Substack
YC W18San Francisco, US · Founded 2017 · Delaware corporation · 90 employees · 10 known investors
Substack is a publishing platform that allows writers to create newsletters, cultivate audiences, and earn revenue through reader subscriptions.
Enterprise SoftwareMarketing TechMarketplacesMarketplaceUnited States of AmericaAmerica / CanadaPartly Remote
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W18)
Substack was founded in 2017 by Chris Best, Jairaj Sethi, and Hamish McKenzie.
Board
AC
Investors · 10
Connetic VenturesCovington · $250K – $500K
FundersClubSan Francisco · $250K – $5M
J17 Capital
Wisdom VenturesLos Gatos
Wonder VenturesLos Angeles · $100K – $1.5M
Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K
Andreessen Horowitzreported · 3 sourcesMenlo Park · $500K – $50Mvia Andrew Chen · led
Bond Capital ManagementreportedSan Francisco · $100K – $25M
Fifty YearsreportedSan Francisco · $250K – $2M
Also in the syndicate · 1
Chernin Group
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$187.4M disclosed across 4 rounds · 2019–2025
- $100MraisedJul 2025 · 3 sources
Andreessen Horowitz, Chernin Group
Source ↗
▶$3.3MraisedMay 2023 · 1 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(c)
▶$3.3MraisedMay 2023 · 1 investors · Other Technology
Rule 506(c)Officers, directors & promoters on the filing
- Hamish McKenzieDirector
- Christopher BestExecutive Officer, Director
- Andrew ChenDirector
- Offering amount
- $5M
- Amount sold
- $3.3M
- First sale
- May 2023
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06c
▶$65MraisedJun 2021 · 33 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
▶$65MraisedJun 2021 · 33 investors · Other
Rule 506(b)Officers, directors & promoters on the filing
- Christopher BestExecutive Officer, Director
- Hamish McKenzieDirector
- Andrew ChenDirector
- Offering amount
- $65M
- Amount sold
- $65M
- First sale
- Apr 2021
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2017
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$19.1MraisedJul 2019 · 32 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
▶$19.1MraisedJul 2019 · 32 investors · Other
Rule 506(b)
Officers, directors & promoters on the filing
- Christopher BestExecutive Officer, Director
- Hamish McKenzieDirector
- Andrew ChenDirector
- Offering amount
- $19.1M
- Amount sold
- $19.1M
- First sale
- Jul 2019
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2017
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Competitors · 1
by search overlap
Companies competing with Substack for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
In the news
Why is Naomi Klein Funding Substack’s Hate Machine?karlbode.com · Jul 2026Frequently asked questions
- What does Substack do?
- Substack is a publishing platform that allows writers to create newsletters, cultivate audiences, and earn revenue through reader subscriptions.
- Who founded Substack?
- Substack was founded by Chris Best, Jairaj Sethi, Hamish McKenzie in 2017.
- Who are Substack's investors?
- Substack's investors include Connetic Ventures, FundersClub, J17 Capital, Wisdom Ventures, Wonder Ventures, Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz, Bond Capital Management and 1 more.
- How much funding has Substack raised?
- Substack has disclosed $187.4M raised across 4 rounds.
- Where is Substack headquartered?
- Substack is headquartered in San Francisco, US.