SciLine
SciLine is a nonprofit service based at AAAS that connects journalists with vetted scientific experts via free expert matching, media briefings, broadcast interviews, and reporting resources, funded entirely by philanthropic grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SciLine does
SciLine is an editorially independent, nonpartisan nonprofit service founded in 2017 and based at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C. Its core function is to reduce friction between journalists and scientific experts by operating as a human-mediated intermediary: matching reporters to vetted scientists on deadline, hosting live on-the-record media briefings, producing broadcast-quality expert interviews, and publishing expert-vetted explainers and rapid-response quotes. The organization also runs crash courses for journalists, media training for scientists, and a tip line that lets scientists surface story ideas to the press.
The underlying "platform" is not a software product but a curated expert registry combined with editorial staff who vet, match, and moderate interactions. There are no APIs, SDKs, integrations, or proprietary technology components disclosed; distribution is via the sciline.org website, an email newsletter, and organic social channels (Twitter/X, Facebook, LinkedIn). Six topic verticals (Environment & Energy, Health & Medicine, Life Sciences, Physical & Mathematical Sciences, Social Sciences, Technology) organize the content library.
SciLine's business model is fully philanthropic: all services are provided free of charge to both journalists and scientists, and operations are funded by charitable foundations through AAAS. There is no commercial revenue stream, no pricing tiers, and no disclosed operating budget. The organization is small (1-10 employees) with no subsidiaries, no venture or equity funding, and no plans disclosed for IPO or structural change. Customer concentration on the user side is structurally low given the long-tail individual user base, while the undisclosed philanthropic donor base represents the principal sustainability variable.
SciLine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SciLine
- Legal name
- SciLine
- Website
- https://sciline.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SciLine is a nonprofit service based at AAAS that connects journalists with vetted scientific experts via free expert matching, media briefings, broadcast interviews, and reporting resources, funded entirely by philanthropic grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SciLine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science Journalism Services
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- STEM & Science Education Channels (MPABAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Educational/Science/History Cable Networks (MPABAFAJ), Life Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Agriculture) Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAC)
Keywords
Where SciLine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SciLine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Funding: SciLine is fully funded by philanthropies (charitable foundations). All services for journalists and scientists are provided free of charge. No commercial revenue generation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free service for all journalists and scientists |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SciLine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SciLine is a free, editorially independent nonprofit service that connects journalists with vetted scientific experts and evidence-based reporting resources. Its core offerings include expert matching on deadline, live media briefings on science topics, broadcast-quality video interview opportunities, expert-vetted science explainers, media training for scientists, and crash courses for journalists — all funded by philanthropies and hosted at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Product overview
SciLine offers a platform of free services connecting journalists with scientific experts. The core offerings include Expert Matching (connecting reporters to expert sources), Media Briefings (live expert webcasts on science topics), Experts on Camera (broadcast-quality video interviews), Reporting Resources (expert-vetted explainers and quotes), Media Training (for scientists), Crash Courses (for journalists), and a Tip Line for scientists to suggest story ideas. All services are editorially independent, nonpartisan, and philanthropically funded through AAAS.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Expert Matching Connects journalists to deeply knowledgeable, articulate expert-sources on deadline or as needed for their reporting. Available to journalists free of charge.
- Media Briefings Live, on-the-record, web-based briefings by leading experts on science topics in the news, with video and transcripts free for use in stories. Free for journalists.
- Experts on Camera Broadcast-quality one-on-one video interview opportunities with scientists, primarily for broadcast journalists. Free for participating scientists and journalists.
- Reporting Resources Expert-vetted science explainers and rapid-response quotes providing trustworthy facts and context for news stories. Free for journalists.
- Media Training Skills-building sessions designed to help scientists integrate into media engagement and communicate effectively with reporters. Free for scientists.
Companies that use SciLine
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SciLine technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SciLine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)coreSciLine is editorially independent but based at AAAS, the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society. AAAS provides organizational infrastructure and institutional credibility. SciLine operates with its own editorial independence while leveraging AAAS's broad scientific network.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SciLine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Science Media Centre (UK): UK-based nonprofit that operates the same core model as SciLine—connecting journalists with scientific experts on deadline, hosting press briefings, and providing vetted scientific context for news stories. Closest functional equivalent in a different geography.
- Newswise: Service that connects journalists with experts and distributes science news releases. Directly comparable to SciLine's Expert Matching and Reporting Resources offerings.
- EurekAlert!: AAAS-operated news release distribution service for science, medicine, and technology research. Direct organizational sibling of SciLine (also hosted at AAAS) and serves a related set of science-journalism needs.
- Science Media Centre of Australia: Australian counterpart operating the same journalist-expert matching and media briefing model as SciLine, hosted within the Australian Academy of Science. Highly comparable in mission, structure, and service mix.
- AlphaGalileo: European research-news service distributing expert research stories to journalists worldwide. Comparable in connecting academic experts to media, though operating commercially rather than as a free nonprofit service.
- The Conversation: Nonprofit media outlet that publishes articles written by academics and aimed at general news audiences. Closely parallels SciLine's mission of getting expert scientific voices into journalism, though delivered via written op-eds rather than direct expert-journalist matching.
Broad incumbents
- STAT News: Boston Globe Media-owned health and science journalism outlet that employs science journalists directly. Adjacent to SciLine's space as a larger, commercially funded science-media operation that addresses related journalist demand.
Others
- PLOS (Public Library of Science): Open-access scientific publisher with an adjacent science-communication mission (PLOS Blogs, SciCommPLOS). Related ecosystem participant that supports the broader goal of public access to scientific evidence but does not directly compete with SciLine's matching service.
Emerging players
- Knowable Magazine: Science communication publication from Annual Reviews that produces accessible expert-vetted explainers—comparable to SciLine's Reporting Resources service, though published on a magazine cadence rather than on-demand for journalists.
- Research Square: Preprint and researcher-media platform that helps scientists share findings with journalists and the public. Overlaps with SciLine's mission of amplifying scientific expertise in news coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SciLine social profiles
Digital presenceSciLine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SciLine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SciLine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SciLine 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 SciLine
What does SciLine do?
SciLine is a free, editorially independent nonprofit service that connects journalists with vetted scientific experts and evidence-based reporting resources. Its core offerings include expert matching on deadline, live media briefings on science topics, broadcast-quality video interview opportunities, expert-vetted science explainers, media training for scientists, and crash courses for journalists — all funded by philanthropies and hosted at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Is SciLine a public or private company?
SciLine is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SciLine founded?
SciLine was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SciLine based?
SciLine is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does SciLine make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Funding.
Who are SciLine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Science Media Centre (UK), Newswise, EurekAlert!, Science Media Centre of Australia, AlphaGalileo and The Conversation. STAT News is listed as a broad incumbent. PLOS (Public Library of Science) is listed as an others. Emerging players are Knowable Magazine and Research Square.
Does SciLine have an API?
No public API is recorded for SciLine.
What industry is SciLine in?
SciLine's product category is Science Journalism Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAKAH, STEM & Science Education Channels, with a secondary code of MPABAFAJ, Educational/Science/History Cable Networks. Its SIC code is 7812.