MAEKAN
MAEKAN is an independent, ad-free digital publication and brand based in Hong Kong, founded by Eugene Kan and Alex Maeland, that produces long-form editorial stories, a podcast, and branded merchandise for creative professionals and enthusiasts across design, fashion, music, art, and culture.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersGardena, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What MAEKAN does
MAEKAN is a privately-held, ad-free digital publication and brand focused on creativity and creative culture, founded in 2015 by Eugene Kan and Alex Maeland, with an operational base in Hong Kong and a California-registered legal entity (MAEKAN LLC, Gardena). The platform delivers long-form editorial stories, interviews, and profiles covering designers, artists, musicians, and creative professionals across design, fashion, music, art, and culture, and it operates an ad-free model differentiated by humanistic storytelling that emphasizes the wins, losses, and perspectives of creatives rather than surface-level coverage. Content is published through a WordPress-based digital media platform with podcast production capabilities, distributed via the MAEKAN website, podcast platforms, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Discord, and the periodic MAEKAN Briefing newsletter (delivered via Mailchimp).
The product ecosystem centers on the core publication, the flagship podcast Making It Up (past episode 199), the periodic MAEKAN Briefing newsletter, and a growing portfolio of editorial series including Building the Brand, How We Got Here, MAEKAN Sessions (live events), Offline Matters, Editor's Letter, and Selected Stories. MAEKAN monetizes through four streams: (1) Patreon-based recurring membership that unlocks Discord community access, a second Thursday Briefing newsletter, and store discounts; (2) e-commerce via the MAEKAN Shop, selling branded merchandise such as memobottle collaborations, Kinto tumblers, bookmarks, tote bags, and t-shirts; (3) branded partnerships and sponsored content sold through [email protected]; and (4) newsletter sponsorship inventory in the MAEKAN Briefing. Editorial independence is sustained by client work at the related creative agency Adam Studios.
The customer base is a horizontal segment of creative professionals and enthusiasts seeking deeper, more thoughtful creative-culture content. The company is founder-owned with a team of 1-10, no institutional investors, and no disclosed external funding beyond a 2017 Imprint Lab event showing $0 in capital. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities in the product stack, and growth signals are limited to ongoing content diversification and incremental additions to the shop and podcast lineup.
MAEKAN firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MAEKAN
- Legal name
- MAEKAN LLC
- Website
- https://maekan.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- MAEKAN is an independent, ad-free digital publication and brand based in Hong Kong, founded by Eugene Kan and Alex Maeland, that produces long-form editorial stories, a podcast, and branded merchandise for creative professionals and enthusiasts across design, fashion, music, art, and culture.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MAEKAN industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Media Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Information (51)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creator Monetization Tools (Subscriptions, Tips, Merch) (BPAMALAH)
Keywords
Where MAEKAN is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gardena
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
MAEKAN business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Patreon Membership: Community membership through Patreon that grants access to Discord community, second Briefing newsletter on Thursdays, store discounts, and other privileges.
- E-commerce Shop: Online store selling branded merchandise including apparel, accessories, and lifestyle products such as memobottle collaborations, tumblers, bookmarks, and tote bags.
- Branded Partnerships: Sponsored content and branded partnership opportunities for companies seeking to reach the MAEKAN creative audience.
- Newsletter Sponsorship: Marketing communications through the MAEKAN Briefing newsletter platform, delivered directly to subscribers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Patreon Membership with tiered benefits |
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
MAEKAN product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MAEKAN is a community-supported, ad-free digital publication focused on creativity and creative culture. It produces editorial stories, interviews, the flagship podcast 'Making It Up', the periodic MAEKAN Briefing newsletter, and various content series covering design, fashion, music, art, and broader culture. Revenue is supplemented by branded merchandise sales through the MAEKAN Shop and a Patreon-based membership program providing Discord community access, additional newsletters, and store discounts.
Product overview
MAEKAN is a digital creative culture publication and brand based in Hong Kong. The core offering is a media platform consisting of editorial stories, interviews, and features about creative professionals across design, fashion, music, art, and culture. The product ecosystem includes the flagship podcast series 'Making It Up', the e-commerce MAEKAN Shop for branded merchandise, the periodic MAEKAN Briefing newsletter, and various content series including 'Building the Brand', 'How We Got Here', 'MAEKAN Sessions', 'Offline Matters', and 'Editor's Letter'. The company operates an ad-free model supported by a Patreon-based membership program that provides access to a Discord community, additional newsletters, and store discounts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Adam Studios: Creative agency and production company that works with clients on media, branding and marketing projects. Supports MAEKAN's work and editorial independence.
Products and services
- MAEKAN Core Publication A digital creative culture publication featuring editorial stories, interviews, and feature content about designers, artists, musicians, and creative professionals across design, fashion, music, art, and culture. Targeted at creative professionals and enthusiasts seeking in-depth coverage.
- Making It Up Podcast MAEKAN's flagship podcast series featuring discussions on culture, creativity, society, and creative industry topics, hosted by Eugene Kan and Charis Poon. Episodes are typically released at the beginning of each week.
- MAEKAN Shop E-commerce store selling branded merchandise including the 'Defrag the Mind' memobottle, Kinto tumblers, 'Hung Baak Lam' bookmarks and totes, and 'Defrag the Mind' t-shirts.
- MAEKAN Briefing Newsletter Periodic newsletter bringing important creative news, insights, reading materials, and community updates to subscribers. Previously twice-a-week; now periodic.
- MAEKAN Patreon Membership Patreon-based membership program offering benefits including access to a Discord community, a second Thursday Briefing newsletter, store discounts, and other privileges to support independent creative media.
Quantifiable outcome
- Regular publication cadence of podcast episodes and stories maintaining audience engagement.
Companies that use MAEKAN
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
MAEKAN technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
MAEKAN partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Adam StudioscoreAdam Studios is a creative agency and production company that works with clients on various media, branding, and marketing projects. The work at Adam Studios supports MAEKAN's operations and helps maintain their editorial independence as an ad-free publication.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
MAEKAN competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Juxtapoz Magazine: Long-running independent art and culture magazine covering lowbrow, contemporary, and street art. Comparable as a niche independent publication with a magazine heritage, branded content, and art-focused audience.
- Booooooom: Independent online platform showcasing contemporary art, design, film, and music by emerging creatives. Comparable in scope (creative culture publication) and scale (small independent team, multi-format content).
- The Hundreds: Streetwear brand and online publication covering streetwear, art, and culture with a parallel e-commerce shop. Highly comparable dual model of editorial content plus branded merchandise, founded by creative community figures.
- Sight Unseen: Independent online editorial platform covering design, interiors, and creative culture. Similar small-team, depth-led editorial approach targeting design enthusiasts, with a complementary e-commerce and brand collaboration model.
- It's Nice That: Independent online publication covering creativity, design, and visual culture. Closely comparable as a niche editorial platform with a community focus and similar target audience of creative professionals and enthusiasts.
- The Creative Independent: Long-form publication featuring in-depth interviews with independent creatives, artists, and founders. Shares MAEKAN's editorial philosophy of humanistic, depth-first creative storytelling for a similar niche audience.
- Office Magazine: Independent print and digital publication covering fashion, art, and culture from a creative industry perspective. Comparable scale and editorial approach, targeting a similar audience of creative professionals and enthusiasts.
Broad incumbents
- Wallpaper*: Established design and lifestyle magazine covering architecture, design, fashion, and travel. Comparable in creative culture editorial coverage and subscriber/merchandise revenue model, with much broader scope and institutional scale.
- Hypebeast: Large-scale digital media company covering fashion, art, design, and music with editorial, e-commerce (HBX), and branded content. A scaled-up version of MAEKAN's model with similar audience interests but vastly greater resources and global reach.
- Highsnobiety: Established digital publication and creative agency covering fashion, culture, and music. Comparable content vertical and target demographic, with much larger scale and a parallel agency model analogous to MAEKAN's Adam Studios arrangement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
MAEKAN social profiles
Digital presenceMAEKAN financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MAEKAN leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
MAEKAN funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MAEKAN 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 MAEKAN
What does MAEKAN do?
MAEKAN is a community-supported, ad-free digital publication focused on creativity and creative culture. It produces editorial stories, interviews, the flagship podcast 'Making It Up', the periodic MAEKAN Briefing newsletter, and various content series covering design, fashion, music, art, and broader culture. Revenue is supplemented by branded merchandise sales through the MAEKAN Shop and a Patreon-based membership program providing Discord community access, additional newsletters, and store discounts.
Is MAEKAN a public or private company?
MAEKAN is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was MAEKAN founded?
MAEKAN was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is MAEKAN based?
MAEKAN is headquartered in Gardena, United States, in the North America region.
How does MAEKAN make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Patreon Membership is the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Shop, branded Partnerships and newsletter Sponsorship.
Who are MAEKAN's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Juxtapoz Magazine, Booooooom, The Hundreds, Sight Unseen, It's Nice That, The Creative Independent and Office Magazine. Broad incumbents are Wallpaper*, Hypebeast and Highsnobiety.
Does MAEKAN have an API?
No public API is recorded for MAEKAN.
What industry is MAEKAN in?
MAEKAN's product category is Digital Media Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAH, Creator Monetization Tools (Subscriptions, Tips, Merch). Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2721.