Highly Capitalized

What Highly Capitalized does

Highly Capitalized (HCN) is a privately held, US-focused B2B media and information network covering the business and finance of the legal cannabis, hemp, CBD, and psychedelics industries. The company is operated under a California blind trust (legal entity Super Critical Brands, LLC) headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and serves cannabis/psychedelics industry professionals, capital allocators, and operators through a multi-platform publishing footprint.

The product surface spans a WordPress-based news website (news, capital, business, brands, policy, world, psychedelics), a video network (Highly Capitalized TV), two podcast series ('Future of Cannabis with Guy Rocourt' and 'Spiritual Plants with Craig Rose'), a Mailchimp-powered weekly newsletter, an annual conference (CannabizCon 2026), and a catalog of email-gated eBooks co-published with partners such as UNLV, Growise CPAs, Advanced Nutrients, and Urbana. The underlying technology stack is conventional publishing infrastructure — WordPress, WooCommerce, Paykings/Paybotic payment processing, Printify print-on-demand, and Google Analytics — with no proprietary data or AI assets.

The business model is advertising- and sponsorship-led. Revenue is generated through digital banner advertising, sponsored quizzes, weekly newsletter sponsorships, event featuring, podcast sponsorships, a 3-month Virtual Investor Roadshow priced at $7,500/month per engagement, and eBook/merchandise sales through WooCommerce. Reach is reported at 70,000+ readers and listeners across web, newsletter (10-20% open rate), and social channels; the team is small (8 named members), no external funding is disclosed, and the audience is concentrated in US-based cannabis and psychedelics businesses and investors.

Name

Highly Capitalized

Legal name

Super Critical Brands, LLC

Website

https://highlycapitalized.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highly Capitalized is a US-focused B2B media network covering the business and finance of the cannabis and psychedelics industries, monetizing its audience through advertising, sponsorships, podcasts, eBooks, and the CannabizCon conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Advertising: Sale of web banner advertising placements including Home Top Banner, Home Side Banner, and Business Pages Banner. Pricing varies by placement and duration (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly rates).
2. Sponsored Content & Sponsorships: Sponsored quizzes, event featuring, and weekly newsletter sponsorships. Also includes sponsored podcast shows such as 'Future of Cannabis with Guy Rocourt' sponsored by Spiritual Plants and various eBook partnerships.
3. Virtual Investor Roadshow: 3-month virtual investor roadshow program featuring featured company placement, content creation, and lead generation at $7,500/month.
4. E-commerce (eBooks and Guides): Distribution of educational eBooks and guides including 'Follow The Signal', 'Spiritual Plants: Ritual, Not Recreation', 'Where Will Weed Win', and industry-specific guides through email-gated downloads.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Highly Capitalized operates a B2B trade media network that publishes daily cannabis and psychedelics business and finance news, produces video (HCNTV), podcast (Future of Cannabis, Spiritual Plants), and a weekly newsletter, and sells digital advertising, sponsorships, sponsored content, podcast sponsorships, an annual conference (CannabizCon), and email-gated eBook/guides to industry advertisers and partners. The audience is hard-to-reach cannabis investors, operators, and executives, with combined reach reported at 70,000+ across web, newsletter, podcast, and social channels.

Product overview

Highly Capitalized (HCN) is a multi-platform news and information service for the legal cannabis and psilelics industries. The company operates a unified media network combining a news website, video platform (HCN TV), podcast series (including 'Future of Cannabis' with Guy Rocourt and 'Spiritual Plants'), and an annual conference (CannabizCon). The portfolio is complemented by a weekly newsletter, digital advertising solutions (HCN Pay), and downloadable eBooks/guides. Revenue is generated through advertising sales, sponsorships, and content partnerships. The business is held in a California trust to maintain editorial integrity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highly Capitalized TV (HCN TV) Multi-platform video content network producing executive interviews, industry coverage, and podcast video for the cannabis and psychedelics industries, distributed via the website and podcast platforms.
• CannabizCon Annual B2B cannabis industry conference bringing together investors, operators, and industry leaders for exhibitions, keynotes, and networking on cannabis business and finance.
• HCN Pay Advertising Solutions Digital advertising and sponsorship platform selling banner placements, newsletter sponsorships, sponsored quizzes, event featuring, podcast sponsorships, and the 3-month Virtual Investor Roadshow to cannabis, hemp, CBD, psychedelic, and ancillary brands.
• eBooks and Guides Catalog of downloadable educational eBooks and industry guides covering cannabis investing, plant medicine, European markets, cultivation, cannabis retail, and accounting, distributed via email-gated downloads to the HCN subscriber base.
• Weekly Newsletter Subscription Weekly email newsletter distributing cannabis and psychedelics business, finance, and policy news and market intelligence to industry subscribers.
• Future of Cannabis with Guy Rocourt Fortnightly podcast series produced by HCN and hosted by Guy Rocourt, exploring cannabis regulation, capital, execution, and product integrity through candid conversations with industry operators, distributed via web and major podcast platforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70,000+ monthly reach across readers and listeners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spiritual PlantscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2026Spiritual Plants is the title sponsor of the 'Future of Cannabis with Guy Rocourt' podcast produced by HCN. Co-founded by Craig Rose and Guy Rocourt, Spiritual Plants is a belief-driven plant medicine platform at the intersection of clean-crafted cannabis, ritual, and culture. The partnership includes co-publishing 'Spiritual Plants: Ritual, Not Recreation' eBook.
• UNLVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-publishing partnership for 'Where Will Weed Win' guidebook covering the future of the US cannabis market. HCN distributes the eBook to its subscriber base in partnership with UNLV.
• Growise CPAsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCannabis-focused accounting firm co-publishing 'Growise CPAs: The Second Edition' eBook with HCN distribution.
• Advanced NutrientsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCannabis cultivation nutrients company sponsoring 'Inside Cultivation' content including European Cannabis Update eBook.
• Urbana (Oakland Dispensary Lounge)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOakland-based cannabis dispensary and lounge co-publishing 'Shifting the Future of Cannabis Retail' eBook with HCN.
• Guy Rocourt BrandscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProducer of 'Cannabis As It Should Be With Guy Rocourt' content series and eBook, distributed through HCN platform.
• Guy Rocourt (Host)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO of Spiritual Plants and former co-founder of Papa & Barkley serves as podcast host for 'Future of Cannabis'. 30+ years of cannabis industry experience including clean-crafted, solventless cannabis pioneer. Brings product depth and operator experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DoubleBlind Magazine: DoubleBlind is a media, education, and events company covering psychedelics culture, science, and policy. Comparable to HCN's psychedelics editorial focus, with overlapping audience and similar content formats (news, long-form, podcast).
• Benzinga Cannabis: Benzinga operates a dedicated cannabis news vertical within a larger financial media business, covering cannabis stocks, regulation, and industry news. Comparable to HCN's B2B financial-news positioning for cannabis investors.
• Green Market Report: Green Market Report is a financial news and data platform focused on the cannabis industry, covering public cannabis company stocks, M&A, and capital markets. Directly comparable to HCN's capital markets and M&A editorial focus.
• MJBizDaily: MJBizDaily is the leading B2B news, data, and events company for the cannabis industry, producing MJBizCon, the largest annual cannabis business conference. It is the most direct competitor to HCN across news, advertising, and event verticals.
• Ganjapreneur: Ganjapreneur is a cannabis business media company producing news, podcasts, and resources for cannabis operators and entrepreneurs, with revenue from advertising and educational content. Highly comparable to HCN's B2B operator-focused content and podcast portfolio.
• Lucid News: Lucid News is a psychedelics-focused media outlet covering research, policy, and business with editorial and sponsored content. Comparable to HCN as a niche B2B/consumer media outlet in the psychedelics vertical.
• Cannabis Business Times: Cannabis Business Times is a B2B trade publication serving cannabis cultivators, retailers, and operators with editorial content, webinars, and an annual Cannabis Conference. Comparable to HCN as a vertical B2B media brand monetized through advertising and events.
• New Cannabis Ventures: New Cannabis Ventures is a cannabis business and investment news site tracking MSOs, capital raises, and industry data, monetized through advertising and premium subscriptions. Closely comparable to HCN's investor-focused editorial positioning.
• Psilocybin Alpha: Psilocybin Alpha is a dedicated news and business intelligence platform for the psychedelics industry, covering research, policy, and commercial developments. The closest direct peer to HCN's psychedelics editorial coverage.

Broad incumbents

• High Times: High Times is the most established cannabis media brand, spanning consumer culture, business coverage, and large-scale events (Cannabis Cup). Comparable to HCN as a multi-platform cannabis media company with events, though High Times is broader and more consumer-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/highlycapitalized
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highly-capitalized

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Highly Capitalized