Brandtree

Who owns Mashable?

Mashable is owned by Ziff Davis (the United States, NASDAQ: ZD), which acquired the brand on 1 February 2021.[1][2] Mashable was founded in 2005 in the United States and was independent until 2021.

Key facts

Current owner
Ziff Davis, Inc. verified
Owned since
· deal details
Previous owner
Independent (2005–2021)
Owner HQ
🇺🇸 United States, New York, New York
Origin
🇺🇸 United States
Founded
2005
Category
Media & entertainmentPublishingNewspapers & magazines
Parent ticker
NASDAQ: ZD
Last verified
· 2 sources

About Mashable

Mashable was started by a nineteen-year-old in Scotland writing about social media, grew into a large digital publisher, and was sold in 2017 for a fraction of its peak valuation. Ziff Davis acquired it in 2021. Its founder Pete Cashmore started it from his parents' house in Aberdeenshire at nineteen, and it grew into one of the defining publications of the social media era.

Ownership timeline of Mashable

Owners of Mashable from 2021 to 2026 Ziff Davis 2021–present Ziff Davis 2021202220232024202520262027
  1. 2021 – present Ziff Davis acquired 1 February 2021 [1][2] verified

Where Mashable sits in Ziff Davis

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Where Mashable sits in Ziff Davis Tree of 5 brands under Ziff Davis. Ziff Davis Mashable CNET Humble Bundle IGN PCMag

Open the full Ziff Davis ownership tree →

Other brands owned by Ziff Davis in media & entertainment

See the full Ziff Davis brand portfolio (5) →

Deals involving Mashable

Acquisition closed

Ziff Davis acquires Mashable

Ziff Davis acquired Mashable, which had been started by a nineteen-year-old in Scotland, grown into a large digital publisher, and sold in 2017 for a fraction of its peak valuation. Neither party disclosed the price.

Value
Undisclosed
Seller
Regulatory
None recorded

Latest news about Mashable

No tagged news items yet. Headlines are added nightly from public feeds; only titles and links are stored.

Headlines link to the original publisher. Brandtree does not reproduce article text.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Mashable?

The parent company of Mashable is Ziff Davis, a publicly listed company headquartered in the United States.

Is Mashable American?

Yes. Mashable originated in the United States in 2005 and its owner, Ziff Davis, is also headquartered in the United States.

When did Ziff Davis buy Mashable?

Ziff Davis completed its acquisition of Mashable on 1 February 2021, after announcing the deal on 1 February 2021.

Who owned Mashable before Ziff Davis?

Mashable was an independent company from its founding in 2005 until Ziff Davis acquired it in 2021.

Is Mashable still owned by Ziff Davis?

Yes. As of 8 September 2026, Mashable is still owned by Ziff Davis. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.

Sources (2) & corrections

Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.

  1. [1] Ziff Davis, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K filed 2026-02-24 — SEC EDGAR, SEC Form 10-K, published 24 February 2026; retrieved 8 September 2026.
  2. [2] Ziff Davis acquires Mashable — Ziff Davis, Inc., Official press release, published 1 February 2021; retrieved 8 September 2026.

Report a correction Opens a pre-filled GitHub issue. See our corrections policy.