Google challenger search engine Neeva shuts down consumer search and focuses on AI and the enterprise

Share via:

Neeva, the challenger search engine founded by former Googlers Sridhar Ramaswamy and Vivek Raghunathan, has announced the winding down of its consumer business. In a blog post, the founders cited challenges in attracting new users and the difficult economic environment as the reasons behind the decision.

The company, based in Mountain View, California, launched an ad-free, subscription-only search engine in the United States two years ago. It later introduced a free tier to attract more users. Despite amassing over 600,000 users, with the majority on the free plan, Neeva struggled to achieve substantial growth. The company attempted to reinvent the search experience by introducing a generative AI engine that provided a single answer by combining multiple results and sources.

Neeva’s plans for expansion included a launch in Europe and the development of a generative AI search app called Gist. However, the iOS launch of Gist was repeatedly delayed, raising questions about the app’s progress.

Like many tech companies, Neeva faced the challenges of tough economic conditions, which led to layoffs across the industry. Despite raising more than $75 million from investors like Sequoia and Greylock, Neeva did not secure a Series C funding round. While the company aimed to provide a genuine alternative to Google, it proved difficult to convince users to switch from the dominant search engine.

Although Neeva will shut down its consumer search product, it has hinted at future plans in enterprise search and monetization beyond paid subscriptions. The company may pursue licensing deals to power application search within enterprises, leveraging its work with large language models. Reports suggest that Neeva has been in discussions with cloud giant Snowflake about a possible acquisition, indicating a potential direction for the company.

Neeva plans to issue refunds to paid subscribers and delete all user data. The founders expressed their intention to explore how they can apply their search and large language model expertise in enterprise settings. Updates on Neeva’s future plans will be provided in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We StartupNews.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.

Popular

More Like this

Google challenger search engine Neeva shuts down consumer search and focuses on AI and the enterprise

Neeva, the challenger search engine founded by former Googlers Sridhar Ramaswamy and Vivek Raghunathan, has announced the winding down of its consumer business. In a blog post, the founders cited challenges in attracting new users and the difficult economic environment as the reasons behind the decision.

The company, based in Mountain View, California, launched an ad-free, subscription-only search engine in the United States two years ago. It later introduced a free tier to attract more users. Despite amassing over 600,000 users, with the majority on the free plan, Neeva struggled to achieve substantial growth. The company attempted to reinvent the search experience by introducing a generative AI engine that provided a single answer by combining multiple results and sources.

Neeva’s plans for expansion included a launch in Europe and the development of a generative AI search app called Gist. However, the iOS launch of Gist was repeatedly delayed, raising questions about the app’s progress.

Like many tech companies, Neeva faced the challenges of tough economic conditions, which led to layoffs across the industry. Despite raising more than $75 million from investors like Sequoia and Greylock, Neeva did not secure a Series C funding round. While the company aimed to provide a genuine alternative to Google, it proved difficult to convince users to switch from the dominant search engine.

Although Neeva will shut down its consumer search product, it has hinted at future plans in enterprise search and monetization beyond paid subscriptions. The company may pursue licensing deals to power application search within enterprises, leveraging its work with large language models. Reports suggest that Neeva has been in discussions with cloud giant Snowflake about a possible acquisition, indicating a potential direction for the company.

Neeva plans to issue refunds to paid subscribers and delete all user data. The founders expressed their intention to explore how they can apply their search and large language model expertise in enterprise settings. Updates on Neeva’s future plans will be provided in the coming weeks.

Disclaimer

We strive to uphold the highest ethical standards in all of our reporting and coverage. We StartupNews.fyi want to be transparent with our readers about any potential conflicts of interest that may arise in our work. It’s possible that some of the investors we feature may have connections to other businesses, including competitors or companies we write about. However, we want to assure our readers that this will not have any impact on the integrity or impartiality of our reporting. We are committed to delivering accurate, unbiased news and information to our audience, and we will continue to uphold our ethics and principles in all of our work. Thank you for your trust and support.

Website Upgradation is going on for any glitch kindly connect at office@startupnews.fyi

More like this

India issues notice to Wikipedia over concerns of bias

Wikipedia is facing mounting regulatory pressure in India...

CaratLane’s Q2 Total Income Jumps 28% YoY to INR...

SUMMARY CaratLane recorded a 27.9% YoY growth in its...

Accel, Elevation To See 34X Returns; Prosus To Pocket...

SUMMARY Accel is selling about 1.06 Cr shares worth...

Popular

Upcoming Events

Startup Information that matters. Get in your inbox Daily!