smarter.com
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
smarter.com firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- smarter.com
- Legal name
- Ask Media Group LLC
- Website
- https://smarter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
smarter.com industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Search Engine
- NAICS
- Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Search Engines (BPAMAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps (MPACAKAB)
Keywords
Where smarter.com is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
smarter.com business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations
Revenue model
- Advertising Revenue: Ask.com generated revenue through interest-based advertising, displaying targeted ads to users based on their browsing behavior, search queries, and activities on the site. Ad partners and networks used tracking technology to serve targeted advertisements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
smarter.com product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ask.com (operated by Ask Media Group LLC) provided a free consumer-facing web search engine and everyday useful content service delivered via its websites, browser extensions, and mobile applications. The product combined web search results, embedded third-party video content, and chatbot-style answer experiences, monetized through interest-based advertising placed by third-party ad networks and retargeting partners. The search business was discontinued on May 1, 2026.
Product overview
Ask Media Group LLC operated a search business through Ask.com, which was discontinued on May 1, 2026 after 30 years of service. The company offered web search and everyday useful content services through multiple properties including search sites, browser extensions, and mobile applications. The portfolio included Ask.com as the primary search offering, supported by browser extensions and mobile applications for user access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ask.com Ask.com was a free consumer search engine operated by Ask Media Group LLC (a subsidiary of IAC Inc.), providing web search, chatbot-style answers, and everyday useful content via its websites, browser extensions, and mobile applications. Users accessed the service directly with no purchase or signup, and revenue was generated entirely through interest-based advertising.
Companies that use smarter.com
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
smarter.com technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
smarter.com partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Google AnalyticscoreAsk Media Group uses Google Analytics for site analytics, measuring visits and traffic sources to understand how the Sites are accessed and to improve performance. Google Analytics cookies collect information about user activities on the sites.
- ZendeskcoreZendesk was the previous helpdesk platform used to handle user support requests. Zendesk may retain information submitted via the helpdesk for up to 12 months. Ask Media Group uses Zendesk to assist in responding to user support requests.
- IAC Inc.coreParent company of Ask Media Group LLC. IAC processes IP address data for security purposes and analyzes traffic patterns from all IAC group companies for site security and fraud prevention. Ask Media Group is part of the IAC family of businesses and may share information with other IAC companies.
- Advertising and Digital Marketing PartnerscoreAdvertisers, digital advertising technology intermediaries, advertising networks, and retargeting companies that place interest-based advertisements on Ask.com sites. These partners use tracking technology and cookies to deliver targeted ads based on user behavior.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
smarter.com competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yahoo Search: Long-standing horizontal web search and content portal competitor that, like Ask.com, was a 1990s-era search incumbent that lost share to Google and now operates search under third-party partnerships.
- Microsoft Bing: Microsoft's general-purpose web search engine serving consumer queries with an advertising-supported revenue model. A direct horizontal search competitor that has absorbed share from Ask.com over the past two decades.
Emerging players
- Quora: Q&A and knowledge-sharing platform descended from the same 'ask the internet a question' heritage as Ask Jeeves. Comparable as a consumer-facing question-answering destination with an advertising-supported model.
- Mojeek: Independent, crawler-based consumer search engine with no tracking and contextual advertising. Comparable as a small-scale horizontal search competitor positioning on privacy, similar to the Browser ID approach.
- DuckDuckGo: Privacy-focused consumer search engine offering web search with contextual advertising. A comparable alternative search engine positioned on privacy, similar to Ask.com's Browser ID privacy-forward approach.
- Perplexity AI: AI-powered consumer answer/search engine delivering synthesized answers with citations. Represents the next-generation horizontal search competitor that has captured attention from users of traditional search engines like Ask.com.
- Ecosia: Consumer search engine that uses ad revenue for tree-planting initiatives. Operates as a niche horizontal search alternative, comparable in product scope (general-purpose web search) and model (ad-supported, free to users).
- Wolfram Alpha: Computational knowledge engine delivering direct answers rather than link lists. A comparable 'answer engine' descendant of the Ask Jeeves Q&A heritage, differentiated by computational rather than web-search depth.
- Brave Search: Privacy-first consumer search engine from Brave Software, paired with a browser offering. Comparable as a horizontal, advertising-supported search competitor emphasizing user privacy.
Broad incumbents
- Google: Dominant horizontal web search engine and the primary competitive force behind Ask.com's declining share. Directly comparable product category (consumer web search) and advertising-supported revenue model.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
smarter.com social profiles
Digital presencesmarter.com financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
smarter.com leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
smarter.com funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
smarter.com M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about smarter.com
What does smarter.com do?
Ask.com (operated by Ask Media Group LLC) provided a free consumer-facing web search engine and everyday useful content service delivered via its websites, browser extensions, and mobile applications. The product combined web search results, embedded third-party video content, and chatbot-style answer experiences, monetized through interest-based advertising placed by third-party ad networks and retargeting partners. The search business was discontinued on May 1, 2026.
Is smarter.com a public or private company?
smarter.com is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was smarter.com founded?
smarter.com was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is smarter.com based?
smarter.com is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does smarter.com make money?
One revenue line is on record: advertising Revenue.
Who are smarter.com's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yahoo Search and Microsoft Bing. Emerging players are Quora, Mojeek, DuckDuckGo, Perplexity AI, Ecosia, Wolfram Alpha and Brave Search. Google is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does smarter.com have an API?
No public API is recorded for smarter.com.
What industry is smarter.com in?
smarter.com's product category is Search Engine. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAAAB, Search Engines, with a secondary code of MPACAKAB, Topic/Interest-Based Content Discovery Apps. Its NAICS code is 519290 and its SIC code is 7310.