![\"ChaCha\"](\"http:\/\/www.stoth.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/0ec83_ChaCha.jpg\")
<\/a>Indiana-based startup ChaCha was founded in 2006 as a cross between Ask.com and the Mechanical Turk: Users would ask a question, and they’d be connected to another human being who would provide an answer in a real-time chat session. In short, it didn’t work out.<\/p>\nThe company claims substantial funding for its efforts. In January of this year, they announced $30 million from unnamed investors. Today, ChaCha says they’ve added another $7 million from anonymous lenders, bringing the company’s total funding to $69 million.<\/p>\n That’s a hefty pile of loans for a startup. What I’m hoping the company will get back to me on is: How will they make money? The company sells ads served with its answers. Does that bring in enough revenue to make what seems like a labor-intensive business profitable? Is there some tech trickery that automates the answers?<\/p>\n And since when do late-stage investors in a startup — ChaCha has already gone through\u00a0rounds A, B, C and D<\/a> — not want everyone to kn0w about the smart investment they’re making? For seed funding it’s typical to be coy, but not so much closer to a hopeful IPO or acquisition.<\/p>\n I couldn’t find a designated press contact, so I texted my questions to ChaCha’s SMS address, 242242. I’ll update here if they write back. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.<\/p>\n![\"chacha-logo\"](\"http:\/\/www.stoth.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/0ec83_chacha-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>In early 2008, ChaCha ditched that business and reinvented itself as a\u00a0question-and-answer service for mobile phone users<\/a>. Text ChaCha a question, and they’ll text you an answer. The company ran a promotional campaign to provide election-year research that fall. (You can use ChaCha from a desktop, too, but their business focus is on text messages.)<\/p>\n