Private Equity Firm Buys TechCrunch From Yahoo

Private equity firm Regent has acquired TechCrunch from Yahoo for an undisclosed amount, as announced by TechCrunch’s Editor-in-Chief on March 21. Regent has previously purchased other major tech media outlets, including PCWorld and TechAdvisor.

This isn’t the first time TechCrunch has changed ownership since its inception in 2005. The startup was first acquired by AOL in 2010, and then purchased by Verizon in 2015. Verizon acquired Yahoo in 2017, bringing TechCrunch, Engadget, Yahoo Sports, and others under the Verizon Media umbrella. In 2021, Verizon sold Verizon Media to Apollo Global Management, which then renamed the division Yahoo.

Regent has now acquired TechCrunch from Yahoo. “Yahoo decided to sell TechCrunch because, in the end, our DNA is simply different from the rest of its portfolio. While Yahoo Sports, Yahoo News, and Yahoo Finance excel at aggregation, TechCrunch has always been about original reporting and news analysis,” wrote Connie Loizos, TechCrunch’s General Manager and Editor-in-Chief.

Loizos assured readers that the sale would have a minimal impact on the platform’s operations. “This deal is structured to ensure minimal disruption to TechCrunch’s operations. You can almost think of it more like a software update rather than a system overhaul.”

She added, “The same team of expert journalists you know and trust will continue bringing you the must-read stories of the tech world. Without a doubt, this is the strongest TechCrunch team we’ve ever had, and we’ve been fortunate to work with some amazing talent over the years.”

Yahoo will continue to have a “small interest” in TechCrunch moving forward.

This acquisition comes amid ongoing shifts in the tech sector, as tech companies seek to consolidate further political power worldwide. In January, a US court struck down net neutrality rules after a lawsuit by the United States Telecom Association, of which Verizon is a member.