Shilika Jain/Compare
Ten agencies founders shortlist most often in 2026: five for crypto and Web3, five for AI. Each one is compared on the three things that decide whether PR works: who actually pitches the journalist, which markets they can reach, and what you pay for it. Then the option most shortlists leave out.
The short version
Every agency below does good work for the right client. But most are built around one or two regions and a pyramid of junior staff. If you want a senior operator on every pitch and one plan across the US, China, Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, work with Shilika directly.
Crypto & Web3 · Updated October 2026
Ranked by visibility in founder shortlists, public client rosters and tier-1 crypto media track record. Click any agency for the full side-by-side.
Best forInstitutions, TradFi players and large protocols that need regulatory, crisis and investor communications.
Watch out forPriced for institutions (reported from $15K/mo). No evident Korea, Japan or Gulf teams.
Who pitchesSenior consultants lead; account managers and staff run daily outreach
Best forConsumer and retail-facing crypto projects that want influencer reach plus PR and paid media.
Watch out forInfluencer-led and US-centric. No stated Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Gulf teams.
Who pitchesA strategist leading specialists across KOL, PR, paid and social
Best forProjects that want a steady volume of crypto media placements, op-eds and press releases.
Watch out forFocused on English-language crypto media. No named Asian or Gulf teams.
Who pitchesA content and outreach team working to agreed coverage deliverables
Best forExchanges and protocols prioritising the Gulf and MENA, plus event-heavy launches.
Watch out forAsia only began building out in 2026, with no evident Korea, Japan or China teams. Six-month retainers reported.
Who pitchesAn account director and manager leading a team of specialists
Best forBitcoin, infrastructure and fintech companies that want US business and crypto media.
Watch out forUS media focus, with no stated Asian, Middle East or non-English coverage.
Who pitchesA US account team under an experienced crypto leadership group
Best forWeb3 and AI founders who want tier-1 coverage in the US and Asia from one senior operator.
Watch out forOne operator, so capacity is limited. A handful of clients at a time.
Who pitchesShilika, personally, using 400+ journalist relationships built over six years.
AI & tech · Updated October 2026
The firms AI startups hire most for tech, business and trade press. Strong in the US and UK, with varying reach beyond.
Best forLater-stage B2B tech, cybersecurity and enterprise AI companies with US-focused programs and large budgets.
Watch out forNo offices outside North America. Pricing is not published and is built for enterprise budgets.
Who pitchesA practice team: senior leads on strategy, account staff on daily outreach
Best forUS enterprise tech and AI companies that want launches, funding news and broadcast coverage.
Watch out forUS only, with no Asian or Gulf presence. Pricing is not published.
Who pitchesPrincipals on strategy, a remote US account team on daily outreach
Best forVenture-backed AI and SaaS companies chasing US category leadership and Forbes AI 50 style recognition.
Watch out forUS-only footprint, and holding-company ownership that shows up in the fees.
Who pitchesAn integrated PR and content account team
Best forEnterprise tech brands that need coordinated PR across the US, Europe and parts of APAC.
Watch out forRevenue fell 19% in FY26 amid cost cuts. No Gulf office; China and Korea have run through a partner.
Who pitchesLocal account teams in each office, coordinated by a global lead
Best forGrowth-stage B2B tech and AI companies that want performance-led US campaigns.
Watch out forNo Asia coverage. Europe and the Middle East run through separate sister agencies.
Who pitchesA US account team, with other regions routed to sister agencies
Best forWeb3 and AI founders who want tier-1 coverage in the US and Asia from one senior operator.
Watch out forOne operator, so capacity is limited. A handful of clients at a time.
Who pitchesShilika, personally, using 400+ journalist relationships built over six years.
Interactive
Most agencies are strong in one or two regions. Pick your markets and see how many firms it takes to cover them with each option.
01 Where does your story need to land?
02 How many firms you would have to hire
Native means in-house, in-language media relationships. Partial means partners, wires or English-language outlets only. Coverage is based on each firm’s published offices, case studies and services as of the last-verified date.
The alternative
Agencies win business with partners and principals, then staff day-to-day work with account executives and coordinators. With Shilika, the person who pitched you is the person pitching the journalist.
400+ journalists across the US, China, Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Most agencies are strong in one or two of those, so founders end up hiring a second agency and refereeing between them.
When agencies lack access to Korean, Japanese, Chinese or Gulf media, they often subcontract that work. Shilika is regularly that subcontractor. Hiring her directly removes a layer of margin and a layer of telephone.
Agency retainers of $10K–$15K+ a month pay for account managers, consultants, writers and overhead billed separately. Shilika runs the same scope for $3K–$7K a month.
“She’s built strong relationships with top journalists and publications around the world, which gives her a real edge when it comes to getting stories placed.”
Nicole Rochette, Web3 BD and fractional CMO, ex-Dapper Labs
FAQ
It depends on where your users are. Wachsman leads for institutional and regulatory work, Coinbound for influencer-led retail campaigns, MarketAcross for placement volume in English-language crypto media, Luna PR for the Gulf and MENA, and Melrose for US business press. If your launch needs the US plus Korea, Japan, China or the Gulf in one coordinated plan, a senior operator like Shilika Jain covers all of them for $3K–$7K a month instead of two agencies at $10K–$15K+ each.
Highwire PR, Bospar, Inkhouse, Hotwire and SHIFT Communications are among the most hired AI and tech PR firms, mostly for US and UK coverage. Most are built around US and UK media, with Hotwire the main exception in Asia. They suit later-stage companies with large budgets. AI startups that need tier-1 tech coverage plus Asian markets on a seed or Series A budget usually get more from a senior fractional operator who pitches personally.
Most established crypto and tech PR agencies charge $10K–$15K a month at the entry level, and $20K–$40K+ for multi-market programs, usually with a 3 to 6 month minimum. Shilika Jain works on a $3K–$7K monthly retainer, or a $15K–$40K sprint for a single launch.
Because at most agencies the senior people sell the account and junior staff run it. With Shilika, the person on the first call writes every pitch and owns every journalist relationship. She also covers the US, China, Korea, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia herself, so you run one strategy instead of coordinating two or three firms.
Yes. Agencies routinely subcontract specialists for markets or beats they cannot cover in-house, especially Korean, Japanese, Chinese and Gulf media. Shilika is regularly brought in this way. Hiring her directly removes the agency margin and the extra hand-off.
30 minutes, no deck. Bring your launch date, target markets and the agency proposal you are weighing. You leave with the outlets worth chasing first and an honest read on whether you need an agency at all.