How to get your startup covered by BetaKit
TL;DR
BetaKit calls itself the publication of record for Canadian tech and startup news since 2012. Canadian startups pitch their own news for free through a Google Form linked from the pitch page, and tips about other companies go through a separate tips page. Paid patron plans exist, and BetaKit states they do not guarantee coverage.
What is BetaKit?
BetaKit is a Canadian news site published by BetaKit Incorporated, with Douglas Soltys as editor-in-chief. It reports on funding rounds, acquisitions, product and partnership news, scientific breakthroughs, bootstrapped companies, IPOs and the wider Canadian ecosystem. Its About page lists 6M+ annual pageviews, 4M+ annual visitors and 100K+ social followers, and it runs newsletters on top of the site.
Every story is about Canadian tech, so coverage puts you in front of the people who fund, hire and partner in that community.
Who should pitch BetaKit?
- Canadian tech companies of any size and sector. BetaKit says no company is too big or too small, and it prioritises companies that have found traction.
- Founders with concrete news: a closed round, an acquisition, a product release, a major partnership or a research result.
- Bootstrapped startups with real revenue or customer numbers to share.
- Skip it if your startup has no Canadian base or Canadian angle, or if your news is a vague "we launched" with no numbers.
How much does BetaKit cost?
Pitching your story and sending tips are free. BetaKit also sells Innovation Leaders patron memberships for organisations:
- Innovation contributor: $200 a month, billed as $2,400 a year, with partner status and monthly updates.
- Innovation leader: $500 a month, billed as $6,000 a year, adding a programming stream such as media training and editorial office hours for startup networks.
BetaKit states that patronage in no way guarantees coverage and does not influence editorial decisions. Advertising runs through a separate advertise page.
The domain authority of 76 belongs to betakit.com; the real gain from a story is the Canadian investors and partners who read it.
How do you share your startup on BetaKit?
- Read recent BetaKit stories in your sector.
- Open the BetaKit pitch page and click Pitch your story to BetaKit, which opens a Google Form.
- Give the facts: what happened, the numbers, why it matters to your company and to BetaKit's tech-savvy readers, and contact details for follow-up.
- Attach a media kit and license-free, high-quality photos.
- For embargoed news, ask BetaKit to agree to the embargo before you share details. An embargo only applies once BetaKit has accepted it.
- For a tip about another company, use the tips page. You can also message staff writers on Signal; their usernames sit on their author pages.
Tips to get more out of BetaKit
- Lead with traction. Revenue, customers, round size and named investors carry more weight than adjectives.
- Pitch early. Send embargoed news days ahead so a writer can schedule the story.
- Treat everything as on the record. BetaKit warns that messages sent through its contact form are on the record and may be published.
- Write for BetaKit if you have a bigger idea. The Write for BetaKit guide asks freelancers for a developed pitch with a Canadian angle, an outline and a word count, rather than a finished draft.
Our verdict
For a Canadian startup with real news, BetaKit is the first outlet to pitch: the form is free, the criteria are public and the readers are the Canadian tech community itself. Founders with no Canadian link should pitch elsewhere.
More options: see all tech media, blogs and newsletters. Planning a launch around press coverage? The Fe/male Switch startup game walks women founders from idea to first customers.