Hong Kong Free Press

What Hong Kong Free Press does

Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) is an independent, non-profit English-language news organization founded in 2015 by Tom Grundy and headquartered in a co-working space at The Hive Kennedy Town, Hong Kong. It operates as Hong Kong's only crowdfunded newspaper, publishing daily breaking news, features, interviews, explainers, opinion columns, and photojournalism (HKFP Lens) covering Hong Kong, China, Macau, Taiwan, and world affairs. Distribution is multi-channel: the hongkongfp.com website (running on the Newspack publishing platform), native iOS and Android apps including a Greatfire Appmaker-powered anti-censorship build for mainland China access without a VPN, three newsletters (HKFP Dim Sum, HKFP Daily Digest, HKFP Monitor), the HKFP Yum Cha podcast, and presence across nine social platforms plus syndication through Apple News, MSN, Factiva, LexisNexis, ProQuest, Nordot, and Flipboard.

The business model is overwhelmingly reader-funded: 94% of income derives from donations, with approximately 1,000 monthly donors contributing an average of HK$200 each through monthly or annual tiers (HK$150-HK$500 monthly, HK$1,200-HK$10,000 annually). Secondary revenue streams include display advertising, content licensing, merchandise sales (deer plush keyrings, tote bags), and episodic grants (notably a US$78,400 Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge grant in March 2019 and HK$105,000 from Google's News Equity Fund in 2022). Membership benefits include ad-free browsing, exclusive columns, early annual report access, merchandise discounts, and members-only content. HKFP explicitly commits to being free of generative AI and is governed by a public Ethics Code.

The organization is staffed by 1-10 employees and a small editorial team led by Founder/Editor-in-Chief Tom Grundy and Editorial Director Kris Cheng. It has accumulated 30,000+ published stories since inception, achieved 100% NewsGuard credibility rating, holds Journalism Trust Initiative (ISO standard) accreditation as Hong Kong's only certified member, is part of the Trust Project network, and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 and the RSF Press Freedom Prize in 2024. HKFP is currently in its fourth consecutive year of deficit and has publicly stated it needs to add 400 new members to sustain current output and headcount, signalling structural financial pressure despite strong content and brand momentum.

Name

Hong Kong Free Press

Legal name

Hong Kong Free Press Limited

Website

https://hongkongfp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hong Kong Free Press is a non-profit, crowdfunded English-language news outlet founded in 2015 that publishes independent reporting on Hong Kong, China, and the broader region for a global audience of English-speaking readers and press-freedom advocates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Publishing Networks & Multi-Author Publications (MPACAIAG), Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM), Syndication & RSS/Feed Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAF)

Keywords

• Independent journalism
• Digital news media
• Reader-funded newsroom
• Newsletter publishing
• Anti-censorship media

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Reader Donations: Primary revenue stream comprising 94% of HKFP's income. Over 1,000 monthly donors contribute an average of HK$200/month through recurring monthly or annual donations. Donation tiers include HK$150, HK$250, HK$500 monthly or HK$1,200, HK$3,000, HK$10,000 annually.
2. Advertising: Secondary revenue stream from display advertising on the website. HKFP offers advertising partnerships across their website, eight social platforms, and two newsletters.
3. Content and Licensing: Revenue from article licensing and content sales to aggregators and syndication partners.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of HKFP branded merchandise including deer plush keyrings, tote bags, and other items through the HKFP shop.
5. Grants: Funding from Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge grant (US$78,400/HK$615,440) awarded in 2019 for developing open source funding platform for small newsrooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels15 records

Core offering

Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) is a non-profit, crowdfunded English-language digital news outlet that publishes original reporting, features, interviews, explainers, opinion columns, and photography covering Hong Kong, China, Macau, Taiwan, and broader world affairs. Its core product is a free-to-access news website and mobile apps supported primarily by reader donations, with a recurring membership program unlocking ad-free browsing, exclusive content, and merchandise benefits.

Product overview

Hong Kong Free Press (HKFP) operates as a non-profit, independent English-language news organization offering a single integrated news platform with multiple distribution channels. The core product is its news website (hongkongfp.com) delivering breaking news, features, interviews, explainers, opinion, and photography (HKFP Lens). Content is distributed via native mobile apps for Android and iOS, including a special anti-censorship version via Greatfire Appmaker for access within China. Supporting products include newsletters (HKFP Dim Sum, HKFP Daily Digest, HKFP Monitor), the HKFP Yum Cha podcast, merchandise store, and a membership program with recurring donor benefits. Content is also syndicated across social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, Bluesky, YouTube, Telegram) and third-party aggregators (Apple News, MSN, Flipboard, Factiva, LexisNexis, ProQuest). The organization explicitly commits to being free from generative AI in its journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HKFP Dim Sum: Weekly newsletter published on Mondays featuring HKFP's best original reporting from the past week.
• HKFP Daily Digest
• HKFP Monitor
• HKFP Lens

Products and services

• HKFP Website and News Platform English-language independent news website providing Hong Kong and regional news coverage, offering breaking news, features, interviews, explainers, opinion columns, and photojournalism (HKFP Lens). Content is accessible without a paywall to individual readers, ad-supported for non-members and ad-free for members.
• HKFP Mobile Apps (Android and iOS) Native mobile applications for Android and iOS providing convenient access to HKFP news updates and content for individual readers, available on Google Play and Apple App Store.
• HKFP Anti-Censorship App Special downloadable app created via the Greatfire Appmaker project that enables HKFP access within China where the site is censored. Includes built-in circumvention that works without a VPN; the APK installer can be shared via email, instant messaging, portable drive, or file sharing sites.
• HKFP Membership Program Recurring donor/membership program offering benefits including ad-free browsing, exclusive Tim Hamlett columns, feature previews, early annual report access, HKFP Monitor newsletter, Editor's Blog access, merch discounts, and exclusive deer keyring or tote. Monthly options from HK$150/month; annual options from HK$1,200/year.
• HKFP Merchandise Store Online store selling HKFP branded merchandise including deer mascot plush keyrings, tote bags, and other items; members receive a 15% discount.
• HKFP Newsletter (HKFP Dim Sum and HKFP Daily Digest) Email newsletter offerings including HKFP Dim Sum (Monday digest of best original reporting from the past week) and HKFP Daily Digest (9pm daily automated digest of all HKFP stories), distributed via Mailchimp.
• HKFP Yum Cha Podcast Podcast series featuring interviews and in-depth conversations on topics relevant to Hong Kong and the broader region.
• Open Membership Portal for Small Newsrooms Open-source funding platform developed by HKFP with Google News Initiative support, designed specifically for media outlets to manage reader membership, donations, and supporter relationships through card payments or PayPal.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration26 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Trust ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKFP gained the globally recognized Trust Project credibility hallmark in 2023, endorsing its commitment to accuracy and fairness. The Trust Project is an international consortium developing transparency standards for journalism, with HKFP joining approximately 300 newsrooms worldwide including BBC, Washington Post, and Sky News.
• Journalism Trust InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKFP became Hong Kong's only accredited member of the Journalism Trust Initiative in 2025 following a months-long external audit. The initiative is an ISO standard and international mechanism rewarding ethical journalistic practices, examining HKFP against 130 criteria developed by 130 experts.
• International Press InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKFP is a proud member of the International Press Institute (IPI), a 73-year-old global organization dedicated to protecting press freedom and improving journalistic practice.
• Society of Publishers in AsiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKFP is part of the Society of Publishers in Asia, founded in 1982 to champion press freedom and promote excellence in publishing across Asia.
• Oxfam Living Wage InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHKFP joined Oxfam's Living Wage initiative in 2024, committing to ensure fair pay for all staff including interns.
• Greatfire AppmakercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Greatfire Appmaker project to offer a special downloadable app that makes HKFP viewable in China where the site is censored. The APK includes built-in circumvention and works without a VPN.
• Fallout MediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Fallout Media for the Open Membership Portal for Small Newsrooms project to develop open source fundraising infrastructure for independent media.
• NewspackcoreTechnology or IntegrationHKFP runs on Newspack, a publishing platform for news organizations, as part of their website redesign and migration completed in 2020.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Markup: US-based non-profit newsroom focused on technology and accountability journalism, funded by foundations and reader donations. Comparable non-profit, mission-driven structure, though narrower subject focus.
• The Tyee: Canadian reader-supported independent news outlet. Closely comparable to HKFP in donor-funded, non-corporate, ad-light model and mission-driven editorial positioning.
• ProPublica: US-based non-profit investigative newsroom funded primarily by reader donations. Closely comparable to HKFP in mission, structure, and donor-supported operating model, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• De Correspondent: Pioneer of the crowdfunded, member-funded journalism model. Conceptually the closest peer to HKFP's reader-funded, non-profit, ad-light approach, though operating in the Dutch market.
• Rappler: Philippines-based independent newsroom with a strong reader-funded model and ongoing legal/regulatory pressure. Comparable to HKFP in independent, donation-supported structure and operating under government scrutiny.
• Initium Media (端傳媒): Independent Chinese-language investigative outlet founded by ex-Mainland journalists, with several HKFP alumni on staff. Closest regional peer in mission and audience (Greater China readers seeking independent news), though primarily Chinese-language.
• The Intercept: Independent investigative news outlet with a reader-funded component and a strong focus on press freedom. Comparable to HKFP in editorial positioning and independent, non-corporate ownership.
• The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: UK-based non-profit investigative newsroom funded by grants and donations. Directly comparable to HKFP in grant-and-donor funding mix, non-profit status, and investigative editorial mission.

Emerging players

• Coconuts Hong Kong: English-language digital outlet covering Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Directly comparable in language, geography, and target audience, with a commercial rather than non-profit model.

Broad incumbents

• South China Morning Post: Hong Kong's largest English-language newspaper, now owned by Alibaba. Overlaps with HKFP in audience and geography but operates at vastly greater scale and with corporate ownership, making it a structural counterpart rather than a direct competitor for independent-minded readers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hongkongfp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/hongkongfp
• Facebookfacebook.com/hongkongfp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6448176
• Instagraminstagram.com/hongkongfp

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Hong Kong Free Press