Mic

Mic (formerly PolicyMic) is an American digital media company based in New York City, founded in 2011 by Chris Altchek and Jake Horowitz. The publication was initially focused on political commentary by and for young people, before rebranding to 'Mic' in 2014 to pursue a broader millennial audience. At its peak in 2015, Mic attracted 30 million unique monthly visitors, over 70% of whom came from Facebook. The company raised more than $60 million in total venture funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Lerer Ventures, Time Warner Investments, the Knight Foundation, Advancit Capital, Red Swan Ventures, Kyu Collective, and You & Mr Jones. In November 2018, following Facebook's cancellation of a video content deal, Mic laid off the majority of its approximately 60–70 person staff and was subsequently acquired by Bustle Digital Group for less than $5 million — a sharp decline from valuations reportedly in the mid-hundreds of millions. Under BDG Media, Mic continues to publish articles across culture, identity, entertainment, social issues, and climate topics, with an editorial focus on progressive, socially-conscious perspectives for a younger audience through its website and the Mic Check newsletter.