Post #695146

2026-03-07 23:10 UTC

Looks like Innosearch is in real money trouble despite lots of donations. Here&#39;s an email just receied. Hello, Thank you to everyone who has supported our transition to a non-profit. While the early response has been inspiring, we still face a critical funding gap. Our current runway is now less than a month. With heavy hearts, we recently had to let go of several team members and transition others to part-time due to budget constraints. Sadly, these painful cuts only bought us another month. If we do not meet our funding goals immediately, Innosearch will be forced to shut down. For years, our founders personally covered the massive costs of serving 10,000 daily users. Their personal savings can no longer sustain this. We now rely on the community to keep this platform alive. If Innosearch helps you maintain your independence, please chip in today. Help us reach our goal - Donate today Donate $20 per month Make a one-time contribution Can&#39;t donate? Please forward this email to friends, family, or sighted allies. They are often our strongest supporters when they understand the impact of our mission on your daily independence.

Replies (6)

@Mitmee_Pie@tweesecake.social 2026-03-07 23:31

@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social This is sad. I can't afford to donate, and I've never actually shopped with Innosearch, but I do find it helpful for browsing items from time to time. I hope they're able to find a way to keep it alive, especially if that many people are using it on a daily basis.

Open ##2618509
@jstark@tweesecake.social 2026-03-07 23:38

@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social NOT surprising given how expensive AI tokens are

Open ##2618512
@robini71@dragonscave.space 2026-03-07 23:59

@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social I can't say this surprises me. It always struck me as a model that'd be difficult to sustain. I wonder if they have statistics on how many were actually making use of it over time.

Open ##2618513
@technocounselor@caneandable.social 2026-03-08 01:08

@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social That is so sad and I hate that for them, but at the same time, I’m not going to donate because I have tools which will allow me to do similar things.

Open ##2618516
@TinaSohl@mindly.social 2026-03-08 02:32

@technocounselor@caneandable.social @JohnGassman@tweesecake.social This is sad. They've been great to work with.

Open ##2618517
@brian_hartgen@dragonscave.space 2026-03-08 19:14

@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social Unfortunately John I think this was somewhat inevitable. The concept is a terrific one, but the amount of money they must receive from all these stores must be tiny at best. Having said that, the amount they charge small businesses such as ourselves is considerable. Making it a non-profit rather than a profitable business venture was never going to work. If it does go, it will be sad, but it's not especially surprising.

Open ##2618518