Vetted
Vetted operates a two-sided media-relations marketplace that connects verified journalists with vetted expert sources via a pay-per-placement model. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Denver, it serves journalists (free access), individual experts ($350-$600 per quoted article), and PR agencies managing multiple client profiles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Vetted does
Vetted Experts, Inc. operates a two-sided media-relations marketplace that connects journalists with pre-vetted subject-matter experts. The platform, marketed as a "passive PR" alternative to traditional pitching, is accessible via web, desktop, and mobile applications. The underlying product is a searchable expert directory where journalists can filter by industry, expertise, and gender and send direct interview requests to verified sources; experts receive requests via email and can accept or decline based on the article and outlet.
The core technology stack centers on an expert verification system that requires a verified work email, a verified LinkedIn profile, multiple years of industry experience, a clean history with no prior misleading information provided to media, and a clean background with respect to harassment claims. Search, profile management, and direct request communications are handled in-house; payment processing is delegated to Stripe. There are no documented AI/ML capabilities; matching is filter-based rather than model-based, and API/SDK surfaces are not exposed.
Revenue is generated entirely through outcome-based fees and one-time onboarding charges, with no subscriptions or retainers. Individual experts pay a $79 one-time verification fee and $350-$600 per placement depending on outlet tier (U.S. Regional $350, Industry-specific $400, U.S. National $500, International $600); charges are only levied when the expert is quoted in a published article. PR agencies pay a $179 onboarding fee covering up to five client profiles and receive a 15% placement-fee discount. Journalists access the platform for free, which anchors the product-led growth motion on the demand side. The company is incorporated in Colorado, was founded in 2021, and operates with a disclosed team of 1-10 employees centered on co-founders Jon Amar (CEO) and Matthew Kaliara (CTO).
Vetted firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vetted
- Legal name
- Vetted Experts, Inc.
- Website
- https://joinvetted.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Vetted operates a two-sided media-relations marketplace that connects verified journalists with vetted expert sources via a pay-per-placement model. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Denver, it serves journalists (free access), individual experts ($350-$600 per quoted article), and PR agencies managing multiple client profiles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vetted industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Media Relations Platform
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Media Auditing, Verification & Compliance (Billing, Makegoods, QA) (BPAFABAM)
Keywords
Where Vetted is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Vetted business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Expert Verification Fee: One-time $79 fee charged to expert sources after acceptance into the directory to verify identity and expertise.
- Pay-per-Placement Fees: Performance-based fees ranging from $350-$600 depending on media outlet reach. U.S. Regional outlets charge $350, Industry-specific $400, U.S. National $500, International $600. Only charged when expert gets quoted in published article.
- PR Agency Onboarding and Placement Fees: PR firms pay $179 agency onboarding fee covering up to 5 client profiles. Placement fees are discounted 15% from individual rates ($297-$510 per article).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Expert Verification - One-time fee |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | U.S. Regional Placement - $350 per article |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Industry-specific Placement - $400 per article |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | U.S. National Placement - $500 per article |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | International Placement - $600 per article |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PR Agency Onboarding - $179 |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | PR Pro Placement Fees - $297-$510 per article (15% discount) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Vetted product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vetted operates a two-sided marketplace platform that connects verified journalists from major media outlets with expert sources for story commentary. Verified experts pay a one-time $79 verification fee and are charged $350-$600 per published article placement, billed only when they are actually quoted. PR agencies can manage multiple client profiles through a PR Pro account tier that includes a 15% placement discount. Journalists access the platform free of charge.
Product overview
Vetted is a media relations platform that operates as a marketplace connecting verified journalists with subject-matter expert sources. The core product is the Vetted Expert Directory, accessible via web and mobile applications, where journalists search and contact verified experts for interview requests on a pay-per-placement basis ($350-$600 per quoted article). The platform offers two account types: Individual Expert accounts with a $79 verification fee and performance-based placement pricing, and PR Pro accounts for agencies managing multiple clients with a 15% placement discount. Journalists access the directory for free to find and connect with expert sources without traditional pitching.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Vetted Expert Directory A searchable directory of verified expert sources that journalists browse and contact for story commentary. Experts are vetted for identity, LinkedIn verification, industry experience, and media background before being listed.
- Individual Expert Placement Service Performance-based placement service for verified individual experts. Includes a one-time $79 verification fee and charges $350-$600 per published quote, billed only when the expert is actually quoted in an article. Pricing tiered by outlet reach (U.S. Regional, Industry-specific, U.S. National, International).
- PR Pro Account Agency account letting public relations professionals add and manage up to five client expert profiles. Includes a $179 onboarding fee and 15% off all placement fees, with discounted rates ranging $297-$510 per quoted article across regional, industry-specific, U.S. national, and international outlets.
- Journalist Portal Free access point for verified journalists to search the Vetted expert directory, filter by industry, expertise, and gender, and directly request interviews with sources without receiving pitches.
Quantifiable outcome
- No payment required unless expert gets quoted in published article
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Vetted
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vetted technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Vetted partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Vetted competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cision: Public relations software giant owning HARO, PR Newswire, and ProfNet. Represents the largest bundled competitor in media relations and the parent of Vetted's most directly named rival.
- MuckRack: Established PR and journalist database platform with a much broader product suite including media monitoring, pitching, and reporting. Competes as a wider-stack incumbent rather than a pure marketplace.
Emerging players
- Prezly: PR CRM and online newsroom platform used by PR professionals to manage media relationships. Adjacent product rather than a pure marketplace, but serves overlapping personas.
- Just Reach Out: PR outreach and journalist-matching service for small businesses. Competes for the same SMB-and-expert use case with a pitching-centric model rather than pay-per-placement.
- Prowly: PR SaaS platform with journalist database and pitching tools. Overlaps with Vetted on the journalist-discovery and outreach workflow but is positioned as full PR software.
- Featured (Combust): Expert-sourcing platform that connects journalists with thought leaders for quoted contributions. Closest new-entrant comparable to Vetted's verified-expert directory concept.
Direct peers
- HARO (Help a Reporter Out): The original free journalist-to-expert matching service, now owned by Cision. Vetted explicitly positions itself as a better alternative to HARO with pay-per-placement pricing and a verified-expert directory.
- Qwoted: Free platform connecting journalists with expert sources through daily queries. Directly comparable in marketplace mechanics, with a different monetization model and broader source pool.
- SourceBottle: Expert-sourcing marketplace for journalists operating in a similar two-sided model. Smaller and more regional, but functionally a direct alternative for expert discovery.
- ProfNet: Long-running expert-sourcing service operated by PR Newswire (Cision). Competes for the same journalist-source matching use case with a subscription-based model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Vetted social profiles
Digital presenceVetted financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vetted leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Vetted funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vetted 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 Vetted
What does Vetted do?
Vetted operates a two-sided marketplace platform that connects verified journalists from major media outlets with expert sources for story commentary. Verified experts pay a one-time $79 verification fee and are charged $350-$600 per published article placement, billed only when they are actually quoted. PR agencies can manage multiple client profiles through a PR Pro account tier that includes a 15% placement discount. Journalists access the platform free of charge.
Is Vetted a public or private company?
Vetted is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Vetted founded?
Vetted was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vetted based?
Vetted is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Vetted make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Expert Verification Fee is the primary driver. The others are pay-per-Placement Fees and PR Agency Onboarding and Placement Fees.
Who are Vetted's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cision and MuckRack. Emerging players are Prezly, Just Reach Out, Prowly and Featured (Combust). Direct peers are HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Qwoted, SourceBottle and ProfNet.
Does Vetted have an API?
No public API is recorded for Vetted.
What industry is Vetted in?
Vetted's product category is Media Relations Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFABAM, Media Auditing, Verification & Compliance (Billing, Makegoods, QA). Its NAICS code is 541830.