Japan's SmartNews becomes first unicorn news startup since 2015

Japan's SmartNews becomes first unicorn news startup since 2015

A SmartNews event in Austin, Texas. Photo: SmartNews

It’s a challenging time in the digital media industry. BuzzFeed Inc. and Vice Media Inc., which defined a generation of news startups, dismissed hundreds of employees this year in cost-cutting maneuvers. But a glimmer of hope is coming from a software company in Tokyo.