The Google Search Appliance, introduced in 2002, was a rack-mounted computer device that provided document indexing functionality. Demand for a hardware appliance waned as cloud-based alternatives were made available.
AWS DeepLens
Launched in 2018, AWS discontinued DeepLens in 2024. It was the world’s first deep-learning enabled video camera for developers. It was designed to help users grow their machine learning skills through hands-on computer vision tutorials, example code, and pre-built models. TensorFlow, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Keras, and CUDA were the most popular alternatives and competitors to AWS DeepLens.
Snap’s Pixy Drone
In 2024, Snap discontinued its Pixy flying selfie camera drone after just four months. The company recalled all 71K drones it sold because their batteries pose a fire hazard.
Nike golf
Founded in 1984, Nike Golf discontinued its equipment business in 2016. Declining sales was due to intense competition from other major brands such as Callaway, TaylorMade, and Titleist. The golf industry was struggling then due to a decline in the number of golfers, especially among younger generations. This trend had led to oversupply and intense price competition in the market, making it difficult for companies like Nike to maintain profitability.
Tickets.com
Tickets.com was formed via acquisition of 10+ firms such as Prologue Software leading to its IPO in 1999. Due to the fast pace at which startups were merged without clear product segmentation, each merged startup wished to be the flagship product of Tickets.com. This caused rivalry and factions between group leaders. A formidable entity which could have competed against Ticketmaster saw the stock price quickly plummet by 80%. This led to Tickets.com being bought by its largest customer, MLB, for $66M in 2005 for its own ticket sales.
23andMe
After peaking at an $6 billion valuation in the public market in 2021, 23andMe filed for bankruptcy in 2025. There’s no repeat incentive for consumers to keep testing their DNA. Plus security breaches impacted 6.9 million users and the data sold to drug developers wasn’t proving valuable enough.
Casetify
Casetify, previously valued at $1B, manufactured custom phone cases. Consumers complained about their price and service, while their physical experience stores seemed unnecessary. They also plagiorized designs of dbrand and iFixit.
Sports Illustrated
Launched in 1954, Sports Illustrated was one of the few sources of real sports reporting. Its circulation peaked 30 years ago and has been declining ever since. In 2018 it went biweekly and in 2020 it went monthly. Total annual circulation fell off a cliff leading to its demise in 2023.
ESPN and the social web saturated the public with sports and sports commentary, which meant week-old reporting was stale by the time it landed in your mailbox.
Amazon Dash Button
Launched in 2015, the Amazon Dash Button was a tiny piece of equipment that eased the process of repeatedly ordering certain products from Amazon. Dash buttons were available only to Prime users and cost $5 a piece.
Their small and compact size made them easy to be attached to the kitchen’s refrigerator, the bathroom shelf, or wherever it was helpful in reminding the user to reorder a product. While designing Dash Buttons, Amazon did not realize that users would need over 500 buttons in their house for various items.
Plus the buttons weren’t necessary since systems in appliances know when they needed replenishment, like a detergent in the washing machine, and preorders them automatically. Thus, there was no need to press a real button in this case.
Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program allows users to receive their monthly required items without placing an order or searching for them repeatedly. Moreover, the program offered discounts.
Faraday Future
In 2021, Faraday Future went public on the NYSE via a SPAC valuing the company at $3.4B. The company has raised nearly $3B in equity and debt since its founding in 2016. As of the start of 2024, the company is at the risk of being delisted as the stock is worth below $20M.
Much like its peers, Faraday Future has been battling mounting costs and supply-chain disruptions that have delayed the deliveries of its electric car.
Costs of lithium and raw battery materials rose as the war in Ukraine exacerbated the pandemic-induced disruption of global supply chains.
Higher costs and depleting cash reserves have forced investors to question the health of EV startups’ balance sheets.