{
  "id": 3266325,
  "title": "Accel-backed Keenable is indexing the web for AI agents",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/accel-backed-keenable-is-indexing-the-web-for-ai-agents",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-25T13:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechCrunch",
    "slug": "techcrunch",
    "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/25/accel-backed-keenable-is-indexing-the-web-for-ai-agents/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Accel-led startup Keenable is developing a new approach to web search, tailored specifically for artificial intelligence agents. The venture, co-founded by Russian search veteran Andrey Styskin and German AI scientist Matthias Petri, recently secured $26 million in seed funding. The company has constructed an expansive web search index comprising over 100 billion documents, with its API already integrated into production at several AI labs and inference providers for both training and runtime.\n\nStyskin argues that traditional search engines were designed with human users in mind, who lack the time and attention to thoroughly examine entire webpages. In contrast, AI chatbots possess the capability to absorb and process vast amounts of information. Consequently, the infrastructure supporting AI agents necessitates a different approach to web search, one that can swiftly narrow down search results based on specific queries.\n\nThe company's API is currently utilized in production by multiple AI labs and inference providers for both training and runtime. Keenable has remained tight-lipped about its customers, but it has recently formed a partnership with voice AI company Gradium to support live information retrieval. Styskin emphasizes that Keenable's product differs from enterprise search solutions, which can become prohibitively costly at web scale due to the inability to fine-tune index structures for specific tasks.\n\nAccel partner Zhenya Loginov, who led the investment, acknowledges the limited options available to AI players in the realm of web-scale search infrastructure. Major tech companies like Google and Microsoft are gradually phasing out their existing search APIs to prevent cannibalization, and are instead opting for a more selective approach to partnerships. Styskin's previous work with Petri at Amazon on web search infrastructure for AI applications, such as Alexa, served as a catalyst for his conviction in this space.\n\nThe startup is also developing an upcoming product called WebQueryLanguage, designed to enable AI systems to answer complex questions by combining information from various web sources, even when no single source contains the complete answer. However, scaling such an ambitious operation comes with significant financial challenges. Styskin notes that while it is extremely difficult to persuade users to move away from Google for search, the innovator's dilemma suggests that tech giant could be vulnerable to a more cost-efficient solution from a smaller company like Keenable.\n\nDespite the substantial costs involved in building a massive search index, Keenable is committed to managing expenses and pacing its growth. The team, currently numbering 15 engineers based in the U.S. and Europe, aims to double its workforce by the end of the year to bolster its go-to-market strategy. As the startup strives to become \"the next Google for AI agents,\" it faces competition from other players such as Brave and Exa, as well as Google's own efforts to revamp its search experience for the AI era. Nonetheless, the broader industry trend suggests that the \"ten blue links\" era may be fading, marking a new chapter in the evolution of search for AI agents.",
  "summary": "Now exiting stealth mode with a $26 million seed round, Keenable has been building a vast web search index for AI agents.",
  "key_points": [
    "Accel-led Keenable secures $26M seed funding for AI web search index",
    "Index contains over 100 billion documents, integrated into AI labs",
    "API used in production by multiple AI providers for training and runtime"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}