La Marea
La Marea is an independent Spanish-language investigative journalism magazine and digital media outlet, founded in 2012 and operated by the MásPúblico cooperative. It serves readers seeking corporate- and politically-independent journalism through subscriptions, books, courses, and donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBarcelona, Spain
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What La Marea does
La Marea is an independent Spanish-language journalism magazine and digital media outlet, founded in 2012 and operated by MásPúblico S. Coop., an integral cooperative registered in Madrid with headquarters in Barcelona. The publication serves Spanish-speaking readers seeking investigative and critical journalism free from corporate and political influence, covering politics, international affairs, culture, economy, society, and the environment. It operates as a cooperative under Spanish cooperative law with no external investors, ensuring editorial independence and transparent annual publication of accounts.
The core product is the La Marea magazine, distributed through three annual subscription tiers: Digital (€50/year), Papel Completa print+digital (€80/year), and Mecenas patron tier (€120/year). Supporting products include individual magazine issues (€5.95–€12.95), books and special publications (€3.90–€23.90), and educational courses on journalism, communication, and gender perspective (€25–€120). The cooperative also publishes Climática, a sister environmental journalism magazine, and El Periscopio, a cultural supplement, plus a weekly email newsletter.
The business runs on a direct-to-consumer model with no third-party distribution. Distribution and sales are handled exclusively through the WordPress-based lamarea.com website and the WooCommerce-powered kiosco.lamarea.com digital storefront, with physical products shipped via courier or weekly mail across Spain, the Balearic Islands, and the EU. Revenue streams include subscriptions, donations, individual product sales, course fees, and strictly limited advertising under an ethical code that rejects advertorials and ads from companies contradicting editorial principles. The publication has issued 112+ magazine issues as of mid-2026, employs approximately 87 people, and was awarded the Primer Premio Nacional de Periodismo de Investigación 2026 for investigative reportage on surrogacy.
La Marea firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- La Marea
- Legal name
- MásPúblico S. Coop.
- Website
- https://lamarea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- La Marea is an independent Spanish-language investigative journalism magazine and digital media outlet, founded in 2012 and operated by the MásPúblico cooperative. It serves readers seeking corporate- and politically-independent journalism through subscriptions, books, courses, and donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
La Marea industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent investigative journalism (print and digital media)
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF), Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)
Keywords
Where La Marea is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Barcelona
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
La Marea business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Subscriptions (Digital, Papel Completa, Mecenas): Three tiers of annual subscriptions: Digital at 50€/year, Papel Completa (print+digital) at 80€/year, and Mecenas (premium patron) at 120€/year. Subscriptions provide recurring revenue and include access to community activities, discounts on books and courses, and welcome gifts.
- Magazine and book sales: Individual issues of La Marea magazine (5.95€–12.95€ digital/paper) and books (ranging from 3.90€ PDF to 23.90€ paper) are sold through the kiosco.lamarea.com store. One-time purchase model.
- Courses and educational offerings: Online and in-person courses on journalism, communication, gender perspective, and human rights reporting, priced at 25€–120€ per course. Additional revenue stream with discounts for subscribers and eligible groups.
- Donations: Readers can make direct donations to support the cooperative's independent journalism. The site explicitly asks readers to donate or subscribe to keep La Marea independent.
- Advertising (strictly limited by ethical code): La Marea accepts limited advertising but has a strict ethical code that rejects publirreportajes (advertorials) and ads from companies that contradict their editorial principles. This is a minor, carefully managed revenue stream.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital subscription — 50€/year: digital magazine, discounts on books and courses, participation in community activities |
| Subscription | Annual | Papel Completa (print+digital) — 80€/year: magazine in paper and digital formats, annual book gift |
| Subscription | Annual | Mecenas (patron) — 120€/year: premium patron tier with magazine, digital hemeroteca (from issue 100), welcome Magazine of Climática, free course enrollment, book gift |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual magazine issues — 5.95€–12.95€ per issue |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Books — 3.90€–23.90€ per title |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Courses — 25€–120€ per course with 30–50% discounts for eligible groups |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
La Marea product offering
Product offeringCore offering
La Marea publishes an independent cooperative-owned investigative journalism magazine in print and digital formats, sold via annual subscriptions, supplemented by educational courses on journalism and communication, related books and special editions, and the environmental sister publication Climática. It distributes content and products exclusively direct-to-consumer through its own WordPress website and WooCommerce kiosk store.
Product overview
La Marea is an independent Spanish journalism cooperative operated by MásPúblico S. Coop. that offers a multi-tiered publication ecosystem. The core product is the La Marea magazine, available through three subscription tiers: Básica (digital-only, 50€/year), Completa (paper + digital, 80€/year), and Mecenas (premium with gifts, 120€/year). Supporting products include educational courses on journalism and communication topics, books and special publications through the La Marea kiosk, the environmental sister publication Climática, the cultural supplement El Periscopio, weekly newsletters, voluntary donations, and express shipping options for physical orders. The company operates primarily as a content/media publisher rather than a technology platform, with no public API or AI-based products documented.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- La Marea Magazine The flagship independent journalism magazine of La Marea, published in print and digital formats covering politics, international affairs, culture, economy, environment, and society. Sold via annual subscriptions and individual issues.
- La Marea Educational Courses (Cursos de La Marea) Online and in-person courses on journalism, communication, research, gender perspective, and human rights reporting (e.g., Investigación periodística, Comunicación para Organizaciones, Formación de la Opinión Pública, Seminario Vientres de Alquiler), priced €25-€120 with subscriber and vulnerable-group discounts.
- La Marea Books and Special Editions (Libros y Especiales) Books and special publications sold through La Marea Ediciones and the kiosk store, including titles on the IBEX 35, capitalism in Spain, and political/social analysis (e.g., 'Cuando el mundo duerme' €19.99, 'Bestias' €22, 'Malismo' €18.50, 'Arena en los ojos' €23.90).
- Climática Sister publication focused on environmental journalism, covering climate change, environmental policies, and sustainability issues, with its own magazine publications and dedicated website (climatica.coop).
Companies that use La Marea
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
La Marea technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
La Marea partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
La Marea competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Mondoweiss: US-based independent news outlet focused on geopolitics and Palestine coverage. Comparable to La Marea in alternative/independent editorial model and reliance on reader support, though English-language and topic-specialized.
- New Left Review: English-language bimonthly journal of socialist and critical thought. Comparable to La Marea's La Mirada opinion section in long-form political/economic analysis, though more academic and English-only.
Direct peers
- Público: Spanish progressive online newspaper with print edition. Comparable to La Marea in editorial line and Spanish-only independent positioning, though with larger scale and different ownership.
- elDiario.es: Spain's leading independent online newspaper, funded largely by reader subscriptions (Comunidades). Directly comparable to La Marea as a reader-funded progressive/independent news outlet in Spain with similar editorial positioning.
- The Clinic: Chilean independent magazine of investigative journalism and opinion. Comparable to La Marea in cooperative-style independent journalism, periodical format, and Latin/Spanish-language progressive positioning.
- CTXT: Spanish independent magazine of investigative journalism and opinion. Directly comparable long-form periodical format, similar readership and editorial positioning, also founded by journalists outside corporate media.
- infoLibre: Spanish independent daily newspaper with strong investigative journalism, founded in 2013 by journalists from Público. Closely comparable to La Marea in editorial independence, political orientation, and Spain-only readership.
- Le Monde diplomatique (Spanish edition): Spanish edition of the international current-affairs monthly magazine. Directly comparable periodical format, opinion/analysis-led editorial, and Spanish-language audience interested in geopolitics.
Broad incumbents
- openDemocracy: UK-based independent investigative journalism outlet covering global affairs. Comparable to La Marea in reader-funded independent journalism model and international/current affairs focus, but English-language and broader scope.
- Jacobin: International socialist magazine with print and digital editions. Comparable in independent left opinion journalism, periodical format, and reader-supported model, though English-language with global reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
La Marea social profiles
Digital presenceLa Marea financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
La Marea leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
La Marea funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
La Marea 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 La Marea
What does La Marea do?
La Marea publishes an independent cooperative-owned investigative journalism magazine in print and digital formats, sold via annual subscriptions, supplemented by educational courses on journalism and communication, related books and special editions, and the environmental sister publication Climática. It distributes content and products exclusively direct-to-consumer through its own WordPress website and WooCommerce kiosk store.
Is La Marea a public or private company?
La Marea is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was La Marea founded?
La Marea was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is La Marea based?
La Marea is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does La Marea make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Subscriptions (Digital, Papel Completa, Mecenas) is the primary driver. The others are magazine and book sales, courses and educational offerings, donations and advertising (strictly limited by ethical code).
Who are La Marea's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Mondoweiss and New Left Review. Direct peers are Público, elDiario.es, The Clinic, CTXT, infoLibre and Le Monde diplomatique (Spanish edition). Broad incumbents are openDemocracy and Jacobin.
Does La Marea have an API?
No public API is recorded for La Marea.
What industry is La Marea in?
La Marea's product category is Independent investigative journalism (print and digital media). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAO, News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.