Last week, SaaS giants HubSpot and Semrush both acquired media companies.
HubSpot snapped up Mindstream, an up-and-coming AI newsletter with over 150,000 subscribers.
Meanwhile, Semrush acquired Third Door Media, the parent company of Search Engine Land, one of the Internet’s most influential SEO publications.
The Bigger Story
SaaS giants are becoming media moguls.
Every year, we’re seeing more software companies scoop up niche newsletters, online communities, and influential content sites.
The goal? To gain direct access to their ICPs and control industry conversation.
Some notable examples:
- Pendo acquiring Mind the Product
- Zapier buying Makerpad
- Stripe snagging Indie Hackers
- Mailchimp purchasing Courier Media
- Semrush nabbing Backlinko
- HubSpot buying The Hustle newsletter
Considering Semrush offers a suite of SEO tools, controlling Search Engine Land is a natural fit. It aligns perfectly with their core products and opens up new avenues for integrated educational content.
HubSpot’s Mindstream acquisition, on the other hand, looks like a forward-thinking move to bolster its upcoming AI efforts. It’s also no coincidence, in my opinion, that this move arrived shortly after Salesforce’s major ‘AI agents’ announcement last month.
Why You Should Care
These acquisitions highlight a unique competitive strategy that’s all about gaining mindshare before market share.
By owning influential media outlets, these SaaS companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of industry conversations, shaping narratives, and establishing thought leadership at scale.