Mashable is a blog that covers social media news and analysis.

The blog was founded in 2005 by Pete Cashmore, who was 19 at the time. Cashmore said in 2008 that Mashable had been profitable since its inception without the need for venture funding. Mashable first took on outside funding when it raised $13.3 million for a significant expansion.

Mashable is the largest tech blog on the web and among the most influential blogs overall, with 34 million monthly unique visitors as of 2014. As of 2009, it brought in seven-figure annual revenue through advertising and events and now has a newsroom staff of about 77. The site has grown significantly in the past several years, partly because of the extensive sharing of its articles on social media. In 2011, it expanded its coverage to include entertainment and world news, which became a central part of its strategy. Beginning in 2012, it began running some content from the Atlantic and that National Journal on its site.

In early 2012, Mashable was reported multiple times to be in talks to sell to CNN for as much as $200 million.

Mashable’s content combines original reporting, aggregation, and analysis with a focus on utility for readers.

Video:

A 2008 Beet.tv interview with Cashmore: