About LookSmart
LookSmart is a publicly listed company based in San Francisco (United States) founded in 1998. Targeted search ads are delivered via a CPC-based publisher network. The company has 5 employees. LookSmart has completed 1 acquisition, including Wisenut. Its Indian entity Looksmart India Private Limited reported revenue of ₹2.92 Cr. Its focus areas include Enterprise Applications, AdTech, Ad Network and Cross-Device. Its competitors include Taboola, EX.CO and OpenWeb; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
LookSmart was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. The company operates in the online search advertising sector, focusing on a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model. Targeted, performance-based advertising is offered to advertisers through a network of publishers, with options to disable specific search sources. An Ad Center platform is provided for publishers, alongside proprietary technology used to detect and filter fraudulent traffic.
- Headquarters San Francisco, United States
- Employees 5
- Stage Public
- SectorsMedia & Entertainment
- Website looksmart.com
- Social LinkedIn Facebook
- Legal Name Looksmart Group, Inc.
- Indian entity revenue₹2.92 Cr
FY 2017 · -37% YoY
- Indian entity net profit₹39 Lakh
FY 2017 · 13% margin
- Indian entity EBITDA₹59.8 Lakh
FY 2017 · 20% margin
- InvestorsMacquarie Group
& 1 more
- Employee Count5
- Investments & Acquisitions
Associated legal entities of LookSmart
LookSmart operates through Looksmart India Private Limited (active). Its filings, financials, charges and directors are on the company page.
| Legal entity | Status | Incorporated | Registered in | Revenue (FY 2017) | Employees | Directors | Company page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looksmart India Private Limited CIN U72300DL2014FTC270426 | Active | 14 Aug 2014 | New Delhi, Delhi | ₹2.9 Cr | 5 | 4 | View details |
Funding Insights of LookSmart
- Total Rounds 2
- Investors Count 2
All 2 funding rounds of LookSmart with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2002 | Post-IPO | – | – | ||
| Feb 1998 | Series A | – | – |
2 investors in total: 2 institutional.
Investors in LookSmart
LookSmart has secured backing from 2 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Macquarie Group and Hyundai Venture Investment.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| hvic.co.kr | ||||
A global financial services organization with Australian heritage is operated. | 1969 | macquarie.com | Sydney, Australia |
Investor details for LookSmart
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
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Board of directors of Looksmart India Private Limited (LookSmart)
Looksmart India Private Limited is the primary company behind LookSmart. The board of Looksmart India Private Limited currently have 4 directors; the longest-serving is Michael Onghai, appointed in 2014. 4 earlier directors have ceased.
| Director | Designation | Appointed | Tenure | Entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Onghai DIN 06726055 | Director | 14 Aug 2014 | 12 yrs 2 mo | Looksmart India Private Limited |
| Judy Onghai DIN 06741644 | Director | 12 Dec 2016 | 9 yrs 10 mo | Looksmart India Private Limited |
| Sandeep Kumar Jain DIN 07981801 | Director | 06 Nov 2017 | 8 yrs 11 mo | Looksmart India Private Limited |
| Meenakshi Jain DIN 08729990 | Director | 27 Aug 2020 | 6 yrs 2 mo | Looksmart India Private Limited |
IPO & Listings of LookSmart
LookSmart is a publicly listed company on the OTC with ticker symbol LKST in USA, operating in the Commercial services sector. As a publicly traded entity, the company provides investors with opportunities to participate in its growth story through equity ownership. The listing enables access to capital markets, enhances corporate visibility, and provides liquidity for shareholders while maintaining transparency through regulatory compliance and regular financial disclosures.
- IPO date20 Aug 1999
- Listed onNASDAQ: LOOK
- Listed entityLookSmart Group, Inc.
- Exchange sectorCommercial services
- ISINUS54344C1053
- Share price$0.00 (-100% on the day) · 2026-05-07
- Market capitalisation$11.60
- Volume (last session)409
- Analyst consensusNo rating
Financials of LookSmart
Figures of Looksmart India Private Limited, the primary company behind LookSmart, for FY 2017. Revenue was ₹2.92 Cr (-37% year on year). Net profit was ₹39 Lakh (13% margin). EBITDA was ₹59.8 Lakh (20% margin).
- ₹2.92 CrRevenue · FY 2017 · -37% YoY
- ₹39 LakhNet profit · 13% margin
- ₹59.8 LakhEBITDA · 20% margin
- ₹10 LakhPaid-up capital
- 5Employees (provident fund records)
| Year | Revenue | Net income | EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $953,000 | -$240,000 | -$164,000 |
| 2022 | $1.7M | -$63,000 | $62,000 |
| 2021 | $1.9M | -$325,000 | -$195,000 |
Balance sheet, profit and loss, cash flow and ratios of Looksmart India Private Limited are on its company page.
Detailed financial statements for LookSmart
Statement rows, ratios, five-year trends and downloadable financials of the group companies require an active premium plan.
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Investments & Acquisitions by LookSmart
LookSmart has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 1 company. Notable acquisitions include Wisenut.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AI-based solutions for search, chatbots, and data analysis are provided. | wisenut.com | Seongnam-si, South Korea | 2000 | Mar 2002 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for LookSmart
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Timeline of LookSmart
5 dated milestones of LookSmart across 4 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded LookSmart is founded.
- Funding First funding round.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Funding Latest funding round, Post-IPO,.
- Acquisition Acquires Wisenut.
Competitors of LookSmart
LookSmart has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Taboola, EX.CO and OpenWeb.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| taboola.com | 2007 | New York, United States | $160M | 281 | Ad network platform is utilized for content recommendations and monetization. | |
| ex.co | 2012 | New York, United States | $69.2M | Content management platform | ||
| openweb.com | 2012 | New York, United States | $393M | Cross-device ad network is provided for conversation-based advertising. |
Detailed competitors of LookSmart
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Web traffic of LookSmart
Websites that share an audience with LookSmart (looksmart.com).
Websites whose visitors overlap most with LookSmart. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| lycos.com | 100% | 283.8K | #126,783 | View details | |
| hotbot.com | 100% | #67,051 | View details | ||
| excite.com | 99% | 186K | #242,216 | View details | |
| dogpile.com | 99% | 746.6K | #67,196 | View details | |
| altavista.com | 99% | 52K | #911,968 | View details | |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 23 similar websites and full traffic analytics for LookSmart
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 23 similar websites
- Audience overlap
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Advertising & Marketing Tech
3 companies that operate in the same segment as LookSmart (Advertising & Marketing Tech) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AI-powered platform manages marketing creatives and customer journeys. | 1982 | San Jose, California, United States | USD 23.77 B | 30,710 | ||
Ad verification solutions are delivered for digital media campaigns. | 2008 | New York, New York, United States | USD 396.5 M | USD 748.29 M | 1,200 | |
Native advertising solutions are delivered via a cloud-based content platform. | 2006 | New York, New York, United States | USD 403.72 M | USD 1.3 B | 1,800 |
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Related news about Looksmart
Complete news archive for LookSmart
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Frequently Asked Questions about LookSmart
LookSmart was founded in 1998.
LookSmart is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. It is registered at San Francisco, California, United States.
LookSmart has 5 employees.
The primary company behind LookSmart, Looksmart India Private Limited, reported revenue of ₹2.92 Cr for FY 2017, down 37% year on year.
LookSmart was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, United States. The company operates in the online search advertising sector, focusing on a cost-per-click (CPC) pricing model. Targeted, performance-based advertising is offered to advertisers through a network of publishers, with options to disable specific search sources. An Ad Center platform is provided for publishers, alongside proprietary technology used to detect and filter fraudulent traffic.
Yes, LookSmart is publicly traded on OTC under the ticker symbol LKST.
LookSmart has made 1 acquisition, including Wisenut.
LookSmart has 2 investors. Key investors include Macquarie Group, and Hyundai Venture Investment.
LookSmart operates through Looksmart India Private Limited.
The legal entities of LookSmart currently have 4 directors, including Judy Onghai, Michael Onghai, Meenakshi Jain and others.