Ask.com
Ask.com (originally known as Ask Jeeves) is a question answering–focused e-business founded in 1996 by Garrett Gruener and David Warthen in Berkeley, California.
| Type of business | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
Type of site | Answer engine |
| Available in | English |
| Founded | June 3, 1996 (as Ask Jeeves) February 2006 (as Ask.com) |
| Headquarters | 555 City Center Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Owner | IAC |
| Created by | Garrett Gruener David Warthen (Founders) Douglas Leeds (CEO) |
| URL | askjeeves.com and ask.com |
| Registration | Optional |
| Current status | Active |
The original software was implemented by Gary Chevsky, from his own design. Warthen, Chevsky, Justin Grant, and others built the early AskJeeves.com website around that core engine. In 2006, the "Jeeves" name was dropped and they refocused on the search engine, which had its own algorithm. In late 2010, facing insurmountable competition from more popular search engines like Google, the company outsourced its web search technology and returned to its roots as a question and answer site. Douglas Leeds was elevated from president to CEO in 2010.
Three venture capital firms, Highland Capital Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, and The RODA Group were early investors. Ask.com is currently owned by InterActiveCorp (IAC) under the Nasdaq symbol Nasdaq: IAC, and its corporate headquarters are located at 555 City Center, in the Oakland City Center development in downtown Oakland, California.