The i newspaper has hailed a decade of “remarkable growth” as it celebrates 10 years since it first launched.

The newspaper launched in 2010 with three staff but has seen its readership continue to rapidly expand, reporting 54% growth over its digital and print platforms last year.

It currently employs 87 people, following investment in reporting, columnists and investigations, and now plans for “more hires”.

Last year, Daily Mail owner DMGT agreed a £50 million deal to buy The i, with the newspaper promising it would not change its editorial style despite the takeover.

Oliver Duff, who has been editor-in-chief of the i since 2013, said: “Our talented journalists and commercial team have defied sceptics to create a new, sustainable model for quality media in the UK.

“We are immensely grateful to i’s readers for backing an outsider.

“When political debate is so polarised and social media has been weaponised in a war on facts, people value quality journalism.

“The demand for honest, accurate reporting is high and that’s reflected in the loyalty of i’s readers.”

In a statement, the newspaper said it has seen a “decade of remarkable growth”, describing the publication as “a success story during a challenging time for the industry”.

Launch editor Simon Kelner added: “When i was born, we didn’t know what a selfie was, Instagram was only three weeks old, and Twitter was not the omnipotent force it is today.

“From day one, our readers were invited to take a proprietorial interest in the paper by telling us what they liked and what they didn’t. They helped us to shape the newspaper.”