Rest of World Plans to End Operations by January 2027 Amid Search for New Home

Rest of World, a nonprofit digital publication that focuses on technology and its effects on communities, will stop operating as an independent organization in January 2027. The announcement was made by Deputy Editor Rina Chandran on LinkedIn.

Chandran stated that the newsroom will continue to publish until the end of January while looking for a new institution to take over. She expressed gratitude for her time at the publication, which was created to highlight technology stories from outside the West.

She assured contributors that any work already commissioned would still be published. The publication’s existing articles will also remain accessible to readers.

The decision to shut down comes after a report indicated that founder Sophie Schmidt has been in talks with larger organizations about possibly taking over the newsroom. Reports suggest that a closing date has been set for late January, allowing staff to receive exit packages and look for new jobs if a new home is not found.

Rest of World was founded in 2020 with a mission to broaden the focus of technology journalism. It aimed to document how technology impacts people in emerging markets and regions often overlooked by mainstream media. Despite reaching over 750,000 readers monthly, the publication has faced a decline in web traffic and social media engagement over the past 18 months.

Schmidt initially pledged $60 million to support the project, which has covered a variety of topics, including labor market changes and the influence of major tech companies.