Often times, a name change signals that a company is aiming for an entirely new target.
For New Knowledge, it's more about a broader view of its core mission of identifying authenticity on the internet, understanding untruthful smear campaigns and getting to the heart of why some things work and some don't once they're released to the world wide web.
As founder and CEO Jonathon Morgan watched New Knowledge's goals grow in recent months, he started reaching out to the company's 60 or so employees to get a sense of what the company's mission means to them -- a process that would lead to a new name. The feedback amounted to an optimistic vision for the future of the internet -- looking over the horizon and helping usher in an era where fake news, bots and other web wreckage isn't so easily blended with real human insights and interactions.
From that, along with conversations with board members and executives, emerged the new name -- Yonder.
“For all of us at Yonder, we’re really optimistic about the potential of the internet," Morgan told Inno. "We’re in a moment now where it’s a real reckoning for the tech industry … I think there’s a real lack of trust or loss of trust.”
And the startup doesn't dance around the tricky issues. It has developed contextual information about the sprawling debate over gun control, as well as continually tracking conversations and influencers on topics ranging from food and beverage to retail, travel and banking.
Yonder, which has raised about $18 million, including $3 million from BuildGroup and Lux Capital in July, helps big brands spot authentic consumer factions that often drive conservations about brands and industries. Morgan declined to name clients, but he said they include household consumer brands.
The company, which recently moved into new offices near 8th and Brazos, plans to grow to about 100 people by the end of next year. It's also looking to expand its reach and develop platforms for people to build more authentic applications with trusted users and audiences.
“We’ve really transitioned from thinking about how can we secure the internet to how can we realize its full potential," he said.
New Knowledge, now Yonder, was among Austin Inno's 50 on Fire companies this year, a distinction that recognizes some of the area's fastest-growing and most exciting startups. It was a Blazer winner in its category, as well.
