# Blekko - **Website:** - **Primary alias:** `blekko.com` - **Employees:** 10,001+ - **Location:** Redwood Shores, California, United States ## Description Blekko, a company based in the United States, was founded in 2007 by Rich Skrenta and Mike Markson. It aimed to provide users with a more focused and spam-free search experience by utilizing human-curated search results. However, in 2014, the company shifted its focus to developing a technology called Illumini, which aimed to provide high-quality search results by analyzing user behavior and preferences. Blekko's headquarters is located in Redwood City, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley. This strategic location allows the company to be situated in a hub of technological innovation and access top talent in the industry. The main product offered by Blekko was a search engine that aimed to provide users with more relevant and trustworthy search results. It accomplished this by utilizing a combination of human curation and algorithmic analysis. The company also offered a browser extension called slashtag that enabled users to save and share search results. In terms of its global operations, Blekko primarily focused on the United States market. It aimed to compete with established search engines such as Google and Bing. Despite the company's innovative approach, it struggled to gain significant market share and establish itself as a major player in the search engine industry. Blekko did not have any noteworthy subsidiaries, joint ventures, or partnerships during its existence. Despite its efforts to differentiate itself from competitors, such as implementing human curation and developing Illumini, the company was unable to gain meaningful traction in the market. In 2015, Blekko was acquired by IBM, which aimed to incorporate its technology into its Watson Analytics platform. This acquisition marked a significant change in Blekko's strategy and direction. Since then, there have been no major updates or developments regarding the company's operations or offerings. In summary, Blekko was a United States-based company that aimed to provide a more focused and spam-free search experience. Despite its innovative approach, the company struggled to gain significant market share and was eventually acquired by IBM in 2015. Since then, there have been no major developments, and the company's current status is unknown. ## Industries - 🖥 Computers Electronics and Technology - 🖥 Computers Electronics and Technology _(under Computers Electronics and Technology)_ - 🖥 Programming and Developer Software _(under Computers Electronics and Technology)_ - 📊 Business and Consumer Services - 📊 Marketing and Advertising _(under Business and Consumer Services)_ ## Links - [twitter](https://twitter.com/blekko) - [facebook](https://facebook.com/blekko) --- _Source: _ _See [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) for a full list of agent-readable pages._