Artifact

AI-powered news aggregator dubbed "TikTok for news" by Instagram co-founders. Shut down in 2024 after failing to gain traction beyond launch.

Pricing:free
Views:9
Last Updated:12/2/2025

About

Created by Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Launched Feb 2023 with significant hype as personalized AI news reader. Only achieved 444K downloads total, 44% from US. Failed to differentiate from Google News, Apple News, and SmartNews. Attempted pivot to social features but lacked focus. Shut down after realizing market was too small for sustainable growth.

Business Intelligence

Company

Artifact

📈

Market Recognition

Growing

Gaining recognition

Momentum

Strongly Declining

Company Information

Founded

2023

Status

Private

Market Position

Estimated Users

< 10K

Market Position

Emerging

Primary Competitors

Google NewsApple NewsSmartNewsFlipboard

Financial

Funding Stage

Seed

Customer Sentiment & Momentum

😕

Customer Sentiment

Negative

Sentiment Notes

Users found it interesting but not compelling enough for daily use. Limited international appeal (56% non-US downloads spread thin).

Momentum Analysis

Only 444K downloads since Feb 2023 launch, most at debut. Failed to maintain demand beyond initial hype. Couldn't compete with established news apps. Lack of focus with feature pivots.

Competitive Intelligence

Strengths

  • Instagram founder pedigree
  • AI personalization
  • Clean UI

Weaknesses

  • Failed to differentiate
  • Lack of focus
  • Too small market
  • Low retention
  • Shutdown in 2024
Last researched: 11/14/2025

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