Anki
![Anki](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60538a654dc65da26ac87f27_ankicozmo.webp)
Anki aimed to intergrate robotics and IoT with kids' toys and games but shut down in April 2019 after failure to raise funding.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Boris Sofman, Hanns Tappeiner, Mark Palatucci
Country:
United States
Industry:
Software & Hardware
Started in:
2010
Closed in:
2019
Nº of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Lack of Funds
Anki
You can read more about their failure here.
Circa
![Circa](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535d0a56b46a824f03ab0a_circa.webp)
Circa had the mission of ‘fixing’ what was wrong with journalism. They suffered a financial breakdown and were copied by giants in the news sector.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Arsenio Santos, Ben Huh, Matt Galligan
Country:
United States
Industry:
Entertainment
Started in:
2011
Closed in:
2015
Nº of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
$1M-$10M
Specific cause of failure:
Lack of Funds
Circa
You can read more about their failure here.
DotCloud
![DotCloud](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535efa3c19294a62033f9f_dotcloud-min.png)
dotCloud was a PaaS for developers that enabled them to host, assemble and run their applications. They could not sustain operation costs by themselves.
Details of the startup:
DotCloud
You can read more about their failure here.
Flowtab
![Flowtab](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535b28b780c40748c5baad_flowtab-min.webp)
Flowtab was an app that solved the problem of long queues in bars. They tried several business models but never found a profitable one, so they shut down.
Details of the startup:
Flowtab
You can read more about their failure here.
Formspring
![Formspring](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535a0d0452cb22d827d707_formspring-min.webp)
Formspring was an anonymous Q&A forum that grew to 1 million users in 2 months. This brought lots of cyberbullying on the site. They shut down after 4 years.
Details of the startup:
Formspring
You can read more about their failure here.
Gowalla
![Gowalla](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605358d484b0d3a4bc341256_gowalla.webp)
Gowalla was a location-based social platform that allowed users to share their location. It tried to do many things at once, and shut down after 5 years.
Details of the startup:
Gowalla
You can read more about their failure here.
HiGear
![HiGear](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605357bcb780c40343c25772_higearcar-min.webp)
HiGear was a peer-to-peer online company that listed luxury cars for rent. A criminal gang stole four cars worth $400k. They opted to shut down operations.
Details of the startup:
HiGear
You can read more about their failure here.
Kitchit
![Kitchit](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535e8303e2200a791283a6_kitchit.webp)
Kitchit brought local chefs to your home. They had to compete with other big food providers in the same market, which provoked their failure.
Details of the startup:
Kitchit
You can read more about their failure here.
Leap Transit
![Leap Transit](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535b7895a9e0ca048a5835_leaptransit-min.webp)
Leap Transit was a private bus service based in San Francisco. They didn't comply with the SF regulations, which made them halt their operations.
Details of the startup:
Leap Transit
You can read more about their failure here.
Lookery
![Lookery](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605359243c1929b803fd2f6d_lookery-min.webp)
Lookery gave statistics showcasing services that empowered organizations. It was based on Facebook platform, and after the redesign, they had to shut down.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
David Cancel, Rex Dixon, Todd Sawicki
Country:
United States
Industry:
Marketing
Started in:
2007
Closed in:
2009
Nº of employees:
1-10
Funding Amount:
$1M-$10M
Specific cause of failure:
Dependence on Others
Lookery
You can read more about their failure here.
Mailbox
![Mailbox](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535ee93667373b1c65a923_mailbox-min.webp)
Mailbox made your inbox more manageable and efficient. They didn't find a way to monetize the app. After being acquired by Dropbox, Mailbox shut down.
Details of the startup:
Mailbox
You can read more about their failure here.
Move Loot
![Move Loot](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605359bb4649a1203b760d2c_moveloot-min.jpeg)
Move Loot was an online resale marketplace for furniture. They decided to have a furniture stockroom without thinking about the expenses of running it.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Bill Bobbitt, Jenny Karin Morrill, Ryan Smith, Shruti Shah
Country:
United States
Industry:
e-Commerce
Started in:
2013
Closed in:
2016
Nº of employees:
50-100
Funding Amount:
$10M-$50M
Specific cause of failure:
Bad Business Model
Move Loot
You can read more about their failure here.
Munchery
![Munchery](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60538b2598eaa6468b6e9cd6_munchery-cardthumb-min.webp)
Munchery allowed users to order gourmet food. However, they couldn't deliver the experience that it promised and build a profitable business model.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Conrad Chu, Tri Tran, Van Tran
Country:
United States
Industry:
Food & Beverage
Started in:
2011
Closed in:
2019
Nº of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Multiple Reasons
Munchery
You can read more about their failure here.
Navdy
![Navdy](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60538a0b847ade23d35bdf16_navdy.webp)
Navdy provided a display that projected GPS in the cars' front. They failed due to a saturated market and a device that didn't satisfy customer needs.
Details of the startup:
Navdy
You can read more about their failure here.
Pixate
![Pixate](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535ed5882a76e99fdeeabe_pixate-min.webp)
Pixate wanted to make prototyping and designing apps more accessible and effortless. It was acquired by Google in 2015, and after a year, it was shut down.
Details of the startup:
Pixate
You can read more about their failure here.
Rdio
![Rdio](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535bdea04f71654d80d93b_rdio.png)
Rdio, a music streaming platform, failed due to poor marketing and distribution, ultimately folding to competition from Spotify and closing down.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Carter Adamson, Janus Friis, Niklas Zennström
Country:
United States
Industry:
Music
Started in:
2008
Closed in:
2015
Nº of employees:
50-100
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Competition
Rdio
You can read more about their failure here.
Secret
![Secret](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/603c00d70dd6bf7921edca74_secretapp-min.webp)
Secret was an app that allowed users to post content anonymously. Active users rapidly declined after 18 months from its launch and cyberbullying emerged.
Details of the startup:
Secret
You can read more about their failure here.
Shuddle
![Shuddle](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535cc1e17134b233479d92_shuddle-min.webp)
Shuddle was the go-to service for parents that needed someone to drive their kids to school. Parents found it disappointing, so they had to shut down.
Details of the startup:
Shuddle
You can read more about their failure here.
Shyp
![Shyp](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605361036fa853bb52b7b145_shyp-min.webp)
Shyp imitated the Uber model with an on-demand shipping service. However, they were unable to figure out a profitable business model and had to shut down.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Jack Smith, Joshua Scott, Kevin Gibbon
Country:
United States
Industry:
Transportation
Started in:
2013
Closed in:
2018
Nº of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Multiple Reasons
Shyp
You can read more about their failure here.
Sidecar
![Sidecar](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535fa7b12dd95efcd23b8b_sidecar-min.webp)
Sidecar was a transportation company. They had top-notch technology but no marketing strategy, and could only become useful in high-density cities.
Details of the startup:
Sidecar
You can read more about their failure here.
Sip
![Sip](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535fe50452cb14e72c932d_sip-min.webp)
Sip was made by ProductHunt. It covered news in the tech industry in a bite-size format. Due to no market need and lack of focus, PH shut it down.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Ryan Hoover, Nick Abouzeid, Chad Whitaker
Country:
United States
Industry:
Productivity
Started in:
2018
Closed in:
2019
Nº of employees:
1-10
Funding Amount:
$0
Specific cause of failure:
Multiple Reasons
Sip
You can read more about their failure here.
Skully
![Skully](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/6053589b2d4ea25845ef11ed_skullyhelmet.webp)
Skully was a helmet targetting motorcycle riders. They had to close shops due to no fundings and couldn't complete the production of the pre-orders.
Details of the startup:
Skully
You can read more about their failure here.
SpoonRocket
![SpoonRocket](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/6061e640df87d46a4c3a7b98_SpoonRocket-min.webp)
SpoonRocket was a food delivery service making healthy meals each day. When their financial situation declined, they failed to fundraise to stay afloat.
Details of the startup:
SpoonRocket
You can read more about their failure here.
Sprig
![Sprig](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535fd06fa85389f5b65f32_sprig-min.webp)
Sprig delivered meals to customers who were looking for healthy choices. Sprig found the process time-consuming and expensive, and decided to shut down.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
Gagan Biyani, Matt Kent, Morgan Springer, Neeraj Berry
Country:
United States
Industry:
Food & Beverage
Started in:
2013
Closed in:
2017
Nº of employees:
50-100
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Competition
Sprig
You can read more about their failure here.
TeeBeeDee
![TeeBeeDee](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/60535ad4b938498e7a451636_teebeedee-min.webp)
TeeBeeDee was a social network aimed at people over 40 to share their experiences. They weren’t able to grow their user base fast enough to survive.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
David Markus, Jon Brandt, Robin Wolaner, Todd Basche
Country:
United States
Industry:
Social Media
Started in:
2007
Closed in:
2009
Nº of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
$1M-$10M
Specific cause of failure:
Bad Business Model
TeeBeeDee
You can read more about their failure here.
Tilt
![Tilt](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/6053598b7b123cc6d1ae2e71_tilt-min.webp)
Tilt was a social payments startup. The CEO was believed to become the next Zuckerberg. However, lack of focus led to shutting down their operations.
Details of the startup:
Founders:
James Beshara, Karolyn Baxter, Khaled Hussein
Country:
United States
Industry:
Finances
Started in:
2012
Closed in:
2017
Nº of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
> $50M
Specific cause of failure:
Lack of Focus
Tilt
You can read more about their failure here.
Wantful
![Wantful](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605358c2c5fff38e21acbb37_wantful-min.webp)
Wantful was an e-Commerce founded in 2011. After experiencing exponential growth, it shut down in 2013 due to stiff competition from other companies.
Details of the startup:
Wantful
You can read more about their failure here.
Wesabe
![Wesabe](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/5fadb14c46b287ad224b60b9/605358fa2eee4a04c40d542a_wesabe-min.webp)
Wesabe is a former Personal Finance Management system that helped clients make better financial decisions. Having better competitors made Wesabe fail.
Details of the startup:
Wesabe
You can read more about their failure here.