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TechCrunch is where investors, engineers and early adopters find out who matters in technology. This guide shows every honest route in, from a pitch that earns a staff story to a guaranteed article on a DA 93, DR 92 site.
The worst day in a founder’s life is not the day the product breaks. It is the day it launches and nobody notices.
You know the routine. The press release goes out at 7am. You refresh the inbox. A few friends share the LinkedIn post. A competitor with half your traction gets a TechCrunch headline the same week, and your investors forward it to you with a question mark.
That feeling is not vanity. Coverage in a publication like TechCrunch changes real conversations. It is the link a seed investor opens before your first call. It is the proof a procurement team wants before they sign a pilot. It is the page a senior engineer reads before deciding whether to leave a safe job and join you. In technology, the story people can find about you often matters as much as the product.
United Press has helped companies earn attention since 2001 from our office at Brook’s Mews, off Bond Street in London. We work with founders across the UK, Europe and beyond who need the right audience to hear about them. This page is everything we know about TechCrunch in 2026: how it works, what its editors look for, what has changed for British founders, the guaranteed options our publishing partners offer, and exactly how we would plan your campaign.
Read it once, then tell us about your news. We will tell you honestly which route suits you.
How do you get featured in TechCrunch?
There are four real routes. First, you can earn a story from a TechCrunch reporter by pitching genuine news (a funding round, a significant launch, strong growth data or a notable hire) with an exclusive or embargo, a clear angle and proof. Second, you can apply to Startup Battlefield, TechCrunch’s startup competition at Disrupt. Third, you can secure a guaranteed article on techcrunch.com through a publishing partner, which United Press arranges with DA 93 and DR 92, typically live in one to two weeks. Fourth, you can publish a clearly labelled press release post in TechCrunch’s sponsored section, typically live in three to five days.
Earned coverage carries the most weight but is never guaranteed. Guaranteed placements give you certainty on timing and wording. Many founders use both: guaranteed coverage for the launch window, and an earned pitch for the story reporters want next.
To pitch a publication well, you need to understand where it came from and who owns it now. Here is TechCrunch’s history in the format its readers know best.
Michael Arrington and Keith Teare started TechCrunch in 2005 to profile new internet companies. It quickly became the place Silicon Valley went to hear about launches first.
AOL bought TechCrunch in 2010. The site moved from founder blog to media brand, with a larger newsroom and events business.
Through Verizon’s purchase of AOL and later Yahoo’s ownership, TechCrunch sat inside one of the largest media groups on the internet while keeping its own editorial identity.
Yahoo sold TechCrunch to Regent, an investment firm, in 2025. The new owners set out plans to grow the brand and its events.
Industry reports in 2025 described cuts to TechCrunch’s European editorial team, while the owners said publicly they were staying in Europe. For UK founders, that means fewer reporters based on this side of the Atlantic, so your story needs to matter to a global reader.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs from 13 to 15 October in San Francisco. Around Disrupt, reporters are flooded with pitches, which is why timing and angle matter even more that month.
Headquarters: San Francisco. Core beats: startups, venture capital, AI, enterprise software, fintech, climate technology, hardware, security, apps and big tech.
Most guides only describe one route. Founders deserve the whole picture. Here is how each route compares on control, certainty, timing and signal.
| Route | How it works | Guaranteed? | Typical timing | Label and links | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff storyearned editorial | A TechCrunch reporter decides to cover your news after a pitch, often as an exclusive or under embargo. | No | Days to months, if at all | No label; the reporter controls the angle, headline and links | Large rounds, category-defining launches, data no one else has |
| Startup Battlefieldcompetition | Apply to TechCrunch’s startup competition. Selected companies exhibit and pitch at Disrupt. | No | Annual application cycle | Coverage decided by TechCrunch | Early-stage companies with a working product |
| Guaranteed articlevia our publishing partner | An article about your company, written with you and published on techcrunch.com through a publishing partner. Format confirmed in writing before booking. | Yes | 1–2 weeks | Listed with no sponsored label, dofollow and indexed | Funding news, launches and expansion when timing matters |
| Labelled release postsponsored section | Your press release published in TechCrunch’s sponsored area, clearly labelled as such. | Yes | 3–5 days | Clearly labelled; nofollow links | Fast, transparent announcements and a TechCrunch URL for your newsroom |
An earned TechCrunch story is the gold standard. A reporter chose you, wrote about you in their own words and put their name to it. Readers know that, and so do investors. If your news is strong, it is always worth trying, and we will help you pitch it properly.
The trouble is that an earned story depends on things you cannot control: a reporter’s workload, a bigger story breaking the same morning, an editor’s view of the week’s priorities. Founders who plan a funding announcement around a single pitch sometimes find the big day passes with nothing live, and the news is stale by the time a reporter replies.
A guaranteed article gives you certainty. You know the story will appear on techcrunch.com, you approve the wording and you can plan everything around the date: investor updates, customer emails, recruitment posts and your own newsroom.
Our usual advice is simple. Where the story is strong, pitch it as an exclusive and line up a guaranteed article as a safety net. Where the story is modest, skip the waiting and use the guaranteed route with a few well-chosen companion titles. Either way, launch day is never silent.
Honesty note: the details above come from our publishing partner’s current listing and may change. Before you approve anything, we confirm in writing the exact format, where the article appears, whether it carries a label, link treatment and expected timing. If anything differs on the day, you hear it from us first.
TechCrunch reporters receive a flood of pitches each day. The ones that become stories almost always rest on one of these triggers. The label on each card shows how often, in our experience, that trigger alone is enough to earn a staff story.
Seed, Series A and beyond, with named investors and a clear use of funds. Size matters, but so do the investors, the market and the story of why now.
Not a new feature. A new product that does something the market has not seen, with a live demo, real users or a waiting list to prove it.
Original figures from your platform or research that reveal a trend. Reporters love numbers no one else has, especially about AI, work or funding trends.
Revenue growth, users, a landmark customer or a big partnership. Stronger when the figures are specific and verifiable.
A senior leader joining from a big tech company, or founders leaving one to start something new.
A British or European company opening in the US, especially with a customer, office or team already in place.
Useful for your website and sales deck, rarely enough for a TechCrunch story on its own.
Important to you, but rarely news for a global technology audience unless it marks a genuine change of direction.
Thought leadership works better on other titles. TechCrunch’s newsroom looks for news first.
Weak trigger? Your story still deserves an audience. That is exactly when a guaranteed article, or the right mix of other technology titles, makes more sense than waiting for a reply that may never come.
Tech reporters use a handful of terms that decide whether a pitch is even opened. If you understand these before you contact anyone, you are already ahead of most founders.
Here is an illustrative pitch for a fictional London company, annotated line by line. It is short on purpose. Reporters decide in seconds, usually from the subject line and the first two sentences.
Hi [first name],
I read your piece last week on the shortage of GPU capacity for smaller AI teams.2 I wanted to offer you an exclusive on related news.
Northlight, a London company that lets AI teams share unused compute across data centres, has closed a Series A led by [named investor].3 Since launch, it has grown to [specific, verifiable number] customers, including [named customer].4
The news is under embargo until Tuesday 09:00 BST. Founder [name] is free for a call on Thursday or Friday, and a press kit with photos and figures is here: [link].5
Would you like the exclusive?6
Thanks,
[Your name]
if reply == yesA reporter who likes your pitch may want a call the same day. Make sure the founder is available, the press kit is ready and the figures are checked.
if reply == maybeReporters often ask for more data, a customer they can speak to or an investor comment. Quick, accurate answers keep your story moving up the list.
if reply == nullNo reply after a follow-up usually means no. Offer the story elsewhere, or use a guaranteed route so the news still lands on time.
Northlight is an invented example used only to show structure. Illustrative placeholders stand in for real details, which must always be accurate.
A great story sent to the wrong person is a lost story. TechCrunch reporters each cover a beat, and they open pitches that fit it. Four checks find the one person most likely to care.
Open the reporter’s TechCrunch author page. Check that they still write for TechCrunch and what they cover now, not two years ago.
Read their last ten or so articles. Note the companies, funding stages and themes they choose, and the stories they skip.
Turn your news into the version that only fits their beat: the fintech angle for the fintech reporter, the climate angle for the climate reporter.
Show why your news matters beyond your company: a shift in the market, a new regulation or a wave of similar launches the reporter is already following.
TechCrunch’s own tips page asks for press releases and pitches by email, and offers encrypted messaging for sensitive tips. A press release on its own rarely becomes a story; it works best as the fact sheet behind a short, personal pitch.
Send a short pitch to the one reporter whose beat fits, with your press release or key facts below it, and say if it is an exclusive or under embargo.
For news with no obvious reporter, use the routes on TechCrunch’s tips page. Sensitive tips can go through its encrypted Signal or WhatsApp channels.
TechCrunch says it no longer accepts guest columns, so opinion pieces need a different home. Sponsored posts are a separate advertising route.
Follow up once, briefly, after a few working days and only with something new. If there is still silence, offer the story elsewhere and keep the relationship for next time.
TechCrunch is headquartered in San Francisco and reads with a global, US-first lens. That is exactly why British founders want it: US investors, customers and future employees read it daily. It is also why getting in from London is harder than it looks.
In 2025, industry reports described cuts to TechCrunch’s European editorial team. Fewer reporters on this side of the Atlantic means fewer people whose job is to cover a British Series A, a London fintech or a Cambridge deep-tech spin-out. Your pitch now competes directly with Silicon Valley news, in a US reporter’s inbox, in a US time zone.
There is a second, quieter challenge. British founders are often too modest in a pitch. A US reporter expects the headline figure, the ambition and the comparison with the market leader in the first lines. Understatement that reads as confidence in London can read as uncertainty in San Francisco. We help you say what is true about your company clearly and without apology.
How we help UK companies close that gap:
One TechCrunch article is powerful. A launch covered by TechCrunch plus several respected technology and business titles is what makes investors, buyers and AI search engines see you everywhere at once. Every title below is available through our publishing partners, with Domain Authority (DA) and Domain Rating (DR) shown.
no label dofollow 1–2 weeks. Also available: a labelled press release post, live in 3–5 days. The flagship of a funding or launch campaign.no label 1 week (Netherlands edition, see Mashable NL)labelled 2–3 weeksno label 3–5 daysno label 3–5 daysno label 3–5 daysScores and timings come from our publishing partner’s current listing and can change; we reconfirm them in your plan. Want the full catalogue? Browse all publications.
A funding announcement or product launch is a single moment. Everything that makes it land happens in the three weeks before and the week after. This is the timeline we follow with founders, and it works whether you are pitching for an earned story, booking a guaranteed article or doing both at once.
We agree your angle, the headline figure and the right mix of earned pitching and guaranteed placements.
Press kit, founder photos, fact sheet, quotes from investors or customers and the draft article.
If the story is strong, we offer an exclusive to one well-matched TechCrunch reporter, under embargo.
You approve the guaranteed TechCrunch article and companion titles, all timed to your launch.
Coverage goes live in the Pacific morning. Your team shares it everywhere, all at once.
Links in investor updates, sales decks, “as seen in” badges and outreach. We report every URL.
Five clear steps. You approve each one, and nothing goes live without your written sign-off.
Fill in the short form at the end of this page. Share what you are announcing, when, and who you most want to reach: investors, customers, partners or future hires.
We send a plan with the right route for your story, named companion titles with DA and DR, label and link details, timings and our honest opinion on whether an earned pitch is worth trying.
Our writers interview you and draft an article that reads like technology journalism, not an advert. You review, edit and approve every word.
Your approved article goes live, typically within one to two weeks for a guaranteed article or three to five days for a labelled release post, timed to your launch date wherever possible.
You receive every live link, screenshots and practical advice on using the coverage in sales, fundraising and recruitment, plus ideas for the next story.
We see the same avoidable mistakes again and again. Each one quietly closes a door. Each one has a simple fix.
ERR 01 · mass pitchingSending one email to every reporter at TechCrunch at once.
Pick one reporter whose beat and recent stories match yours.ERR 02 · burying the newsOpening with company history instead of what is new.
Put the news, the number and the investors in the first two sentences.ERR 03 · broken embargoPosting the news on LinkedIn before the embargo lifts.
Share a clear internal timeline so no one publishes early.ERR 04 · too latePitching the day before, or after, the announcement.
Start two to three weeks ahead so a reporter has time to work.ERR 05 · jargonDescribing the product in buzzwords nobody can picture.
Explain it the way you would to a smart friend over coffee.ERR 06 · no proofClaims without figures, customers or a working demo.
Offer verifiable numbers and a named customer or investor.ERR 07 · no assetsNo photos, logo or fact sheet when a reporter says yes.
Keep a press kit ready and share it in the first email.ERR 08 · all or nothingRelying only on a reply that may never come.
Pair the pitch with a guaranteed article so launch day is covered.Technology founders are rightly sceptical of PR promises. So here is exactly where we stand, in writing.
Every company is different, but these are the situations where TechCrunch coverage changes the conversation fastest.
use_case: fundingInvestors, future hires and customers all search your name the week you announce. A TechCrunch article is the first result you want them to find.
use_case: launchEarly adopters and technology buyers read TechCrunch to discover new tools. Your launch deserves to be seen on day one, not month three.
use_case: us_entryA TechCrunch link gives American prospects and partners instant context about who you are, before you have built a US reputation.
use_case: aiAI is TechCrunch’s busiest beat. Clear, credible coverage helps you stand out in the most crowded category in technology. See our AI and tech start-up PR service.
use_case: hiringEngineers and executives weigh up a move carefully. Coverage tells them your company is going somewhere worth joining.
use_case: founderKeynote invitations, advisory roles and investor interest follow founders whose names appear in the right places. Pair TechCrunch with personal branding coverage.
More buyers and investors now ask ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot or Google’s AI Overviews about a company before they visit its website. Those systems draw heavily on authoritative, well-established publications when they summarise who a company is and what it does.
A clear, factual article on a domain with DA 93 and DR 92, supported by several other respected titles that describe you consistently, gives AI assistants reliable material to draw on. It will not guarantee a mention, since no one controls how those systems answer, but it does give them credible sources to cite.
That is why we write every article with generative engine optimisation (GEO) and answer engine optimisation (AEO) in mind:
Illustrative campaign shapes, not client stories. Your free plan is built around your own news, dates and goals.
plan: launch-dayA guaranteed TechCrunch article timed to your launch or funding announcement.
Best for founders who need one strong, credible link on a fixed date.
plan: tech-stackTechCrunch plus two or three titles such as VentureBeat, Mashable or HackerNoon, all live in the same week.
Best for product launches that need reach across developers, buyers and early adopters.
plan: two-marketsTechCrunch and Business Insider for the US, with UK titles such as The Times or Entrepreneur UK at home, plus an earned pitch where the story is strong.
Best for UK companies raising from or selling to US investors and customers.
“United Press built our brand from launch to nationwide recognition. Real media coverage gave new customers the trust they needed — our ROI has been over 100:1, which blows my mind.”
“The team understood our industry and, more importantly, understood the story we needed to tell. Seeing our company featured across relevant publications gave us a much stronger presence when potential customers researched us.”
“United Press helped us turn our company story into something journalists could genuinely engage with. The coverage gave our brand a level of credibility that was difficult to achieve through our own marketing channels.”
Straight answers to the questions founders ask us, and ask AI assistants, most often.
Pitch genuine news to the right reporter with an exclusive or embargo, apply to Startup Battlefield, or secure a guaranteed article or labelled release post through a publishing partner. United Press can arrange the guaranteed routes and advise on whether an earned pitch is worth trying.
A staff story written by a TechCrunch reporter can never be guaranteed. A guaranteed article or labelled release post through a publishing partner can be, and we confirm the format in writing before you commit.
You cannot buy a TechCrunch reporter’s editorial decision. What exists is sponsored and partner-published content, which publishing partners arrange. We always explain exactly which format you are getting and how it is labelled.
Our publishing partner lists TechCrunch at DA 93 and DR 92, which places it among the most authoritative technology domains on the internet.
Typically one to two weeks from approval for a guaranteed article, and three to five days for a labelled press release post.
Our partner currently lists the standard guaranteed article with no sponsored label, and the press release option as clearly labelled. We reconfirm the label in writing before booking, because formats can change.
The standard guaranteed article is listed as dofollow and indexed. The labelled press release post uses nofollow links. We confirm link treatment in your plan.
Yes, but reporters look for a global angle. Since changes to its European desk in 2025, UK founders compete more directly with US news, so framing and timing matter more than ever.
There is no fixed threshold. Reporters weigh round size alongside the investors, the market, traction and timing. A modest round with a striking story can beat a larger one with none.
Often, yes. An exclusive gives a reporter a reason to prioritise your news. Offer it to one reporter at a time, with a clear deadline for a decision.
Two to three weeks before your announcement is ideal. It gives a reporter time to interview you and prepare the story.
Read recent TechCrunch stories on your sector and note who wrote them. Pitch the reporter whose beat matches your news, not the general inbox.
A clear subject line, the news in two sentences, named investors or customers, verifiable figures, the embargo time, founder availability and a link to a press kit.
Once, politely, after two or three working days. Repeated chasing rarely helps and can damage the relationship.
No. TechCrunch’s guest columns page says it no longer accepts guest columns. Sponsored posts are a separate route, handled through its advertising team.
TechCrunch’s tips page asks for press releases and pitches by email, with encrypted Signal and WhatsApp channels for sensitive tips. A release works best as background to a short pitch to the one reporter who covers your area.
Yes. TechCrunch covers startups every day and takes pitches by email. Pitches that fit a reporter’s beat and carry genuinely new news are the ones that tend to become stories.
Follow up once, briefly, after a few working days and only with something new. If there is still no reply, offer the story to another publication rather than chasing. Silence usually means it is not a fit right now.
TechCrunch’s startup competition, held around Disrupt. Selected early-stage companies exhibit, pitch to judges and can earn coverage. TechCrunch lists alumni such as Dropbox, Mint and Yammer.
Disrupt 2026 takes place from 13 to 15 October 2026 in San Francisco.
It can be, if your news fits the event, but reporters are flooded that week. A guaranteed article timed to the event removes the risk of being lost in the noise.
Our writers draft it with you, based on an interview and your materials. You review and approve every word before it is submitted.
Yes, as long as they are accurate. We never invent figures, customers or quotes, and we may ask for evidence behind key claims.
A dofollow link from a DA 93 domain is a strong authority signal, and the article itself can rank for your brand name. Results depend on your wider site, so we treat it as one part of your visibility.
It gives AI assistants an authoritative source to draw on when they describe your company. No one can control how those systems answer, but credible, consistent coverage helps.
Once your article is live, you can reference and link to it. For logo use, follow TechCrunch’s own brand guidance, and describe the coverage accurately.
VentureBeat, Business Insider, Mashable, Digital Trends, HackerNoon and Entrepreneur UK are popular choices, depending on whether you want to reach buyers, developers, investors or founders.
We will tell you honestly. You may be better served by a guaranteed article or by titles that match your audience more closely, and we will suggest them.
Earned coverage is hard before launch. A guaranteed article about your mission, team and waiting list can work, and we help you choose the right moment.
Yes. We work with founders across the UK, Europe, the US and beyond from our office in London.
Yes. We never name you as a client without permission, and we keep embargoed news strictly private until it goes live.
You hear from us straight away, with clear options. You never discover a change after the fact.
At Brook’s Mews, Bond Street, London W1K 4HA. We have worked in PR since 2001.
Fill in the short form below. Within 24 hours you receive a free TechCrunch plan with the right route, named titles, DA and DR, timings and our honest recommendation. Nothing is booked until you approve it.
Think about the nights that got you here. The prototype that almost did not work. The investor meetings that went nowhere, and the one that changed everything. The first customer who took a chance on you.
That story deserves more than a LinkedIn post that disappears by lunchtime. It deserves a headline on the publication your investors, customers and future team already read.
Imagine opening your inbox on launch morning to “Just saw you on TechCrunch. Can we talk?”
It starts with one short form. Tell us your news and your date. Within 24 hours you will have a free TechCrunch plan, with the right route, companion titles with DA and DR, clear timings and our honest opinion. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
From Bond Street to San Francisco. Your story, seen by the people who matter.
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