Automattic
Automattic's mission is to democratize publishing, commerce, and messaging so that anyone with a story can tell it, regardless of income, location, or technical skill.
At a Glance
- Independent Bloggers
- Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs)
- Enterprise Organizations
- E-commerce Merchants
- +1 more
AI Tools by Automattic
(1)
Harper
Open Source Local Grammar Checker
Discussions
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Latest News
Automattic acquires Beeper to build a unified messaging future
Matt Mullenweg criticizes WP Engine's contribution level at WordCamp US
159 employees depart Automattic following internal 'alignment' offer
Automattic celebrates 20 years of democratizing publishing on the web
Products & Services
A hosted platform for building websites and blogs with various subscription tiers and managed features.
An open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress that powers millions of online stores and payment processing.
A suite of security, performance, and marketing tools for self-hosted WordPress sites.
An industry-leading anti-spam service for blogs and forums used by millions of sites.
Market Position
Automattic positions itself as a champion of the 'Open Web,' contrasting its open-source foundations and data portability with 'walled garden' competitors like Wix, Squarespace, and Shopify.
Leadership
Founders
Matt Mullenweg
Co-founder of the open-source project WordPress in 2003. Previously worked as a senior developer at CNET Networks (2004-2005) before founding Automattic in 2005 to commercialize WordPress services.
Executive Team
Matt Mullenweg
CEO & Founder
Co-founder of WordPress and founder of Automattic. Former senior developer at CNET Networks and lead developer of the WordPress open-source project. Named one of the most influential people on the web.
Mark Davies
Chief Financial Officer
Joined Automattic in 2019. Previously served as CFO of Vivint (a smart home technology company) where he led the company's IPO. Held senior finance roles at Dell and Alcoa.
Board of Directors
Founding Story
Matt Mullenweg co-founded the open-source WordPress project in 2003. In 2005, he left CNET Networks to find Automattic to provide a hosted version of the software (WordPress.com) and additional services like Akismet, creating a commercial engine to support the open-source ecosystem's growth and sustainability.
Business Model
Revenue Model
Freemium SaaS subscriptions, transaction fees from e-commerce (WooPayments), enterprise licensing and managed hosting (WordPress VIP), and API usage fees (Akismet).
Pricing Tiers
Basic website with WordPress.com subdomain and ads.
Custom domain (free for one year) and removes WordPress.com ads.
Premium themes, design tools, and social media integration.
Ability to install plugins, third-party themes, and advanced SEO tools.
Full e-commerce functionality, payment processing, and store management.
WordPress VIP for high-traffic, mission-critical enterprise applications.
Target Markets
- Independent Bloggers
- Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs)
- Enterprise Organizations
- E-commerce Merchants
- Publishers and News Agencies
- Professional blogging and content creation
- E-commerce and online retail management
- Enterprise-scale content management
- Personal journaling and digital record-keeping
- Unified messaging and communication management
- Time Inc.
- Salesforce
- CNN
- Rolling Stone