Technical.ly acquires StartNow Pittsburgh

Technical.ly intends to narrate local economic change and bring together a community of professionals who are making that change. We’ve done that for 12 years.

When we launch daily reporting in a new city, we strive to do so in collaboration with others who care about telling that story. We’ll begin reporting daily on Pittsburgh’s tech economy this summer and along the way leading up to it, we met StartNow PGH, its founder John Quayle and several of his contributors. They’ve taken a genuine approach to telling honest stories about Pittsburgh’s newest generation of tech startups.

We at Technically Media, the 20-person organization behind Technical.ly, are proud to announce that in collaboration with John and his team, we’re acquiring StartNow PGH, including its archives. We’ll give their solid reporting a long-term home. We also hope to welcome their community into our own — including our own newsletters, both This Week in Jobs and a forthcoming Pittsburgh daily, and the Technical.ly public Slack community.

Below find the formal press release. The tl;dr: Technical.ly is intending to be a contributing and collaborative part to the Pittsburgh story.

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Technically Media, the company that publishes local tech economies publication Technical.ly, has acquired StartNow Pittsburgh, the news site focused on covering Pittsburgh’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The acquisition is timed with Technical.ly’s expansion to Pittsburgh — the publication’s fifth market with daily dedicated reporting.

“Led by tireless local efforts and popularized by a cluster of tech giant satellite offices, Pittsburgh has become synonymous with economic transformation,” said Christopher Wink, Technically Media cofounder and CEO. “That success is incomplete and unequal though; Technical.ly intends to track local progress and add national context.”

Pittsburgh is a city rich with innovation economy stories from the leading industries such as autonomous systems and life sciences, and an undercurrent of development that spans sectors  such as artificial intelligence and fintech. The enthusiasm comes amid growing pressure from global competition and issues of racial equity, only accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Founded in 2015, StartNow has been a faithful chronicler of Pittsburgh. In that time period, it’s been one of the leading sources for all activity in Pittsburgh’s startup ecosystem — providing original stories, a weekly email newsletter, an all encompassing community calendar, and a startup company index for anyone who wished to be plugged into the scene.

“When you look at how the media business landscape is continuing to change, Technical.ly proved to be the perfect partner to carry on shining a light on our region’s best stories,” said John Quayle, StartNow Pittsburgh founder and operator. “Beyond reporting, this deal is also about Pittsburgh opening its doors and connecting to other ecosystems. The shared knowledge that will be a result of this deal will be a win-win situation for all. I’m looking forward to Technical.ly shining a light on Pittsburgh’s best stories inside our tech economy.”

More than 50,000 people receive Technical.ly’s newsletters, including in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Delaware, Philadelphia and now Pittsburgh. The publication also has a newsletter called This Week in Jobs. In addition to its events Technical.ly’s community of professionals also connect with each other online, including its public Slack channel. Join here. Technical.ly is published by Technically Media, a 20-person independent digital media company founded in 2009.

The acquisition completes the journey for Quayle, who self-funded the brand through its entire lifecycle.

“There are so many people to thank along our journey. Starting with my business partner, Joe Esposito, our entire reporting staff, our brand partners, and the numerous community members who allowed us to share their stories or events over the years,” Quayle said. “StartNow Pittsburgh was built for and was always powered by the community.”

Technical.ly has reported in Pittsburgh since 2018, through a series of projects. In summer 2021, Technical.ly will begin daily reporting.

“When Technical.ly joins a community, we do so with intention. We have been deliberate in getting to know Pittsburgh over the last several years,” Wink said. “This partnership is meant to further show the importance we put on local first.”