Yahoo buys recommendation platform Zofari
13 Aug 2014
Yahoo has acquired recommendation platform Zofari.
Zofari said on its website ''After meeting some of the amazing folks on the Yahoo Search team and hearing about their vision, the decision for our team to join Yahoo was an easy one.''
''We can't talk about what we're working on yet, but needless to say we are very, very excited.''
The company, which raised $150,000 from friends and family to get started, allowed users to recommend restaurants, bars, and other attractions based on other places they had enjoyed. According to developers, the service drew inspiration from music recommendation service Pandora, and Netflix's sophisticated algorithm for recommending films related to what one had watched in the past.
According to commentators, the idea of a Netflix-style recommendation engine for physical places though much desirable, especially in a city, posed complex challenges.
Though Yahoo's plans for the company were not known, commentators point out that TripAdvisor's purchase and subsequent shutting of Wanderfly, a similar service, and Yahoo's acquisition and closing of GoPollGo - had raised questions over prospects of such ''acqui-hire'' take overs.
"Zofari and Yahoo share a common goal to make the world an easier place to explore for as many people as possible," California-based Yahoo said in an email.
"We're thrilled to welcome the team to Yahoo, where they will join our growing search organization and continue to build amazing discovery experiences."
Yahoo will integrate the team from Zofari to improve local search in the face of services from Google, Yelp and others, Reuters reported.
A statement on the Zofari website said "Our team is joining Yahoo, where we will continue to build amazing discovery experiences at a scale we`ve only dreamed of" and that the Zofari app would still be available.
Zofari calls itself a "Pandora for Places," in reference to the online radio group that creates customised music lists.
"Using your favorite restaurants, bars and neighborhoods, we create customized stations that show you the most similar places around you," according to the Zofari site
"Your stations will update whenever you change locations, revealing awesome hidden gems and making discovering new places as easy as exploring your hometown."
