Automattic
Platform company powering publishing, commerce and creator software.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- Automattic Inc.
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 2005
- Company size
- 1,001–5,000
- Market role
- Media Sales House
- Official website
- automattic.com
What Automattic does
Automattic runs a multi-product platform model. It attracts users through free and low-friction entry points such as hosted publishing, open-source commerce tooling and consumer apps, then monetises through upgrades, subscriptions, enterprise support, managed hosting, paid extensions, APIs and advertising. The company creates value by owning both the software infrastructure used to publish and sell online and the audience surfaces where content and ads are distributed. This lets it cross-sell tools across creators, merchants, publishers and enterprises while compounding usage inside the wider WordPress ecosystem.
Category differentiation
Automattic is the parent platform company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr and WP VIP. It is not the WordPress open-source project itself, nor is it a single-product website builder vendor.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
Automattic Inc. is a private platform company operating a portfolio of publishing, commerce, consumer media and website infrastructure products. Its core assets include WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, WP VIP, Tumblr, Newspack, Akismet, Gravatar, Pocket Casts, Day One and Blaze. The company serves individual creators, bloggers, merchants, developers, publishers, enterprises and media organisations through hosted software, managed infrastructure, extensions, APIs, subscriptions and advertising tools. Automattic makes money through recurring software subscriptions, enterprise contracts, freemium upgrades, paid extensions and advertising revenue across owned media and network inventory. WordPress.com, Jetpack, WP VIP and Newspack provide subscription and managed-platform revenue; WooCommerce monetises through commerce extensions and ecosystem services; Tumblr and Blaze contribute advertising revenue; and consumer apps such as Day One and Pocket Casts add subscription income. The business is remote-first and globally distributed, with a product strategy built around the WordPress ecosystem and adjacent creator, publishing and commerce workflows.
Company news briefing
Briefing updated:
Automattic's executive leadership remains turbulent as CEO Matt Mullenweg consolidated control following a brief board ouster, leaving the company facing multi-million-dollar severance disputes with ousted executives. Concurrently, the platform addresses critical security vulnerabilities affecting millions of WordPress sites while expanding its product ecosystem through the WordPress.com Education plan and the Android launch of its Mesh CRM application.
Business model & monetisation
Automattic uses a hybrid monetisation model combining software subscriptions, freemium-to-paid upgrades, managed service contracts, extension and ecosystem sales, API-based software access and advertising. WordPress.com monetises through paid plan upgrades and ads on free tiers. WP VIP and Newspack generate contracted recurring revenue from managed enterprise publishing. Jetpack, Akismet, Day One, Pocket Casts and Beeper use subscription pricing. WooCommerce monetises through paid extensions, commerce-related services and ecosystem monetisation. Tumblr and Blaze generate advertising revenue from sponsored and promoted placements across owned and networked properties.
- Hosted publishing and website subscriptions
- Software Subscription
- Enterprise managed publishing and support
- Service Fee
- Commerce extensions and merchant ecosystem monetisation
- Percentage Take-Rate
- Advertising across Tumblr, WordPress.com and Blaze
- Ad-Supported
- Consumer app subscriptions
- Software Subscription
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Programmatic stack & registry data
Registry entries and observed technical data do not establish certification, legal compliance or actual usage.
Automattic Ads
IAB vendor record: 496
- Cookies declared
- Yes
- Non-cookie access declared
- No
- Declared purpose IDs
- 1, 2, 4, 7, 9, 10
- Declared feature IDs
- 3
- Declared special purpose IDs
- 1, 2, 3
- Indexed sellers.json entries
- 32,167 · automattic.com
Products & market categories
Media Channel
Technology
- Content Management System (CMS)
- Conversational AI & Chatbots
- Social Platform
- Identity Management & Universal ID
- Advertising Quality (Viewability, Brand Safety, Fraud)
- Publisher Platform
- Productivity & Collaboration SaaS
- Native Advertising & Discovery Platform
- E-Commerce Platform
- Application Performance Monitoring (APM)
Competitors & alternatives
- Ringier
Swiss media, marketplaces and publishing software group.
- Wix
Website building and commerce software for businesses and creators.
- Liferay
Enterprise digital experience software built on subscription and services revenue.
- Stack Overflow
Developer knowledge platform with SaaS, licensing and advertising revenue.
Side-by-side comparisons
Subsidiaries & acquisitions
- WooCommerce
Open-source e-commerce platform for WordPress merchants.
- Beeper
Universal chat app combining multiple messaging networks.
- Crowdsignal
Survey and feedback software for web, email and WordPress.
- Pocket Casts
Cross-device podcast listening, discovery and promotion platform.
- Day One
Ambiguous Day One domain; strongest evidence points to journaling app.
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Automattic names interim CFO after executive departures
Corporate Governance · Recorded impact score: 1/5
Automattic has appointed Jeremy Klaperman, CFO of its WordPress VIP Enterprise unit, as interim CFO following the departure of former CFO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan. The changes come after an attempted board ouster of CEO Matt Mullenweg, who has since returned. Mullenweg announced the appointment internally and indicated that the board will evaluate internal and external candidates for the permanent CFO role. A candidate for chief legal officer has also verbally accepted the position. Mullenweg expressed confidence in the company's financial position, stating that everything is within control and depends on execution. The next board meeting is scheduled for September 23.
- Automattic named Jeremy Klaperman as interim CFO.
- Jeremy Klaperman is CFO of WordPress VIP Enterprise.
AI Leaders Discuss Pacing Frontier AI Development
AI · Recorded impact score: 4/5
A TechCrunch video feature discusses the proposal by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to 'pace the frontier' of AI development, following a doomsday warning from an Anthropic researcher. The plan involves independent safety evaluators and coordination among AI labs in democratic countries. It has received industry support from companies like OpenAI and Google, but also pushback from Nvidia's Jensen Huang, who opposes slowing down AI advancements. The video also covers other topics, including WordPress parent Automattic's boardroom coup and major deals of the week. The discussion explores the feasibility of companies agreeing on what slowing down means and who would enforce it.
- Dario Amodei outlined a plan to 'pace the frontier' of AI development.
- The plan includes independent safety evaluators and coordination between AI labs in democratic countries.
Automattic Execs Signed Reciprocal Severance Deals During CEO Brief Ouster
Corporate Governance · Recorded impact score: 2/5
During the 33-hour window in September 2026 when Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg was placed on paid leave, interim CEO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan signed reciprocal severance agreements. These golden parachutes provide each with 12 months' salary, accelerated equity vesting, and extended health coverage. The total cost to Automattic is $8.15 million, which the company now owes both executives after Mullenweg fired them upon his return. The agreements define 'cause' narrowly and include clauses tailored to Davies's interim role. Automattic has replaced its legal counsel and is deciding whether to pay or contest the packages. The incident is linked to a broader governance struggle and ongoing litigation with WP Engine.
- Automattic's board voted to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave on September 9, 2026.
- Interim CEO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan signed reciprocal severance agreements on September 10, 2026.
Mullenweg Claims He's Back in Control at Automattic
Corporate Governance · Recorded impact score: 2/5
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has returned as CEO and chairman after a failed board attempt to place him on paid leave, which lasted 33 hours. Following his return, the entire board was removed: Toni Schneider resigned, while Sue Decker and Ann Dunwoody were ousted, and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan departed. Mullenweg, who controls 84% of voting shares, has since rebuilt the board with new members including author Hugh Howey, Amy Chan, and IRL co-founders Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai. Advisers include former Woop CTO Jaime Waydo and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah. The leadership shakeup occurs amid an ongoing trademark lawsuit with WP Engine and internal tensions, including layoffs and Mullenweg's reference to a fifth 'coup' attempt involving Silver Lake.
- Automattic's entire board was removed after a failed attempt to oust CEO Matt Mullenweg, who returned after a 33-hour leave and remains CEO and chairman.
- Previous board members Toni Schneider (resigned), Sue Decker, and Ann Dunwoody (removed) left, along with Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan.
WordPress parent Automattic forces CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave
Company Leadership · Recorded impact score: 2/5
WordPress parent company Automattic's board has placed CEO Matt Mullenweg on a forced leave of absence, with CFO Mark Davies appointed as interim CEO. Mullenweg expressed surprise in internal Slack messages, alleging a 'conspiracy' by board members. The decision follows years of internal tensions and a legal dispute with WP Engine over licensing fees. Automattic confirmed the move to TechCrunch. The company, which also owns Tumblr and WooCommerce, saw mixed reactions from employees, with some feeling relief and others fearing instability.
- Automattic's board forced CEO Matt Mullenweg on a leave of absence.
- CFO Mark Davies will serve as interim CEO.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Automattic
What is Automattic?
Automattic is a private platform company that owns and operates publishing, commerce, consumer media and website infrastructure products including WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr and WP VIP.
Who uses Automattic?
Its products are used by creators, bloggers, merchants, developers, small businesses, newsrooms, publishers, large enterprises and consumers using its media and productivity apps.
How does Automattic make money?
Automattic makes money through software subscriptions, enterprise managed-platform contracts, paid extensions and ecosystem services, API-based products and advertising across owned properties and network inventory.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
14 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
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