tsüri

What tsüri does

Tsüri AG is an independent, privately held digital media company based in Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 2015 by Simon Jacoby and a group of young journalists. The company operates tsri.ch, a Zurich-focused city magazine and local journalism platform that publishes daily coverage of politics, housing, mobility, culture, and city life, alongside a suite of themed newsletters (Züri Briefing daily with 33,500+ subscribers and ~55% open rate, Tsüritipp weekly on culture, Gemeinderats-Briefing on municipal council, Wohnbrief on housing) and social media channels (65,000+ Instagram, ~27,000 Facebook). Its signature "Civic Media" concept combines reporting with participatory formats including panel discussions, city walks, workshops, and annual themed focus months on issues such as housing, sustainability, and mobility.

The underlying technology platform is the We.Publish digital publishing ecosystem for independent media, which provides website hosting, content delivery, and member/subscription infrastructure. Audience measurement is handled through standard third-party tools including Google Analytics and Matomo Cloud. There is no proprietary AI/ML capability in evidence; all content is human-curated and editorially produced. Tsüri has built a structured product portfolio covering core journalism, a freemium membership program (over 3,000 paying members at CHF 8–20/month or CHF 180/year), a diversified advertising offering (display ads, newsletter placements, Instagram posts/reels, publireportages, special newsletter editions), and an events line including the annual Züri Awards and Pitch-Night startup series. Merchandise is sold through a proprietary e-commerce shop and at Coop City retail locations in Zurich.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) recurring membership subscriptions from individual consumers, (2) advertising and sponsorship sold to businesses seeking reach among young, urban Zurich residents (71% of users aged 18–34, 87% from Zurich), and (3) events and merchandise. Tsüri operates as a community-led media organization without external institutional investors or parent company ownership, and is part of a broader ecosystem of Swiss independent media — co-founding peer publication Wnti.ch in Winterthur via Verlag Achtvier GmbH, founding the 6iBrief German-speaking Switzerland newsletter, and being a founding member of the Verband Medien mit Zukunft industry association.

Name

tsüri

Legal name

Tsüri AG

Website

https://tsri.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tsüri AG is an independent Zurich-focused digital city magazine and local journalism platform founded in 2015, operating a daily newsletter (33,500+ subscribers), a participatory Civic Media program, and a membership base of 3,000+ paying supporters, monetized through subscriptions, advertising, events, and merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Digital Media

NAICS

Information (51), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Neighborhood Community Platforms (MPACAJAI), News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

Keywords

• Local digital journalism
• City magazine publishing
• Newsletter media
• Independent news media
• Community journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Tsüri.ch generates revenue through a membership program where supporters pay monthly or annual fees (starting at CHF 8 per month or CHF 180 annually). Over 3000 Tsüri-Members contribute financially to sustain the independent journalism.
2. Advertising and sponsorship: Tsüri sells advertising across its digital platforms including display ads, sponsored newsletter placements (Tipp des Tages, Züri-Extra, Tsüritipp), Instagram posts/reels, banner ads, and special newsletter editions. The advertising page lists previous partners and offers tiered advertising products targeting its urban Zurich audience.
3. Events and merchandise: Tsüri organizes events including Züri Awards, Civic Media projects, and other community events. Merchandise (shirts, hoodies, towels, scarves) is sold through the Tsüri shop and at Coop City retail locations in Zurich.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

tsüri is an independent Zurich city magazine that publishes free local journalism covering politics, housing, mobility, culture, and city life across its website and a suite of newsletters (Züri Briefing, Tsüritipp, Gemeinderats-Briefing, Wohnbrief). It sustains operations through a paid membership program (over 3,000 members), advertising partnerships, events such as the Züri Awards, and branded merchandise, all anchored by the Civic Media concept of participatory, community-driven reporting.

Product overview

Tsüri is an independent Zurich city magazine operating as a multi-platform media company. The core offerings include the Züri Briefing daily newsletter (33,500 subscribers) and the Civic Media concept combining community journalism with interactive engagement formats. The company offers a membership program (over 3,000 members) with free article access and event invitations, and organizes events including the Züri Awards annual ceremony and Pitch-Night series. Additional newsletters cover culture (Tsüritipp), municipal politics (Gemeinderats-Briefing), and housing issues (Wohnbrief). Tsüri operates a diversified advertising portfolio including newsletter sponsorships (Tipp des Tages, Züri-Extra), social media advertising (Instagram Posts, Instagram Reels), website display ads, publireportages, and special newsletter sends. The company also runs a merchandise shop and publishes a book product titled 'Ein perfekter Tag in Zürich.' The entire platform is powered by the We.Publish digital infrastructure for independent media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Züri Briefing: Daily newsletter providing curated news, stories, and tips for the day, with approximately 33,500 subscribers.
• Tsüritipp
• Civic Media
• Züri Awards

Products and services

• Züri Briefing
• Tsüritipp
• Gemeinderats-Briefing
• Wohnbrief
• Tsüri-Member
• Civic Media
• Züri Awards
• Pitch-Night
• Gestört erzählt
• Tsüri Shop
• Stadtgedächtnis

Quantifiable outcome

• 33,500+ newsletter subscribers with ~55% open rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• 6iBriefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 6i Brief (6ibrief.ch) was founded by Tsüri.ch as a newsletter format for German-speaking Switzerland. It delivers the most important news of the day concisely and pointedly to subscribers' inboxes at 6 AM on weekdays. Tsüri created and spun off this format.
• Verlag Achtvier GmbH / Wnti.chminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTogether with the Association for Winterthur Media Diversity (Verein für Winterthurer Medienvielfalt), Tsüri co-founded Verlag Achtvier GmbH, which publishes the city magazine Wnti.ch for Winterthur.
• Bajour (Basel)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsüri maintains an active editorial and conceptual exchange with Bajour, the independent city magazine in Basel. They share best practices and collaborate on journalism initiatives.
• Quartiernetz3minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsüri maintains an editorial and conceptual exchange with Quartiernetz3, a neighborhood network organization.
• Hauptstadt (Bern)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsüri has an active cooperation with Hauptstadt, the independent media outlet in Bern. They engage in editorial collaboration and concept sharing.
• PS ZeitungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsüri has an active cooperation with PS Zeitung, an independent publication with which it shares editorial and conceptual exchanges.
• Verband Medien mit ZukunftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTsüri is a founding member of the Verband Medien mit Zukunft (Media with Future Association), which advocates for a cooperative media industry and progressive media policy in Switzerland. Tsüri actively supports and helps shape this industry association.
• We.PublishcoreTechnology or IntegrationTsüri uses We.Publish's digital infrastructure (website platform) and is actively involved in the We.Publish network. We.Publish is described as 'das Ökosystem unabhängiger Medien' (the ecosystem for independent media). Tsüri's website is powered by We.Publish.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Tamedia / Tages-Anzeiger:

Direct peers

• 6iBrief (6ibrief.ch): Daily morning newsletter for German-speaking Switzerland founded by Tsüri. Same editorial team, same morning-newsletter format, same infrastructure — a direct adjacent product/peer.
• Quartiernetz3: Zurich neighborhood network organization. Comparable as a hyperlocal community-engagement platform that Tsüri collaborates with, but focused on neighborhood organizing rather than journalism per se.
• Wnti.ch (Verlag Achtvier GmbH): Independent city magazine for Winterthur, co-founded by Tsüri. Most structurally comparable peer — uses the same playbook (Civic Media-style community journalism, member-supported, We.Publish infrastructure) in a different Swiss city.
• Hauptstadt: Independent online magazine in Bern covering city politics, culture, and society. Directly comparable structure (independent, no paywall, membership-supported) and explicitly identified by Tsüri as an editorial cooperation partner.
• Republik: Swiss independent, member-funded online magazine covering national politics and society. Closest large-scale comparable: subscription-driven, ad-light model, civic-minded editorial, similar member-funded structure but national rather than city scope.
• Bajour: Independent city magazine in Basel. Most directly comparable peer: independent local journalism, membership-driven revenue model, similar age demographic and editorial format to Tsüri, with an active editorial-exchange partnership.
• PS Zeitung: Independent publication with active editorial and conceptual exchange with Tsüri. Comparable independent-media positioning, member-supported, with overlapping civic-journalism philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Watson: Large Swiss digital news publisher with national reach. Competes for the same young urban Zurich audience and Zurich-based advertisers as Tsüri, but operates at much greater scale and with a wider editorial portfolio.
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ): Switzerland's leading quality broadsheet, with significant Zurich city coverage and a large digital subscription business. Competes for the same Zurich advertiser base and overlapping reader attention, though at a national/quality register rather than a city-magazine register.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tsri.ch
• Xx.com/tsueri_ch
• Facebookfacebook.com/tsuerich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tsri-ch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 tsüri