From Shrinking Newsrooms to Smarter Bots: How PR Builds Startup Credibility in 2025

The recent closure of TechCrunch Europe is a sad and stark reminder of how fast the media landscape is changing for startups. What was once the go-to launchpad for European founders is now gone, leaving a growing gap in how companies tell their stories.

As media outlets scale back and newsrooms shrink, it's tempting to think PR no longer matters. But the opposite is true. In a world increasingly filtered through large language models (LLMs), being quoted by respected journalists and featured in credible outlets is becoming essential, not just for customers or investors, but for AI itself.

Camille Oster of MVPR explains, “Good PR has always been a plus, but it has become substantially more valuable in this environment. SEO still drives discovery, but it's your broader digital footprint that makes AI tools confident enough to recommend you.”

The Rise of LLMs: Why PR is more important than ever

PR, like content marketing, is just one vehicle to help get your message across as part of a holistic communications strategy. But well-written articles by knowledgeable journalists are an increasingly crucial part of a successful company’s journey. Coverage in key outlets is not only validation of meaningful milestones, like new funding announcements or key product launches, but also increases the likelihood of your company being recommended in the age of LLMs. 

The rise of AI search engines like Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity signals a move away from simple keyword matching. So, while SEO remains essential for initial discovery, LLMs place a high value on external validation. As a result, AI conducts a “credibility search”, covering a startup’s broader digital footprint, which includes mentions in reputable publications, expert quotes, and thought leadership, which signals trustworthiness to AI models. 

What the Fall of TechCrunch Europe Means for Founders

With the closure of TechCrunch Europe and recent layoffs at Business Insider, including reporters covering European tech, the once-blossoming European tech media scene is shrinking fast. As a result, many are left asking: Where can startups now turn for meaningful media coverage?

Fortunately, alternatives do exist.

Sifted has been helping to unify Europe’s fragmented tech media landscape for several years, covering Europe with reporters and correspondents working on the ground in key geographies at a time when much of the reporting world is wholly desk-based. Their coverage ranges from high-level insights on venture capital funds, GPs, and LPs to a selective number of funding announcements, sector-focused lists, plus interviews, news, and analysis. 

Other outlets like tech.eu, EU Startups, Silicon Canals, Euractiv, The Recursive, UKTN, Tech Funding News, and ArcticStartup, among others, continue to offer essential Europe-wide English-language coverage, including frequent coverage of early-stage funding rounds. 

Similarly, US media like Forbes and Fortune regularly publish in-depth features and analysis on European companies, and highly regarded and well-read country and language-specific media are also great options for coverage in countries like France, Germany, Sweden, and Austria. 

On top of that, the upper echelons of financial media, who cover major tech topics - The Financial Times, Bloomberg, WSJ, and even more specialist publications like The Information - have demonstrated interest in covering major European news, and proven that there is a strong market for people to pay for news that moves the needle. 

While securing coverage in any publication is never guaranteed, there are best practices to increase your chances. More on that below. 

Niche is the New Scale: The Value of Trade and Vertical Media

Getting media coverage in top-tier media outlets with large-scale reach can be incredibly beneficial in driving mass brand awareness, attracting talent, and increasing FOMO with potential follow-on investors. 

But if customers are your target audience, industry-specific publications can be even more valuable for enhancing your credibility in the eyes of LLMs and driving inbound. 

As Camille puts it, “For instance, a cybersecurity startup needs more than product update blogs. They need their experts quoted in relevant tech coverage, actionable advice published in specialized outlets like Dark Reading, and thoughtful perspectives shared across social platforms. These external signals validate your authority to the LLMs... in ways that self-published content simply cannot".  

For example, an insurtech startup that consistently publishes insightful analysis in publications like The Insurer will generate significantly more "AI recommendation power" than a company that relies solely on its website content. 

And as for inbound customers, our portfolio company, HexaFarms, which specializes in agtech solutions and raised €1.3 million in 2024, discovered the power of specialist media when announcing their fundraise. 

Founder David Ahmed prioritized agriculture-focused outlets in his core market, Germany, and shared the tangible impact of the announcement with Speedinvest. 

"It's been 15 days, and not kidding, the PR campaign is still paying off. Not just investors, but we received >10 relevant solid potential leads coming in (average prior was 2-3 per month). We're still getting inbound of different sorts."

The ROI of PR: How to reap the benefits in a shrinking media landscape

For many founders, the time and resources required to effectively engage with the media can be tough to swallow, with many feeling it distracts from their heads-down building efforts. 

But, if prioritized, strong, consistent, and strategic media coverage can help build a company even faster, driving awareness, customers, top talent, investment, and more. 

As Richard Branson famously said, "Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad." 

And with PR being of equal or greater importance than SEO in the age of LLMs, it’s no longer a nice-to-have. 

But, with an ever-shrinking tech media landscape in Europe, how do you get the attention of the journalists still covering the industry? 

Aside from the obvious funding announcements and product launches, Cate Lawrence, a senior writer at Tech.eu in Berlin, told us:

“Think beyond your current news to where you might be a resource, for example, are there trends you are seeing in your sector, upcoming controversy, or industry shifts that would make a good story, and you could provide some insider knowledge? Let us know!”

Startups have a front row seat in building the technologies that will shape our future. Your knowledge, expertise, and insights can be invaluable to journalists. Getting their attention can be daunting, but we’re here to help. 

How to increase your chances of media coverage: 

1. Do your homework and personalize your pitch. Research the journalist's past work to understand their beat, the types of stories they cover, and their preferred style. A personalized pitch that clearly explains why your story is relevant to their audience will stand out. Avoid generic, mass emails.

2. Focus on the "why," not just the "what." While it's important to explain what your technology does, journalists are more interested in the bigger picture. Why does your innovation matter? What problem does it solve, and for whom? What impact will it have on the industry or society?

3. Keep it concise and get to the point. Journalists are incredibly busy. Your pitch should be brief, ideally fitting in a few paragraphs. Clearly state your news or story angle upfront, along with why it's newsworthy and relevant to their readers.

4. Provide a clear call to action and easy access to information. Make it easy for the journalist to follow up. Include your contact information, a link to your press kit (with high-res images, company background, and executive bios), and suggest specific times for an interview or demo.

5. Build relationships before you need them. Don't just reach out when you have news. Follow journalists on social media, comment thoughtfully on their articles, and share their work. Establishing a rapport can make them more receptive when you eventually have a story to pitch.

In an AI-powered media world, your credibility isn’t just earned, it’s indexed. 

Make PR a priority. And make it count.