Hostwriter

What Hostwriter does

Hostwriter is a Berlin-based non-profit organization (Hostwriter gUG, registered in Hamburg, HRB 16750) founded in August 2013 by German journalists Tamara Anthony, Tabea Grzeszyk, and Sandra Maria Wild. It operates a global, professionally verified network that connects more than 6,882 journalists across 163 countries (as of October 2024) for cross-border collaboration, providing local contacts, an accommodation exchange (over half of members host), training, networking events, and an online forum for collaboration calls. Membership is free of charge and gated by a work-sample verification process.

The platform is built on standard open-source tooling — Drupal (CMS), Matomo (analytics), Discourse (forum) powering HostWIRE — augmented with SSL encryption and GDPR-compliant data handling. Beyond the core network, Hostwriter operates Unbias the News, a cross-border newsroom launched in 2021 that commissions and publishes stories from underrepresented journalists (800+ story pitches received in early rounds), plus product extensions including the Hostwriter Prize (annual €6,000 collaborative journalism awards), the Hostwriter Creators Prize (December 2025), the European Journalism x AI Fellowship (September 2025), and Publisher Platform tools that allow newsrooms to commission journalists by region. Climate-themed reporting has become an explicit vertical focus following the German Postcode Lottery award.

The business model is grant- and donation-funded. Revenue streams include foundation grants (Luminate Group $100,000 in April 2021, German Postcode Lottery €100,000 in October 2024, Centre for Public Impact/Google.org AI Opportunity Fund selection in October 2024, Otto Sprenger Foundation for prizes), donor contributions, and tax-deductible donations. Go-to-market is community-led: journalists join free via word-of-mouth through journalism networks, ambassador programs, event participation (International Journalism Festival Perugia, Global Investigative Journalism Conference, Dataharvest, re:publica), and referrals. Customer segments are horizontal — individual journalists at all career levels (primary persona) and publishers/newsrooms seeking regional commissioning access. Headcount is small (1–10), distributed across Berlin, the US, South Asia, and Latin America, with current Managing Director Ruby Russell appointed in mid-2026 after dual co-leadership by Mercy Abang and Julia Vernersson (2022) and Vernersson's subsequent transition to the supervisory board.

Name

Hostwriter

Legal name

Hostwriter gUG (haftungsbeschränkt)

Website

https://hostwriter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hostwriter is a Berlin-based non-profit operating a free, verified global network of 6,882+ journalists across 163 countries for cross-border collaboration, training, and accommodation exchange, alongside the Unbias the News cross-border newsroom, funded primarily through foundation grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Collaboration Platform

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Other Publishers (51319), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Publishing & Membership Platforms (Writer-Centric) (MPACAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Syndication, Licensing & Content Partnerships (Columns, Features, Photos) (MPAJADAI)

Keywords

• Cross-border journalism network
• Journalist collaboration platform
• Nonprofit media organization
• Journalism training fellowships
• Digital media community

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Hostwriter is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from supporters to fund operations and services. Services are free for journalists worldwide.
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: Receives grants from foundations and organizations including Luminate Group ($100,000), German Postcode Lottery (€100,000), Centre for Public Impact/Google.org AI Opportunity Fund, and Otto Sprenger Foundation for prizes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hostwriter operates a free, verified global network connecting journalists for cross-border collaboration, enabling members to find partners, pitch stories, and co-produce reporting. Beyond the core matchmaking platform, it runs editorial projects (Unbias the News, The Sinking Cities Project), training fellowships, and a separate Publisher Platform for newsrooms seeking verified collaborators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Unbias the News: A cross-border newsroom launched in 2021 that creates space for journalists experiencing structural barriers, working towards a more equitable and inclusive world of journalism. It publishes stories with cross-border relevance that challenge stereotypes and are told by local journalists.

Products and services

• Hostwriter Platform Free, verified global network where individual journalists register and are vetted to find cross-border collaboration partners, pitch stories, and co-produce international reporting. Built on Drupal CMS with SSL encryption and a proprietary Professional Verification System. Audience: 6,882 verified journalists across 163 countries.
• HostWIRE Member-only chatroom and forum built on Discourse software, enabling real-time private communication among verified Hostwriter members for partnership coordination and editorial collaboration.
• Unbias the News Editorial project producing cross-border reporting on underrepresented perspectives. Functions as a journalistic output of the Hostwriter network, using its membership to source diverse voices for comparative reporting.
• The Sinking Cities Project Editorial project focused on cross-border reporting about climate change impacts on coastal cities, produced by the Hostwriter network.
• Publisher Platform Dedicated interface for newsrooms and publishers to access the verified Hostwriter journalist network, enabling editorial teams to discover and engage international collaborators for commissioned reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of journalists from 100+ countries connected for cross-border collaboration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CMFE - Community Media Forum EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Co-hosted Display Europe City Session in Belgrade, Serbia in May 2024. Hostwriter collaborated with CMFE to organize sessions as part of Display Europe coalition of independent and citizen media.
• Display EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of independent and citizen media shaping European media landscape. Hostwriter participates in Display City Sessions across Europe and Display.Voices conference in Budapest.
• European Journalism CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in 2020 to launch HostWIRE tool for editors to find journalists globally. Also partnered for Solutions Journalism Accelerator (one of ten grantees) and various journalism grants programs.
• Indie Newsroom AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHostwriter/Unbias the News looking to build relationships and intensify collaborations with Indie Newsroom Alliance partners in South America, Asia, and Africa.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pulitzer Center: US-based non-profit that funds and supports cross-border investigative and enterprise journalism, with grants, training, and a journalist community. Comparable as a journalist-supporting non-profit combining funding, training, and publishing.
• GroundTruth Project: US-based non-profit supporting local and international correspondents, including the Report for America and Report for the World fellowship programs. Direct peer as a journalist-training and placement non-profit with a global network of reporters.
• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN): Non-profit network of investigative journalism organizations and journalists across 90+ countries. Direct comparable in mission and member-base structure, with similar cross-border collaboration, training, and resource-sharing focus.
• European Journalism Centre (EJC): Maastricht-based journalism non-profit running journalism grants, training programs, and innovation initiatives. Direct peer as a Europe-based journalism funder and trainer with overlapping program offerings (Hostwriter has partnered with EJC).
• International Journalists' Network (IJNET): ICFJ-run global network providing journalism resources, training, and opportunities for journalists worldwide. Closest direct comparable — also a free membership platform for cross-border journalism collaboration with training, job postings, and a community focus.

Broad incumbents

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF): Much larger international press-freedom organization with global advocacy, journalist support, and grants. Broader incumbent in the same journalism-support mission space, with significantly more resources and brand recognition.
• Nieman Foundation for Journalism: Harvard-based journalism fellowship and training program supporting journalists globally. Comparable training and community-building function, but anchored at an elite university with significantly more resources.
• Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism: Oxford-based research institute studying global journalism, including training programs and a journalist network. Broader incumbent in journalism research and training, operating at much larger scale with significant institutional backing.

Emerging players

• Muck Rack: For-profit platform connecting journalists and PR/comms professionals, with a searchable journalist database and pitching tools. Emerging commercial peer serving overlapping users (journalists and publishers/communicators) with a related but profit-driven model.
• Type Investigations: Non-profit investigative reporting collaborative supporting cross-border investigations and training journalists. Emerging peer focused on collaborative, investigative journalism in a non-profit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZqQGlwic8BvBXcKt6V6J5A
• Facebookfacebook.com/hostwriter.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/hostwriter_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hostwriter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 Hostwriter