Key points
- Honeyjar automates tasks like writing announcements, finding journalists, and identifying speaking opportunities.
- Founders Michelle Masek and Nadia Jamshidi aim to scale senior-level PR expertise through artificial intelligence.
- The tool targets millions of professionals without formal comms titles who handle strategic communications.
Honeyjar is introducing a new artificial intelligence platform designed to automate strategic communications workflows for organizations of all sizes. According to a report by TechCrunch, the startup aims to make the expertise and judgment of top public relations professionals accessible to everyone, including founders who lack experience in the field. The company will showcase its technology at TechCrunch Disrupt as part of the Startup Battlefield 200 lineup this week.
By the numbers
- 110 portfolio companies that CEO Michelle Masek previously supported with marketing and communications advice.
- 200 startups selected for the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield where Honeyjar will present.
- Millions of unassigned communicators globally who handle strategic messaging without holding formal comms titles.
What the figures mean
The scale of Honeyjar’s target market reflects a widespread gap in organizational capabilities. Masek noted that while she helped 110 portfolio companies at Obvious Ventures, the need for strategic communications is far broader. She identified millions of professionals—including marketers, investors, authors, school superintendents, and sports team leaders—who are responsible for communications work but lack the title or dedicated resources. These individuals often struggle to solve complex comms problems effectively.
Honeyjar’s founders, CEO Michelle Masek and CCO Nadia Jamshidi, bring decades of experience in in-house communications and agency work to this challenge. Masek recently served as senior vice president of marketing and communications for Obvious Ventures. She sought a way to scale senior-level expertise into AI tools that help users perform communications work proactively and skillfully. The resulting platform automates specific tasks such as writing announcements, building media lists, and scanning news and social media for relevant opportunities.
What to watch
The platform’s vision extends beyond simple press coverage or isolated AI utilities. According to Jamshidi, Honeyjar aims to unify the entire communications workflow, integrating signals, context, strategy, judgment, timing, and execution. This approach addresses the horizontal nature of modern communications needs, where responsibilities are often passed around without clear ownership. By tracking coverage and surfacing opportunities, the tool seeks to provide structure to an otherwise fragmented process for non-specialists.
What to do and how to stay safe: Honeyjar
- Review current communications workflows to identify tasks that are currently handled by staff without formal PR training.
- Evaluate whether existing AI tools can integrate with your media monitoring and list-building processes.
- Monitor for updates on Honeyjar’s platform capabilities, particularly regarding its ability to provide strategic judgment.
- Ensure that any automated outreach tools comply with journalistic guidelines and do not spam media contacts.
Step-by-step guide: Detect Shadow AI: Network Logs, Process Trees and Hidden Signals
General security guidance from the Sandbox Gazette newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What specific tasks does Honeyjar automate?
Honeyjar automates writing announcements, finding journalists to pitch, identifying speaking opportunities, building media lists, scanning news and social media, and tracking coverage.
Who are the founders of Honeyjar?
The founders are CEO Michelle Masek and CCO Nadia Jamshidi, both of whom have decades of experience in public relations and communications.
Who is the target audience for this platform?
The platform targets founders, marketers, investors, authors, creators, school superintendents, and sports team leaders who handle communications without holding formal comms titles.
