WordPress Owner Automattic Makes Longreads Purchase for Undisclosed Fee

Automattic, the company behind WordPress, have purchased Longreads for an undisclosed fee – according to the Longreads blog.

Longreads describe themselves as providing, “the best storytelling on the web”.

The online publication offers one story per day through its website, Twitter feed, email newsletter subscription, and iPad app. These daily stories surpass 1,500 words, bringing news and editorials together from both lesser known websites and established publications.

With a small team of just six members shouldering their wide-ranging success, it is not entirely surprising that Longreads have now decided to join forces with a larger company.

Founded by Matt Mullenweg, Automattic are of course well known for ventures such as WordPress, Akismet, VaultPress, Grvatar and other notable services. 

Regarding the news, Mark Armstrong, who founded Longreads in 2009, had this to say:

“We are thrilled to be joining the Automattic family.

I first met Matt four years ago, and we have always had a deep respect for him and the principles of his company. We also quickly realized that Longreads’ goals and Automattic’s goals were complementary: For us it is to serve readers the best storytelling in the world, and for Automattic it’s to power a world where publishers and writers have the freedom and independence to own and control their own space on the Internet, and to then produce their best work using those tools.

We see a huge opportunity to go deeper with our mission, both through Longreads and WordPress.com—to find undiscovered talent, to celebrate the work of writers and publishers you already love, and bring even more of the best storytelling onto the Internet. The WordPress.com editorial team is growing, and we’re excited to now be a part of it.”

To find out more about Longreads, check out their official website.