You shipped the product, closed the round or hit a number worth talking about. Now you need people outside your network to hear about it, and most founders do not have a PR budget yet.

Early press helps with hiring, fundraising and sales calls, because it gives strangers a reason to trust you. The founder stories we publish, like why founders leave secure careers to build what doesn’t exist yet, started as a simple pitch.

This guide lists real places that take startup news, launches and founder stories in 2026. Our editors opened each submission page in October 2026, and prices are only listed where the outlet shows them.

The short version: Founders and startup CEOs can get press by sending funding or launch news to the TechCrunch tip line, launching on Product Hunt or Show HN, sharing their story with Starter Story or CEO News Daily, and answering journalist requests on Qwoted. Pitch a specific piece of news, such as a launch, a funding round or a hard-won lesson, not a general company description.

Table of Contents

At a glance

Best for funding and launch news: the TechCrunch tip line, which accepts press releases and pitches by email.
Best free launch platforms: Product Hunt and Show HN on Hacker News.
Best for founder interviews: Starter Story and IdeaMensch, with no fee to be featured shown on their pages.
Best for media quotes: Qwoted, Featured and Source of Sources, all with free options.
Paid option: Forbes Business Council, a vetted membership for companies with $500,000 in revenue or funding.
What to send: one news hook, the numbers behind it, a founder headshot and a one-line company description.
Pitch CEO News Daily: use the form on this page.

1. Startup news and launch platforms: put the product in front of people

Launch platforms reward timing and a working product. News desks reward a real event, like a round, a launch or a notable customer.

TechCrunch tips: TechCrunch's tip page says founders can email press releases and pitches to its tips address; best for funding rounds and launches with real news value.
Product Hunt: The daily launch board for new tech products, with a launch guide for first-time makers; free to launch.
Show HN (Hacker News): Post something you built and can discuss in person for feedback from a technical crowd; free, and the guidelines rule out landing pages and fundraisers.
BetaList: Features early-stage startups to an audience of early adopters; all submissions are paid now, with an automatic refund if your startup is not selected.

2. Founder story and interview sites: tell how you built it

Interview sites want the honest version: how you started, what broke and what the numbers look like now. Our feature on Karianne Klomp and Olorin is a good example of the format.

That’s us
CEO News Daily: CEO News Daily features founder and CEO stories: how companies started, the decisions behind a launch or a raise, and what other leaders can learn from it. Pitch your story with the form on this page.
Pitch CEO News Daily with the form below ↓
Starter Story: Long-form interviews on how founders started, grew and run their businesses; no cost to be featured, but you need a free account to submit.
IdeaMensch: Written Q&A interviews with entrepreneurs; you answer 15 set questions and send a bio and photo, and no fee is mentioned on its submission page.
Indie Hackers: A free community where founders post build stories, launches and revenue updates; strong posts get picked up and shared widely.

3. Expert quotes and paid programs: get cited as the founder who knows

Quotes in other people’s stories build your name between launches. Pick a narrow area you can speak on with numbers, and see our piece on moving from hustle to financial discipline for the kind of hard lesson reporters want.

Qwoted: Journalists post requests for expert sources and you pitch answers; the Basic plan is free with 2 pitches a month and Pro is $149 a month, as listed in October 2026.
Featured: A PR platform for media requests, speaking slots and awards; there is a free plan and paid plans start at $29 a month billed annually, as listed in October 2026.
Source of Sources: Free daily emails of journalist queries looking for expert sources; off-topic pitches get you removed.