Writing Your First Startup Press Kit
A journalist, podcaster or blogger finally wants to mention your startup, and they need a logo, a photo and two accurate sentences by this afternoon. A press kit is how you hand them all of it in one click. This guide shows you what to put in your first startup press kit, how to write each piece and how to keep it ready for the next request.
Key takeaways
- A press kit is a single page or folder with everything a writer needs to cover you accurately: story, facts, visuals and contacts.
- The core pieces are a boilerplate, a fact sheet, founder bios, logos, product images, team photos and a press contact.
- Make it easy to find, quick to download and free of login walls.
- Only include facts you can stand behind, and update the kit after every launch or milestone.
Most early-stage founders think a press kit is something you build after you are famous. It is the other way around. A press kit is part of how you get noticed in the first place, because it removes friction for the busy people who might write about you. When a reporter has to email you three times for a logo and a correct spelling of your name, you become harder to cover than the next startup in their inbox.
The good news is that your first press kit does not need a designer or a big budget. You can build a solid version in an afternoon with words you already have and photos you can take this week. With spring launch season around the corner in mid-March, now is a sensible time to get it done.
What a startup press kit is for
A press kit, sometimes called a media kit, is a collection of approved information and assets about your company. It lives on a page of your website, usually linked as "Press" or "Media" in your footer, with a downloadable folder of files.
It serves several audiences at once:
- Journalists and editors who need accurate facts and usable images on a deadline.
- Podcast hosts and event organizers who need a founder bio and headshot for show notes or a speaker page.
- Partners and marketplaces who want your logo for a listing or co-marketing page.
- Launch sites and communities, such as Product Hunt or BetaList, where a clear description and good images help you stand out.
Notice that none of these people want a sales pitch. They want material they can use quickly and accurately. Write your press kit for them, not for customers.
Common mistake
Writing the press kit like a landing page, full of exclamation marks and claims such as "revolutionary" or "the world's best." Writers cannot repeat those claims, so they ignore them. Plain, factual, quotable sentences get used.
The essential pieces to include
Your first press kit needs seven pieces. Each is short. Together they answer almost every question a writer might have.
1. The boilerplate
The boilerplate is a short "About" paragraph, usually 50 to 100 words, that describes your company in the third person. It appears at the end of press releases and gets copied straight into articles, so every word should be accurate and neutral.
A simple formula: [Company] is a [category] that helps [audience] [do something specific]. Founded in [year] by [founders], the company is based in [city]. [One line of proof, such as customers, a launch or funding, only if public and verifiable.]
2. The fact sheet
A fact sheet is a quick-reference list of key facts: legal company name, founding date, headquarters, founders, website, product name, what the product does and any public milestones. Writers love fact sheets because they can scan them in seconds and check spelling.
3. Founder bios
Write a short bio (about 50 words) and a longer bio (about 150 words) for each founder, in the third person. Include role, relevant background and one human detail. Keep job titles consistent with your website and professional profiles.
4. Logos
Provide your logo in a few formats: a vector file, a high-resolution PNG with a transparent background, and versions for light and dark backgrounds. Add a one-line note on how not to use it, such as stretching or recoloring.
5. Product images
Include several clean screenshots or product photos at high resolution. Show the product doing something real, not an empty dashboard. Name each file clearly, such as companyname-dashboard-reports.png.
6. Team and founder photos
Offer at least one well-lit headshot of each founder and, if you have one, a casual team photo. Make sure everyone pictured has agreed to the photo being shared with media.
7. Press contact
Give a named person and a direct email address that someone checks daily. A generic contact form slows down a writer on deadline. Add a time zone so they know when to expect a reply.
Pro tip
Add a "Recent coverage" list once you have two or three mentions, and a short list of story angles you can speak about. Angles like "what we learned building for remote clinics" give writers a reason to call you, not just a logo to download.
How to write your press kit, step by step
Here is a simple order of work that keeps the job manageable and avoids rewriting the same sentences five times.
- Write the one-sentence description first. Everything else grows from it. If you cannot say what you do in one plain sentence, fix that before anything else.
- Expand it into the boilerplate. Add founders, year, location and one verifiable proof point.
- Collect the facts. Pull the legal name, founding date and other details from your incorporation documents so they are exact.
- Draft the bios. Ask each founder to approve their own bio and headshot.
- Gather and name the files. Export logos, screenshots and photos at high resolution, and use clear, consistent file names.
- Build the page. Put the text directly on the page so it can be copied, and add one download link for a zipped folder of assets.
- Test it as an outsider. Ask a friend to find your press page from your homepage and grab a logo. Time how long it takes.
AI writing tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grammarly can help you tighten a draft bio or find a clearer word. Treat their output as a first draft, check every fact yourself and keep your own voice. Check each tool's current features, pricing and privacy policies before pasting in unpublished company information.
A copyable press kit checklist template
Use this table to plan your kit and track what is done. Copy it into a spreadsheet or document and fill in one row per item.
| Item | Format | Owner | Last updated | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boilerplate (about 80 words) | Text on page | CEO (example) | 2027-03-12 (example) | Done |
| Founder headshots | JPG, high resolution | Co-founder (example) | 2027-03-05 (example) | Waiting for one photo |
| Logo pack, light and dark | SVG and transparent PNG | Designer (example) | 2027-02-28 (example) | Done |
Add rows for the fact sheet, product images, team photo, press contact and any coverage list. The "Last updated" column is the one that saves you later, because it shows at a glance what has gone stale.
Example
Imagine Leo and Hana, who run a two-person startup making booking software for independent climbing gyms. A regional business podcast invites Hana as a guest with two days' notice. Because their press page already has her short bio, a headshot and the boilerplate, she sends one link. The host copies the bio into the show notes and uses the logo for the episode artwork. Later, a trade newsletter finds the same page and quotes the boilerplate word for word. (This is a made-up example.)
Where to host it and how to share it
The simplest option is a page on your own website at an obvious address such as /press, linked from the footer. Keep the text on the page itself and offer one zipped download for the asset files. A shared cloud folder can work too, but make sure the link does not require a login or an access request. Every extra click is a chance for a busy writer to move on.
When you pitch a story, include the press kit link in your email signature or at the end of your note, not as a large attachment. Attachments can be filtered or ignored; a link is lighter and always up to date.
Keep it legal and accurate
- Use only images you own or have rights to. Photos taken by a hired photographer may need a written license for media use.
- Get permission from people pictured. This applies to team members, customers and anyone else recognizable.
- Only share public numbers. Do not add customer names, revenue or funding details unless they are public and you are comfortable seeing them in print.
- Respect customer agreements. Some contracts restrict naming a client in marketing. Check before you list logos.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you are unsure about image rights, trademarks or confidentiality terms, ask a qualified professional.
Common mistake
Letting the kit go stale. An old logo, a founder who left last year or a product name you have since changed can end up in print and is hard to correct. Put a quarterly review on your calendar and update the kit after every launch.
Your press kit action plan
- Write your one-sentence description and an 80-word boilerplate
- Build a fact sheet using details from your official documents
- Draft short and long bios for each founder and get approval
- Export your logo in light, dark, vector and PNG versions
- Gather high-resolution product images and founder headshots
- Create a /press page with copyable text and one asset download
- Add a named press contact and link the page from your footer
- Set a quarterly reminder to review and update everything
Frequently asked questions
Does a pre-launch startup need a press kit?
A simple one, yes. Even before launch you can share a boilerplate, founder bios, a logo and a contact. It helps with podcast invites, event listings, launch sites and partner pages, and you can expand it once the product is live.
Should I put my press kit behind a form?
Usually not. Writers on deadline rarely fill in forms to get a logo. Keep the press page public and downloadable without a login. If you want to know who visits, use standard website analytics that respect your privacy notice.
How long should a startup boilerplate be?
Most are between 50 and 100 words. Aim for one short paragraph that says what you do, for whom, where you are based, when you started and one verifiable proof point.
What file formats should I include for logos?
Offer a vector file (such as SVG or EPS) for print and design work, plus high-resolution PNG files with transparent backgrounds for web use. Include versions that work on both light and dark backgrounds.
Related reading
The bottom line
Your first startup press kit is a small project with an outsized payoff. Write a clear boilerplate, a fact sheet and founder bios, gather logos and high-resolution photos, add a real press contact and put everything on one public page. Then keep it current.
When the next writer, host or organizer asks about you, you will send a single link and get back to building. That speed and polish is exactly what makes busy people want to feature you again.
