The News Lens is a Taiwanese multilingual digital news and commentary publisher founded in 2013 by Joey Chung and Mario Yang, covering politics, economics, technology and society in Chinese, English and Japanese. Its parent TNL Media Group added data analytics and advertising technology, then merged with Japan's Mediagene Inc. in May 2023 to form TNL Mediagene, which pairs digital media brands across Japan and Taiwan with AI-driven advertising, digital studio and content-commerce services. The group listed on Nasdaq under the ticker TNMG in December 2024 and employs roughly 480 people.
The News Lens is publicly traded
This company is no longer available on our private secondary market. Shares can be traded publicly under its listed ticker.
Company data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Founded
2013
Employees
201–500
Total Funding
$18.07M
7 rounds
Last Private Valuation
$0.28B
Dec 6, 2024
Nasdaq panel granted conditional continued listing, with bid-price fix due Sep 21 and equity fix due Oct 30, 2026.
Delisting risk live through October; raises urgency for any secondary-market holder.
Named Motoko Imada CEO, moving founder Joey Chung to President for capital-markets/corp-dev focus.
Leadership pivot toward cost-cutting/profitability; modest uncertainty for holders.
Funding data and valuation marks are estimates and may be incomplete, stale, erroneous, or revised.
Total raised $18.07M across 7 rounds
Last updated 10-01-2026
| Date | Round | Amount Raised | Valuation | Lead Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 2020 | Series D TechCrunch | $8M | — | Palm Drive Capital |
| Jun 13, 2019 | Series C-2 | $1.1M | — | Not disclosed |
| Mar 14, 2019 | Series C-1 | $2.22M | — | Not disclosed |
Motoko Imada
Chief Executive Officer & Director
Joey Chung
Co-Founder, President & Director
Hiroyuki Terao
Chief Financial Officer
Richard Lee
Chief Technology Officer & Head of Research and Development
TJ Park
General Counsel & Chief Corporate Affairs Officer
Hiroto Kobayashi
Chief Content Officer, Japan & Director
Mario Yang
Co-Founder & Chief Content Officer, Taiwan
Marcus Brauchli
Chairman of the Board
Competitor list is illustrative and may be incomplete, stale, or erroneous.
Storm Media (風傳媒)
Taiwanese independent digital news outlet covering politics, finance and lifestyle; a direct domestic competitor to The News Lens in Mandarin-language commentary journalism.
CommonWealth Magazine (天下雜誌)
Long-running Taiwanese business and current-affairs publisher with strong digital presence; competes for advertising and premium readership in Taiwan.
Business Next (數位時代)
Taiwan-based tech and innovation media brand competing with The News Lens' INSIDE property for technology-focused audiences.
Initium Media (端傳媒)
Hong Kong-founded Mandarin-language digital news outlet emphasizing in-depth journalism across Greater China; competes for Chinese-language readership.
Nikkei (Nikkei Inc.)
Japanese business and financial media giant; competes with TNL Mediagene's Japanese-language properties such as Business Insider Japan.
Tech in Asia
Singapore-headquartered pan-Asian tech and business media platform competing across Asia-Pacific English-language tech audiences.
Public as TNL Mediagene (Nasdaq: TNMG) since December 6, 2024, when the group completed its business combination with Blue Ocean Acquisition Corp. Continued listing is conditional: a Nasdaq Hearings Panel decision dated August 23, 2026 required minimum bid price compliance by September 21, 2026 — addressed with a 1-for-8 share consolidation effective September 8, 2026 — and minimum stockholders' equity of $2.5 million by October 30, 2026, against $918,088 reported for the year ended December 31, 2025. The company separately formed a special committee on August 3, 2026 and retained Imperial Capital to evaluate strategic alternatives.
The News Lens shares can be purchased through any standard brokerage account — including Fidelity, Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and online platforms like Robinhood or E*TRADE. Search for the ticker to place an order.
The News Lens had a valuation of approximately $0.28B at the time of its public offering. Current market capitalization fluctuates with the share price.
The News Lens raised $18.07M across 7 disclosed funding rounds prior to its public listing.
The News Lens was co-founded by Joey Chung, and Mario Yang in 2013.
The News Lens is headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan.
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