A year ago, the FT launched “a next generation search tool for business professionals”. Powered by Endeca, it was called Newsift and aimed to “enable users to string together a query that can provide insight into the relationship between people, organizations, geography, and business theme, which ultimately facilitates more informed business decisions”.

But Newsift is no more; the site has since gone offline.

Why? An FT Group spokesperson tells paidContent:UK: “It’s the nature of digital media start-ups that not all work out, but we still firmly believe in the need to experiment and innovate.

“Newssift was a good idea, but the timing was unfortunate in that its launch coincided with the advertising downturn.”

We never had any metrics on Newssift’s success, or lack of, but FT continues augmenting itself by acquiring subscription financial decision-making publishers.