Aeaea

What Aeaea does

Aeaea is a Brooklyn-based independent podcast network founded by Zev Hurwich, specializing in scripted fiction audio content. The company produces and distributes a portfolio of original podcast series including The Pale (a mystery set aboard an Antarctic cruise ship), The Mercy River Incident (a sci-fi story set in a Wyoming uranium mining town), More Than Roses (theatrical adaptations of love stories co-produced with Isle of Shoals Theater Company), Your City (Or Something Like It) (a site-specific New York City anthology), The Vale of Cedars (a hybrid audiobook/podcast reading of Grace Aguilar's 1850 novel), and One More Story (an interactive children's bedtime story podcast with branching narrative choices). The company's content spans science fiction, mystery, romance, historical fiction, and interactive storytelling for children.

The company's core technology centers on extending the podcast medium beyond traditional audio delivery. Aeaea is developing a proprietary media player for web and app stores, and has built interactive narrative mechanics including location-aware storytelling (where listening experience is enhanced by physical proximity to specific New York City locations) and branching choice-driven narratives (where listener decisions shape story outcomes). Distribution is multi-channel: episodes stream directly on the Aeaea website via the proprietary player and are also available on major podcast platforms including Spotify, Stitcher, and Apple Podcasts/iTunes. Production has been supported through a partnership with Brooklyn Podcasting Studio.

Aeaea operates a freemium revenue model with no advertising. The business generates income from listener fees (with creators receiving proceeds), low-volume merchandise sales through an on-site e-commerce store (t-shirts priced $18.95-$25, hoodies at $50), and creator hosting services for submitted content. The company serves two primary segments: podcast listeners seeking scripted fiction and innovative audio storytelling, and writers, playwrights, and creators looking for a platform with creator-friendly terms including IP retention and fair revenue sharing. The company was founded in 2018 (with a soft launch in June 2020), raised $1.5M from Future Capital Discovery Fund in January 2022, and continued releasing new seasons through at least December 2022.

Name

Aeaea

Website

https://aeaea.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aeaea is a Brooklyn-based independent podcast network that produces original scripted fiction audio series spanning sci-fi, romance, mystery, and interactive storytelling. It serves podcast listeners seeking innovative fiction and writers seeking creator-friendly production and IP terms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scripted Fiction Podcast Network

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Sound Recording Studios (51224), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIADAC

Podcast Networks & Studio Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Audio Streaming & Podcast Platforms

SECONDARYMPAJAIAF

Exclusive/Original Audio Content Studios (Audio Originals, Serialized Audio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Audiobook Publishing & Distribution

SECONDARYMPACADAJ

Podcast Live & Interactive Podcast Platforms (Live Shows, Call-ins)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Podcast Hosting, Networks & Distribution

SECONDARYMPAJAIAB

Audiobook Production & Studios (Narration, Recording, Editing, Mastering)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Audiobook Publishing & Distribution

SECONDARYMPAIADAG

Creator Tools & Monetization Platforms (Podcasts/Audio)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Audio Streaming & Podcast Platforms

Keywords

• Scripted fiction podcasts
• Audio storytelling network
• Interactive podcasting
• Podcast production services
• Narrative audio content

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Listener fees (freemium/premium): Aeaea offers a mix of free and premium content. Creators receive proceeds from listener fees, with fair pricing designed to compensate creatives while keeping content affordable and accessible.
2. Merchandise sales: E-commerce store selling branded merchandise including t-shirts ($18.95-$25.00) and hoodies ($50.00) featuring show logos like The Pale.
3. Creator submissions and hosting: Aeaea hosts and produces podcast content from external creators, handling marketing, social media, hosting, distribution, and production assistance for selected submissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aeaea produces, hosts, and distributes scripted fiction podcasts and interactive audio storytelling experiences, both its own original series and selected third-party creator submissions. Beyond content production and distribution, the company develops proprietary technology including a custom media player for web and app stores, location-aware storytelling features, and interactive branching narrative capabilities. It supplements audio content with a branded merchandise store and creator-support services covering production, editing, marketing, and distribution.

Product overview

Aeaea is a podcast network specializing in scripted fiction podcasts. The company produces and hosts multiple distinct podcast series including The Pale (mystery on an Antarctic cruise), More Than Roses (adapted radio dramas about love), The Mercy River Incident (science-fiction mystery), Your City (Or Something Like It) (site-specific NYC anthology), The Vale of Cedars (historical audiobook-podcast hybrid), and One More Story (interactive storytelling with listener choices). Aeaea also operates a merchandise store selling branded apparel. The network focuses on pushing the boundaries of what podcasts can be through innovative storytelling methods and technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Pale: A scripted fiction podcast following strange happenings aboard a cruise ship in Antarctica, featuring interviews by journalist Art Rosenblatt with passengers sharing bizarre stories.
• More Than Roses
• The Mercy River Incident
• Your City (Or Something Like It)
• The Vale of Cedars
• One More Story

Products and services

• The Pale A scripted fiction podcast following journalist Art Rosenblatt as he interviews passengers aboard a cruise ship in Antarctica, with each episode featuring new passengers sharing bizarre stories that blend The Canterbury Tales structure with Twilight Zone-style mystery.
• More Than Roses A scripted fiction podcast that adapts and sculpts radio dramas about love from plays, short stories, novellas, and poetry, presenting atypical and character-centric love stories from diverse perspectives.
• The Mercy River Incident A science-fiction mystery podcast in which astrophysicist Naomi Carver starts a new job in the declining mining town of Mercy River, Wyoming and makes a startling discovery within the town's abandoned uranium mine.
• Your City (Or Something Like It) An anthology of short fiction about New York City where each story takes place in a specific location and is designed for site-specific listening, with the full enhanced experience achieved when listeners physically visit the corresponding location.
• The Vale of Cedars A hybrid audiobook-podcast series in which Zev Hurwich reads The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar, bridging traditional audiobook and podcast formats with discussions about the historical context of the 1850 romance novel.
• One More Story An interactive podcast offering bedtime stories in which listeners shape the narrative direction through choices, combining audio and visual elements (blackboard text prompts and interactive object selection) to create a personalized storytelling experience; requires the Aeaea custom media player.
• Aeaea Merchandise Store An on-demand e-commerce storefront selling branded apparel including The Pale logo unisex t-shirts ($18.95-$25.00), The Pale premium eco-hoodies ($50.00), and Aeaea men's classic t-shirts.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Isle of Shoals Theater CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2021Co-producer of More Than Roses podcast series. Isle of Shoals is a theater company that collaborates with Aeaea on adapting radio dramas about love from plays, short stories, novellas and poetry. Multiple episodes credit Isle of Shoals as co-producer.
• Brooklyn Podcasting StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRecording studio partner used for podcast production. Episodes for shows like Your City and The Mercy River Incident were recorded at Brooklyn Podcasting Studio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QCode: Premium scripted fiction podcast studio producing high-profile, actor-led audio series. Direct competitor to Aeaea in the original scripted narrative podcast space with similar Hollywood-adjacent talent and production-value approach.
• Audio Up Media: Scripted podcast network developing original audio series, often with music and narrative experimentation. Closely comparable to Aeaea's format-pushing approach to podcast storytelling.
• Realm: Serialized fiction podcast studio producing original audio dramas and scripted series. Directly comparable to Aeaea's scripted fiction focus, with a larger catalog and similar serialized-audio positioning.
• Serial Productions: NPR-affiliated production company behind Serial and S-Town, exemplifying the serialized narrative audio format that Aeaea operates in. A direct conceptual peer in the prestige scripted-narrative podcast category.

Broad incumbents

• Audible: Amazon-owned audiobook and original audio platform producing Audible Originals in serialized and dramatic formats. Comparable to Aeaea's Vale of Cedars audiobook-podcast hybrid and original scripted audio content.
• Wondery: Major podcast network (owned by Amazon) producing narrative and scripted series at scale. Broader incumbent competing for the same narrative-podcast audience but with vastly greater resources and catalog depth.
• Gimlet Media: Spotify-owned narrative podcast studio behind Homecoming and Reply All. Operates in the same scripted-fiction-adjacent audio space with a much larger production footprint and institutional backing.
• Stitcher (SiriusXM): Podcast platform and network owned by SiriusXM. One of Aeaea's existing distribution channels and a broader incumbent in the scripted and narrative podcast space.
• Midroll Media: SiriusXM-owned podcast advertising and production network. Comparable as a podcast network operator with broader portfolio reach but different monetization approach (ad-driven) than Aeaea's listener-fee model.
• Spotify Studios: Spotify's in-house original and exclusive podcast division. A key distribution partner for Aeaea but also a broad incumbent with exclusive original scripted content that competes for the same listening time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Aeaea