Atavist Magazine
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing, Digital media |
| Founded | November 1, 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, United States |
| Founder | Jefferson Rabb, Evan Ratliff, Nicholas Thompson |
| Fate | Acquired by Automattic in 2018 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Monthly longform digital magazine issues |
| Parent | Automattic |
| Website | magazine |
The Atavist Magazine is a Brooklyn, New York–based American publication that focuses on in-depth and investigative storytelling. Established in 2011 by Jefferson Rabb, Evan Ratliff, and Nicholas Thompson with investment from Silicon Valley, it was purchased by Automattic in 2018.
Uniquely, every issue released monthly contains a single longform article, distributed solely through email, with no print version available.
History
Initiated by Rabb, Ratliff, and Thompson, The Atavist Magazine debuted its inaugural issue on November 1, 2011, following a successful $1.5 million seed funding round. The first feature, "Piano Demon" by Brendan I. Koerner, profiled jazz artist Teddy Weatherford. Initially, the content was accessible exclusively on digital devices such as iPads and Kindles. Alongside the magazine, the founders developed Creativist Software, a platform utilized by publishers including The Paris Review, Pearson, The Christian Science Monitor, and Vice.
In early 2012, the company broadened its scope by launching Brightline (which was later renamed Atavist Books), collaborating with industry figures like Barry Diller, Scott Rudin, and Frances Coady. Their maiden publication was Karen Russell's novella "Sleep Donation," which garnered critical praise. Despite achievements such as Evan Hughes' "The Trials of White Boy Rick," Atavist Books ceased operations at the end of 2014; its assets were integrated into The Atavist and IAC.
Confronted with financial difficulties in 2015, The Atavist reduced its workforce by half and discontinued its native mobile applications to concentrate on a web-based delivery model. Persistent monetary issues culminated in its acquisition by Automattic—the company behind WordPress—in June 2018.