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Axios (stylized as AXIOS) is an American news and information media company founded in 2016 by Politico co-founder Jim VandeHei, Politico's former Chief White House correspondent Mike Allen, and former Politico Chief Revenue Officer Roy Schwartz. The site's name, based on the term ἄξιος (áxios), "worthy", debuted in 2017. The company had raised $30 million, as of November, 2017.

History
The company launched with a mission statement that stated, "Media is broken—and too often a scam." Journalists publish too much “crap,” without enough expertise, and no sustainable business model.

The company initially targeted a mix of news about business, politics, technology, healthcare and media. Founder VandeHei said Axios would focus on the “collision between tech and areas such as bureaucracy, health care, energy, and the transportation infrastructure."

At launch, Nicholas Johnston, a former managing editor at Bloomberg LP was named editor in chief. VandeHei said Axios news articles are characterized by "smart brevity", intended to be brief, specialized, high-quality and easily shareable. Typical articles feature bullet points for easy scanning and are shorter than 300 words.

The content is designed to live on digital platforms, such as Facebook and Snapchat, as well as its own website. Reporters have made appearances on television news on NBC News and MSNBC through a deal with NBC. Content is distributed via newsletters covering politics, technology, healthcare and other subjects. Among the newsletters is a daily report by Mike Allen, who formerly wrote the Playbook newsletter for Politico.

In January, 2017, the company hired as an executive vice president Evan Ryan, the assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs and a former staffer for Vice President Joe Biden.

In March 2017, the company said it had 60 employees with 40 working in editorial. Axios.com has six million visitors in September 2017, according to comScore. As of November, 2017, Axios said it had 200,000 subscribers to 11 newsletters, with an average open rate of 52%. That same month, Axios said it would use a new $20 million investment to expand data analysis, product development, fund audience growth an increase staff to 150, up from 89.

Business Model
Axios has said it will not use banner ads, pop-ups and clickbait headlines, using native advertising instead.

The company earned more than $10 million in revenue in its first seven months, primarily with native advertising that appears in between stories. The company has projected half its revenue to come through subscriptions.

Stories
An interview with Donald Trump, days before his inauguration in January 2017, brought Axios mainstream media attention when it launched.

In May 2017, Axios was the first to report that Trump had decided to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Axios was also the first to report that the skepticism over a detailed dinner conversation described between Steve Bannon and Roger Ailes in the Michael Wolf book Fire and Fury was probably ill founded because the dinner took place at Wolff's house.

Jonathan Swann wast he first to report that President Trump was beginning his official work days at 11 a.m., following three hours of “Executive Time” — “watching TV, making phone calls, and tweeting."

Axios broke the story that FBI Director Christopher Wray threatened to resign after pressure from Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to fire his deputy. It was also the news outlet through which Steve Bannon chose to issue a statement of "regret" for some of his comments in the Fire and Fury book.

Financials
In the summer of 2016, Axios secured $10 million in a round of financing led by Lerer Hippeau Ventures. Backers include media-partner NBC News; Emerson Collective, the investment vehicle of Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs; Greycroft Partners; and David and Katherine Bradley, owners of Atlantic Media.

In November 2017, Axios said that it had raised an additional $20 million. WndrCo, a media-and-technology firm founded by DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, is a new investor in the round.