What Agência Pública does

Agência Pública is a Brazilian non-profit investigative journalism agency founded in 2011 and headquartered in São Paulo. It produces in-depth reporting on politics, environment, human rights, social justice, and corporate accountability, with notable investigations including the Vaza Jato consortium work on leaked Lava Jato prosecutor messages, Amazon deforestation and land conflicts (Amazônia sem Lei), pesticide use (Por Trás do Alimento, with Repórter Brasil), and the Caso K sexual abuse investigation against Casas Bahia founder Samuel Klein, which contributed to the PL Caso Klein legislative change in 2021.

The organization operates a website-based digital journalism platform (apublica.org) supported by podcast infrastructure and newsletter distribution. Its product surface includes the main news platform, three podcast series (Pauta Pública, Bom Dia Fim do Mundo, and Confidencial produced with Audible), multiple email newsletters (Newsletter da Pública, Antes que seja tarde, Xeque na Democracia), and several ongoing special investigative projects. Distribution is augmented by a free republication license that allows partner outlets to redistribute Agência Pública content, and a WhatsApp-based audio bulletin distribution channel. The technology stack is a standard CMS-driven publishing platform; no proprietary technology or AI components are disclosed.

The business model is reader-supported philanthropy rather than commercial media. Content is freely accessible with no paywall, advertising, or paid subscriptions. Revenue is generated through voluntary reader donations via the Apoie crowdfunding platform. The organization explicitly states it has no advertising or wealthy shareholders, and no parent company, acquisition history, or institutional investor backing was identified. It serves three primary reader segments: Portuguese-speaking readers in Brazil, Spanish-speaking Latin American audiences, and English-speaking international readers interested in Brazilian and Latin American investigative coverage.

Name

Agência Pública

Legal name

Agência Pública

Website

https://apublica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Agência Pública is a Brazilian non-profit investigative journalism agency founded in 2011 that produces independent reporting on politics, environment, human rights, and corporate accountability, funded by reader donations and serving Portuguese, Spanish, and English-speaking audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Media Freedom, Access to Information & Digital Rights (BPADAGAE)

Keywords

• Investigative journalism
• Nonprofit newsroom
• Public interest reporting
• Reader-funded media
• Accountability reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Agência Pública is an investigative journalism newsroom that publishes in-depth reports on politics, environment, human rights, and public policy via its website, podcast series, and email newsletters. Content is freely accessible to readers and produced independently of advertising through reader donations via the Apoie platform.

Product overview

Agência Pública operates a digital journalism platform offering investigative reporting, podcasts, and newsletters as its core offerings. The organization runs multiple specialized investigative projects (especiais) including Vaza Jato, Por Trás do Alimento, Amazônia sem Lei, and Caso K. Content is distributed through its main website, podcast series (Pauta Pública, Bom Dia Fim do Mundo, Confidencial), and email newsletters. Revenue is generated through reader donations via the Apoie platform. The portfolio is a unified platform model with multiple content streams rather than a modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pauta Pública: Podcast series featuring dialogues to understand what is real in today's world
• Bom Dia, Fim do Mundo
• Confidencial
• Por Trás do Alimento
• Amazônia sem Lei
• Caso K

Products and services

• Website and News Platform (Apublica.org) The main Agência Pública website publishing investigative journalism reports, columns, and news articles freely accessible across topics including politics, environment, social issues, justice, and human rights, targeting Portuguese-speaking readers in Brazil and international audiences.
• Pauta Pública Podcast A standalone podcast series produced by Agência Pública featuring dialogues aimed at understanding what is real in the current world, covering social issues and current events for general listeners.
• Bom Dia, Fim do Mundo Podcast A news and climate podcast covering climate-related topics and current events, produced by Agência Pública for general listeners interested in environmental journalism.
• Confidencial Podcast A podcast series produced in partnership with Audible investigating Operation Lava Jato and FBI involvement in Brazilian politics, available through podcast platforms including Audible.
• Agência Pública Newsletters Email newsletter service including 'Newsletter da Pública' by Marina Amaral, 'Antes que seja tarde' by Giovana Girardi, and 'Xeque na Democracia' by Natalia Viana, providing subscribers with curated investigative and editorial coverage via email.
• Apoie (Donation Platform) Crowdfunding and donation platform enabling readers to support Agência Pública's investigative journalism through one-time or recurring voluntary contributions, which is the organization's primary funding mechanism.
• Republication Program (Republique) Free republication license service enabling partner media outlets to redistribute Agência Pública's investigative content according to simple republishing rules, expanding the reach of the newsroom's investigations through syndication.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Brazilian Report: English-language Brazilian investigative journalism outlet covering politics, economy, and society. Direct peer overlap in Brazilian investigative journalism with a distinct English-language audience focus.
• Repórter Brasil: Independent investigative journalism organization focused on human rights, labor, and the environment. Direct peer given the existing partnership with Agência Pública on the Por Trás do Alimento agrotóxico investigation.
• El Faro: El Salvador-based investigative digital news outlet founded in 1998. Direct peer as a pioneering Latin American nonprofit investigative journalism organization with similar donor-supported model and accountability focus.
• Ponte Jornalismo: Non-profit investigative journalism outlet based in São Paulo covering human rights, police violence, and accountability. Direct peer as a similarly-sized Brazilian nonprofit newsroom pursuing public-interest reporting.
• Mídia Ninja: Brazilian independent journalism collective using alternative media formats. Direct peer operating in the same independent journalism space with comparable funding models and audiences.
• The Intercept Brasil: Brazil's most prominent investigative journalism outlet, founded in 2016 and reader-funded. Direct peer as Agência Pública was a partner in the Vaza Jato consortium alongside The Intercept Brasil, and they cover overlapping political and human rights beats.

Regional players

• CIPER Chile: Chile's leading investigative journalism center. Regional peer operating with a similar nonprofit investigative model in Latin America, focused on accountability and public-interest reporting.
• InfoBae: Major Argentine digital news outlet with Latin American reach. Regional peer covering politics, business, and investigative content with comparable audience overlap in Latin American affairs.

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: US-based Pulitzer-winning nonprofit investigative journalism organization. Broad incumbent benchmark for the donor-supported investigative nonprofit model that Agência Pública operates within.

Emerging players

• The Marshall Project: US nonprofit newsroom focused on criminal justice, founded in 2014. Comparable as a similarly-sized nonprofit investigative outlet with topic specialization and reader-funded model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/agenciapublica
• Instagraminstagram.com/agenciapublica
• Facebookfacebook.com/agenciapublica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Agência Pública