MongolBeat is evolving into Lexica

Dear MongolBeat subscribers,

Over the past year, you've been part of a passion project of mine. I created MongolBeat to solve my own problem of keeping up with local news quickly and easily. What started as a simple newsletter translating local news sources has become an important source of local intelligence for diplomats, business professionals, and Mongolia enthusiasts around the world.

In order to better support this growth and future opportunities, MongolBeat is becoming Lexica. Same mission, same person behind it (me, Robert Ritz), but with the infrastructure to expand to new countries and expand coverage. While MongolBeat was limited to Mongolia, Lexica will expand to countries where local news and intelligence remain largely inaccessible to the international community.

What's changing

Beginning August 4, 2025, MongolBeat will become Lexica with a new home at www.lexica.news. The transition is seamless—you will use the same email to log in and your complete newsletter archive will be waiting for you. This move will enable two important changes: better content and expanded coverage to more countries.

First, there will immediately be a few enhancements to your daily news briefing. Our new format groups related stories from multiple outlets into comprehensive summaries, giving you the complete picture faster while maintaining direct links to original sources. There will also be a full-text searchable archive, making it easy to reference past coverage when you need it.

Most importantly, the transition to our new name and platform will allow us to expand into broader regional coverage. Over the coming 1-2 months I will be working on adding new countries, starting with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Additional countries are in development, and I welcome your suggestions for future coverage areas.

New subscription structure

To support this expansion and ensure sustainable operations, Lexica will have subscription tiers:

Lexica Weekly - Free

• Top 10 stories per week delivered each Friday
• Perfect for non-residents or those that don't need detailed coverage

Lexica Daily - $9/month or $90/year

• Comprehensive daily newsletter of top stories moving the country
• Searchable archive of past issues and reports
• Daily 7AM delivery local time
• Access to all country feeds

Organization Plans - $199/month for up to 25 seats

• Team accounts with centralized billing and invoicing
• Access to all country feeds
• Early access to new features

Importantly a single paid subscription gives you access to the daily feed for any country on the platform. I plan to have more than 10 countries available by Q2 2026.

Your transition timeline

Starting August 4: Newsletter links will direct you to Lexica.news and emails will be sent from this new domain.

Through August 31: All current MongolBeat subscribers will receive a Lexica Daily subscription at no cost up until August 31. You can see how you like the coverage with no financial commitment.

After August 31: Choose your preferred subscription level. If you would like to subscribe to Lexica Daily you will also get a 14-day free trial. If you prefer not to subscribe, you will automatically be switched to the Lexica Weekly tier.

No action required now - Your newsletters will continue uninterrupted while you decide what works best for you.

Why this matters

This transition enables something I've wanted to build for some time now: a platform that enables local intelligence previously only available to organizations with dedicated political staff. Central Asian coverage is only the beginning.

I'm developing several new content series, including deep analytical dives that combine international data with local Mongolian sources, and a comprehensive database profiling key political and economic figures across a country. I'm always open to exploring ideas that leverage public data in meaningful ways—feel free to reach out with suggestions or specific requests.

Questions?

I'm handling this transition. Please send me an email (robert@lexica.news) with any questions or concerns - I read and respond to everything. If your organization is interested in a team plan please reach out to me.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Whether you continue with us as a paid subscriber or stay connected through our free weekly digest, I'm grateful for your support in building something meaningful for the international community.

Best regards,

Robert Ritz
Founder, Lexica
robert@lexica.news

P.S. - If you know colleagues who work internationally and might benefit from local intelligence on Central Asia, I'd appreciate any introductions. We're building something unique here, and the right subscribers make all the difference.