About Complex
Complex is a company based in New York (United States) founded in 2002 was acquired by NTWRK in February 2024. It operates as a Advertising Model, Commission-Based, and Direct-to-Consumer (D2C). Complex has raised $60.71 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Accel, Hearst and Verizon Wireless. Complex has completed 2 acquisitions, including Collider and Family Style. Complex offers products and services including ComplexCon Tickets and Streetwear and Collectibles. Complex operates in a competitive market with competitors including Yandex, Brightly, Highsnobiety, LittleThings and Qutoutiao, among others.
Products & Services of Complex
Complex offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including ComplexCon Tickets and Streetwear and Collectibles.
Tickets for ComplexCon event are sold online annually.
Streetwear and collectibles are offered through online shop.
Apps and channels of Complex
its YouTube channel Sole Collector has 373K subscribers and 30 videos.
Videos from Complex
The most watched videos on Complex's YouTube channel, Sole Collector (373K subscribers). Click a video to play it here.
More on Sole Collector.
Funding Insights of Complex
Complex has successfully raised a total of $60.71M across 4 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series C round of $21.2 million completed in September 2015. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $60.71M
- Total Rounds 4
- Last Round Series C — $21.2M
- First Round $12.8M
(Nov 2009)
- Investors Count 4
All 4 funding rounds of Complex with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2015 | $21.2M | Series C | – | Hearst | – |
| Sep 2013 | $25M | Series B | – | Iconix Brand Group | – |
| Apr 2010 | $1.71M | Series A | – | – | – |
| Nov 2009 | $12.8M | Series A | – | – |
6 investors in total: 6 institutional.
Investors in Complex
Complex has secured backing from 6 investors, including institutional and venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Accel, Hearst and Verizon Wireless.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Accel is recognized as a leading venture capital firm. | 1983 | accel.com | Palo Alto, United States | |
Venture capital investments in Texas-based companies. | – | austinventures.com | - | |
Media conglomerate | 1887 | hearst.com | New York, United States | |
Global consumer brands are owned and managed in diverse sectors. | 1978 | iconixbrand.com | New York, United States | |
Mobile communication services provider | 2000 | verizonwireless.com | Columbia, United States | |
Online platform for live video-based shopping | 2010 | thentwrk.com | Los Angeles, United States |
Investor details for Complex
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
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Investments & Acquisitions by Complex
Complex has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 2 companies. Notable acquisitions include Collider and Family Style.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Food festivals are organized and promoted by the association. | familystylefest.com | Los Angeles, United States | 2019 | May 2024 | •••• | |
Entertainment news on film and TV is delivered by Collider. | collider.com | – | 2005 | Jan 2015 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Complex
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
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- Exports
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Timeline of Complex
7 dated milestones of Complex across 22 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Complex is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $12.8M.
- Acquisition Acquires Collider.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series C, of $21.2M.
- Exit Acquired by Hearst.
- Exit Acquired by NTWRK.
- Acquisition Acquires Family Style.
Competitors of Complex
Complex operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Yandex, Brightly, Highsnobiety, LittleThings and Qutoutiao, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yandex.ru | 2000 | Moscow, Russia | – | – | Blog focusing on music, market, video, and other related topics | |
| brightly.eco | 2018 | San Francisco, United States | $1.9M | 185 | Online platform offering diversified lifestyle news | |
| highsnobiety.com | 2007 | Berlin, Germany | $8.5M | 101 | Online streetwear, sneaker, and lifestyle magazine and foundation focused on education investments for minorities | |
| littlethings.com | 2014 | New York, United States | – | 93 | Digital media platform with inspirational content | |
| qutoutiao.net | 2016 | Shanghai, China | $242M | – | Content is aggregated and personalized for mobile users via AI. | |
| puck.news | 2021 | Brooklyn, United States | $20M | – | Blogs on Hollywood, media, fashion, and related topics are published. | |
| thrillist.com | 2005 | New York, United States | $69.1M | 96 | Digital content on food, travel, health, and lifestyle is published. | |
| buzznet.com | 2005 | Los Angeles, United States | $43.5M | – | Lifestyle news on entertainment, style, and music is delivered online. |
Detailed competitors of Complex
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Web traffic of Complex
The website of Complex (complex.com) receives about 6.4M visits a month and ranks #10,604 among all websites worldwide, #1,033 in News and Media.
- Monthly visits6.4M
▼ 6.8% vs previous month
- Unique visitors4.6M
per month
- Global rank#10,604
among all websites
- Category rank#1,033
News and Media
- Bounce rate56%
- Pages per visit1.8
- Average visit45 sec
- DevicesDesktop 21% · Mobile 79%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Complex. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
theroot.com | theroot.com | 100% | – | #50,858 | – |
| tribune.com.pk | 97% | 4.3M | #13,413 | View details | |
| esquire.com | 96% | 16M | #4,516 | View details | |
| usmagazine.com | 95% | 16.8M | #3,965 | View details | |
gq.com | gq.com | 94% | – | #8,657 | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 40 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Complex
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 40 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Latest news on Complex
Complete news archive for Complex
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Similar companies to Complex
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Complex (DTC Media Innovators), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diversified gaming and sports media platforms are operated and developed. | 1999 | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | USD 127.93 M | USD 194.94 M | 63 | |
News media platform for soccer | 2008 | Berlin, Berlin, Germany | USD 320.1 M | – | – | |
Multi-category news is delivered through an app-based platform. | 2016 | Arlington, Virginia, United States | USD 30 M | – | 356 | |
News media platform covering combat sports | 2011 | Singapore | USD 386 M | – | – | |
Multi-category news is curated and delivered in multiple languages. | 2009 | Bengaluru, Karnataka, India | USD 129.01 M | – | 942 | |
Hyperlocal short news app is provided in multiple languages. | 2014 | Hyderabad, Telangana, India | USD 30.77 M | USD 5.35 M | 309 | |
Online platform publishing content focusing on investment | 2011 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | USD 60.4 M | – | – | |
Subscription-based sports media is delivered to local premium audiences. | 2016 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | USD 134.42 M | – | – | |
Multiple online media and lifestyle brands are owned and operated. | 2007 | Levallois-perret, Hauts-de-seine, France | USD 4.7 M | – | – | |
Sports commentary and news are provided through Hupu's platform. | 2004 | Shanghai, China | USD 338.72 M | – | – |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Complex
Complex was founded in 2002 and raised its 1st funding round 7 years after it was founded.
Complex is headquartered in New York, United States. It is registered at New York, New York, United States.
Complex is a funded company, having raised a total of $60.71M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $12.8M, raised on Nov 2009.
Complex is operated as a digital media platform focusing on music, sneakers, streetwear, and pop culture content. Various products including clothing, shoes, and collectibles are sold through its online shop. Events like ComplexCon are organized annually, providing a space for cultural and style exhibitions. The platform serves a global audience with content and products related to internet culture and sports. Affiliate marketing programs are utilized to generate revenue through retailer partnerships.
Complex's top competitors include Yandex, Brightly and Highsnobiety.
Complex offers ComplexCon Tickets and Streetwear and Collectibles.
Complex has made 2 acquisitions, including Collider, and Family Style.
Complex has 6 investors. Key investors include Accel, Hearst, Verizon Wireless, NTWRK, and Iconix.
Complex operates through Commerce Media Holdings, Llc.
Yes. Complex was acquired by Hearst in April 2016.
The website of Complex receives about 6.4 million visits a month and ranks #10,604 among all websites worldwide.