Capsule, a startup based in Paris, is on a mission to revolutionize the way users consume daily news. Diverging from the conventional news aggregator model, Capsule aspires to be the “Spotify for news” by seamlessly blending AI technology with human editorial curation. Through its user-friendly app, Capsule transforms news articles, newsletter snippets, tweets, and social updates into easily digestible information.
The user experience on Capsule resembles the familiar swiping interface of social apps like TikTok. Its vertical scrolling feed presents news as a series of headlines accompanied by photos or screenshots from platforms such as X and LinkedIn. Users can tap on headlines to read news summaries and, if interested, access the full articles or social posts directly on the publisher’s website through a link in the upper-left corner.
Co-founders Jérôme Boé and Arthur de Villemandy conceived the idea for Capsule. Boé, having previously developed the short-form video app Snax, aimed to make quality news more accessible by leveraging a network of curators. The company plans to organize news similarly to how Spotify organizes music, creating “playlists” of news and incorporating recommendations.
Capsule distinguishes itself from traditional news aggregators by delving deeper into content. Boé emphasizes that it’s more than just clicking through to a source; it’s a starting point where the company conducts research, cross-references information, and adds extra data to provide users with a comprehensive overview. AI is used to distill essential information from articles, complemented by insights from Capsule’s editorial team, comprised of 10 freelancers worldwide described as “avid readers with a unique perspective.”
The company’s curators, responsible for seeding the app with new content, ensure a nuanced, subjective approach that aligns with Capsule’s editorial ethos of focusing on trends and insights for modern leaders. The team emphasizes content quality and relevance over metrics like social shares or likes.
Capsule utilizes AI not only to distill insights but also to curate related news stories, enhancing the depth and breadth of the reading experience. Unlike some news-sharing apps, Capsule currently imposes no restrictions on news sources, tapping into over 400 sources and counting.
While the four-person Capsule team is currently bootstrapping the startup, co-founder Boé suggests a potential freemium model in the future, contingent on perfecting the user experience and gaining traction.
