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How SmartNews CEO Ken Suzuki grew SmartNews to $104.5M revenue and 20M customers in 2025.

SmartNews is a news aggregation and discovery platform that uses machine learning algorithms to curate news articles from various sources. The company was founded in 2012 in Japan and has since expanded its operations to the United States. SmartNews aims to provide its users with a personalized and relevant news experience by analyzing user behavior and interests to deliver stories that are most likely to be of interest to them. The platform is free to use and generates revenue through advertising. As of 2021, SmartNews has over 20 million monthly active users worldwide and has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing news apps in the United States.

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SmartNews Revenue

In 2025, SmartNews's revenue reached $104.5M. The company previously reported $23.2M in 2021. Since its launch in 2012, SmartNews has shown consistent revenue growth.

SmartNews Revenue GrowthReported revenue / ARR by year$0$25M$50M$75M$100M$125M20122014201620182020202220242025$0$23M$105MSource: GetLatka.com
YearMilestone
2025SmartNews Hit $104.5m revenue in June 2025
2021SmartNews Hit $23.2m revenue in April 2021
2012Launched with $0 revenue

SmartNews Valuation, Funding Rounds

SmartNews reached a $2B valuation in 2021, set during its Series F round.

SmartNews has raised $427.8M in total funding across 6 rounds, most recently a $230M Series F round in 2021.

SmartNews Capital Raised & ValuationCumulative capital raised and post-money valuation by roundCapital raised (cum.)Valuation$0$500M$1B$2B$2B$3B2012201420162018202020212012 cumulative: $0 • 2012 Founded: $02013 cumulative: $4M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M2014 cumulative: $40M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M • 2014 Series B: $36M2016 cumulative: $78M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M • 2014 Series B: $36M • 2016 Series D: $38M2019 cumulative: $106M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M • 2014 Series B: $36M • 2016 Series D: $38M • 2019 Series E: $28M2019 cumulative: $198M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M • 2014 Series B: $36M • 2016 Series D: $38M • 2019 Series E: $28M • 2019 Series E: $92M @ $1B valuation2021 cumulative: $428M • 2012 Founded: $0 • 2013 None: $4M • 2014 Series B: $36M • 2016 Series D: $38M • 2019 Series E: $28M • 2019 Series E: $92M @ $1B valuation • 2021 Series F: $230M @ $2B valuation$428M2012 Founded: $0 valuation2019 Series E: $1B valuation2021 Series F: $2B valuation$2BSource: GetLatka.com
YearRoundAmountValuation% Sold
2021Series F$230M$2B12%
2019Series E$92M$1.2B8%
2019Series E$28M--
2016Series D$38M--
2014Series B$36M--
2013None$3.8M--

SmartNews Employees & Team Size

SmartNews employs approximately 519 people as of 2026, down from 592 in 2023.

SmartNews has 519 total employees in different roles and functions and 6 sales reps that carry a quota. They have 20M customers that rely on the company's solutions.

SmartNews Team GrowthReported headcount over time0150300450600750201220142016201820202022202400519519Source: GetLatka.com
YearMilestone
2024Reached 519 employees (December 2024)
2024Reached 592 employees (October 2024)
2023Reached 592 employees (December 2023)
2023Reached 592 employees (July 2023)
2022Reached 685 employees (December 2022)
2021Reached 578 employees (December 2021)
2021Reached 351 employees (April 2021)

Founder / CEO

Ken Suzuki

Ken Suzuki is listed as Founder / CEO at SmartNews.

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Customers

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Frequently Asked Questions about SmartNews

What is SmartNews's revenue?

SmartNews generates $104.5M in revenue.

Who founded SmartNews?

SmartNews was founded by Ken Suzuki.

Who is the CEO of SmartNews?

The CEO of SmartNews is Ken Suzuki.

How much funding does SmartNews have?

SmartNews raised $427.8M.

How many employees does SmartNews have?

SmartNews has 519 employees.

Where is SmartNews headquarters?

SmartNews is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Compare SmartNews to the industry

SmartNews operates across multiple industries. Browse revenue, funding, and growth data for SmartNews in each sector below.

Source Attribution

Source: all data was collected from GetLatka company research and founder interviews. Revenue, funding, team, and customer figures are presented as company-reported or GetLatka-estimated metrics where the profile data identifies them that way.

Company data last updated .