What Issuer Direct does

ACCESS Newswire Inc. is a US-based, privately held SaaS provider that operates two integrated subscription platforms under a single login: ACCESS PR (press release distribution, media database, media pitching, media and social monitoring, and AI-powered analytics) and ACCESS IR (IR websites, earnings call webcasts, ADA compliance, disclosure tooling, investor day webcasting, and whistleblower channels). The company combines a regulated press release wire with proprietary media database and monitoring infrastructure, and has introduced AI-native features including AImee (a generative AI press release writing assistant) and a first-of-its-kind LLM Citation Score that measures how retrievable press releases are by ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. ACCESS Verified provides pre-submission editorial review, and Conference & Event Software supports investor meeting scheduling.

ACCESS Newswire monetizes through three revenue streams: (1) subscription revenue from ACCESS PR (monthly/quarterly/annual, no annual lock-in) and ACCESS IR (annual); (2) transactional pay-as-you-go press release distribution starting at $415 per release; and (3) professional services including Content PRO, Media PRO, Total PRO, Premium Onboarding, Platform Management, and PR Content Writing. The go-to-market is sales-led, with US-based account managers assigned to every account, supplemented by a self-serve PLG motion for non-subscription users and a dedicated API channel for legal customers. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio (ACCESS Newswire, Newswire.com, Pressrelease.com) and serves both primary segments — public companies (IR needs, regulatory disclosures, earnings calls) and private companies (press distribution, media outreach) — plus secondary segments (agencies, legal, resellers/publishers/market research). Named enterprise customers include BlackBerry, Sherwin-Williams, Moderna, LG, Kohler, and Merck, indicating penetration into large-cap accounts across pharma, manufacturing, electronics, and consumer products.

Name

Issuer Direct

Legal name

ACCESS Newswire Inc.

Website

https://issuerdirect.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ACCESS Newswire Inc. is a US-based SaaS provider combining press release distribution, media database, monitoring, and AI-powered analytics (ACCESS PR) with investor relations tools including IR websites, earnings webcasts, and disclosure platforms (ACCESS IR) under one subscription login, serving both public companies and growth-stage private brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investor Relations and Public Relations Communications Software

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms (BPAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Content Syndication, Distribution & Rights Management Platforms (BPAMAJAN), Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos) (MPAJADAI)

Keywords

• Press release distribution
• Investor relations software
• Media monitoring platform
• Earnings call webcasts
• Media database services

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Press Release Distribution Services: Fees charged for press release distribution across regional, national, and global distribution channels. Prices start at $415 per release. Both pay-as-you-go (non-subscription) and subscription models are offered. Subscription pricing is flexed around how teams actually work — monthly, quarterly, or annual with no annual lock-in and no hidden fees.
2. Investor Relations Platform Subscriptions: ACCESS IR platform subscriptions covering IR website design/build/hosting, earnings call webcasts, ADA compliance, disclosure tools, and event management — all bundled in a single subscription for public companies.
3. Professional Services: Content PRO, Media PRO, and Total PRO service plans offering professional support for content strategy, media outreach, and engagement management. Also includes premium onboarding, platform management, and PR content writing add-on services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACCESS Newswire operates two integrated subscription SaaS platforms—ACCESS PR for press release distribution, media database, media pitching, media and social monitoring, and AI-powered analytics, and ACCESS IR for investor relations websites, ADA compliance, earnings call webcasts, investor day hosting, and whistleblower services. The platforms share a single login and US-based account team, enabling growth-stage private companies and public enterprises to manage PR and IR communications end-to-end, with pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing plus professional services add-ons.

Product overview

ACCESS Newswire (Issuer Direct) operates as a dual-platform company offering two integrated platforms under one unified subscription model: ACCESS PR and ACCESS IR. ACCESS PR is a comprehensive press release distribution and media outreach platform providing press release distribution, media database, media pitching, media monitoring, social monitoring, and AI-powered insights and analytics. ACCESS IR is the investor relations platform built for public companies, offering IR website design/hosting, earnings call webcasts, earnings press releases, investor days, ADA compliance tools, and whistleblower services. The two platforms share the same login and account team, allowing seamless transitions for companies growing from private to public. Additional offerings include Conference & Event Software for managing investor meetings, and professional services (Content PRO, Media PRO, Total PRO, Premium Onboarding, Platform Management, PR Content Writing) for brands needing additional support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACCESS PR: Press release distribution and media database platform for communications teams from growth-stage brands to global enterprise.
• ACCESS IR

Products and services

• ACCESS PR Platform All-in-one subscription platform offering press release distribution, media database, media pitching, social and media monitoring, and AI-powered analytics under one login, for communications teams from growth-stage brands to global enterprises.
• Press Release Distribution Global press release distribution reaching outlets, journalists, and audiences locally, nationally, or globally with pay-as-you-go, bundle, or subscription pricing options for brands and agencies distributing news.
• Media Database Built-in database of verified journalist contacts with customizable pitching templates, enabling targeted media outreach for PR and communications teams.
• Media Monitoring Real-time media monitoring across print, digital, broadcast, and social channels for brand, industry, and competitor mentions, for communications teams tracking PR impact.
• Social Monitoring Tracks every mention, conversation, and shift in sentiment across social platforms from a unified platform, for brand and communications teams monitoring social impact.
• ACCESS Insights & Analytics AI-powered PR reporting with editorial scoring, real engagement data, and the proprietary LLM Citation Score measuring press release retrievability by ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, for communications teams measuring campaign performance.
• ACCESS Verified Real-time first-pass review of press releases by editors before submission, allowing users to catch issues before publication, for any team submitting releases through the platform.
• ACCESS IR Platform All-in-one subscription platform for investor relations communications including IR website design/build/hosting, earnings call webcasts, ADA compliance, disclosure tools, and dedicated event management, for public companies managing IR.
• IR Website Investor relations website design, build, and hosting with extensive QA, multiple design reviews, and full site testing before launch, for public companies needing a dedicated IR web presence.
• Earnings Calls Fully-branded earnings call webcasts with US-based operators, dedicated event manager for every call, post-event analytics, and 24/7 support, for public companies running quarterly earnings events.
• Earnings Press Releases Earnings press release distribution with quick turnarounds and no extra fees, for public companies announcing quarterly results.
• Investor Days Webcast hosting for investor day events with experienced webcast team support, for public companies hosting investor days and capital markets events.
• Whistleblower Secure and confidential reporting channel to protect organizations and employees and meet whistleblower compliance requirements, for public companies needing an anonymous reporting mechanism.
• All ACCESS Combined PR and IR subscription option that streamlines both PR and IR needs with one platform and unified login, for companies that need both press relations and investor relations communications.
• Conference & Event Software Comprehensive and easy-to-use software for scheduling and managing investor meetings, for IR teams and event organizers running investor conferences and one-on-one meetings.
• Content PRO Professional service for brands needing help consistently fueling content strategy and calendar with optimized press releases, blogs, and related content, available as an add-on subscription.
• Media PRO Professional service for brands with solid content strategy seeking support for effectively reaching and engaging the media, available as an add-on subscription.
• Total PRO Comprehensive professional support for brands needing to build and manage content strategy, media outreach, and engagement plans, available as an add-on subscription.
• Premium Onboarding Personalized support to optimize the platform, including tailored journalist list creation, pitch guidance, and monitoring setup, available as an add-on subscription.
• Platform Management Continual support and management including ongoing list creation, pitch creation and modifications, monitoring adjustments, and additional reporting and analytics review, available as an add-on subscription.
• PR Content Writing Press release creation and optimization for SEO and audience engagement, available as an add-on subscription.

Quantifiable outcome

• LLM Citation Score measures AI retrievability of press releases by ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Newswire.comminorOthersNewswire.com is listed as one of ACCESS Newswire's own brand properties alongside ACCESS Newswire and Pressrelease.com. It is not an external partnership but an owned subsidiary brand.
• Pressrelease.comminorOthersPressrelease.com is listed as one of ACCESS Newswire's own brand properties alongside ACCESS Newswire and Newwire.com. It is not an external partnership but an owned subsidiary brand.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Q4 Inc. Q4 is a focused IR platform serving public companies with IR websites, earnings calls, investor days, and analytics. Directly comparable to ACCESS IR Platform's core IR workflow functionality, especially for mid-cap and enterprise public issuers.
• Cision PR Newswire (standalone brand): PR Newswire is the legacy wire distribution service and most direct competitor in press release distribution. Comparable to ACCESS Newswire's core press release distribution and media outreach offering with similar target customers.
• GlobeNewswire: GlobeNewswire (Notified) is a direct competitor in press release wire distribution and increasingly in IR services. Operates a similar dual PR + IR go-to-market with comparable subscription and pay-as-you-go pricing models.
• Notified: Notified is the parent of GlobeNewswire and offers an integrated PR + IR SaaS platform for public companies. Closest direct competitor to ACCESS Newswire's combined PR and IR subscription offering, including earnings calls, IR websites, and event management.
• IssuerDDirect (formerly Issuer Direct Corporation): IssuerDDirect provides IR software, transfer agent services, and compliance solutions to public companies. Highly comparable to ACCESS Newswire's IR Platform, with overlapping products in IR websites, disclosure, and proxy services.

Broad incumbents

• Cision: Cision owns PR Newswire, Business Wire, and Gorkana — making it the largest incumbent in press release distribution and PR software. Directly comparable to ACCESS Newswire's PR distribution, media database, and monitoring offerings, but at much larger scale with broader product breadth.
• Meltwater: Meltwater is a media monitoring, social listening, and PR analytics platform. Comparable to ACCESS Newswire's media monitoring, social monitoring, and ACCESS Insights & Analytics modules, though without the press release wire distribution.
• Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN): DFIN provides IR, regulatory filing, and capital markets communication services to public companies. Comparable to ACCESS Newswire's IR Platform, particularly in disclosure tools and shareholder communications, though at much larger scale.
• Intrado (formerly West Corporation): Intrado provides earnings call webcasting, IR communication, and shareholder services to public companies. Comparable to ACCESS Newswire's earnings call webcasts and IR event management offerings, especially for enterprise-scale public issuers.

Emerging players

• Agility PR Solutions: Agility PR Solutions offers a media database, monitoring, and PR analytics SaaS platform. Comparable to ACCESS Newswire's media database and monitoring modules, focused on SMB and mid-market PR teams.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IssuerDirect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/issuer-direct-corporation

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 Issuer Direct