Apache

Digital Investigative Journalismapache.be

Apache is a Belgian cooperative, advertisement-free investigative news organization founded in 2009 in Ghent, delivering in-depth journalism in Dutch to Flemish readers via its website, newsletter, and print magazine. Revenue is generated through member subscriptions, merchandise sales, and reader donations.

Company typePrivate
Founded2009
HeadquartersBorgerhout, Belgium
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Apache does

Apache is a Belgian independent investigative journalism organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, operating across the Flemish-speaking market. Its primary product is the digital publication apache.be, which delivers in-depth news, analyses, dossiers, opinion debates, and interviews, supported by a regular email newsletter, a periodic print magazine, and a satirical sub-brand called De Helpdesk. The organization's technical footprint is a self-serve digital publishing platform with integrated membership authentication, a webshop, and distribution across mainstream (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) and decentralized (Mastodon, Bluesky, Pixelfed, Signal) social channels. Apache explicitly positions itself against Big Tech dependence.

The business model is entirely advertisement-free and reader-funded. Revenue is generated through tiered individual and organizational memberships (including cooperative participation as a 'coöperant'), merchandise and magazine sales via a webshop, and donation-based crowdfunding. Apache is cooperatively owned by its members rather than by institutional investors or a parent company; co-founder Georges Timmerman remains active. Operating geographies are Belgium, with a primary focus on Flanders. Apache serves a politically engaged, progressive, Dutch-speaking Belgian readership concerned with political accountability, environmental issues, and media criticism.

In 2025, Apache became the subject of a public funding dispute when Minister Jan Jambon cancelled a €40,000 National Lottery subsidy; the organization responded with a crowdfunding campaign that mobilized 83,000 supporters in under a week, demonstrating a high degree of community mobilization. Apache employs between 11 and 50 staff, has no disclosed revenue, no patents, no formal partnerships, and no institutional funding rounds on record beyond a 2017 placeholder entry.

Apache firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Apache
Legal name: Apache
Website: https://apache.be
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2009
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Apache is a Belgian cooperative, advertisement-free investigative news organization founded in 2009 in Ghent, delivering in-depth journalism in Dutch to Flemish readers via its website, newsletter, and print magazine. Revenue is generated through member subscriptions, merchandise sales, and reader donations.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Apache industry classification

Industry

Product category: Digital Investigative Journalism
NAICS: Information (51), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
akta.pro primary industry: Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) & Creator Management Platforms (MPACABAH)

Keywords

Investigative journalism
Digital news media
Reader-funded media
Subscription news platform
Print news magazine

Where Apache is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Borgerhout
HQ country: Belgium
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

Apache business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Membership subscriptions: Reader-funded through member subscriptions. Offers various membership tiers including trial memberships, annual subscriptions, and group memberships for organizations. Members receive full access to investigative content.
Merchandise sales: Webshop selling Apache merchandise including magazines and potentially other branded items.
Donations and crowdfunding: Crowdfunding campaigns and donation-based support from readers. Notable crowdfunding success in response to government funding cuts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Apache product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Apache is a Belgian independent investigative journalism organization that produces in-depth, advertisement-free reporting on politics, environment, corporate accountability, and social issues. Its core offering is delivered through the digital platform apache.be and the Apache Magazine print publication, financed primarily by reader memberships and supplemented by merchandise sales and donations.

Product overview

Apache is an independent Belgian investigative journalism organization operating primarily through its digital platform apache.be and its print magazine. The organization delivers progressive and critical investigative reporting organized across multiple content streams: news articles, in-depth analysis, thematic dossiers, opinion debates, and interviews. Revenue is generated through an advertentievrij (advertisement-free) membership model with various subscription tiers, supplemented by a webshop. The platform also features satirical content through De Helpdesk series and delivers content via newsletter and social media channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Apache Magazine: Print magazine publication of Apache investigative journalism
De Helpdesk

Products and services

Apache.be (Digital News Platform) The primary digital publishing platform hosting Apache's investigative journalism articles organized across news, analysis, dossiers, debates, interviews, and cartoon content, with member authentication and subscription access. Targeted at Dutch-speaking Belgian readers.
Apache Magazine

Companies that use Apache

Customer profile

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Apache technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Apache partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Apache competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Apache financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Apache leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Apache funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

Apache M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Apache

What does Apache do?

Is Apache a public or private company?

Apache is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.

When was Apache founded?

Apache was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Apache based?

Apache is headquartered in Borgerhout, Belgium, in the Europe region.

How does Apache make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Membership subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are merchandise sales and donations and crowdfunding.

Does Apache have an API?

No public API is recorded for Apache.

What industry is Apache in?

Apache's product category is Digital Investigative Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACABAH, Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) & Creator Management Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51.