Fundraising Fox
Knight Foundation
FoundationMiami
Also known as John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
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Investment thesis
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots, funding across four interconnected program areas: journalism, arts, information & society, and community impact. It invests in vibrant journalism to strengthen democracy, supports thriving communities, strengthens creative ecosystems and belonging, and studies how people seek and share information. Its work centers on the 26 communities where John S. and James L. Knight once owned newspapers, continuing their legacy of civic engagement. Over 75 years it reports investing $3.5 billion since 1950 and supporting more than 5,000 organizations, providing grants to advance civic and cultural vitality across these local communities.
Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.
What they invest in
from 9 of 11 portfolio companiesEnterprise Software ×4SaaS ×4Marketing Tech ×3Media & Entertainment ×3Developer Tools ×2Wellness & Fitness ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Consumer ×1
HQs:United States×8Canada×1
Investments · 11 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12016 · 12014 · 12012 · 14 dated
Indiegraf provides a network and platform for independent news publishers across the Americas to increase revenue and retain editorial independence.
Creator EconomyMarketing TechMedia & EntertainmentSaaSCanada, CA
Caitlin Havlak(Co-founder)inErin Millar(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsMucker CapitalStandUp VenturesMarigold CapitalStand Up Ventures
Amara is a voice companion app offering a warm AI voice ("Mia" and "Max") that older adults can talk to daily for conversation, reminders for appointments and medication, stories, games, music, podcasts, news, and weather.
AI & Machine LearningConsumerWellness & Fitness
Co-investorsCaesar VenturesPETRONAS Ventures
Amara offers wellness programming — group classes and 1:1 sessions in physical, social, and mental wellness — led by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and trainers.
HealthtechPropTechWellness & Fitness
Jonathan McNulty(Founder)in
Co-investorsCity LightHustle FundJetstream
Collaborative scholarly writing tool turned preprint archive, owned by Wiley since 2018.
New York, US
Nathan Jenkins(Executive Officer)Alberto Pepe(Executive Officer, Director)Matteo Cantiello(Director)
BoardAdam Goulburn(Director)inDavid Teten(Director)Brian Cohen(Director)
Co-investorsBloomberg BetaFf Venture CapitalNew York Venture PartnersDimension CapitalLux CapitalNew York Angels
Bluesky is an open, decentralized social network built on the AT Protocol (atproto), offering users customizable feeds, moderation tools, and a portable identity across platforms.
Developer ToolsMedia & EntertainmentSocial
Co-investorsVery Serious VenturesAlumni VenturesAnthos CapitalBain Capital CryptoBain Capital VenturesBlockchain Capital+3 more
Naytev is a social media management and automation platform for content teams that consolidates paid and organic social workflows.
Developer ToolsEnterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Zack Liscio(Founder/CEO)inPatrick Costello(Founder)inMike Seid(Founder/CTO)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorAmino CapitalAvlok CapitalBlack Jays VenturesBrighteye VenturesDG Daiwa Ventures+5 more
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Perfect Audience is a retargeting platform for SaaS and online retail companies to reconnect with previous visitors and recover lost sales opportunities.
Enterprise SoftwareMarketing TechSaaSSan Francisco, US
Brad Flora(Founder/President)inJordi Buller(Founder/Chief Technology Officer (CTO))in
Co-investorsY CombinatorBrighteye VenturesPritzker Group Venture CapitalSherpalo VenturesSound VenturesStart Capital+2 more
Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center is a nonprofit organization providing services and support to survivors of abuse, with a focus on training and addressing abuse in older adults through federal grant funding.
Digital HealthImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentAkron, US
Teresa Stafford-Wright(CEO)
Co-investorsAmerican Journalism Project
Vidpresso provided live video production software for media companies, brands, and celebrities to distribute video to social platforms including Facebook Live and Twitter.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareNew York City, US
Randall Bennett(Founder)in
Co-investorsScrum VenturesY CombinatorAgrolimen Ventures
AWS Wickr is an enterprise-grade secure communication platform offering end-to-end encrypted messaging, voice, and video collaboration for organizations handling sensitive information, with compliance certifications including FedRAMP High and DoD IL4/5.
CybersecurityEnterprise SoftwareSaaSChicago, US
Christopher Howell(Executive Officer)inJennifer DeTrani(Executive Officer)Nico Sell(Co-Founder & Chairman)Kara Coppa(Executive Officer)Braden Seely(Executive Officer)York Sell(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsAlsop Louie PartnersBreyer CapitalDolby Family VenturesGen CapitalIronGate Capital AdvisorsLytical Ventures
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Exits · 4
4 acquisitions · showing 2Perfect Audienceacq. by Marin SoftwareVidpressoacq. by Allume Energy
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesSignal Akron · signalakron.org · Jan 2, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Knight Foundation made?
- Knight Foundation has 11 tracked investments, 4 of which have exited, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What sectors does Knight Foundation focus on?
- Knight Foundation focuses on Impact & Social Good, Media & Entertainment.
- Where is Knight Foundation located?
- Knight Foundation is headquartered in Miami, US.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
from their channelThe First at 250: Governors Shapiro and Cox on the First Amendment and Civil Dialogue
Knight Foundation
Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt in Conversation with Maribel Pérez Wadsworth
Knight Foundation
On Connection and Belonging: Dr. Vivek Murthy in Conversation with Maribel Pérez Wadsworth
Knight Foundation
Images
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