Mindspark Interactive Network
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, Mobile applications, Entertainment |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Bill Daugherty, Jonas Steinman |
| Defunct | June 1, 2021 |
| Fate | Ceased operations; certain functions transitioned to Ask Applications |
| Headquarters | Yonkers, New York , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Tim Allen (Co-president), Eric Esterlis (Co-president), Joey Levin (Former CEO) |
| Products | Software for entertainment and personal computing, mobile applications (e.g. Weather Live, Calculator Pro), browser toolbars, social networking sites, gaming websites |
| Parent | IAC |
Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. functioned as a business segment within IAC, concentrating on software for entertainment and personal computing, as well as the creation of mobile applications. Its mobile branch expanded in 2014 through the acquisition of Apalon, an iOS developer recognized for popular apps such as Weather Live and Calculator Pro.
Based in Yonkers, New York, Mindspark also operated offices in Los Angeles, Oakland, New York City, and Bellevue. Leadership included co-presidents Tim Allen and Eric Esterlis. Joey Levin, a former CEO of Mindspark, currently heads IAC.
Several toolbars developed by Mindspark were identified as potentially unwanted programs because of aggressive installation techniques and challenging removal processes, with some being classified as malware.
History
Founded in 1999 under the name CTC Bulldog, Inc., the company's initial product concept was iWon.com, created by founders Bill Daugherty and Jonas Steinman. Upon launching the site in October 1999, the company rebranded to iWon.com, Inc.
By 2000, it had expanded its sales force and established offices in key U.S. cities. In 2001, it acquired assets from the bankrupt Excite and changed its name to The Excite Network.
The year 2002 saw the introduction of MyWay.com, an ad-free web portal designed to emulate features popular among competitors. That same year introduced entertainment offerings such as SmileyCentral and PopularScreensavers, followed by a corporate rebranding to Focus Interactive. MyWay.com was eventually discontinued near the end of 2015.
In 2003, Focus Interactive transitioned into Interactive Search Holdings, overseeing properties including iWon.com, Excite.com, My Way, My WebSearch, and the advertising company MaxOnline. By December 2003, these sites reached approximately 17% of internet users in the United States. Ask Jeeves purchased Interactive Search Holdings in 2004 for $501 million.
In December 2003, Interactive Search Holdings ranked ninth among the most visited web properties with sites like My Way and iWon contributing to its traffic. After IAC acquired Ask Jeeves in 2005, Interactive Search Holdings was renamed IAC Consumer Applications & Portals (IAC CAP).
IAC CAP concentrated on online communication tools and social networking platforms. It launched Zwinky, a virtual world environment in 2006, followed by Webfetti.com in 2007 for customizing user profiles. In 2008, IAC CAP acquired StarNet Interactive from Israel, known for creating GirlSense. Vimeo was added to IAC’s portfolio in 2006 and became part of IAC CAP by 2008.
On January 1, 2009, IAC CAP was rebranded as Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc., incorporating the Ask Partner Network into its operations. In May 2010, Mindspark expanded into health-related offerings by acquiring a controlling interest in fitness platform DailyBurn. Later that year marked the beginning of social gaming application development under Mindspark Worlds.
The acquisition of VoxPop’s gaming platform in 2011 enhanced Mindspark’s iWon contest brand capabilities. In 2014, Mindspark purchased SlimWare Utilities, a PC optimization software package that received PC Magazine’s Editors' Choice award for free tune-up tools.
Strengthening its mobile app lineup globally, Mindspark acquired Apalon in November 2014—an iOS app developer with several top-ranking applications.
On June 1, 2021, Mindspark announced it would cease operations with certain functions transitioning to Ask Applications.
Products
Mindspark created a variety of consumer-focused software, including mobile applications, desktop tools, and browser-based programs. Its mobile segment was responsible for well-known apps such as Weather Live and Pimp Your Screen. The desktop tools primarily provided services aimed at enhancing system performance.
Among its browser-centric products were consumer applications like Zwinky and Zwinky Cuties; gaming websites including Retrogamer.com and GamingWonderland.com; as well as social networking sites such as MyWebFace.com and MyFuncards.com.
IAC's toolbar business
Numerous Mindspark applications required users to install a toolbar, which frequently operated as adware. IAC’s corporate approach focused on growing its toolbar division by embedding interactive tools within users’ browsers, generating income through click-based interactions.
In the third quarter of 2010, IAC reported a 20% year-over-year increase in search-related revenue, reaching $205.1 million, while operating income surged 43% to $28.9 million, largely fueled by greater toolbar adoption. Industry analysts highlighted the toolbar segment as a significant driver of growth within IAC’s portfolio.
myWebSearch Toolbar-browser hijacker
The myWebSearch Toolbar—also recognized under names like MyWay Speedbar—was a browser extension bundled with many Mindspark products, facilitating searches via the myWebSearch engine. This software was notably pre-installed on certain commercial PCs by Dell.
Earlier iterations of the toolbar generated pop-up advertisements, modified browser configurations without user approval, and were classified as spyware or adware. This browser hijacker was infamously challenging to uninstall and continued to disrupt users by commandeering browsers and search settings.