Hearst Health Ventures

Name

Hearst Health Ventures

Legal name

Hearst Communications, Inc.

Website

https://hearst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC), Corporate Strategic Real Assets & Infrastructure Venture Investing (FSANAHAN)

Keywords

• Venture capital investments
• Strategic equity investing
• Early-stage technology startups
• Corporate venture capital
• Media technology investing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Investment Returns: Hearst Ventures generates returns through equity stakes in early-stage technology companies across digital media, healthcare technology, and transportation technology sectors. As of 2025, Hearst Ventures had invested more than $1 billion to date. Notable exits include GlossGenius (payments and management software for beauty and wellness entrepreneurs) and Statusphere (social media influencer marketing platform).
2. Bond Ratings and Financial Data (Fitch Group): Fitch Group, Hearst's largest profit contributor, provides global bond ratings, financial data and analytics. Benefits from a continued robust bond market and strong growth in new customer mandates. In 2025, Fitch earnings far exceeded 2024 levels. Also includes Fitch's financial services education and training business, which acquired the learning business of Moody's.
3. Transportation Data and Software (CAMP, Black Book, MOTOR, Noregon): Four transportation companies provide business-critical information and services: CAMP Systems (aviation maintenance and enterprise software, 40,000+ aviation customers), Black Book (automotive data and analytics), MOTOR Information Systems (automotive repair data), and Noregon (connected vehicle solutions for trucking). Revenue is subscription/SaaS-based with recurring contracts with commercial and business aviation customers, automotive dealers, and trucking fleets.
4. Healthcare Data and Software (Hearst Health): Six companies in the healthcare industry provide B2B data and software platforms serving hospitals, pharmacies, health plans and insurance companies. Includes QGenda (physician and nurse scheduling, employee credentialling, residency management), MCG (clinical guidelines and MCG Everywhere AI platform), and other health information businesses. Revenue is primarily subscription/SaaS.
5. Television Broadcasting (Hearst Television): Hearst Television operates 35 television stations and 2 radio stations reaching 24 million U.S. television households in 27 markets across 39 states. Revenue is driven by advertising (local, national, political), with significant benefit from election cycles, sports rights (Super Bowl, Olympics on NBC-affiliated stations), and streaming partnerships. Includes Hearst Media Production Group developing original programming for TV stations, networks and streaming services.
6. Newspapers and Digital Subscriptions: Hearst Newspapers operates 30 daily and 50 weekly newspapers, including newly acquired Austin American-Statesman and Dallas Morning News. Revenue comes from digital subscriptions (standalone and bundled with print), new subscription software products (Capitol Confidential, Capitol Confidential Pro, property tax appeal tools), and digital advertising.
7. Magazine Publishing: Hearst Magazines publishes more than 200 magazine editions globally across brands covering food, fashion, cars, home and health. Revenue from print and digital subscriptions, advertising, and digital content distributed via Instagram, TikTok, newsletters, podcasts and YouTube.
8. Cable Television Networks: Ownership stakes in cable television networks including A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, and ESPN. Hearst Television holds 18% of ESPN (with Disney holding 72%) and 50% of A+E Global Media (jointly with Disney). ESPN launched ESPN Unlimited direct-to-consumer streaming product in August. NFL contributed NFL Network for a 10% stake in ESPN.
9. Real Estate (Hearst Real Estate): Hearst Real Estate operation acquired an office building in San Francisco near the Embarcadero in 2025, where the Chronicle and other staff will be relocated.
10. Bring a Trailer: Classic-car auction site, a digital services business generating revenue through auction transaction fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hearst Ventures is the corporate venture capital division of Hearst Communications, Inc., founded in 1995, that makes strategic equity investments in early-stage companies operating at the intersection of media and technology. The firm invests across digital media, health technology, transportation technology, AI, and other sectors that align with Hearst's diversified business portfolio, leveraging internal expertise and direct commercial partnerships with Hearst's operating companies to help portfolio companies scale. To date, the fund has invested more than $1 billion, including 29 early-stage investments across its three venture operations (Hearst Ventures, HearstLab, and Level Up Ventures) in 2025 alone.

Product overview

Hearst Health operates as part of Hearst Corporation's broader portfolio of diversified information, services and media companies. The Health division consists of multiple acquired software and data businesses including QGenda (hospital scheduling and credentialling software), MCG (clinical guidelines with AI-enhanced MCG Everywhere), and related healthcare technology investments managed through Hearst Ventures. These products serve hospital, pharmacy, health plan and health insurance customers. Hearst Health is not a single unified platform but rather a collection of businesses that provide proprietary data and software products for the healthcare industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hearst Health: A group of medical information and services businesses within Hearst.
• Fitch Group
• Hearst Transportation
• Hearst360
• HearstLab
• Level Up Ventures
• Hearst Media Production Group

Products and services

• Hearst Ventures Investment Program Strategic equity investment program for early-stage technology companies in digital media, health technology, transportation technology, and AI. Targets portfolio investments where companies can partner with Hearst's operating businesses. The fund has invested more than $1 billion to date across its portfolio and made 29 new investments in 2025 alone.
• HearstLab Incubator Program Investment and incubation program for women-led early-stage startups, providing capital, mentorship, and access to a community of more than 200 Hearst executives who serve as scouts and mentors. Has invested in and helped incubate 90 women-led startups globally.
• Level Up Ventures Early-stage venture investment program operating as the third complementary venture arm within Hearst's broader venture capital operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew 3% to $13.5 billion in 2025 with record profit
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• WorkdaystrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026QGenda, Hearst's hospital scheduling business, announced a new partnership with leading HR software company Workday. This partnership will help QGenda's hospital customers integrate scheduling data with Workday's HR systems.
• The Walt Disney CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hearst and Disney co-own A+E Global Media (50% each) which includes A&E, HISTORY, and Lifetime networks. Hearst Television holds 18% of ESPN with Disney holding 72%. The NFL contributed 10% of ESPN for NFL Network. Hearst also owns 15 ABC-affiliated stations. Bob Iger led Disney for nearly 20 years with new leadership transition to Josh D'Amaro (CEO) and Dana Walden (President). ESPN launched ESPN Unlimited direct-to-consumer streaming in August 2024.
• National Football League (NFL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025NFL contributed the NFL Network for a 10% stake in ESPN as part of a broader partnership. Hearst Television has 18% of ESPN (Disney 72%, NFL 10%). ESPN has seen strong ratings for games and studio programming and robust advertising inventory sales. ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro leads the network.
• USLegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hearst Newspapers partnered with state government data company USLege for an enhanced version of Capitol Confidential Pro, an insider report on New York state government from the Albany Times Union.
• MobianminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hearst partnered with Mobian to advance awareness of next-generation brand-safe advertising across Hearst's newspapers and television stations.
• PMG (Dallas-based agency)strategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Hearst began a significantly expanded advertising effort for its consumer media products through a partnership with Dallas-based agency PMG. The partnership has had particular impact on newspaper brands and Bring a Trailer, and will continue with additional brands across the consumer media portfolio.
• XumominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHearst Media Production Group and Xumo exclusively launched the Lucky Dog Channel on Xumo Play, distributing original programming content through the streaming platform.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Thomson Reuters: Thomson Reuters combines financial data and analytics (similar to Fitch Group) with legal, tax, and media businesses. Comparable B2B data focus with proprietary content assets and recurring subscription revenue model paralleling Hearst's B2B Media segment.
• News Corp: News Corp is the closest diversified media peer, operating Wall Street Journal, Fox News, REA Group, and book publishing alongside digital real estate and cable investments. Similar transformation from print to digital/data and comparable business mix of consumer media and B2B information services.
• Advance Publications: Advance Publications is a privately held family-controlled media conglomerate owning Condé Nast, Reddit (through portfolio), and a portfolio of newspapers and business information companies. Comparable family-owned diversified media and information services structure with subscription-based business models.
• Bloomberg LP: Bloomberg operates a financial data terminal and media business directly comparable to Fitch Group within Hearst. Both serve global bond market participants with subscription-based data, analytics, and ratings/content services, with strong institutional customer relationships.

Emerging players

• Salesforce Ventures: Salesforce Ventures is a comparable corporate venture capital arm making strategic investments in enterprise software companies, similar to Hearst Ventures' strategic investment model across media, health tech, and transportation technology sectors.
• Verisk Analytics: Verisk provides data analytics to insurance, energy, and specialty markets, comparable to Hearst's Black Book (automotive data) and CAMP Systems (aviation data). Both monetize proprietary vertical data assets through subscription SaaS models serving regulated industries.
• Comcast Ventures: Comcast Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Comcast, making strategic investments aligned with parent company media and connectivity businesses. Directly comparable to Hearst Ventures as a corporate VC arm of a diversified media conglomerate.

Broad incumbents

• The Walt Disney Company: Disney is Hearst's most important strategic partner (ESPN, A+E joint venture) and a benchmark diversified media conglomerate. Both operate major cable networks, broadcast television, and are navigating the DTC streaming transition with substantial capital intensity.
• Comcast Corporation: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, Sky, and various media properties, providing a comparable diversified media conglomerate with cable/broadcast distribution, content production, and digital media investments. Both face similar cable cord-cutting and streaming transition dynamics.
• Bertelsmann: German family-controlled diversified media conglomerate with Penguin Random House, RTL Group broadcasting, BMG music, and Arvato services. Similar 100+ year heritage, family ownership structure, and diversified business model spanning content, media, and services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HearstVentures
• Facebookfacebook.com/HearstCorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hearst
• Instagraminstagram.com/hearst

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments6 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Hearst Health Ventures