Flipboard Acquires Graze to Expand Open Social Web Monetization
In a significant move for the decentralized social media landscape, Flipboard acquires Graze, a Portland-based feed-building startup focused on monetizing the open social web. This strategic acquisition strengthens Flipboard’s commitment to an ecosystem where users control their own data and audience, rather than a single company. The deal comes as Flipboard continues to invest heavily in the open social web, building on its evolution from a news magazine app to a key player in this decentralized space.
What Graze Brings to the Open Social Web
Graze has developed tools that allow users to build, customize, publish, and manage Bluesky feeds. These curated post streams can be set as a user’s home feed, pinned for quick access, or integrated into other apps built on Bluesky’s AT Protocol. Since launching 21 months ago, Graze has sent over 41 billion posts to approximately 12 million people.
The platform enables curators and communities to turn their expertise into income by building their own feeds. What sets Graze apart is its advertising model, which avoids the data-tracking practices common across much of the web. Instead of following individual users—what open social web supporters call the “surveillance ecosystem”—Graze uses contextual advertising. Brands can target specific communities, such as game developers, by purchasing placements in feeds run by members of that community. Feed creators also have the ability to choose which ads they want to run.
How the Graze Monetization Model Works
Graze’s revenue model is straightforward and creator-focused. The ad revenue is split 70/30 between the feed creator and Graze, with the majority going directly to the curator. Currently, Graze hosts over 7,000 feeds on its platform, with approximately 60% of its traffic being monetized.
Flipboard CEO Mike McCue praised the approach, emphasizing that the advertising technology “doesn’t have to surveil anybody, and it doesn’t have to violate people’s privacy.” He described it as a “fantastic vision” where economic benefits aren’t concentrated with a single player. McCue highlighted that ad revenue is shared with the feed builder, creating a more equitable ecosystem.
Why Flipboard Acquires Graze
Flipboard had already been using Graze’s feed-building technology in its new app, Surf, which led to closer collaboration between the two companies. Both organizations shared a vision for the growth of the open social ecosystem but found they were duplicating efforts. Graze co-founder and CEO Devin Gaffney recognized that partnering with Flipboard would accelerate progress, particularly given Flipboard’s existing relationships with advertisers.
Now that Flipboard acquires Graze, the company will continue using Graze’s technology while enabling users to build their own feeds. This capability will expand beyond Bluesky to everything running on the AT Protocol, including Flipboard’s own app. McCue noted that many feed builders are creating communities on the open web, though their members may not think of it in technical terms. Instead, they focus on community interests, such as women’s sports or other niche topics.
What This Means for the Open Social Web
The acquisition signals continued momentum for the open social web, where platforms like Bluesky are gaining traction. By bringing Graze’s technology and monetization expertise in-house, Flipboard is positioning itself as a leader in this space. The deal also demonstrates a viable path to sustainability for feed creators and curators who want to build communities without relying on invasive data collection.
While Flipboard isn’t disclosing the acquisition’s terms, it was described as a small deal. Graze had raised $1 million at the beginning of 2025 and employs just two team members. Despite its modest size, the startup’s technology and vision clearly aligned with Flipboard’s strategic direction.
The Future of Feed Building and Contextual Advertising
As the open social web continues to evolve, tools like Graze’s will become increasingly important. The ability to build, customize, and monetize feeds gives creators more control over their content and revenue streams. Contextual advertising offers an alternative to the surveillance-based model that has dominated digital advertising, addressing growing privacy concerns among users and regulators.
McCue’s comments about feed builders and their communities highlight the human element of this technology. People aren’t joining technical protocols—they’re joining communities based on shared interests. By enabling these communities to thrive and monetize sustainably, Flipboard and Graze are helping shape the future of social media.
The news that Flipboard acquires Graze represents a significant step forward for the open social web. By combining Graze’s feed-building technology with Flipboard’s infrastructure and advertiser relationships, the combined entity can accelerate the development of a more equitable, privacy-respecting social ecosystem. For feed creators, this means new opportunities to monetize their expertise and build sustainable communities. For users, it offers the promise of social experiences that prioritize their interests and privacy over corporate surveillance.
As the open social web continues to mature, acquisitions like this demonstrate that there’s a viable business model beyond the traditional data-driven approach. The challenge now will be scaling these models while maintaining the community-focused values that make the open social web appealing in the first place.
