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Brief Summary
Xobni is the San Francisco startup that is revolutionizing the way people manage email relationships. Xobni makes a plugin for Microsoft Outlook that helps you organize your flooded inbox. The name Xobni is the word "inbox" spelled backwards. Xobni was founded by Adam Smith and Matt Brezina in the spring of 2006.

Xobni extends Outlook by offering fast search, conversation threading, a social networking platform, and many other features designed to make email better.

Xobni is venture funded by Khosla Ventures, First Round Capital, Y Combinator, Atomico Investments, Baseline Ventures, and several angel investors.
Xobni Screenshots and Logos
Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE: Xobni integrates with LinkedIn
June 26, 2008
PRESS RELEASE: Xobni Opens Beta To Public, Offers First Socially Aware Inbox For Outlook
May 05, 2008
PRESS RELEASE: Xobni Selected to Join Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program
January 22, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY: Xobni Opens to Several Thousand New Beta Users
January 09, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY: Xobni launches invitation-only beta at TechCrunch 40
September 18, 2007
Coverage
TheStreet.com: Xobni Email Plug-In Makes Search a Cinch
August 25, 2008; JONATHAN BLUM
Right from the beginning, Xobni can optimize search for email on older versions of Outlook that don't support the new search features found in Microsoft's Vista, the company's most recent operating system. I found the performance far better than other third-party desktop search tools, such as Google Desktop.
Technology Review: TR35
August 20, 2008; OM MALIK
Smith's goal is to help people unlock and harness the social relationships embodied in their in-boxes. The first version of Xobni (inbox spelled backwards) is a plug-in for Microsoft Outlook and works only on Windows computers--but the results are remarkable.
Lifehacker: Email Innovations You Want in Your Inbox
August 18, 2008; GINA TRAPANI
The free Xobni add-on for Outlook is probably the most developed and feature-rich of the current crop of advanced email search products
Metro: Zennström backar nytt hippt e-postprogram (Swedish)
August 12, 2008; ELISABETH BRAW
The Guardian: Elevator Pitch: Nivio can synchronise your digital life
August 11, 2008; SACHIN DUGGAL
Outlook email tool Xobni - I use that about 30 times a day
CNET: Venture capital investing: What's next?
August 06, 2008; STEPHANIE OLSEN
One example of this would be an application that tells an executive who he or she e-mails the most and responds to fastest. Is it a boss or a co-worker? Xobni, "inbox" spelled backwards, is a plug-in for Outlook that provides that kind of information, including context from the Web about a person who's just e-mailed you.
Orlando Sentinal: Use technology to clear inbox, get things done
August 03, 2008; ETAN HOROWITZ
If you use Outlook, download the free Xobni plug-in, which has an incredible search function that reduces the need for lots of folders with detailed names.
Wall Street Journal: Xobni Can Make Good Old Email Even More Useful
July 31, 2008; WALT MOSSBERG
Xobni turned my Outlook experience from one that was organized by messages and dates into one that was organized by people, relationships and histories.
LA Times: You've got too much e-mail
July 31, 2008; LESLIE BRENNER
Another program, Xobni ("in-box" backward) determines the "hot zones" when a person tends to receive the most e-mail
Fox Business (Video): Social Network Tool For Email
July 31, 2008; WALT MOSSBERG
Inc: Technology Tools: E-mail's Little Helpers
July 29, 2008; RYAN UNDERWOOD
Best For Managing Your Contacts
Netword World: Podcast/Video: Xobni & Co-Founder Matt Brezina
July 24, 2008; MITCHELL ASHLEY
If you aren't using the Xobni plugin for Microsoft Outlook, then its time to upgrade from stone knives and bear skins to some new email + social networking tools.
New York Times: Facebook Conference Report: News From Xobni, Zynga and iLike
July 23, 2008; BRAD STONE
Xobni, the Microsoft Outlook plug-in that we wrote about last month, says it is adding Facebook information to its service. That means social information from Facebook –- profile pictures, mutual friends and status updates -– will appear inside Xobni’s useful Outlook sidebar tool alongside the names of people that users have previously e-mailed.
LAPTOP Review: Xobni (Beta)
July 21, 2008; JOANNA STERN
With all the functionality and useful tools rolled into Xobni, it’s hard to believe this program is free. Its speedy search results and ability to extract useful contact information and attachments makes this time-saving application a must-have for any Outlook user.
Washington Post: Address Book Programs Need to Network to Get Ahead
July 10, 2008; RON PEGORARO
The best you can get is a free plug-in for Outlook called Xobni
Download.com (Home Page): Ultimate Email Stats
July 08, 2008; EDITOR
The ultimate Outlook add-on, Xobni is a veritable e-mail data mine. It can tell you how often you and your boss communicate, and when, open e-mails, find attachments, and help you schedule meeting requests from a colorful, retractable interface.
CNET: Featured Freeware: Xobni
July 03, 2008; SETH ROSENBLATT
Xobni integrates into your Outlook installation and shows you more about your e-mails than Outlook ever could.
PC Magazine: Xobni Updates with LinkedIn
July 01, 2008; OLIVER RIST
...this thing rocks. For email-heavy SMBers, Xobni not only better organizes your inbox, it also lets you use email as a tool in new ways.
Wired (Print Edition): The Great American Timesuck
July 01, 2008; CLIVE THOMPSON
Among other cool tricks, Xobni spots hidden patterns in your email usage. It identifies, for intstance, who your most important contacts are, what time of day they typically send email, and how long it takes you to reply to one another.
Washington Post: Xobni Gets Even Better with LinkedIn Data for Your Contacts
June 26, 2008; JASON KINCAID
Xobni, the email startup that we've described as "The Superplugin for Outlook", has partnered with LinkedIn to automatically pull contact information from the popular professional network.
PC World: Xobni Outlook Add-On
June 04, 2008; KEVIN C. TOFEL
This free application is a must-have for anyone who lives in Outlook. It provides functionality that Outlook should deliver natively, and does so without affecting the e-mail client's performance.
The Guardian: Technophile
June 04, 2008; KATE BEVAN
I think Xobni is brilliant: it's made my absurd inbox very much more manageable and useful.
Orlando Sentinal: Gaining control of your e-mail
May 10, 2008; ETAN HOROWITZ
Stop the chaos in your Outlook! A free download allows you to quickly navigate your inbox to find the information you need.
SmartBiz: Xobni Turns Your Outlook Inbox Inside Out
May 07, 2008; RICH KARPINSKI
Xobni - "inbox" spelled backwards -- provides tools for making it easier to deal with the onslaught of email to your Outlook inbox.
ITProPortal: Xobni comes out of Beta to rock Microsoft Outlook's world
May 07, 2008; DESIRE ATHOW
Contact management tool Xobni has been officially released yesterday after nearly seven months of Invite-only beta and could be a life-saving tool for users who depend on Outlook to communicate with the rest of the world.
Scenta: Xobni Outlook add-on launches into beta
May 07, 2008
The company says that with email volume growing rapidly Xobni helps users quickly find and understand what's in their inbox, freeing up wasted time.
TechCrunch: Xobni Acquires IP From Failed Web 1.0 Startup FireDrop
May 07, 2008; MICHAEL ARRINGTON
Xobni CEO Jeff Bonforte says the Zaplet idea was a good one, just too early. And that’s why they’ve acquired much of the intellectual property of FireDrop from MetricStream.
eWeek: Xobni is No Yahoo, but Would Do Microsoft Good
May 06, 2008; CLINT BOULTON
The San Francisco startup emerged May 5 from beta with its in-box socialization software, a tool that hundreds of millions of Microsoft Outlook users may download to organize their e-mail by relationships.
VNUNET.com: Xobni touts social network for the inbox
May 06, 2008; CLEMENT JAMES
Displayed as a sidebar in Outlook, Xobni's proprietary technology analyses emails in the same way that the human brain naturally understands communication, according to the firm.
ars technica: Hands-on with Xobni: make Outlook more productive, social
May 06, 2008; DAVID CHARTIER
A new plug-in for Microsoft Outlook, called Xobni, claims that it can help you "organize your flooded inbox." It even offers contact management and discovery features, some of which led Bill Gates to call Xobni "the next generation of social networking."
CBR: Xobni releases inbox data search tool for Outlook
May 06, 2008; BHAVANA NAVULURI
The tool, displayed as a sidebar in Outlook, organises the inbox and analyses data to provide the user with details about the communication and interaction that took place between the user and the sender of the email and the files exchanged between them. The data is personalised for each user's set of contacts.
ITWire: Xobni outs Outlook inadequacies
May 06, 2008; STAN BEER
Xobni indexes and organises all the email information you have locked up in Outlook and then lets you search for it and find it quickly.
InformationWeek: Xobni Makes Outlook Searchable And Social
May 06, 2008; THOMAS CLABURN
"Right now, people have to go and dig through some kind of separate folder that has all their contact information for someone, which I think is totally absurd," said Brezina. "If I'm looking at an e-mail from you and I want to call you, I don't have to have to do any extra work. I just want to see your phone number."
eFluxMedia: Xobni For Outlook Is Here To Deal With Your Messy Inbox
May 05, 2008; DEE CHISAMERA
For all the Microsoft Outlook users out there: the solution to all your inbox frustrations is here!
WebFuture.de: Mail-Verwaltung neu erfunden: Xobni Beta geöffnet
May 05, 2008; ROLAND QUANDT
Konkret handelt es sich um eine Art Add-On für den E-Mail-Client, der dafür sorgt, dass alle Nachrichten schnell durchsucht, geordnet und analysiert werden können.
The Boston Globe: Plug-in aims to ease Outlook searches
May 05, 2008; BRAD STONE
Xobni has ambitions that extend well beyond Microsoft Outlook. Jeff Bonforte, a 35-year-old former Yahoo vice president, joined Xobni as chief executive in February. He plans to expand Xobni's reach to various e-mail programs as well as to social networks like Facebook and Linkedin.
Mashable: Xobni Enters Public Beta
May 05, 2008; Stan Schroeder
Last time we wrote about Xobni, the e-mail organizer that plugs into your Outlook and makes your e-mail-related life easier, it was entering an invite-only beta. As of today, Xobni is in public beta and everyone can try it by downloading it from the official site.
PC Pro: Xobni now open to all
May 05, 2008; TIM DANTON
Xobni's key benefits are for anyone who uses Outlook. If that includes you, we recommend you download it today.
CNET: OK, just admit that Outlook's lame--and fix it, already
May 05, 2008; CHARLES COOPER
Xobni, which came out of beta testing today, has received a bounty of attention because its backers include Vinod Khosla and Niklas Zennstrom. (Getting a freebee compliment from Bill Gates hasn't hurt.)
Lifehacker: Xobni Beta Now Open to the Public
May 05, 2008
Previously in invite-only beta, Xobni adds email analytics, better contact cards, fast search, threaded conversations, and more to your Outlook inbox.
New York Times: If You Use Outlook E-Mail, Meet Xobni
May 05, 2008; BRAD STONE
The free downloadable software can index all of your Outlook e-mail and make messages quickly and easily searchable.
PC World: Xobni Revamps Inbox: Adds Social Networking Twist to Outlook
May 05, 2008; TOM SPRING
Based on the premise your Outlook inbox is in desperate need of a revamp a company called Xobni has introduced a free beta version of a program designed to turn Outlook on its head.
Wired: New 'Xobni' Plug-in Supercharges Your Outlook Inbox
May 05, 2008; SCOTT GILBERTSON
Xobni (that’s “inbox” backwards and it’s pronounced “zob-nee”) is the brainchild of Adam Smith, who tells the New York Times that “using Outlook today is like taking a Volkswagen Beetle into space.” Xobni gives Outlook what many consider essential features like better searching and threaded conversations.
Wall Street Journal: Inbox Liberation
May 05, 2008; BEN WORTHEN
Good news for workers stuck using Microsoft’s Outlook email program: Xobni, a free tool that can make sense of your inbox, is now available to the public.
PC Magazine: Outlook Slowing You Down? Enter Xobni
May 05, 2008; CHLOE ALBANESIUS
Tired of waiting for Outlook to peruse thousands of e-mails in your inbox to find a message you received three weeks ago? Xobni wants to help.
VentureBeat: Xobni launches email organizer for Outlook
May 04, 2008; Matt Marshall
Xobni, the San Francisco company we raved about last year that offers a way to better organize your email from Outlook, is launching publicly with its test version.
Webware: Xobni makes Outlook better, but where's the business?
May 04, 2008; RAFE NEEDLEMAN
Xobni integrates into your Outlook installation and shows you more about your e-mails than Outlook can itself.
JKOnTheRun: Freeware of the Moment- Xobni
April 22, 2008; JAMES KENDRICK
Today I got an invite to the Xobni closed beta from good friend Steven Hughes and decided to give it a shot. Boy am I glad I did as it has already made a big impact on my productivity.
Washington Post: Tips Galore for Slaying the E-mail Beast
April 09, 2008; ERIK LARKIN
For Outlook he looks at an add-on called Xobni that can help sift and organize your messages - though you have to request an invite to participate in the Xobni beta.
CNET: New Outlook add-on cuts through the inbox clutter
April 07, 2008; DENNIS O'REILLY
Xobni is one of those programs that makes you wonder, "How do they do that?" When you select a message, information about your correspondence with the sender appears in the Xobni pane to the right of the message window in Outlook 2007 and 2003.
Recruitment Times: Save Time Searching for Client, Candidate and Staff Data - Power-Up MS Outlook
March 01, 2008
In between calls to clients and candidates are you struggling to manage important information in your Outlook inbox? How much time do you waste trawling through folders in your inbox, sent items and deleted items for important information?
Newsweek: Reinventing the Inbox
February 28, 2008; CHRIS FLAVELLE
One of the leading startups in this new field is Xobni. The San Francisco firm hopes to capitalize on dissatisfaction with swelling IN boxes that make the eyes glaze over.
Los Angeles Times: Come for brunch. Bring billions.
February 26, 2008; JESSICA GUYNN
Xobni Corp., a San Francisco start-up that helps people better organize and search their e-mail and contacts.
ReadWriteWeb: Xobni - Social Network in Your Inbox
January 14, 2008; SARAH PEREZ
Xobni's brilliance is in providing you with a true social network filled with information that can help you stay productive and get things done. [...] This makes Xobni not just useful, but one of those, "how did I ever live without it" kind of things.
TechCrunch: The Super Plugin for Outlook
January 09, 2008; NICK GONZALEZ
Being the only guy with Outlook in the office, it’s been a personal favorite of mine. Xobni’s sidebar has improved Outlook for me by offering faster search, and automatic organization of my email and contacts. Their search function alone has saved me time by just being faster and more comprehensive than Outlook’s native search.
Server Management: Well Connected
December 04, 2007; MARY BRANSCOMBE
Xobni is an Outlook add-in, launching soon, that ranks your contacts based on the messages you exchange, extracting contact information and identifying people the messages are connected to. You can click through to explore the conversations you’ve had with those connections.
Wall Street Journal: Email's Friendly Fire
November 27, 2007; REBECCA BUCKMAN
Xobni's product places a set of features on top of a customer's email inbox, such as "profiles" of online contacts complete with photos, and quick links to set up appointments.
Business Week: Will Email Really Be the Next Social Network?
November 14, 2007; ROB HOF
It looks useful as a way of injecting some social smarts into Outlook.
CityNews TV: Xobni looks like a hilarious place to work
October 11, 2007; AMBER MACARTHUR
Technology Review: A New Look For Outlook
October 02, 2007; KATE GREENE
"...what makes Xobni distinct is that it turns e-mail from a message-based system into a people-based system."
Founders at Work Blog: Xobni Beta
September 20, 2007; JESSICA LIVINGSTON
"with the launch of Xobni Insight, they seem to have made something people want. And I couldn’t be happier for the Xobnis."
GIGAOM: Is Email The Ultimate Social Environment?
September 20, 2007; OM MALIK
The impressive launch of San Francisco-based Xobni: Email, the most socialist of all web apps
Technologyevangelist.com: Xobni is One Impressive Email Tool
September 19, 2007; ED KOHLER
"TechCrunch had tons of impressive companies present, but the one that really jumped off the page for me was Xobni. They have created a new email platform that creates significant value without asking anything more from users. That's a killer combination.
A VC Blog: Xobni launches
September 19, 2007; FRED WILSON
"It's safe to say that we're blown away ... for those of us stuck in email hell in Outlook, Xobni is showing a way out.
Webware: Hands-on: Handy Email Helper
September 18, 2007; RAFE NEEDLEMAN
"Our in-boxes really do contain a lot of social information, and I am very eager to see if Xobni will help me uncover mine."
VentureBeat: Email company Xobni launches, may steal Techcrunch prize
September 18, 2007; MATT MARSHALL
"It’s extremely useful and we’ll make a bet now it will win the show here... We’ve downloaded it, and are playing with it, and find it truly impressive."
ZDNet: Xobni and Orgoo - Weird Names, Useful Applications
September 18, 2007; DAN FARBER
"It makes you wonder what Microsoft has been doing with billions in R&D."
The Brian Alvey Weblog: TechCrunch 40 at Xobni
September 18, 2007; BRIAN ALVEY
"The first presenter this morning was probably better than any of yesterday's. It's called Xobni, which is inbox spelled backwards. It extracts some great contact and relationship information from your email stream."
Valleywag.com: I'm too sexy for my install script
September 18, 2007; OWEN THOMAS
"It's traditional for software developers to put their names on a product... But pictures? That's an innovation, as far as I know."
Address Book Programs Need to Network to Get Ahead
November 30, 1999; Rob Pegoraro
"The best you can get is a free plug-in for Outlook called Xobni"
Address Book Programs Need to Network to Get Ahead
November 30, 1999; Rob Pegoraro
"The best you can get is a free plug-in for Outlook called Xobni"
Forrester Research: What The Startup Xobni Teaches Tech Vendors About Innovation
November 30, 1999; Chris Andrews
The company is notable for the simplicity and strength of its value proposition, as well as what it shows about the state of technology market innovation.
Forrester Research: What The Startup Xobni Teaches Tech Vendors About Innovation
November 30, 1999; CHRIS ANDREWS
The company is notable for the simplicity and strength of its value proposition, as well as what it shows about the state of technology market innovation.