Dipiti, a search engine for message boards

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Dipiti, a search engine for message boards

Dipiti is a new search engine that allows users to peruse thousands of comments in online message boards and forums, discovering relevant content that relates to areas such as health, pets, money and law.

"There is just an explosion of valuable content in message boards, community forums, expert sites, but traditional search doesn't find that particularly effectively," said Dave Rice, a former chief executive at AdPay who is being announced as chief executive today. "It may be on page 16 of Google search results."

The nine-person company is currently searching about 29 million conversations on more than 2,500 message boards. For example, a search about dental crowns returned results featuring comments on MedHelp, HealthBoards and others.

In many cases, Rice said, comments in community forums can lead to interesting questions that patients can then take directly to their doctors.

"The resources on WebMd are great, but you can't find anything outside of that site. And it doesn't provide for message board search exclusively, so you will get a real mix of content back," he said.

Dipiti is backed by WestRiver Capital and former Microsoft executive Scott Oki, though the company is just starting to go out for another round of capital. Rice declined to say how much the company -- operating in stealth mode for the past several months from its Pioneer Square offices -- has raised to date.

It plans to make money from online advertising, with the ability to target ads based on the specific search areas. Dipiti also plans to offer the search service to media companies, so they can add targeted search capabilities to their sites.

Potential competitors include Boardreader, which was founded in 2000 by students from the University of Michigan. Others include BoardTracker, StumbleUpon and Mahalo.

Posted by at February 25, 2008 5:10 p.m.
Categories: Internet search, Web 2.0

Comments

#101905

Posted by unregistered user at 2/26/08 11:35 a.m.

Dipiti is the former Nervana reborn

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#101992

Posted by John Cook at 2/26/08 1:17 p.m.

Interesting. I was thinking about that given the investors and the technology, but didn't I ask about it.

I should have.

Thanks for the heads up.

John Cook

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#102007

Posted by John Cook at 2/26/08 1:42 p.m.

I just asked CEO Dave Rice about the connection with Nervana. Here's what he had to say.

"The founding team at Dipiti did work for Nervana and the companies do have common investors, but that's where the similarities end. Dipiti is a separate and independent entity from Nervana with a different target market and technology base, its own board of directors..."

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#102347

Posted by unregistered user at 2/27/08 8:51 a.m.

It is a renaming of Nervana, with a different market application of the same technology that was originally developed by Nervana. No different than the renaming/refocusing of Vote Here.

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#102380

Posted by Dave Rice at 2/27/08 10:24 a.m.

That Dipiti is a renamed Nervana is an interesting perspective, but not true. It's easy to understand the confusion as former Nervana employees came up with the concept for Dipiti, developed the product, and brought it to market.

Nervana continues to operate and pursue business opportunities under the leadership of founder/CEO Nosa Omoigui.

As the CEO of Dipiti I'd be happy to clarify further, however, my comments that John posted previously are accurate.
Dave Rice, President & CEO Dipiti

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#102446

Posted by unregistered user at 2/27/08 12:40 p.m.

This is yet another attempt to monetize social media. I like their sector focus.

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#103132

Posted by unregistered user at 2/29/08 8:28 a.m.

I just checked the two websites (www.dipiti.com) and (www.nervana.com) and both have the same little star next to their names as their logo. If their not related in any way, why do they have similar logos.. similar typefaces... etc. Looking from the outside in, it would certainly be EXTREMELY easy to see this as another Nervana: ie: same investors, same logo, search service.

I would certainly need to understand this a little better.

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