Ownership & Funding

Transparency about who pays for the journalism you read is a core trust signal. Here is the whole picture for RetroShell.

Ownership

RetroShell is wholly owned and operated by Pub.cat, an independent media company registered in Barcelona, Spain. Pub.cat is itself wholly owned by Owen Hughes (no external shareholders, no parent company). There are no silent partners, no holding companies above Pub.cat, and no investor board.

Funding

Pub.cat has taken no venture capital, no angel investment and no loans. The business is entirely bootstrapped. Operating costs (domain, hosting, API usage) are paid out of revenue or, where necessary during the early months, from the founder’s personal funds.

Revenue sources

In order of current contribution:

  1. RetroShell Shop (shop.retroshell.com): British-designed acrylic game-case protectors and the numbered Player Clothing apparel line. This is the primary business.
  2. Affiliate commissions: small referral fees from Amazon, eBay Partner Network, CeX and specialist retro retailers when readers buy hardware or software we link to in articles. Rates and disclosures are on the Ethics page.
  3. Display advertising & sponsorship: a small slate of directly-sold banner and newsletter placements. See the Advertise page for rate card and policy.
  4. Newsletter sponsorship: one slot per issue, flat-rate, clearly labelled “Sponsor” or “Partner”.

What does not influence editorial

No advertiser, affiliate partner, shop supplier or sponsor has any input into our editorial choices. We write about Analogue, Retro-Bit, Anbernic, Limited Run Games and similar brands on their merits; their ad spend (if any) is handled by a different person on a different day and never mentioned to the writer producing an article. If we cover a product that is also sold through our shop or via an affiliate link, we flag that at the bottom of the piece.

What we will not accept

  • Editorial control from any advertiser or sponsor.
  • Gifts above £50 (see Ethics).
  • Funding from political parties, foreign governments, or investors requiring editorial concessions.
  • Payment in exchange for favourable coverage in news articles.

Audits

Pub.cat files annual statements in accordance with Spanish and UK company law where applicable. Summary figures can be requested for verified journalistic inquiries: editor@retroshell.com.