Klout, the $200 million startup that measures and ranks users according to their social influence, is shutting down after 10 years

• Klout is a startup that measures and ranks its users according to online social influence by using social media analytics, is shutting down on May 25, 2018.

• Launched August, 2008

• It was bought for $200 million in 2014 by Lithium Technologies.

• February 2012: Klout acquires local and mobile neighborhood app Blockboard.

• September 2012: Microsoft announces a strategic investment in Klout for an undisclosed sum.

Now you don’t have worry about your social score any more. Klout, the a website and mobile app that uses social media analytics to rate its users according to online social influence via the “Klout Score”, announced today that its shutting down its operation on May 25. Klout was launched in August 2008.

Klout measures influence based on the ability to drive action across the social web. Any person can connect their social network accounts and Klout will generate a score on a scale of 1-100 that represents their ability to engage other people and inspire social actions. Klout enables everyone to gain insights that help them better understand how they influence others. Klout also provides people with opportunities to shape and be recognized for their influence. Klout was acquired by Lithium Technologies, a provider of social customer experience solutions for the enterprise, in a deal valued at nearly $200 million, according to a report from Fortune.

Klout made the announcement on Twitter and a blog post. On Twitter, Klout said: “To all of our fans: after careful consideration we have decided to shut down the Klout website & the Klout Score. This will happen on May 25, 2018. It has been a pleasure serving you, and thank you for your ongoing support over the years.”

To all of our fans: after careful consideration we have decided to shut down the Klout website & the Klout Score. This will happen on May 25, 2018. It has been a pleasure serving you, and thank you for your ongoing support over the years. Details here: https://t.co/xCNdYachxF

— Klout (@klout) May 10, 2018

In its announcement to customers, Peter Hess, CEO of Lithium said:

“To our valued customers – I sent out the below email to you all earlier today, but in the event you missed it thought I should also post it on the Community. As it states below, please contact KloutQuestions@lithium.com if you have any questions on this news.

An update on Klout:

Hi,

I’m writing to let you know that Lithium has made the decision to sunset the Klout service, effective May 25, 2018.

Lithium is committed to providing you with the technology and services that will enable you to differentiate your customer experience. Our recent launch of Lithium Messaging is evidence of our focus on this mission. The Klout acquisition provided Lithium with valuable artificial intelligence (AI) and machinelearning capabilities but Klout as a standalone service is not aligned with our long-term strategy.

Our goal with these AI and machine learning investments is to improve our customer care capabilities across the board, whether that’s self-service, peer-to-peer, or direct-to-brand. In the near-term, for example, we will be looking to improve agent productivity within SMM and improve the overall user experience in Community through the application of AI, while we are also planning the launch of a new social impact scoring methodology based on Twitter.

Should you have any questions or concerns about this announcement, please feel free to reach out to KloutQuestions@lithium.com. We are honored to be your partner in delivering digital customer care experiences that delight your customers and we look forward to sharing news of ongoing innovations that support you in this journey.

Thank you for your business.

Pete Hess

CEO”