Forbes Australia
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Forbes Australia does
Forbes Australia is the licensed Australian edition of the Forbes brand, published under a licensing agreement between Forbes Media and Success Publishing Pty Ltd. The legal entity, Success Publishing Pty Ltd, is a privately held Australian company headquartered in Sydney. Forbes Australia was officially launched on September 26, 2022, following a licensing agreement signed in October 2021, and operates as a multi-platform business media brand rather than a standalone media startup.
The company runs four product lines. First, it publishes a premium bi-monthly print magazine (15,000+ copies per issue) distributed at newsagents, domestic airports, and to premium subscribers, alongside a digital news website at forbes.com.au covering innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, investing, billionaires, and lifestyle categories. Second, it sells subscription memberships across three tiers — Essential Digital (digital access plus weekly newsletter), Premium (digital plus six bi-monthly magazines plus VIP event access), and Forbes Women ($299 annually, including quarterly members-only events). Third, it produces live events including the annual Business Summit and Women's Summit (with attendance of 1,600+ at the inaugural), plus the recurring Forbes Australia Forums (Growth Forum and Leadership Forum). Fourth, it publishes proprietary editorial IP including the 30 Under 30 list, Australia's 50 Richest ranking, and a real-time live rich list.
Revenue is generated through four streams: advertising and sponsorship (including BrandVoice sponsored content, display advertising across print, digital, social, video, and events), recurring subscription memberships, event ticketing, and single-copy magazine sales. The customer base spans C-suite executives, entrepreneurs and founders, high-net-worth investors, and women leaders across Australia, reached through a multi-channel distribution strategy spanning owned digital, print, email, social (111,000+ combined following), and live events. The senior team includes CEO Michael Lane, Editor-in-Chief Sarah O'Carroll (formerly Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo Finance Australia), COO Anna Hannaford, Managing Editor Stewart Hawkins, Digital Editor Elise Shaw, Creative Director Huw Reynolds, and Commercial Engagement Director Stephanie Antonis.
Forbes Australia firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forbes Australia
- Legal name
- Success Publishing Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://forbes.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forbes Australia industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines (MPAJAEAA), Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos) (MPAJADAI)
Keywords
Where Forbes Australia is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forbes Australia business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Advertising & Sponsorship: Forbes Australia generates primary revenue through advertising solutions including display ads (print and digital), custom branded content (BrandVoice), event sponsorships, and thought leadership opportunities. The company offers cross-platform advertising across print, digital, social, video, and events.
- Subscription/Membership: The company generates subscription revenue through two tiers: Essential Digital (digital-only access with newsletters) and Premium (digital + print magazine with VIP events, curated content, and early access to Forbes lists). Additional Forbes Women membership tier offers exclusive events and content.
- Magazine Sales: Single copy magazine sales available at newsagents and domestic airports, with back issues available for purchase online through ThriveCart.
- Events Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for signature events including Business Summit, Women's Summit, and Forbes Forums. Events offer various ticket tiers including General Admission, Platinum, and Diamond packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Essential Digital - 1-year digital subscription with unlimited digital access and weekly newsletter |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium - 1-year digital + print subscription with 6 bi-monthly magazines and all member benefits |
| Subscription | Annual | Forbes Women - Quarterly soirées, curated content, and all Premium benefits |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Forbes Australia product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forbes Australia is a multi-platform business media brand that produces and distributes premium business journalism across a bi-monthly print magazine, a digital news website (forbes.com.au), weekly newsletters, and signature live events (Business Summit, Women's Summit, Forbes Australia Forums). The company sells tiered subscription memberships (Essential Digital, Premium, Forbes Women) and monetizes through advertising, sponsored content (BrandVoice), and event sponsorships targeted at Australian business leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals.
Product overview
Forbes Australia is a licensed edition of the global Forbes media brand, published under partnership with Success Publishing Pty Ltd since September 2022. The company operates as a multi-platform media business combining a premium bi-monthly magazine with a digital news website. The core product portfolio includes the Forbes Australia Magazine (delivered print and digitally), the Forbes Australia Website (forbes.com.au) serving breaking news across innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and investing categories, and subscription memberships (Essential Digital, Premium, and Forbes Women tiers). Event products include the annual Business Summit, Women's Summit (titled 'Power Rising'), and Forbes Australia Forums (Growth and Leadership forums). Editorial products include the 30 Under 30 annual list, Australia's Richest ranking, and BrandVoice sponsored content solutions. The company generates revenue through advertising (print, digital, events), subscription memberships, and branded content partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Forbes Australia
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Forbes Australia technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Forbes Australia partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- KyndrylcorePlatinum sponsor for the 2024 Women's Summit 'Power Rising' and presenting sponsor for the 2024 Business Summit. Kyndryl is a major technology services company providing enterprise technology solutions and services.
- PwCcorePlatinum sponsor for the inaugural Forbes Australia Women's Summit in 2023. Provides thought leadership participation and brand association with Forbes Australia's premium women's leadership events.
- Stella InsurancecoreDiamond sponsor for the inaugural Forbes Australia Women's Summit in 2023. Brand visibility and association with women's empowerment and entrepreneurship themes.
- Success Publishing Pty LtdcoreSuccess Publishing Pty Ltd is the licensed publisher of Forbes Australia under a licensing agreement with Forbes Media. Based in Sydney, Success Publishing publishes Forbes Australia across multiple platforms including digital, magazine, conferences and events. The partnership grants rights to use the Forbes brand, content, and methodology for local Australian edition.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Forbes Australia competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Money Magazine: Australian personal finance and wealth magazine with digital, newsletter and subscription offerings. Comparable print + digital subscription model, overlapping HNW/investor audience, and a long-standing Australian masthead — an adjacent domestic peer.
- Business Insider: Digital-first business and technology news brand targeted at entrepreneurs, executives and investors. Comparable audience (founders, C-suite, innovators), digital-led distribution and sponsored-content (BrandVoice-style) monetisation, overlapping with Forbes Australia's core proposition.
- Fortune: US business magazine with iconic lists (Fortune 500, 40 Under 40), digital site, newsletters and conferences. Closely comparable business-magazine + lists + events model, often mentioned alongside Forbes; less of a direct Australian competitor but a global benchmark for the format.
- The Economist: Subscription-led weekly news magazine with strong business, finance and policy coverage and signature events. Comparable high-ARPU subscription model, print + digital bundle, and executive reader demographic; a global benchmark for premium business/news subscription economics.
- Financial Times: Subscription-led global business news brand with paid tiers, weekend magazine, lists and FT Live events. Closely comparable subscription + events + premium content model aimed at executives and HNW readers; overlaps directly with Forbes Australia's Premium positioning.
- SmartCompany: Australian digital business publication targeting SMEs, founders and entrepreneurs with news, advice and awards. Comparable audience overlap (Australian entrepreneurs, founders) and a digital-first publishing model, though without Forbes Australia's premium tier or signature summits.
- Australian Financial Review (AFR): News Corp's flagship Australian business news brand covering C-suite, investors and entrepreneurs across digital, print (daily), AFR Magazine and BOSS. Directly comparable audience (executives, founders, HNW), multi-platform model (digital + print + events) and subscription tiers that compete head-on with Forbes Australia's Premium and Forbes Women offerings.
Emerging players
- Startup Daily: Australian digital media brand focused on the startup and venture ecosystem, covering founders, funding and tech. Comparable founder/entrepreneur audience segment (one of Forbes Australia's primary segments) but with narrower scope and no print or premium tier.
Others
- Forbes Media (US): Global parent brand licensor of Forbes Australia and operator of 45 licensed editions. Comparable as the source methodology and content engine (Billionaires, 30 Under 30) that Forbes Australia monetises locally; not a direct competitor but defines the product DNA.
Broad incumbents
- Bloomberg: Global business and financial news platform with terminal, digital, TV and events. Targets the same C-suite, investor and finance professional audience as Forbes Australia, with significantly deeper resources and breaking-news depth; broader portfolio rather than Australia-specialist.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Forbes Australia social profiles
Digital presenceForbes Australia financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forbes Australia leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Forbes Australia funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forbes Australia 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 Forbes Australia
What does Forbes Australia do?
Forbes Australia is a multi-platform business media brand that produces and distributes premium business journalism across a bi-monthly print magazine, a digital news website (forbes.com.au), weekly newsletters, and signature live events (Business Summit, Women's Summit, Forbes Australia Forums). The company sells tiered subscription memberships (Essential Digital, Premium, Forbes Women) and monetizes through advertising, sponsored content (BrandVoice), and event sponsorships targeted at Australian business leaders, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth individuals.
Is Forbes Australia a public or private company?
Forbes Australia is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Forbes Australia founded?
Forbes Australia was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Forbes Australia based?
Forbes Australia is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Forbes Australia make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Advertising & Sponsorship is the primary driver. The others are subscription/Membership, magazine Sales and events Revenue.
Who are Forbes Australia's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Money Magazine, Business Insider, Fortune, The Economist, Financial Times, SmartCompany and Australian Financial Review (AFR). Startup Daily is listed as an emerging player. Forbes Media (US) is listed as an others. Bloomberg is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Forbes Australia have an API?
No public API is recorded for Forbes Australia.
What industry is Forbes Australia in?
Forbes Australia's product category is Business Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAD, Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership), with a secondary code of MPAJAEAA, Consumer Lifestyle & Fashion Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.