Ottawa Business Journal

Name

Ottawa Business Journal

Legal name

Great River Media Inc.

Website

https://obj.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Business News and Media

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB), Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM), Newsletter Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAA)

Keywords

• Business news publication
• Regional business journalism
• Industry data rankings
• Business events and awards
• Sponsored content marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: OBJ operates an 'Insider' subscription program providing premium content, data centre access to ranked company lists, and exclusive articles. Subscriptions are open-ended with monthly billing.
2. Advertising: B2B advertising revenue from local Ottawa businesses and corporate clients. Sponsorships for events, podcasts, and special projects.
3. Event Sponsorships: Events such as Book of Lists launch, awards ceremonies, and networking events generate sponsorship revenue from partners like Commissionaires Ottawa, TD Canada Trust, and Sezlik.com.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of specialized publications including Book of Lists (84 pages of data on 30 Ottawa business categories), Best Offices Ottawa, City Building, and STUFF magazine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ottawa Business Journal publishes regional business news, industry rankings, and data-driven reference publications for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario. It distributes content through a digital platform, newsletter, podcast, and revived print magazine, and monetizes through Insider subscriptions, advertising, event sponsorships, and sales of specialized annual publications including the Book of Lists.

Product overview

Ottawa Business Journal is a digital-first business news publication operated by Great River Media Inc. that has evolved from a weekly print newspaper to a digital-first operation and back to a print magazine as its flagship product. The portfolio includes the core OBJ publication (print magazine and digital news), the Book of Lists annual data reference, the OBJ Data Centre subscription service with 60+ ranked company lists, Techopia technology coverage with weekly newsletter, Award Programs (CFO of the Year, Businesswoman of the Year), OBJ360 Content Studio for B2B marketing, Podcast programming, and special industry-specific publications including STUFF, Giving Guide, Best Offices, and City Building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ottawa Business Journal (OBJ Flagship Publication) Digital-first and print business news publication covering companies, people, and trends shaping Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, distributed through obj.ca, newsletter, podcast, and a revived glossy print magazine.
• Book of Lists Annual 84-page reference publication featuring ranked industry lists, executive profiles, procurement data, and economic insights across 30 Ottawa business categories.
• OBJ Data Centre

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Commissionaires OttawacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Commissionaires Ottawa served as the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Book of Lists Launch Party held at the Ottawa Art Gallery, supporting OBJ's signature annual publication launch event.
• TD Canada TrustcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026TD Canada Trust was a supporting sponsor of the 2026 Book of Lists Launch Party, participating in the event featuring networking, live art, and industry displays.
• Sezlik.comminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Sezlik.com real estate platform was a supporting sponsor of the Book of Lists launch event, contributing to the local business community celebration.
• Women's Business NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025OBJ covered and participated in the Women's Business Network's annual Businesswoman of the Year Awards at Infinity Convention Centre, celebrating women leaders across industries.
• Ottawa Board of TradecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Ottawa Business Journal co-presents the annual CFO of the Year awards program with the Ottawa Board of Trade, recognizing financial leaders including 2025 winner Neil Malhotra of Claridge Homes.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BetaKit: Canadian tech and startup news publication covering the innovation economy with newsletters, events, and rankings. Overlaps with OBJ's Techopia vertical on tech/startup coverage in Canada.
• The Logic: Subscription-based Canadian digital business and tech news outlet covering innovation, tech, and policy. Comparable to OBJ as a Canadian business news subscription product targeting executives and professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Post: National Canadian business news outlet owned by Postmedia covering markets, companies, and policy. Competes with OBJ for Ottawa-area business readership and advertising at a national scale.
• Globe and Mail's Report on Business: National Canadian business news brand covering companies, markets, and policy with broader scope than OBJ. Competes for the same Ottawa executive audience as a much larger incumbent.

Direct peers

• American City Business Journals: Operates a national network of local business journals in 40+ U.S. metros with ranked company lists, events, and subscriptions—the most direct analogue to OBJ's model at scale. Both monetize local business intelligence via data products, events, and print/digital hybrids.
• Alberta Venture: Canadian regional business magazine and digital outlet covering Alberta's business community with feature journalism, events, and lists. Comparable to OBJ as a regional business media brand.
• Business in Vancouver: Canadian regional business publication covering Vancouver with news, events, awards, and ranked lists. Closely mirrors OBJ's product mix of news, events, and proprietary local business data.

Regional players

• Ottawa Citizen: Major Ottawa regional newspaper covering general news, business, and city affairs. Provides overlapping local business coverage and competes with OBJ for Ottawa advertising dollars and reader attention.
• Les Affaires: Quebec-based French-language regional business publication with news, rankings, events, and awards serving Montreal business audiences. Operates a similar local-business-intelligence model in a different Canadian market.
• Atlantic Business Magazine: Regional business magazine covering Atlantic Canada with print and digital editions, events, and awards. Comparable as another Canadian regional business media brand serving a defined geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/obj_news
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ottawabizjournal
• Facebookfacebook.com/131398571469
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ottawa-business-journal
• Instagraminstagram.com/ottawabusinessjournal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Ottawa Business Journal