View source for Qwiki

{{Short description|American video software company}}
{{for|the quantum physics wiki|Complexity Zoo}}
{{Distinguish|CWCki}}
{{Infobox website
| name           = Qwiki
| url            =
| logo           = Qwiki Logo June 2012.png
| logo_size      = 240px
| screenshot     =
| language       = [[English language|English]]
| launch_date    = 24 January 2011
| revenue        = Users
| current_status = Dissolved
| footnotes      =
}}
'''Qwiki''' was a [[New York City]]–based [[Startup company|startup]] automated video production company acquired by [[Yahoo!]] on July 2, 2013 for a reported $50 million.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://yahoo.tumblr.com/post/54451173706/qwiki-qwiki-yahoo | title = Qwiki: Qwiki + Yahoo! &#124; Yahoo | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131024140632/http://yahoo.tumblr.com/post/54451173706/qwiki-qwiki-yahoo | archivedate= 2013-10-24 }}</ref> Qwiki released an [[iPhone]] app that automatically turns the pictures and videos from a user's camera roll into movies to share. The company's initial product, an [[iPad]] application that created video summaries of over 3 million search terms, was downloaded more than 3 million times and named by [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] as the best "Search and Reference" application of 2011.
After integrating this technology in the [[Bing (search engine)|Bing]] search engine and launching video creation tools for major publishers in cooperation with [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]], the company launched Qwiki for iPhone, which received Apple's Editor's Choice and was mentioned as an Honoree in the 2013 Webby's in two categories. Time Inc. named Qwiki one of “10 NYC Startups to Watch” for 2013.<ref>{{cite news|author=Amy Lombard|url=https://business.time.com/2013/04/25/time-inc-s-10-nyc-startups-to-watch-for-2013/|title=Time Inc.'s 10 NYC Startups to Watch for 2013|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]  |date=April 25, 2013}}</ref> The company's investors included cofounders of Facebook, YouTube and Groupon. After a meeting between Doug Imbruce and [[Marissa Mayer]], the company was acquired for $50 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/02/yahoo-acquires-qwiki-for-around-50-million/|title=Yahoo Acquires Qwiki For Around $50 Million|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref> Imbruce was the Co-founder and CEO of Qwiki. The company's other Co-founder was [[Louis Monier]], inventor of the [[Altavista]] search engine.
==Company history==
[[File:Doug Imbruce, Co-founder and CEO, with the Qwiki team and Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer at the Company’s Sunnyvale HQ, July 2013.jpg|thumb|Qwiki team and Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer at the Company’s Sunnyvale HQ, July 2013]]
Qwiki launched in [[Software testing#Alpha testing|alpha testing mode]] on January 24, 2011<ref>Sara Yin, [https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376178,00.asp "Qwiki, Search Engine Funded By Facebook Co-Founder, Launches"], ''PC Magazine,'' January 24, 2011 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012223157/http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376178,00.asp |date=October 12, 2012 }}</ref><ref>Alyson Shontell, [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/01/24/businessinsider-qwiki-public-alpha-launch-noon-pst.DTL "The Site Facebook Founder Eduardo Saverin Just Invested In Is Launching To The Public Today"], ''The San Francisco Chronicle'', January 24, 2011 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203071532/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/01/24/businessinsider-qwiki-public-alpha-launch-noon-pst.DTL |date=February 3, 2011 }}</ref> after winning the TechCrunch Disrupt Award in 2010.<ref>[https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/29/qwiki-techcrunch-disrupt-winner/ "Qwiki Wins TechCrunch Disrupt: Information Consumption To Be Disrupted"], Techcrunch.com, September 9, 2010 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106072029/http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/29/qwiki-techcrunch-disrupt-winner/ |date=November 6, 2013 }}</ref>
Soon after Google offered to buy Qwiki for $100-150 million which it declined.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/qwiki-acquisition-2013-6|title=Yahoo May Be Offering Video Startup Qwiki $50 Million, But That's Nothing Compared To What Google Offered|last=Shontell|first=Alyson|date=2013-06-19|website=Business Insider Australia|language=en|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref>
In January 2011, Qwiki raised $8 million in Series A financing, a round that was led primarily by [[Facebook]] co-founder [[Eduardo Saverin]]. Other investors included [[Jawed Karim]] (co-founder, YouTube) and [[Pradeep Sindhu]] (co-founder, Juniper Networks). Institutional investors included Lerer Media Ventures, Tugboat Ventures and Contour Venture Partners. The individual investor syndicate was arranged by New York City-based Felix Investments.<ref>Helft, Miguel. “Facebook Co-Founder Backs Start-up.” New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2011.</ref> On January 24, 2011, Qwiki launched its public alpha.<ref>Van Grove, Jennifer. “Qwiki Launches Public Alpha to Change the Way You Consume Information.” Mashable. Retrieved 28 January 2011.</ref>
In March 2011, Qwiki raised an additional $1 million from [[Groupon]] and [[Lightbank]] co-founders [[Brad Keywell]] and [[Eric Lefkofsky]], bringing the total raised to date to $10.5 million.<ref>Rusli, Evelyn. “Groupon Co-Founders Invest in Qwiki.” New York Times. Retrieved 31 March 2011.</ref>
In April 2011 Qwiki released an [[iPad]] App version of its service. The application has an additional feature not present in the web version that lets the user browse [[Google Maps]] which displays Qwiki annotations at certain points linked to content relevant to those locations.<ref>Thomas Houston, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/qwiki-ipad-app-launches_n_851215.html#s267042 "Qwiki's New App Brings A Talking Wikipedia To iPad"], ''The Huffington Post'', April 20, 2-11 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719050532/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/19/qwiki-ipad-app-launches_n_851215.html#s267042 |date=July 19, 2013 }}</ref> Seven weeks after launch, the Qwiki App was downloaded over 500,000 times.<ref>Van Grove, Jennifer. “Qwiki for iPad Flies Past 500,000 Downloads in 7 Weeks.” Mashable. Retrieved 9 June 2011.</ref>
In February 2012, Qwiki relocated  to New York City from its Bay Area offices in order to be closer to major media organizations.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/technology/for-tech-startups-new-york-has-increasing-allure.html?pagewanted=all | title = " New York Times" Retrieved June 29th, 2012 | work = The New York Times | date = 27 May 2012 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20131225113440/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/technology/for-tech-startups-new-york-has-increasing-allure.html?pagewanted=all | archivedate= 2013-12-25 | last1 = Brustein | first1 = Joshua }}</ref>
In May 2012, Qwiki launched a new platform for bloggers and online publishers including a partnership with ABC News. The television network used Qwiki technology on ABCNews.com and GoodMorningAmerica.com <ref>{{cite web| url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/05/23/qwiki-publisher-platform// | title = "Techcrunch" Retrieved June 28, 2012 | date = 23 May 2012 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140527130320/http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/23/qwiki-publisher-platform/ | archivedate= 2014-05-27 }}</ref>
In June 2012, Bing announced that it would display Qwiki videos on Bing search pages just below Wikipedia <ref>Alyson Shontell,[http://www.businessinsider.com/qwiki-lands-major-search-deal-with-bing-and-launches-new-video-product-that-turns-bloggers-into-news-anchor-2012-6 "Video Startup Qwiki Turns Bloggers Into News Anchors And Lands Major Search Deal With Bing"], ''Business Insider'', Retrieved June 28, 2012 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512135318/http://www.businessinsider.com/qwiki-lands-major-search-deal-with-bing-and-launches-new-video-product-that-turns-bloggers-into-news-anchor-2012-6 |date=May 12, 2013 }}</ref> and that users will be able to play Qwikis without leaving their search.<ref>Joanna Stern, [https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/06/qwiki-comes-to-bing-interactive-video-format-shows-up-in-search-results/ "Qwiki Comes to Bing: Interactive Video Format Shows Up in Search Results"], ''ABC News'', Retrieved June 28, 2012 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708083432/https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/06/qwiki-comes-to-bing-interactive-video-format-shows-up-in-search-results/ |date=July 8, 2013 }}</ref>
In February 2013, Qwiki for iPhone launched on the App Store as Editors' Choice.  The app was downloaded more than 125K times in the first 6 days after launch.<ref>Anthony Ha,[https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/19/qwiki-iphone-downloads "Qwiki’s New Storytelling iPhone App Was Downloaded 125K Times In Six Days"], "TechCrunch", Retrieved June 13, 2013 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105052002/http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/19/qwiki-iphone-downloads |date=November 5, 2013 }}</ref>
In May 2013, [[Time (magazine)|Time Inc.]] named Qwiki one of "10 NYC Startups to Watch for 2013".<ref>Amy Lombard,[https://business.time.com/2013/04/25/time-inc-s-10-nyc-startups-to-watch-for-2013/slide/qwiki/ "Time Inc.’s 10 NYC Startups to Watch for 2013"], "Time Inc.", Retrieved June 13, 2013 [https://business.time.com/2013/04/25/time-inc-s-10-nyc-startups-to-watch-for-2013/slide/qwiki/]</ref>
In July 2013, Yahoo acquired Qwiki for $50 million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2013/07/02/yahoo-acquires-qwiki-for-around-50-million/|title=Yahoo Acquires Qwiki For Around $50 Million|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-24}}</ref>
In September 2014, Yahoo announced that Qwiki would shut down on November 1.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sarah Perez |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/09/26/yahoo-to-shut-down-qwiki-yahoo-education-and-the-yahoo-directory/|title=Yahoo To Shut Down Qwiki, Yahoo Education And The Yahoo Directory |publisher=[[TechCrunch]]  |date=September 26, 2014}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:American websites]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2011]]
[[Category:Web crawlers]]
[[Category:Yahoo! acquisitions]]