Neeva Search Engine

2023: Service Closure

On May 20, 2023, the paid ad-free search engine Neeva, created by former Google employees, announced the curtailment of activities. The service will completely stop working on June 2, 2023.

The management of the Neeva project, launched in 2021, notes that developing a search engine from scratch is a very difficult task. During the creation of the system, the company faced many difficulties. Neeva, which employs only about 50 people, had to confront entrenched internet corporations with virtually unlimited resources. But even after overcoming this obstacle, the startup was unable to attract enough users to its search engine. It is said, in particular, that people simply do not want to change the settings in the browser, abandon the usual default search and try something fundamentally new. In addition, the formed macroeconomic situation and high inflation rate had a negative impact on business.

Neeva announced the curtailment of activities

Creating a search engine is one thing, and convincing the audience to switch to it is completely different. Contrary to popular belief, persuading users to pay for ad-free searches was actually less of a challenge than getting them to try a new search engine, Neeva said in a statement.

It is noted that users of the Neeva search engine with a paid subscription will be able to return unspent funds after the closure of the service. The company itself will then focus on research and development in the field of artificial intelligence. According to Neeva, back in early 2022, the company came to the conclusion that generative AI and large language models will have a great impact on the IT sector. What kind of product the startup intends to create is not specified.^[1]

2020: Neeva subscription and ad-free search engine launch announcement

On June 24, 2020, it became known that the former head of advertizing the department Google , Sridhar Ramaswamy, was preparing to present the Neeva search engine. The search engine will not offer ads and collect personal ones. data

Neeva is designed to compete directly with Google. The main differences of the search engine are the lack of advertising and work according to the subscription model.

It is also reported that the search engine will not track and collect information about users. But in doing so, it will be personalized. Users' personal data will be available to Neeva if subscribers link their Google, Microsoft Office or Dropbox accounts to the search engine.

Neeva will use sources of information such as Bing, Apple Maps, weather.com, Intrinio. He will also search for data among personal files, for example, in email messages and in "local" documents.

At the initial stage, the Neeva system will be free, and then the subscription will cost no more than $10 per month. As the number of subscribers increases, the cost of the service is planned to be reduced.

As of June 2020, the startup attracted $37.5 million in development investments from Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. The company employs 25 people.^[2]

Sridhar Ravaswami left Google in 2018 after working for the company for 15 years. The main reason for the dismissal is the company's growing focus on advertising revenue to the detriment of search quality.^[3]

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