PR – The What and The Why?
- ht8578
- Jul 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 8
In this post, we look at what PR is all about for tech startups and why you should start thinking about your public profile from the early days.
Elsewhere in this Collection of content, we are covering some PR basics, including:
What?
Public Relations is about shaping your brand’s public image and external reputation. In this post, we focus on PR as in Press, or Media, Relations, which is ultimately about earned attention, credibility and positioning through getting journalists and other external publishers to cover your story. As part of your PR work, you'll pitch ideas, respond to reporter queries, and provide expert commentary - consistently telling your story clearly and building proper connections with respected voices who will amplify your message across Europe's diverse tech ecosystem.
If you want to dig deeper into the what and why of PR in a digestible and actionable way, we highly recommend Beck Bamberger’s recent book “Flack Fairy – Navigating PR and Media for Venture-Backed Startups.” Bamberger makes the point that we can’t control the media, but much can be done to influence and enhance the chances of earning a featured spot.
Why?
Who needs journalists anymore, when AI can generate all the content in the world and everyone can launch podcasts, blogs and newsletters to broadcast our messages?
The democratisation of content creation has fundamentally changed the communications game. As startups (and beyond) compete not only with other companies for media attention, but with an endless stream of content from various sources, the power of the journalist byline is extremely valuable. This reality makes the value of earned media coverage both more precious and harder to achieve than ever.
Investing resources in PR efforts to generate earned media coverage is not a pre-requisite for funding and creation of an effective brand, but a feature in a respected media publication like Sifted or Tech.eu is certainly a big help, as it can drive meaningful attention from audiences likely to be relevant customers, talent, strategic partners and experts, or investors.
We know, for example, that investors take notice when companies announce raises, keen to make contact soon after the round so they can follow their progress and have a more informed opinion and relationship when the company looks to raise their next round. Like our portfolio companies Visibly’s €7M round coverage on EU-Startups, Silicon Canals and Maddyness UK and Zen Educate’s $37M Series B coverage on TechCrunch and Tech Funding News last year and Shakers’ €14M Series A announcement on Tech.eu, EU-Startups, Tech Funding News and Startups Magazine earlier in 2025.
The case for investing in PR for your startup from early on in your journey is well argued by Clara Almand-Delille of ThirdEye Media in her recent post “Why more early-stage startups are embracing PR from day one” on European tech and startup publication EU-Startups:
Startups that embrace PR early are more likely to get noticed, remembered, and ultimately backed. They set themselves apart not just through what they build, but also how they tell their story. Because when capital is scarce, storytelling isn’t optional, it’s essential.
The brutal reality
PR isn't glamorous. Most of your pitches will be ignored. You'll spend hours crafting the perfect press release that may or may not get picked up, do interviews that never get published and speak at events where half the audience is checking their phones.
But when it works — when a major publication features your startup, when a conference keynote leads to valuable partnerships, when crisis communication helps you retain customer trust — the impact is significant and lasting.
The Added Value
When you have secured that hard-earned headline, keep in mind that the external publicity can be hugely amplified through your owned channels. Like Spanish Shakers (a Brighteye portfolio company) did successfully on LinkedIn after their €14M Series A announcement.
Black Unicorn PR captures it well:
The magic of PR isn’t limited to press coverage alone - it’s about integrating those wins into every aspect of your marketing to create a bigger, bolder brand presence. PR can amplify content marketing, supercharge social media, add credibility to email outreach, and even boost your SEO ranking. By weaving PR into your larger marketing strategy, you can leverage it for continuous, long-term benefits that go way beyond just one article. So, don’t let your PR wins gather dust in the archives - put them to work! Every mention, article, and interview is another thread in the fabric of your brand story, waiting to be shared, boosted, and celebrated.
It’s time to get started on your PR journeys - now!!
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