How to get your startup covered by The Guardian technology desk
TL;DR
The Guardian is a British news organisation owned by Guardian Media Group, which belongs to the Scott Trust. Coverage in its technology section is free and editorial only: there is no submission form for startups, so you pitch a reporter directly by email. It suits startups with a story of public interest, and a plain product launch does not fit.
What is The Guardian technology section?
The technology section at theguardian.com/uk/technology publishes news, analysis and features about the tech industry, and the desk also runs the TechScape newsletter. The Guardian publishes UK, US, Australia, Europe and international editions, so one story can reach readers on several continents. Its contact page states that individual staff can be reached at firstname.lastname@theguardian.com.
Who should pitch The Guardian?
- Startups with a public interest angle: privacy, climate, health, work or fairness in AI.
- Founders with data on how technology affects people, such as a survey or an audit with a published method.
- Founders who can comment quickly on breaking tech news in their field.
- Skip it for funding announcements, feature updates and press releases without a wider story.
How much does Guardian coverage cost?
Editorial coverage is free and cannot be bought. Advertising and sponsorship go through the commercial team listed on the Guardian contact page, separate from the newsroom.
How do you pitch your startup to The Guardian?
- Read the Guardian technology section for two weeks and note which reporters cover your topic.
- Email the reporter at firstname.lastname@theguardian.com, the staff format the Guardian publishes on its contact page. The page warns that there is no guarantee messages get forwarded, so write to the right person the first time.
- Keep the pitch under 200 words: the news, why it matters to readers, the evidence and who is available to talk.
- For confidential information in the public interest, use the Guardian tips page, which offers Secure Messaging in the Guardian app and SecureDrop. The Guardian says it cannot act on information that is vague or speculative.
- To write an opinion piece yourself, follow the Guardian Opinion pitching guide linked from the contributors' guide.
Tips to get more out of a Guardian pitch
- Frame your startup as evidence for a bigger story, such as how women founders get funded or how AI changes a specific job.
- Bring numbers and named sources. The tips page asks for specifics like names, locations, dates and evidence.
- Pick the edition that fits: a story about British users belongs with UK reporters, a US story with the US team.
- Put the public interest in the first line of the email, before any mention of your product.
- Send one follow-up at most, and answer fast when a reporter replies with questions.
Our verdict
The Guardian technology desk is one of the hardest places for a startup to land, and it writes about companies when they illustrate a wider story. A founder with original data on a public interest topic has a real chance. Everyone else should start with trade media and come back with a bigger story.
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.