IT’S TIME TO
DISCOVER
WHAT’S NEXT
The Next Challenge supports powerful and innovative startups reinventing media & journalism.
2025 award winners were announced at the National Awards Celebration at Media Impact Forum on June 10th and can be found below.
The Next Challenge for Media & Journalism is the largest startup competition open to nonprofit and for-profit media companies in the United States.
The annual 16-week challenge promotes groundbreaking ideas and trailblazing startups that will reinvent journalism and media over the coming decade.
2025 Award Winners
In 2025, six prizes totaling $200,000 were awarded to five early-stage media startups. Each division winner received a grant of up to $50,000 and the Grand Prize winner received an additional $25,000.
Grand Prize
We revitalize public spaces in San Francisco, installing digital news kiosks on public sidewalks.
Plucky Works
Affordable editorial software built with and for small newsrooms.
Factchequeado
Factchequeado empowers Latinos, media and community organizations that
serve them through collaboration and AI tools.
The Current GA
Empowering civic engagement across Coastal Georgia.
Investigative Project on Race and Equity
We train journalists in data-driven reporting and collaborate with news
organizations to uncover systemic racism.
2025 National Awards Celebration
This year’s celebration was part of Media Impact Forum and was recorded live on June 10th at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Watch below!
As we entered the fourth year of the Next Challenge, we searched for bold innovators who don't just weather the journalism industry's headwinds – they harness them.
We looked for startups that leverage cutting-edge technology and AI to transform industry obstacles into opportunities as well as those that pioneer new business models that will strengthen local journalism across the nation.
This year’s competition has been aligned with Press Forward, a national coalition of funders investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and to scale the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive.
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"The Next Challenge is the best example we've come across of a complete awards process. The support, time commitment, and even UI of the submission process are all best in class. The sounding board of experts you're connected to also provided us with greater clarity of our go to market strategy. Apply!"
Josh Brandau, CEO & Co-founder, Nota
2024 Grand Prize & NewsTech Award Winner
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"The value of the Next Challenge goes beyond grant money by amplifying our mission to some of the nation's leading news and media organizations and investors. It fuels our commitment to building a platform that equips creators to not only tell their stories, but also to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.”
Michelle Kouri, CEO & Founder, Recordical
2024 Power Platform Award Winner
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“The Next Challenge was a game-changer for Rolli, providing the momentum we needed to secure funding, expand our platform, and forge key industry collaborations. The opportunities it created, both in investment and strategic partnerships, have been instrumental in our growth and impact on the journalism industry.”
Nick Toso, CEO & Founder, Rolli
2023 Next Challenge finalist
2025 Next Challenge Partners
Next Challenge Competitions
2022 - 2024
journalism & media startups have applied from
868
states and U.S. territories.
47
127
mentors & judges have lent their expertise, and
has been given in grants & other awards.
$380k
of all winning startups have been BIPOC and/or female founded.
75%
The Next Challenge is a program of Glen Nelson Center at American Public Media Group, which identifies, elevates and invests in emerging media & journalism ventures led by diverse and visionary founders.
To date, Glen Nelson Center has supported the work of 1000+ startups and hundreds of entrepreneurs through investments, competitions, and incubator/accelerator programs.
