Greenville media tech company completes Series A funding round

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6AM City, Greenville-based daily newsletter company, has closed its series A funding round led by TEGNA Inc.

6AM City, which focuses on economic development and positivity in the communities it serves, has grown to more than 1.3 million subscribers in 26 U.S. cities since it was launched in 2016, according to a news release.

In addition to TEGNA, the funding round was materially supported by follow-on investments from existing stakeholders including American Investment Holdings, VentureSouth, and Harbright Ventures, the release stated.

As part of TEGNA’s investment, 6AM will be including news and weather from TEGNA’s local broadcast stations in its daily newsletters in overlapping markets, as well as promoting morning newscasts and integrating local sports headlines from Locked On, TEGNA’s leading network for local sports, the release stated. Additionally, TEGNA and 6AM will be collaborating to launch newsletters in two additional markets.

Financial details of the Series A round were not disclosed.

“We are excited to partner with such a highly regarded local broadcast group whose values align so directly with ours,” said 6AM City CEO Ryan Johnston in the release. “This partnership with an established and trusted network of local news and sports content brands across the country will accelerate our reach and ability to innovate across platforms.”

This partnership and funding will drive the continued growth of 6AM City’s audience and facilitate additional expansion. This comes after 6AM City has successfully launched in 19 new cities since 2021, adding top-tier markets to the company’s already extensive portfolio.

“We’re looking forward to extending the reach of our valuable local news, weather and sports content to new platforms and audiences through 6AM City,” said Adam Ostrow, chief digital officer, TEGNA, in the release. “6AM City has cultivated a highly engaged audience in their local markets. Our local content perfectly complements the daily, must-read information and updates 6AM subscribers have come to rely on in their city.”

6AM City’s core innovation is its business model that allows for sustainable expansion and continued investment in the communities it serves, the release stated. As it gets harder to find local sources of news, the company has remained focused on providing a valuable resource to keep locals informed, which has driven audience engagement and consistent growth for the business.

6AM City continues to identify additional expansion markets for 2024 and has established partnerships with organizations looking to expedite growth and development in their communities, including economic development entities, professional sports teams, top local employers, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the release stated. These relationships along with the company’s 1.3 million subscribers and strong advertising partnerships are accelerating the company’s expansion and are a driving force behind market selection.

Through these partnerships, 6AM City is excited to announce the next expansion market to include Charlotte,(CLTtoday) which will launch in March 2024.

6AM will be hiring full-time local editorial and sales staff that exude CurioCity — a 6AM City value that highlights the company’s focus on maximizing the live, work, and play environment in which its team is immersed, the release stated. The local editorial team will publish daily newsletters that highlight the best the city has to offer, avoiding politics and divisive news, focusing on driving economic impact by building trust and credibility with the community.