Coconuts
Coconuts was a Hong Kong-headquartered, multi-city digital media company (founded 2011 in Bangkok) that published eight city-specific news and lifestyle editions across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, monetized via advertising, COCO+ subscriptions, and Coconuts TV content licensing. The company ceased publishing on December 31, 2023.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWan Chai, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Coconuts does
Coconuts Media Limited was a privately held digital media company founded in Bangkok in 2011 and headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. It operated a network of eight city-specific news and lifestyle editions — Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bali, and Yangon — published on coconuts.co and distributed via iOS and Android apps, social media channels, and email newsletters. The product surface spanned a metered-paywall website, the COCO+ paid membership program (pay-what-you-want from US$5/year), the Coconuts TV original-video library, the Coconuts Podcast ('WTF is Up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong'), the Grove branded-content studio, and the Coconuts Directory of events and venues. The target audience was English-speaking urban young adults in major Asian cities, with editorial positioning around irreverent local coverage and award-winning investigative reporting (three Society of Publishers in Asia awards over three consecutive years).
The business model combined four revenue streams: display and sponsored-content advertising (described by the company as a key revenue stream), recurring COCO+ membership subscriptions, content licensing of Coconuts TV originals to broadcast and streaming partners (Netflix, iflix, ABS-CBN, RTL Germany, and Fusion), and one-time patron contributions processed via Stripe and PayPal. Go-to-market was community-led and direct-to-consumer, relying on organic social distribution and email to convert readers into COCO+ members and to package brand audiences for advertisers. The company employed 11-50 people and operated without disclosed institutional funding or parent ownership.
On December 19, 2023 Coconuts announced it would cease publishing on December 31, 2023, ending a 12-year run. The closure announcement noted the company had grown to 'millions of unique visitors per month' across its eight-city footprint before winding down. Operating status in the source data is recorded as closed.
Coconuts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coconuts
- Legal name
- Coconuts Media Limited
- Website
- https://coconuts.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coconuts was a Hong Kong-headquartered, multi-city digital media company (founded 2011 in Bangkok) that published eight city-specific news and lifestyle editions across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, monetized via advertising, COCO+ subscriptions, and Coconuts TV content licensing. The company ceased publishing on December 31, 2023.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coconuts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online News and Lifestyle Media
- NAICS
- Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Content & Media Subscriptions (CRAFAIAA)
Keywords
Where Coconuts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wan Chai
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Coconuts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising: Primary revenue stream from display advertising and sponsored content on the platform. The company describes advertising as a 'key revenue stream' and notes that COCO+ membership will benefit advertisers through new direct marketing opportunities to members.
- COCO+ Membership Subscriptions: Paid membership program offering unlimited content access starting at US$5/year. Membership provides additional benefits including giveaways, event sponsorships, and exclusive newsletter content. The company aims to develop a direct revenue stream from audience to reduce dependence on advertising.
- Content Licensing: Original Coconuts TV video content is licensed to leading broadcast and streaming networks including Netflix, iflix, ABS-CBN, RTL Germany, and Fusion.
- Coconuts Patron/Donations: One-time patron contributions accepted at various levels ($10, $20, $50, $100 or custom amounts) to support independent journalism and editorial operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | COCO+ Annual Membership - Pay what you want starting at US$5/year |
| Subscription | Monthly | COCO+ Monthly Membership |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Coconuts Patron - One-time contribution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Coconuts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coconuts operated a network of city-specific digital news and lifestyle websites covering eight Asian markets, supported by a metered paywall and a paid COCO+ membership tier. It produced original journalism, video content (Coconuts TV), podcasts, and newsletters, and licensed Coconuts TV video content to major broadcast and streaming networks such as Netflix, iflix, ABS-CBN, RTL Germany, and Fusion. Revenue was generated from advertising, COCO+ subscriptions, content licensing, and patron donations.
Product overview
Coconuts is a multi-city digital media company operating a network of regional news and lifestyle websites across eight Asian cities (Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, KL, Jakarta, Bali, and Yangon). The core product is the Coconuts.co website, which functions as a unified platform with city-specific editions. The portfolio includes paid subscription (COCO+ Membership for unlimited content access), original video content (Coconuts TV licensed to Netflix, iflix, ABS-CBN, RTL Germany, and Fusion), a podcast, email newsletters, a branded content studio (Grove), and an events/venues directory. The site operates a metered paywall with membership as the primary revenue model alongside advertising.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Grove: Coconuts Brand Studio: Brand studio providing branded content services
Products and services
- Coconuts.co Website Primary digital news and lifestyle media platform delivering city-specific content across eight Asian markets (Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, KL, Jakarta, Bali, Yangon). The site operates a metered paywall with full access granted to COCO+ subscribers; aimed at urban English-speaking readers seeking local news, food and drink, and lifestyle coverage.
- COCO+ Membership Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Won three Society of Publishers in Asia awards over three years for original reporting
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Coconuts
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Coconuts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Coconuts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- StripeminorPayment processing partner for COCO+ membership payments. Processes credit card transactions securely. Coconuts does not store payment details.
- PayPalminorPayment processing partner for COCO+ membership payments. Alternative payment method alongside Stripe.
- NetflixcoreLicensing partner for Coconuts TV original video content. Coconuts documentaries and videos distributed on Netflix streaming platform.
- iflixcoreLicensing partner for Coconuts TV video content distribution in Southeast Asia and Middle East markets.
- ABS-CBNcorePhilippine broadcast network licensing partner for Coconuts TV content.
- RTL GermanycoreGerman broadcast network licensing partner for Coconuts TV content.
- FusioncoreUS-based network licensing partner for Coconuts TV video content.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Coconuts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The ASEAN Post: Regional digital media outlet covering ASEAN news, business, and lifestyle. Comparable to Coconuts in pan-Southeast Asia editorial coverage, English-language publishing, and digital subscription and advertising monetization.
- Asian Boss: Digital media company producing street-interview style video content across Asian markets. Comparable to Coconuts in multi-market Asia coverage, English-language audience, and original video content licensed to global platforms.
- South China Morning Post: English-language digital news publisher covering Asia with a paywalled subscription model, headquartered in Hong Kong. Directly comparable to Coconuts in audience (English-speaking Asia-focused readers), monetization mix (ads + subscriptions), and content verticals (news, lifestyle, features).
- Tech in Asia: Digital media company covering Southeast Asia's tech and startup ecosystem across multiple markets. Comparable to Coconuts in multi-city Southeast Asian coverage, English-language digital publishing, community-driven audience, and advertising-led monetization with events and subscriptions.
- Rappler: Philippines-based digital news outlet covering Southeast Asian news, investigative journalism, and lifestyle content. Comparable to Coconuts in digital-native publishing, focus on Southeast Asian audiences, mix of news and lifestyle content, and reliance on reader subscriptions and advertising.
- The Diplomat: Asia-Pacific focused digital magazine covering news, politics, and culture. Comparable to Coconuts in Asia-focused English-language digital publishing, multi-market editorial coverage, and subscription/display advertising revenue model.
- Mashable: Digital media company producing news, culture, and lifestyle content for a young global audience. Comparable to Coconuts in digital-native publishing, social-media-driven distribution, mix of editorial verticals, and reliance on display advertising and content partnerships.
Regional players
- Mothership: Singapore-focused digital media company producing news, lifestyle, and viral content for young urban audiences. Comparable to Coconuts' Singapore edition in tone (irreverent, social-media-driven), target demographic (young urban adults), and content format mix, though concentrated in one city.
Broad incumbents
- Channel News Asia: Major Asian digital and broadcast news outlet owned by Mediacorp. Overlaps with Coconuts in coverage of Southeast Asian and Hong Kong news, lifestyle content, and digital subscriptions, though it is a much larger incumbent with broadcast assets.
- Coconuts-style Vice Asia: Global digital media company with an Asia presence targeting young audiences with irreverent editorial and original video. Comparable to Coconuts in tone, target demographic, and video-first content strategy, though operating at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Coconuts social profiles
Digital presenceCoconuts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coconuts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Coconuts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coconuts 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 Coconuts
What does Coconuts do?
Coconuts operated a network of city-specific digital news and lifestyle websites covering eight Asian markets, supported by a metered paywall and a paid COCO+ membership tier. It produced original journalism, video content (Coconuts TV), podcasts, and newsletters, and licensed Coconuts TV video content to major broadcast and streaming networks such as Netflix, iflix, ABS-CBN, RTL Germany, and Fusion. Revenue was generated from advertising, COCO+ subscriptions, content licensing, and patron donations.
Is Coconuts a public or private company?
Coconuts is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Coconuts founded?
Coconuts was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coconuts based?
Coconuts is headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Coconuts make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are COCO+ Membership Subscriptions, content Licensing and coconuts Patron/Donations.
Who are Coconuts's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The ASEAN Post, Asian Boss, South China Morning Post, Tech in Asia, Rappler, The Diplomat and Mashable. Mothership is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Channel News Asia and Coconuts-style Vice Asia.
Does Coconuts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coconuts.
What industry is Coconuts in?
Coconuts's product category is Online News and Lifestyle Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAIAA, Digital Content & Media Subscriptions. Its NAICS code is 516210 and its SIC code is 7822.