Popular Science Media Group

What Popular Science Media Group does

Popular Science Media Group operates the Popular Science (PopSci) science and technology media brand founded in 1872 by Edward L. Youmans. The business delivers editorial content across a multi-platform footprint centered on the popsci.com website (covering Science, Technology, Environment, DIY, and Gear categories), an audio distribution via the 'Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week' and 'Ask Us Anything' podcasts, a YouTube channel, a daily email newsletter (six days a week), and the annual Best of What's New awards franchise recognizing 50 innovations across 10 categories. Additional consumer-facing products include the StackCommerce-operated shop.popsci.com e-commerce storefront (selling software licenses, online courses, memberships, and lifestyle products), a merchandise store featuring historic cover-art prints, and licensing/reprints services.

The underlying technology stack is a standard web-based digital publishing platform supporting multimedia content delivery (articles, embedded video, podcasts), newsletter delivery, and e-commerce integration through third-party partners. The competitive moat rests on 150+ years of brand authority in science journalism, an entrenched Best of What's New awards franchise generating recurring annual revenue (with $300-$350 per submission entry fees and claimed $15,000+ earned media value per winner), and Amazon affiliate deal-coverage traffic during major shopping events like Prime Day. The editorial team is small (1-10 employees) despite the wide content surface, supported by the larger Ziff Davis infrastructure following the May 2025 acquisition.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) display advertising and sponsored content on owned digital channels, (2) affiliate commerce commissions from product recommendations linked to Amazon and other retailers (a major monetization channel during Prime Day events), (3) licensing and reprint fees through [email protected], and (4) direct e-commerce sales and award entry fees via shop.popsci.com and the Best of What's New program. The publication's primary customer segments are science and technology enthusiasts and consumer electronics buyers seeking expert product reviews and deal coverage, with secondary segments including the DIY/maker community and environment/nature readers. Following the May 2025 acquisition by Ziff Davis, Popular Science sits within a broader lifestyle media group that also includes Dwell, Domino, and Business of Home publications.

Name

Popular Science Media Group

Legal name

Recurrent Ventures

Website

https://popsci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Popular Science Media Group operates the 150+ year-old Popular Science media brand, delivering daily science and technology journalism, podcasts, newsletters, and the annual Best of What's New awards. Revenue is generated through advertising, Amazon affiliate commerce, e-commerce, and licensing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science and Technology Digital Media

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Publishing Industries (513)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Gaming Magazines (MPAJAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles) (MPAJAKAE), Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) Sales & Merchandising (Publisher Stores, Bundles) (MPAJAKAD), Popular Science, Technology & Nature Trade Publishing (MPAJAAAJ)

Keywords

• Science journalism
• Technology publishing
• Digital media
• Consumer electronics reviews
• Online content publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Revenue generated through display advertising, sponsored content, and ad placements on the website and in newsletters
2. Affiliate Commerce: Revenue from affiliate links to products featured in reviews and deal articles, earning commissions on reader purchases through Amazon, retailers, and other partners
3. Licensing and Reprints: Content licensing, reprint permissions, and award seal artwork available for purchase through [email protected]
4. E-commerce Sales: The shop.popsci.com platform operated by StackCommerce sells software licenses, online courses, memberships, electronics, and lifestyle products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Popular Science Media Group operates a multi-platform science and technology media brand delivering editorial content (articles, podcasts, videos, newsletters), consumer product reviews, deal coverage, and an e-commerce storefront. The flagship property is popsci.com, supported by the Best of What's New annual awards program, a daily newsletter, podcast series, and a YouTube video channel. Revenue is generated through advertising, affiliate commerce, content licensing, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Popular Science Media Group operates a multi-platform science and technology media portfolio centered on its flagship publication Popular Science, established in 1872. The company delivers content across the main popsc.com website (covering science, technology, environment, DIY, and gear reviews), an e-commerce shop powered by StackCommerce, original podcast series ('The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week' and 'Ask Us Anything'), YouTube video content, and a print magazine. The company also runs the annual 'Best of What's New' awards program (since 1988) recognizing top innovations, and a merchandise store selling historic magazine cover prints. Content is delivered via a daily email newsletter, and the publication is currently owned by Ziff Davis following its 2025 acquisition from Recurrent Ventures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week: Podcast where PopSci editors share bizarre science and tech stories.
• Ask Us Anything
• Best of What's New

Products and services

• Popular Science Website (popsci.com) The main digital publication platform delivering daily science and technology news, how-to guides, product reviews, and DIY projects, covering categories including Science, Technology, Environment, DIY, and Gear.
• Popular Science Podcasts Podcast series including 'The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week' exploring bizarre science and tech stories, and 'Ask Us Anything' answering mind-burning questions about science and technology.
• Best of What's New Awards Annual awards program recognizing the 50 most important innovations of the year across 10 categories including Aerospace, Automotive, Engineering, Entertainment, Gadgets, Health, Home, Personal Care, Sports & Outdoors, and Emergency Services & Defense. Entry fees are $300 early bird or $350 standard per product.
• Popular Science Daily Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips six days a week to subscribers aged 16+.
• Popular Science Shop An e-commerce storefront operated by StackCommerce that offers software subscriptions, online courses, electronics, memberships, and lifestyle products with affiliate partnerships and daily deals. Products are priced from $9.97 to $299.00.
• Popular Science YouTube Videos Video series featuring short explainers and documentary-style content showcasing science and technology stories, including episodes on spontaneous human combustion and daylight savings time.
• Popular Science Store (Cover Art/Merchandise) E-commerce store selling framed magazine cover prints and merchandise featuring historic Popular Science covers from 1872 onward.
• Popular Science Magazine The original print publication founded in May 1872 by Edward L. Youmans, originally titled 'Popular Science Monthly' and featuring articles from Charles Darwin and Louis Pasteur. Has evolved from a scientific journal to a consumer science and technology magazine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Best of What's New winners featured in major media including NBC Today Show, CBS Early Show, CNN, Fox News, NPR, The New York Times, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ziff DaviscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Ziff Davis acquired Popular Science from Recurrent Ventures in May 2025 as part of a home media deal that included Dwell, Domino, and Business of Home publications. The acquisition marked a strategic expansion for Ziff Davis into lifestyle media. Ziff Davis reported annual revenue of $1.5 billion in 2025.
• Recurrent VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecurrent Ventures previously owned Popular Science and built a portfolio of creator-focused vertical media brands including The Drive, Donut Media, Outdoor Life, and Task & Purpose. Founded in 2018 by CEO Andrew Perlman, Recurrent Ventures executed 14 acquisitions and leveraged AI to catalog and remix video content.
• StackCommercecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStackCommerce operates shop.popsci.com as an e-commerce platform. The platform offers software, online courses, memberships, electronics, and lifestyle products. StackCommerce is based in Venice, CA and manages the retail operations including payment processing through PayPal and Stripe, fulfillment, and customer service.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPopular Science participates in Amazon's affiliate program, featuring Prime Day deals and product recommendations. The publication shares aggregate data on reader purchasing trends during major shopping events. Ziff Davis publications collectively cover Amazon deals across technology, shopping, gaming, and consumer categories.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ars Technica: Technology and science publication with deep coverage of consumer electronics, AI, and science policy — competes for similar enthusiast audiences and offers comparable review and explainer content.
• MIT Technology Review: Authority science/technology publication covering emerging technology and innovation with B2B and consumer audiences — competes with PopSci on technology coverage, product reviews, and thought-leadership positioning.
• CNET: Major consumer technology publisher with extensive product reviews, deal coverage, and affiliate commerce — directly comparable on the affiliate-commerce and gear-review side of PopSci's content portfolio, and now a sibling brand under Ziff Davis.
• Scientific American: Long-running science magazine (founded 1845) covering scientific discoveries and technology for a general consumer audience — directly comparable heritage science publication competing for similar readers and advertisers.
• Discover Magazine: Consumer science magazine covering scientific discoveries, technology, and innovation for a general audience — a closely comparable legacy science publication with similar editorial breadth.
• Engadget: Consumer technology publication focused on gadgets, gear reviews, and product launches — overlaps significantly with PopSci's Gear category and affiliate-driven commerce strategy.
• New Scientist: Global science and technology magazine and website covering scientific discoveries, technology, and the environment — directly comparable in editorial remit and audience targeting.
• Wired: Direct peer in science and technology publishing with similar editorial coverage of emerging tech, product reviews, and a podcast/video ecosystem — also owned within a large media group (Condé Nast) and competing for the same ad and affiliate budgets.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Magazine: Broader general-interest science, history, and culture publication — overlaps with PopSci on science coverage and shares a heritage-magazine, multi-platform editorial model.
• National Geographic: Iconic science and exploration publication covering environment, wildlife, and technology — broader in scope but competes for similar audience attention on science storytelling and premium advertising.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=Popular+Science
• Xx.com/popsci
• Facebookfacebook.com/PopSci
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/popularscience

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Popular Science Media Group