If you haven’t heard the news, TechCrunch has a new shiny home. After years of being under Yahoo’s ownership, this is backed by the Apollo Group, but the brand is now in fresh hands. Its new parent company: Regent is a dynamic private equity company with a diverse portfolio spanning media, retail and manufacturing. Regent was founded 12 years ago by Michael Renstein, founder of an artificial one-off startup who quickly realized that he could have a brighter future as a PE executive and an undeniable passion for TechCrunch.
Financial terms remain private, but one thing is clear. Regent has acquired an iconic brand. TechCrunch is more than just a high-tech news site. It is the most influential voice innovation in Silicon Valley and beyond. Being featured on TechCrunch has long been a ritual of startup passing, but our mission is far beyond the industry insiders that make up our core leadership. We aim to give everyone a front row seat to the future of technology. Whether you’re a founder, an investor, or someone interested in how Tech is reshaping the world, we help you see what’s next by reporting the news, then we’ll put together the pieces and share the big picture.
Best Part: This transaction is configured to minimize TechCrunch operations. It can be thought of as much as a software update, rather than a system overhaul. In San Francisco and New York, they will be relocated to new offices leased by Regent. (Goodbye, Financial District, Hello, Soma!) And Yahoo will not cut ties completely. It has a bit of interest in the company. (What can we say? It’s hard to let go of TechCrunch.) Relatedly, thank you to Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone.
But here’s what really matters. The same team of professional journalists you know and trust will continue to bring you a must-see story of the world of technology. Without a doubt, this is the most powerful TechCrunch team we have ever had and we have been fortunate to work with some incredible talent over the years.
TechCrunch has been at the heart of Silicon Valley since its founding in 2005 by Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. With the continued support of our readers and advertisers, we have covered all major tech trends, billionaire brawls and reforms in all industries. And we’re just starting out. Many of the founders and executives we have written over the years are now shaping policy in Washington. We’ll be there right away and report what will happen next.
Yahoo ultimately decided to sell TechCrunch because its DNA is simply different from other portfolios. Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance are excellent at aggregation, but TechCrunch has always been about original reporting and news analysis. The timing of the sale also makes sense. While much of the news industry has punched its faces with many challenges, from AI-generated summaries to Twitter’s evolution to X, TechCrunch has steadily played its readers, beating the trends of last year. Our secret? We put our readers first, provide must-read news without bias, and showcase the wild, often ridiculous human side of the high-tech world.
As close followers of TechCrunch already know, this is not our first rodeo in regards to new ownership (we all still have AOL and Verizon stolen items). But the most important thing in this transition was to ensure our team retained freedom and support to do our best. With Regent, there’s just that.
Thank you to Yahoo for standing by our side throughout the tough times. And to Regent, we love your enthusiasm for what we do and are excited to embark on this next chapter with you. Now, let’s give this gratitude.
PS Yes, our StrictlyVC brand is part of the overall packaging, and by the way, our first events in San Francisco will be held in a few weeks, including SF Mayor Daniel Lurie, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour and Forerunner Founder Kirsten Green. Don’t wait to sign up. We are almost sold out.