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Punchy news startup Axios is betting that companies will pay big bucks to write like its reporters.
The company next month will launch AxiosHQ, a communications platform that will enable businesses to update their employees—including through internal newsletters—in Axios’s just-the-facts, bullet-point style.
The software tool, which Axios said would cost at least $10,000 a year depending on a customer’s size, is the first paid-subscription product launched by the digital-news startup. Founded in 2017, Axios mostly covers U.S. politics, media and technology, and is known for its short, exclusive stories.
Subscribers to the platform have the option to add a service that allows them to tap a team of editors—separate from Axios’s news division—for writing tips, Axios co-founder and President Roy Schwartz said. One member of that team used to help edit the presidential daily briefing for President Trump, Mr. Schwartz said. AxiosHQ also features a tool that recommends grammar and usage changes based on a database of edits from Axios staff.
The product is part of Axios Chief Executive Jim VandeHei’s desire to build a subscription business, which he stated when the company was founded. Axios, which was profitable last year, doesn’t have a paywall and currently generates most of its revenue through advertising.
