VANGARDIST Media

What VANGARDIST Media does

VANGARDIST Media GmbH is a private Vienna-based media company that publishes a bilingual (English/German) LGBTQIA+ lifestyle magazine under the VANGARDIST brand, complemented by a creative agency (VANGARDIST Agency), e-commerce store, and live events including the Future Ball. Its editorial portfolio spans themed special issues such as the HIV+ Issue (2016, 9 Cannes Lions, Denver Art Museum acquisition), the Pink Triangle Issue (#ENDHOMOPHOBIA), the Artificial Intelligence Edition (Issue #90, July 2023) and the Fluidity Edition (Issue #91, November 2023) — the latter being marketed as the first magazine generated entirely using AI across images, text and virtual interviews. The organization operates with a small in-house team of roughly eleven people led by Publisher/Editor in Chief Julian Wiehl and Creative Director Julian Behrenbeck, and is independently financed with no disclosed institutional funding or M&A activity.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: direct-to-consumer magazine and merchandise sales via store.vangardist.com at unit prices ranging from approximately €9.90 to €50 per special edition (one-time/perpetual license model), professional services revenue from the separate VANGARDIST Agency creative/branding arm, and transaction-fee revenue from event ticket sales. Customer base spans individual LGBTQ+ readers and allies (DTC long tail), nonprofit/charity beneficiaries (HIV+ Issue net-profit donations), and unnamed B2B clients of the agency. Distribution combines the company's own e-commerce store, subscriptions, social/email/YouTube channels, and earned media from international award campaigns; commercial partnerships have included ÖBB, Wien Tourismus, Serviceplan Group, and Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien.

Name

VANGARDIST Media

Legal name

VANGARDIST Media GmbH

Website

https://vangardist.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VANGARDIST Media GmbH is a Vienna-based publisher of a bilingual English/German LGBTQIA+ lifestyle magazine, generating revenue through DTC print sales, a creative/branding agency arm, branded products, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

LGBTQ+ lifestyle magazine publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE)

Keywords

• LGBTQ+ media
• Lifestyle magazine
• Branding agency
• Print publishing
• Generative AI content

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Sale of print magazines including special editions (HIV+ Issue, Fluidity Edition, AI Edition, Pink Triangle Issue) and subscriptions through the online store
2. Agency Services: Branding and creative agency services offered through the VANGARDIST Agency arm (www.vangardist-agency.com)
3. Event Tickets: Sale of tickets for events such as the Future Ball and other lifestyle/pride events

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VANGARDIST Media operates a bilingual (English/German) LGBTQIA+ lifestyle magazine published in print and digital editions, complemented by a creative branding agency (VANGARDIST Agency) and curated events such as The Future Ball. The company sells magazines, special editions, and subscriptions directly through its own e-commerce store, while also providing brand and creative services to external clients.

Product overview

VANGARDIST Media operates primarily as a bilingual (English/German) LGBTQIA+ focused magazine and lifestyle publication. The core product is the VANGARDIST Magazine, published as both print and digital editions. The company differentiates through themed special issues including: the groundbreaking Issue #91 (Fluidity Edition) - the first magazine entirely generated using AI, Issue #90 (Artificial Intelligence Edition) featuring AI chatbot interviews, the award-winning The HIV+ Issue (9 Cannes Lions), and The Pink Triangle Issue for the #ENDHOMOPHOBIA campaign. Supporting products include the VANGARDIST Online Store for magazine sales and subscriptions, the VANGARDIST Agency for branding services, and The Future Ball as an annual tech-forward event. The company also developed the EnBy non-binary fragrance as a branded product collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VANGARDIST Magazine A bilingual (English/German) lifestyle magazine focused on LGBTQIA+ topics, cultural commentary, fashion, and social issues, published as both print and digital editions with themed special issues.
• Issue #91: The Fluidity Edition (Print Issue #28) A groundbreaking special edition generated entirely using artificial intelligence, including all images, texts, and virtual interviews, exploring gender fluidity and identity themes.
• Issue #90: The Artificial Intelligence Edition (Print Issue #27) AI-focused special edition featuring AI-generated content including a virtual interview with Alan Turing via chatbot, exploring themes of artificial intelligence, humanity, and LGBTQIA+ rights.
• The HIV+ Issue (Limited Edition) Limited edition magazine with ink mixed with HIV+ blood to fight stigma, awarded 9 Cannes Lions and 21 international awards; net profits donated to charity foundations fighting HIV/AIDS stigma.
• The Pink Triangle Issue Print edition published for the #ENDHOMOPHOBIA campaign documenting facts about homophobia from Nazi concentration camps to present hate crimes, with an online petition for the UN Human Rights Charta extension.
• VANGARDIST Agency Branding and creative agency services offered as a separate business unit, distinct from the magazine publication, serving external clients with branding and design work.
• EnBy Non-Binary Fragrance World's first non-binary perfume created by Mark Baigent with perfumer Nora Gasparini, celebrating gender-neutral identity.
• The Future Ball Annual futuristic-themed event featuring AI art installations, techno dance floors, and interactive experiences, with ticketed access sold via the VANGARDIST store.

Quantifiable outcome

• HIV+ Issue reached over 50 million people globally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019ÖBB partnered with VANGARDIST for the Siri & Alexa EuroPride campaign. The smart assistant 'couple' were married by VANGARDIST Magazine with Wien Tourismus and Serviceplan Group, and ÖBB served as official mobility partner for EuroPride Vienna 2019, providing rainbow-branded Railjets for transportation to the Pride parade.
• Wien TourismusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the Siri & Alexa wedding campaign as part of EuroPride Vienna 2019 advocacy initiative for marriage equality.
• Serviceplan GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the Siri & Alexa AI couple campaign for EuroPride Vienna 2019.
• Bank Austria Kunstforum WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Mario Kiesenhofer's 'Treasure' exhibition featuring queer rave and electronic music scene photography of Eastern Europe, featured in VANGARDIST's Fluidity Edition coverage.
• Porn Film Festival Vienna (PFFV)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVANGARDIST covers and promotes the Porn Film Festival Vienna events including AI-themed programming and various queer film screenings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Monocle: Independent premium lifestyle magazine with diversified revenue including a media agency, retail, and events. Comparable independent publisher with agency arm and event IP similar to VANGARDIST's model.
• QZ.com (Quartz): Digital-first publisher experimenting with branded content, events, and commerce. Useful benchmark for how independent digital publishers evolve revenue beyond subscriptions.

Direct peers

• The Advocate: US-based LGBTQ+ news and culture publication covering politics, lifestyle, and identity. Comparable in advocacy-driven editorial positioning.
• Out Magazine: US LGBTQ+ lifestyle and culture magazine covering fashion, entertainment, and queer issues — similar content mix of fashion, lifestyle, and advocacy.
• Gay Times: Long-running UK LGBTQ+ magazine and digital media brand with editorial, events, and content verticals — overlapping with VANGARDIST's magazine-plus-events model.
• Attitude Magazine: UK-based LGBTQ+ lifestyle magazine offering print, digital, and events. Most directly comparable peer given similar niche audience, bilingual aspiration, and independent media structure.
• Kinfolk: Independent lifestyle and culture magazine with strong design and slow-living positioning, print + digital + community model — comparable as an indie lifestyle print brand with curated content identity.
• Butt Magazine: Independent queer culture magazine with print and event programming, covering art, music, and queer life. Comparable as a niche independent queer print brand with cultural cachet.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=bH74AU_ii5c&t=1s
• Xx.com/vangardist
• Facebookfacebook.com/vangardist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 VANGARDIST Media