Financial news webzine Benzinga is growing up as it continue to outgrow its expectations, hiring new people, spinning out side businesses and moving into bigger digs in Southfield.
Benzinga got its start a little more than two years, providing business news stories that came with actionable trading ideas and insightful commentary. Its stories cover a number of sectors, including the financial markets, technology, economics and politics. It recently moved from its original office in Bingham Farms to a larger space in Southfield that comes complete with start-up staples, ping-pong tables, a coffee bar and air hockey.
"Our company has matured," says
Jason Raznick, president & founder of
Benzinga. "We're doing more data mining than articles."
It has also helped spin out two other firms, including a public relations and marketing company. Raznick explains that side ventures like that allow his company to harness people's passions and ideas to turn them into viable ventures. "That person was empowered to launch it and run it herself," he says.
Benzinga has also been hiring. It brought on 10 new people over the last year, expanding its staff to 25 employees and five interns. Most of those new hires are software professionals and writers for the news desk. Benzinga is now looking to hire three more people, including an editor and software developers to help push the company's ethos of helping regular people achieve financial independence.
"We're trying to change people's lives," Raznick says. "Over the last six years the average investors feels beat. We want to even the playing field for them."
Source: Jason Raznick, president & founder of Benzinga
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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