What kind of company is Zite?

Overview of Zite

Zite was a personalized magazine app that aggregated news stories and articles based on user preferences. The app was designed to learn a user’s interests over time and provide them with content that would be relevant to them. The company was founded in 2005 by Ali Davar and Mike Klaas and was initially known as Worio. In 2011, the company was sold to CNN for a reported $20-25 million, and then sold again to Flipboard in 2014.

Functionality of Zite

Zite utilized machine learning algorithms to analyze a user’s reading habits and interests. The app used this information to create a personalized magazine for each individual user. Articles and stories were sourced from a variety of publications and websites, and the app was able to present content to users that they may not have otherwise discovered. Users could also customize which sources were used by the app to curate their content.

In addition to articles and stories, Zite also featured content from social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. Users were able to link their accounts to Zite, and the app would then pull in content from these sources as well.

Acquisition of Zite

After its acquisition by CNN, Zite continued to operate as a standalone app but also began to incorporate CNN content into its personalized magazine. In 2014, the app was acquired by Flipboard, which at the time was a leading news aggregator and content curator. However, after the acquisition, Flipboard decided to sunset Zite and focused on integrating some of its features into its own app.

Overall, Zite was a groundbreaking app that leveraged machine learning algorithms to provide users with personalized content. While the app is no longer available, its legacy lives on through the many personalized content curation features that are now common in news apps and websites.