What Formiche does

Formiche is an Italian independent B2B media and events company founded in 2004 by Paolo Messa and operated through the privately held publisher Base per altezza srl, headquartered at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, n. 18 in Rome. The company is structured as a multi-product editorial archipelago serving Italian and European policymakers, government officials, diplomats, business leaders, academics, and journalists with analysis of geopolitics, defense, healthcare policy, innovation, and public affairs. Its core products comprise the daily online outlet Formiche.net, the monthly Formiche magazine (print and electronic), the specialized Airpress magazine (aerospace and defense), the Healthcare Policy publication, the international Decode39 site (English and Arabic), the Formiche Plus subscription bundle, a digital newsstand (edicola.formiche.net), and four thematic newsletters (Formiche daily, Pop Tech, Indo Pacific Salad, SpyGames), supplemented by a long-form pamphlet series, FormicheTV video, and an events program of conferences, webinars, seminars, and roundtables.

The business is built on a digital media publishing platform spanning the Formiche.net portal, specialized multilingual sites, and a digital edicola/subscription service, with content distribution also driven by social media, newsletters, and recurring live events. Formiche makes money through recurring subscriptions (Formiche Plus, Airpress), corporate and institutional event sponsorships, and event/programmatic partnerships with think tanks and foundations such as Atlantic Council, German Marshall Fund, ECFR, IAI, Luiss Guido Carli, Fondazione Med-Or, and Fondazione Roche. The go-to-market motion is sales-led B2B media: enterprise sponsorship of events and content, complemented by self-serve digital subscriptions for individual policy professionals. Specific subscription pricing tiers are not publicly disclosed on the website but are transacted via the edicola portal. Governance includes President Gianluca Calvosa and a board combining publishing, financial, and policy expertise; the company is independent, explicitly declines public funding, and is not affiliated with any political party.

Name

Formiche

Legal name

Base per altezza srl

Website

https://formiche.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Formiche is an independent Italian B2B media and events company, founded in 2004, publishing geopolitical, defense, healthcare, and innovation analysis through Formiche.net, Airpress, Healthcare Policy, Decode39, newsletters, and sponsored events for policymakers, diplomats, and business leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media and Policy Publishing

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Long-Form Writing & Article Platforms (MPACAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Geopolitical analysis media
• Digital news publishing
• Defense policy journalism
• Healthcare policy analysis
• Subscription media services

Headquarters

HQ city

Roma

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Formiche Plus Subscription: Premium subscription service offering access to the complete Formiche ecosystem including the monthly magazine, Formiche.net daily news, and exclusive content.
2. Airpress Subscription: Specialized magazine subscription for aerospace and defense industry content.
3. Event Sponsorships and Partnerships: Corporate and institutional sponsorships for live events, webinars, conferences, and roundtables organized by Formiche.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Formiche is an independent Italian editorial media group that publishes daily online news (Formiche.net), a monthly magazine, and specialized publications covering geopolitics, defense (Airpress), healthcare policy, and international affairs (Decode39 in English and Arabic). The company operates subscription services (Formiche Plus, Airpress), multiple newsletters, a pamphlet publication series, and a live events program including conferences, webinars, and roundtables targeting policymakers, business leaders, and academics.

Product overview

Formiche is a cultural and editorial project comprising multiple interconnected media properties: Formiche.net (daily online news), the Formiche monthly magazine (print and digital), specialized publications Airpress (aerospace/defense) and Healthcare Policy (health policy), the international Decode39 site (English/Arabic), Formiche Plus subscription service, and various newsletters including Formiche (daily), Pop Tech (weekly on innovation), Indo Pacific Salad (periodic on Mediterranean-Asia strategies), and SpyGames (intelligence/national security). The portfolio also includes I Pamphlet di Formiche (policy publications) and a robust events program featuring conferences, webinars, seminars, and round tables. The ecosystem positions itself as an independent voice in geopolitical analysis, innovation, health policy, and public affairs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formiche.net Daily online news portal providing analysis, commentary, and scenarios on geopolitics, innovation, health, defense, and public affairs in Italian. Targets policymakers, business leaders, academics, and journalists.
• Formiche Magazine Monthly magazine available in print and electronic formats, covering geopolitical analysis, international affairs, defense, and technology topics.
• Airpress Specialized magazine focusing on aerospace, defense, and technology sectors. Targeted at defense industry professionals and policy stakeholders.
• Healthcare Policy Specialized publication dedicated to healthcare policy, life sciences, and public health topics. Targets healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
• Decode39 Website available in English and Arabic providing geopolitical analysis covering Mediterranean and Asian regions. Targets international policy and defense audiences.
• Formiche Plus Premium subscription service providing access to Formiche content ecosystem including the monthly magazine, Formiche.net daily news, and exclusive content on an annual billing basis.
• Formiche Newsletter Daily free newsletter delivering facts, comments, and in-depth analysis on Formiche's editorial focus areas to subscriber inboxes.
• Pop Tech Newsletter Weekly newsletter dedicated to innovation and technology topics, delivered to subscribers.
• Indo Pacific Salad Newsletter Periodic newsletter covering geopolitical strategies and analysis spanning the Mediterranean and Asia regions.
• SpyGames Newsletter Newsletter focused on intelligence and national security topics, delivering analysis and commentary to subscribers.
• I Pamphlet di Formiche Series of policy pamphlet publications covering life sciences, digitalization, chronic conditions, European challenges, and university innovation.
• Formiche Events Program of live events including conferences, webinars, seminars, and round tables offered in both public and private formats for policy and business audiences, supported by corporate and institutional sponsorships.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DoctolibminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2022Partnership for digital health events, including 'Sanità digitale e servizi' event organized by Formiche and Doctolib.
• Decode39coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultilingual content platform in English and Arabic covering geopolitics and international affairs. Part of the Formiche archipelago of publications.
• AirpresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized publication covering aerospace, defense, and space topics. Part of the Formiche editorial group.
• Healthcare PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized publication on healthcare policy and medical innovation. Part of the Formiche editorial group.
• Fondazione RocheminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on 'Tutto nella norma' healthcare policy forum series, promoting dialogue on chronic diseases and healthcare rights.
• Fondazione Med-OrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint events on Mediterranean geopolitics and Middle East affairs. Med-Or is a foundation created by Leonardo Spa.
• Atlantic CouncilminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational think tank partnership for joint events on transatlantic relations and Mediterranean geopolitics.
• German Marshall FundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTransatlantic partnership for events and analysis on US-European relations and security policy.
• Luiss Guido CarliminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcademic partnership for joint events, lectures, and conferences on foreign policy and international relations.
• Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration on international affairs analysis and events featuring IAI experts and researchers.
• Europa AtlanticaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditorial and event collaboration on transatlantic relations and European security policy.
• ECFR (European Council on Foreign Relations)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Rome Foreign Policy Club podcast series on European foreign policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Economist: Global news and analysis publication covering politics, economics, defense, and international affairs with a subscription model. Overlaps with Formiche on policy/defense coverage and subscription monetization, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader audience.
• Foreign Policy magazine: Global magazine and digital publication covering geopolitics, international relations, defense, and economic policy for policymakers, business leaders, and academics. Comparable in editorial focus and target audience, but with significantly broader global reach and resources than Formiche.
• Il Sole 24 Ore: Italy's leading financial newspaper and digital news platform covering economics, politics, and regulation. Comparable Italian-language policy and regulatory audience, with a broader business-news scope than Formiche's geopolitical specialization.

Emerging players

• Al-Monitor: Digital publication covering Middle East geopolitics and policy with multilingual content, events, and newsletters for policymakers and analysts. Comparable to Decode39's multilingual geopolitical coverage and event-driven engagement model.

Others

• Formiche Atlantic Council partnership co-events: The Atlantic Council is a US think tank that publishes analysis and runs events on geopolitics, defense, and transatlantic policy. Comparable through joint event programming with Formiche, but as a partner rather than competitor.
• European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): European think tank publishing policy analysis, podcasts, and events on EU foreign policy, geopolitics, and security. Directly comparable editorial focus to Formiche and partner on the Rome Foreign Policy Club podcast series.

Direct peers

• Aspenia (ISPI): Italian magazine published by ISPI (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale) covering geopolitics, international affairs, and Italian foreign policy. Directly comparable to Formiche's editorial focus, Italian-language audience, and policy/defense orientation.
• Affari Internazionali: Italian online magazine focused on foreign policy, international economics, and European affairs, published by ISPI. Comparable to Formiche in Italian-language geopolitical analysis and policymaker audience, with similar free/subscription hybrid model.
• Politico Europe: European policy and political affairs media outlet offering news, analysis, newsletters and events aimed at policymakers, government officials, and lobbyists in Brussels and across Europe. Directly comparable to Formiche in audience (European policy decision-makers), business model (subscriptions, events, sponsored content), and editorial focus (politics, regulation, geopolitics).

Regional players

• AGI - Agenzia Italia: Italian news agency covering politics, economics, and international affairs for Italian professionals and media. Comparable in Italian-language current affairs coverage and policy audience, operating at broader news scale than Formiche's niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Formiche
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/formiche

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Formiche