Guide Note

ChaCha is a free mobile question and answer service that allows users to ask any question in conversational English by voice or text and receive a text message answer in return.

Questions are answered by ChaCha Guides, individuals trained and certified by ChaCha, who utilize the Web to find and send answers to users.

Fast Facts

1. Founders: Scott A. Jones and Brad Bostic
2. Year Established: 2006
3. Raised $6 million in development funds
4. Partly funded by Bezos Expeditions, Jeff Bezos' personal investment firm
5. Industry: Internet
6. Phone: 1.800.820.0827
7. Headquarters: Carmel, Indiana
8. Products: Mobile answers service

• September 1, 2006: Alpha launch of social web search service
• November 6, 2006: Beta launch
• January 3, 2008: Launch of textChaCha, mobile question and answer service
• April 1, 2008: Social web search service discontinued

1. OPTION 1: Send question via text message to ChaCha (242242)
2. OPTION 2: Leave question following the voice prompt by calling 1.800.2ChaCha (1.800.224.2242)
3. OPTION 3: Type question into ChaCha website
4. Receive answer from ChaCha Guide via text message

When initially launched in 2006, ChaCha functioned as a web-based social search engine. Users would enter a search query, and answers would be returned by a human guide. The company's social search function was discontinued in 2008. ChaCha now focuses exclusively on answering questions via mobile devices.