Acquired.FM firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Acquired.FM industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Acquired.FM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Acquired.FM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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
Acquired.FM product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Acquired.FM
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Acquired.FM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Acquired.FM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- J.P. MorganflagshipJ.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.
- SpotifycoreStrategic 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.
- StatsigminorSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'the best way to do experimentation and more as a product development team.'
- VercelminorSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'your complete platform for web development.'
- AnthropicminorSponsor of Acquired's podcast episodes, described as 'the makers of Claude.'
- Modern TreasuryminorAcquired 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 VenturesminorFika 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
Acquired.FM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Acquired.FM social profiles
Digital presenceAcquired.FM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Acquired.FM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Acquired.FM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Acquired.FM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Acquired.FM
What does Acquired.FM do?
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.
Is Acquired.FM a public or private company?
Acquired.FM is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Acquired.FM founded?
Acquired.FM was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Acquired.FM based?
Acquired.FM is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
How does Acquired.FM make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are video Content Partnership.
Who are Acquired.FM's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Lex Fridman Podcast, Masters of Scale, Freakonomics Radio, Huberman Lab, All-In Podcast, 20VC (Harry Stebbings) and The Tim Ferriss Show. Broad incumbents are NPR News Podcasts, The Daily (The New York Times) and Planet Money.
Does Acquired.FM have an API?
No public API is recorded for Acquired.FM.
What industry is Acquired.FM in?
Acquired.FM's product category is Business Podcast Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACADAB, Podcast Networks & Multi-Show Publishers, with a secondary code of BPAFAIAE, Audio Production & Podcasting. Its NAICS code is 51229 and its SIC code is 7812.