Briif —Innovating the way we consume journalism
In an era where quality journalism is more critical as a pillar of society than ever, a visionary startup from Helsinki named Briif is transforming the landscape of news consumption.
At the heart of Briif lies an important mission: to connect consumers with quality articles from diverse publishers, all in one convenient audio-first platform, and to get young people to consume journalistic content instead of unverified sources on social media.
“Imagine having access to the latest news delivered straight to your ears, wherever you are. It’s the same seamless consumption model we’ve come to love with streaming music, movies, and podcasts, but now applied to journalism,” explains Pia-Maria Nickström, CEO & Co-founder at Briif.
“In Finland, we’re fortunate to have a lot of high-quality journalism, yet we saw an opportunity to elevate it further. We believe journalism deserves its dedicated platform — one that embraces the shifting landscape of audio consumption and delivers content in a format that resonates with today’s audience,” Pia-Maria continues.
Briif’s journey was sparked by an intriguing trend that Pia-Maria observed during her previous venture, Mimmit Sijoittaa Media. The growing popularity of podcasts over written blog content on their website led Pia-Maria to realize the potential for a more impactful delivery of journalism. This realization laid the groundwork for Briif.
Making journalism accessible
Acknowledging the financial barriers to accessing individual high-quality magazines, Briif introduces an attractive proposition: a monthly fixed subscription fee of €11.99 with a wide range of articles from both local and international publishers, including Suomen Kuvalehti, Trendi, Talouselämä, Anna, The Economist, and Financial Times. Briif also provides a localization service for their customers to access content in the listener’s native tongue.
Experienced team
The success of Briif is propelled by a dynamic founding team: Pia-Maria Nickström, Johanna Nurminen, Juha Kortesalo, and Tommi Kotikangas.Together, they have steered Briif towards the upcoming “hard launch” with funding from Wave Ventures, TK Ventures, and angel investors, including successful startup founders from Finland.
“We’ve been following the team for a long time. Their dedication to media, coupled with their industry experience, is impressive. Their quick progress in establishing local and international partnerships with major publishers signals great competence. We’re always looking out for bright teams with innovative approaches to their fields, and Briif is a great example of this,” comments Antonia Eneh, Investment Manager at Wave Ventures.
Looking further
The company had a soft launch for its app in October and is now aiming to conquer the Finnish market with continuous effort on product development. Although the company is still in the beginning of its journey, it is ambitiously setting its sights on the global stage.
“We’re actively engaging in conversations with publishing houses worldwide, laying the groundwork for a swift international expansion,” Pia-Maria states.
Wave Ventures is thrilled to join forces with the Briif team and welcome the company to our portfolio! Learn more about the Briif at https://briif.io/
📚Further reading:
Yle’s article on Briif: https://yle.fi/a/74-20071551
Briif featured in Kauppalehti: https://www.kauppalehti.fi/uutiset/suomalaisyritys-iskee-kuumaan-trendiin-haluamme-saada-ihmiset-pois-tiktokin-doomscrollista/d932014b-85e5-404e-a905-53b034d8bc0f
