Scroll
Scroll.in is an India-focused, reader-funded digital news publication founded in 2009 that provides in-depth journalism across politics, culture, film, and climate via website, mobile apps, and Substack newsletters, with revenue generated from individual reader memberships and subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Scroll does
Scroll.in is an India-focused digital news publication founded in 2009 that provides in-depth journalism across politics, culture, world affairs, film and television, business and economy, health, education, and climate and environment. The company operates primarily through its scroll.in website, mobile applications on iOS and Android, and two newsletters — The Daily Brief and Now Watching — distributed via the Substack platform. Vertical sub-brands include The Reel (film and TV reviews), Eco India (a weekly environmental video series), Scroll Magazine (long-form features), and the Karwan e Mohabbat video series on citizenship and democratic rights. Content is also distributed through active profiles on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, BlueSky, Threads, and Reddit, and the site is hosted on DigitalOcean infrastructure (CDN: blr1.digitaloceanspaces.com).
The business model is direct-to-consumer and reader-funded. Revenue is generated exclusively through reader memberships and gift memberships on a recurring annual billing cadence, with the company explicitly stating it is 'funded by readers, not corporate owners' and explicitly distinguishing itself from advertising-supported media. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The primary customer segment is a horizontal base of Indian news readers seeking independent journalism amid declining traditional media quality, and the company has raised a total of $1.6M across two disclosed funding rounds — a 2014 round from Media Development Investment Fund and Omidyar Network, and a 2015 round of $1,600,000 from CreedCap Asia Advisors. The company is privately held, headquartered in India, and operates with a headcount in the 11-50 range. Ritesh Mehta is identified as founder and COO.
Scroll firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Scroll
- Legal name
- Scroll.in
- Website
- https://scroll.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Scroll.in is an India-focused, reader-funded digital news publication founded in 2009 that provides in-depth journalism across politics, culture, film, and climate via website, mobile apps, and Substack newsletters, with revenue generated from individual reader memberships and subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Scroll industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital News Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)
Keywords
Where Scroll is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Scroll business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Membership/Subscription Revenue: Scroll generates revenue primarily through reader memberships and subscriptions. The company explicitly states it is 'funded by readers, not corporate owners' and relies on membership contributions to sustain its journalism operations despite falling ad revenues and rising costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Reader Membership |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Scroll product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Scroll.in is an Indian digital news publication that produces and distributes in-depth journalism, breaking news, analysis, and long-form features across politics, culture, world affairs, film and TV, music, books, business, health, education, and climate. The publication is funded by readers through memberships and subscriptions, and delivers content through its website, mobile applications, dedicated sub-brands (The Reel, Eco India, Scroll Magazine), and email newsletters.
Product overview
Scroll.in is a single-platform digital news publication offering comprehensive journalism across multiple content formats and topic areas. The core website serves as the primary product, supplemented by specialized vertical brands including The Reel (film/TV), Eco India (environmental video series), and Scroll Magazine (long-form features). The publication also offers newsletters (The Daily Brief, Now Watching), mobile applications for Android and iOS, and a reader-supported membership program. Content categories span politics, culture, world news, film and TV, music, books, business and economy, health, education, and climate and environment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Eco India: Environmental and climate-focused video series
- The Reel
- Karwan e Mohabbat
Products and services
- Scroll.in Digital News Publication An Indian digital news publication offering in-depth journalism, breaking news, analysis, and commentary across politics, culture, India news, world news, film and TV, music, books, business and economy, health, education, and climate topics, targeted at general Indian readers seeking quality independent journalism.
- The Reel Scroll's dedicated section and sub-brand for film and television reviews, trailers, and entertainment coverage including Indian cinema, targeted at readers interested in film and TV content.
- Eco India A weekly video series under the Scroll.in brand featuring stories about environmental issues, climate change, sustainability, and green initiatives across India, targeted at readers interested in climate and environment content.
- Scroll Magazine Long-form investigative journalism and feature articles published in a magazine format under the Scroll.in brand, targeted at readers seeking in-depth reporting on politics, culture, and social issues.
- The Daily Brief Newsletter An evening email newsletter delivered via Substack providing a summary of the day's important news stories, targeted at Scroll.in readers who want a daily curated news digest.
- Now Watching Newsletter A newsletter by The Reel delivered via Substack covering film and television recommendations and reviews, targeted at readers interested in Indian cinema and entertainment.
Companies that use Scroll
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Scroll technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Scroll partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Scroll competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The News Minute: Independent Indian digital news brand with regional-language editions and a digital-native, ad-light, partially reader-funded structure; comparable to Scroll in independent digital news media for India.
- ThePrint: India-focused digital news outlet with strong politics, policy, and explainer journalism targeting English-speaking Indian readers; competes with Scroll for the same news-hungry audience and ad/subscription attention.
- Firstpost: Major Indian digital news publisher covering politics, world, culture, and entertainment with a heavy digital-first presence; overlaps Scroll on coverage categories and target reader.
- Newslaundry: Indian reader-funded digital media outlet covering media, politics, and culture; the closest analog to Scroll in being an explicitly membership-supported independent newsroom with newsletters and a sub-brand/vertical structure.
- The Quint: India-focused multi-format digital news publisher spanning politics, culture, video, and explainers; competes with Scroll for English-language Indian news consumers with a similar web/app/video strategy.
- The Wire: Indian independent, reader-supported digital news publication covering politics, policy, and rights; mirrors Scroll's editorial positioning, independence stance, and digital-first member-funded model with overlapping coverage of Indian current affairs.
Broad incumbents
- NDTV: India's largest English TV news brand with a major digital property; competes broadly with Scroll for Indian readers across politics and culture while benefiting from television production scale.
- The Hindu: One of India's largest English-language newspaper publishers with a sizable digital subscription business; competes with Scroll for paying Indian news readers while operating at significantly larger scale and legacy depth.
- Livemint: Indian English-language digital news and business daily covering politics, economy, and culture; an incumbent paywalled news brand overlapping with Scroll's English Indian reader base.
Emerging players
- Alt News: Indian independent digital journalism outlet focused on fact-checking and investigations; overlaps with Scroll's civic- and rights-oriented editorial lens and similarly independent positioning.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Scroll social profiles
Digital presenceScroll financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Scroll leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Scroll funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Scroll 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 Scroll
What does Scroll do?
Scroll.in is an Indian digital news publication that produces and distributes in-depth journalism, breaking news, analysis, and long-form features across politics, culture, world affairs, film and TV, music, books, business, health, education, and climate. The publication is funded by readers through memberships and subscriptions, and delivers content through its website, mobile applications, dedicated sub-brands (The Reel, Eco India, Scroll Magazine), and email newsletters.
Is Scroll a public or private company?
Scroll is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Scroll founded?
Scroll was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Scroll based?
Scroll is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Scroll make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership/Subscription Revenue.
Who are Scroll's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The News Minute, ThePrint, Firstpost, Newslaundry, The Quint and The Wire. Broad incumbents are NDTV, The Hindu and Livemint. Alt News is listed as an emerging player.
Does Scroll have an API?
No public API is recorded for Scroll.
What industry is Scroll in?
Scroll's product category is Digital News Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines, with a secondary code of BPAMAAAI, News & Content Aggregation Portals. Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.