A good press release example fits on one page, announces a single fact and answers four questions in its first paragraph: who, what, when and why now. Here are 10 templates you can adapt, one for each key moment in a startup's life, each annotated with what a journalist looks for.

Last updated: October 2026.

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Why start from a template rather than a blank page?

A template avoids the two flaws that get a press release ignored: key information missing from the first lines, and a topic outside the journalist's beat. According to Cision's State of the Media 2026, based on 1,899 journalists, 72% say fewer than a quarter of the pitches they receive are relevant.

The sorting is fast. According to Muck Rack's State of Journalism 2026, 88% of journalists immediately reject a pitch outside their beat.

A template won't do the work for you. It sets the order of information. The angle, the number and the quote are still yours to find, and they decide whether the story gets picked up. If you are starting from scratch, our guide on how to write a press release covers each block.

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What structure do these 10 templates follow?

All 10 templates follow the same six-block structure that newsrooms expect:

• Headline: the fact and a number, in under 15 words.
• Lead paragraph: who, what, when, how much and why now, in three lines.
• Context: the market problem, backed by a sourced figure.
• Quote: a spokesperson sentence that offers a view, not a pleasantry.
• Details: numbers, timeline, partners.
• Boilerplate and media contact: the "About" paragraph and someone reachable on the day you send.

At Linker, we aim for one page, or 300 to 500 words. Beyond that, the main news gets diluted. Long material (bios, visuals, company history) belongs in the press kit.

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Which template fits each stage of your startup?

Each moment calls for a different angle and different outlets. The table sums up the 10 cases before each template in detail.

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10 annotated press release examples

Replace everything in square brackets. Keep the order of the blocks: it is the order in which a journalist reads.

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1. Funding round press release example

[Startup] raises [amount] to [concrete goal]
[City], [date]. [Startup], [eight-word description], today announced a [amount] funding round led by [lead investor], with participation from [other investors]. The funding will be used to [use 1] and [use 2] by [deadline].
Founded in [year], [Startup] [traction figure: customers, revenue or growth]. [Market context with a source].
"[Founder quote: why now, what conviction]", said [First Last], co-founder and CEO.
"[Investor quote: what they saw in the team or market]", added [First Last], [title] at [fund].
About [Startup]: [three-line boilerplate]. Media contact: [name, email, phone].

What the journalist looks for: the amount, the lead investor and exactly how the money will be used. "Accelerating growth" is not a use. "Hiring 30 engineers and opening Germany in 2027" is.

The common mistake: hiding traction. Without customer or revenue numbers, a small round looks like every other one. Funding news is usually shared under embargo with one lead outlet. For more, read our guide to the fundraising press release.

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2. Product launch press release example

[Startup] launches [product], [benefit in one sentence]
[City], [date]. [Startup] today launched [product], [what it does] for [audience]. Available from [date] starting at [price], it helps [measurable result] compared with [current situation].
Tested for [duration] with [number] pilot customers, [product] [average result observed].
"[Quote: the real problem that triggered the product]", said [First Last], [title].
Key features: [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3].
About [Startup]: [boilerplate]. Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: what is genuinely new compared with existing products, a price and a usage figure. A launch with no pilot customers and no price interests trade media, rarely business media.

The common mistake: a list of features that never says which problem goes away. Start with the problem, end with the features.

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3. Partnership press release example

[Startup] and [Corporate] partner to [result]
[City], [date]. [Startup] and [Corporate] today signed a partnership to [purpose]. From [date], [number] [employees, customers or sites] at [Corporate] will use [solution] to [expected result].
[Context: why the corporate needs this solution, with a sourced figure].
"[Corporate quote]", said [First Last], [title] at [Corporate].
"[Startup quote]", added [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
About [Startup] and [Corporate]: [two boilerplates]. Media contacts: [details for both companies].

What the journalist looks for: what the corporate gains, in the corporate's own words. Its quote is the news. Without it, the partnership reads like a one-sided claim.

The common mistake: forgetting that the partner's communications team must approve the text. It is the longest step for this type of release: build it into your timeline before you set a date.

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4. New hire announcement press release example

[First Last] joins [Startup] as [title]
[City], [date]. [Startup] today appointed [First Last] as [title]. [He or she] will be responsible for [quantified goal]. [First Last] was previously [role] at [company], where [quantified achievement].
"[New hire quote: why this move]", said [First Last].
"[CEO quote: what the appointment changes for the company]", added [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
High-resolution photo available on request. Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: a career path that says something about the company's strategy. These releases feed the "people moves" columns of business and trade media, which run short formats and ask for a photo.

A real example: this format earned Linker an article in the French trade outlet CB News in February 2026, when it appointed two account directors.

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5. Hiring plan press release example

[Startup] to hire [number] people in [year] to [project]
[City], [date]. [Startup] today announced plans to hire [number] people by [deadline], including [split by role and city]. The company currently employs [headcount].
[Why now: growth, new site, recent funding].
"[Quote: what the company offers candidates that others don't]", said [First Last], [title].
Open roles: [link to careers page]. Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: a number of jobs that matters for a city or a profession. Local and careers media pick these up when they say something about the local job market.

The common mistake: an employer promise every competitor also makes. Say what genuinely sets you apart (ways of working, pay, impact). Our article on PR for startup hiring covers the approach.

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6. International expansion press release example

[Startup] opens in [city or country] and targets [quantified goal]
[City], [date]. [Startup] is expanding into [France, the UK, the US...] with a new office in [city], led by [First Last]. The company aims for [goal: customers or revenue] there by [deadline].
[Proof: share of revenue already made abroad, first local customers].
"[Quote: why this market now]", said [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
Media contacts: [home market] and [target market].

What the journalist looks for: at home, the ambition and the number. In the target market, what you bring to local readers. Write two versions, not a translation.

The common mistake: announcing an opening with no local customer yet. That is the proof foreign newsrooms expect. See our guide to PR for expanding into Europe.

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7. Study or survey press release example

[Key figure]: [main finding of the study]
[City], [date]. According to [study name] published by [Startup], [key figure] of [population] [finding]. The study surveyed [sample size] [population] between [date] and [date].
Three findings: [finding 1], [finding 2], [finding 3].
"[Quote: what these numbers say about the market]", said [First Last], [title].
Methodology: [collection method, sample, dates]. Full study: [link]. Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: a figure they can reuse in a wider story. It is the only template where the startup is not the subject, which is exactly why it gets picked up. According to Muck Rack (State of Journalism 2026), 40% of journalists value original data in a pitch.

The common mistake: a headline built on the company name instead of the number, and no methodology. Without a sample and dates, a journalist won't cite it.

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8. Milestone press release example

[Startup] passes [number] [customers, users or transactions]
[City], [date]. [Startup] today announced it has reached [number] [unit], [time] after launch, up from [number] a year ago.
[What the figure reveals about the market or user behaviour].
"[Quote]", said [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
Next step: [goal]. Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: a trend, not a counter. "10,000 customers" interests no one. "10,000 small businesses switched to instalment payments in 18 months" says something about the market.

The common mistake: a number with no point of comparison. Always give last year's figure.

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9. Award or selection press release example

[Startup] wins [award] or joins [programme]
[City], [date]. [Startup] has been [named winner of, selected for] [award or programme], out of [number] applicants. [What the selection recognises].
[What it brings: funding, support, access to customers].
"[Quote]", said [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
Media contact: [details].

What the journalist looks for: what the selection says about the project. This release mainly interests trade and local media, and the organiser may share it too.

Its best use is elsewhere: a selection becomes proof to cite in your next releases and to post on LinkedIn, where journalists will also see it.

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10. Crisis statement press release example

Statement from [Startup] regarding [event]
[City], [date], [time]. [Startup] has identified [facts, without downplaying]. [Number] [customers or users] are affected.
Actions taken: [action 1], [action 2], [action 3].
"[Quote: acknowledgement, responsibility, commitment]", said [First Last], CEO of [Startup].
Next update: [date and time]. Media contact available: [name, phone].

What the journalist looks for: known facts, actions taken and the time of the next update. This template is written in hours, not days, and puts forward no unverified hypothesis.

The common mistake: waiting until you have every answer. Our first hours of a crisis protocol sets out the sequence, and media training prepares the spokesperson for questions.

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Which mistakes get a startup press release ignored?

• Two announcements in one release, such as a funding round and a launch. The journalist covers one, rarely the one you prefer.
• A headline with no number and no name. It doesn't say why the news is new.
• An empty quote, like "We are delighted to...". It takes the place of an opinion.
• Mass sending with no targeting: 88% of journalists reject a pitch outside their beat (Muck Rack, 2026).
• No reachable contact on the day you send.
• Technical jargon the newsroom can't reuse as is.

The last point is the most common among tech startups. Finding the journalistic angle means translating your topic into the words of the outlet's readers, not those of your product sheet.

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How much coverage can a press release bring?

A press release alone rarely brings coverage. What brings it is the angle, the targeting and one-to-one follow-up with journalists. Across the five three-month PR engagements Linker has published as case studies, an engagement produces 7 to 15 press hits, with a median of 10.

Two examples: MuchBetter.ai secured 10 press hits around its €4M round, and Objow 15 press hits around its €2M round.

A press release also has a second life. Published in your newsroom and shared on the founder's LinkedIn, it stays visible to journalists looking for a story after the send date. According to Cision, 62% of journalists use LinkedIn in their work.

Templates give you the structure. Finding the angle a journalist wants to cover, and the journalists who will cover it, is the job of a press relations engagement.