# Yelp

> American company directory service and online review forum

**Wikidata**: [Q2299611](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2299611)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yelp)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/yelp

## Summary
Yelp is an American company directory service and online review forum founded in 2004. It allows users to rate businesses, share reviews, and discover local services through its platform. As a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange since 2012, Yelp has become one of the most widely used business review platforms globally.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 2004 by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons
- Publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker symbol YELP since March 2, 2012
- Headquartered at 140 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California
- CEO: Jeremy Stoppelman (since 2004)
- Industry classification includes information technology, social networking service, and review site
- Revenue reached $500 million USD in 2014
- Employs approximately 4,350 people as of May 9, 2017
- Operates websites including yelp.com (US), yelp.co.uk (UK), and maintains multilingual support

## FAQs
### Q: What is Yelp used for?
A: Yelp is primarily used for discovering local businesses, reading customer reviews, and rating services. Users can search for restaurants, shops, healthcare providers, and other businesses while contributing their own experiences to help others make informed decisions.

### Q: Is Yelp a publicly traded company?
A: Yes, Yelp became a public company when it was listed on the New York Stock Exchange on March 2, 2012 with the stock ticker symbol YELP. Its ISIN identifier is US9858171054.

### Q: Who founded Yelp and when did it start?
A: Yelp was co-founded by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons in 2004. The company launched its website later that year, initially focusing on peer-to-peer reviews of local businesses.

## Why It Matters
Yelp revolutionized how consumers evaluate and choose local businesses by creating a centralized digital space for authentic user-generated feedback. Prior to its launch, individuals relied heavily on word-of-mouth recommendations or traditional advertising which often lacked transparency. By enabling millions of users to contribute ratings and detailed reviews, Yelp introduced accountability into the marketplace, empowering small businesses to build reputations based on performance rather than marketing budgets. Additionally, Yelp's influence extends beyond consumer behavior—it plays a significant role in shaping corporate practices around customer service and quality assurance across industries. Its integration of geolocation data, recommendation algorithms, and social features also positions it as a key player in the evolution of location-based digital commerce.

## Notable For
- Being among the first major platforms to crowdsource comprehensive local business reviews from everyday users
- Launching as a public company on the NYSE in 2012 after rapid growth in user engagement and revenue
- Operating one of the largest freely accessible datasets of business reviews, supporting research and innovation in natural language processing and machine learning
- Maintaining strong presence across multiple social media channels with verified accounts on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and more
- Serving as a model for modern review aggregation systems influencing competitors like Google Reviews and TripAdvisor

## Body
### Founding & Leadership
Yelp was established in 2004 by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons. Since inception, Stoppelman has served continuously as Chief Executive Officer. The company transitioned from private to public ownership upon listing on the New York Stock Exchange on March 2, 2012.

### Business Model & Operations
Yelp functions as both a directory service and an online community where users post written evaluations and numerical scores for various types of businesses. These contributions are aggregated to provide overall star ratings that guide potential customers. Beyond basic listings and reviews, Yelp offers tools such as appointment booking integrations, promotional deals, and advertising opportunities for businesses seeking enhanced visibility.

### Technology Infrastructure
Technologically categorized within the information technology sector, Yelp leverages advanced software frameworks to manage vast volumes of user content and interactions. Its infrastructure supports multi-language capabilities and utilizes recommender system technologies to personalize results based on individual preferences and past behaviors.

### Financial Performance
In 2014, Yelp reported annual revenues totaling $500 million U.S. dollars. While specific figures may vary over time due to market conditions and operational changes, this milestone reflects substantial early success following its IPO.

### Workforce & Location
As of May 9, 2017, Yelp employed roughly 4,350 staff members globally. Its primary office remains located in downtown San Francisco at 140 New Montgomery Street, specifically occupying the ninth floor. Contact can be made via main line number +1-415-908-3801.

### Digital Presence & Reach
Yelp maintains robust international accessibility through dedicated regional sites including but not limited to yelp.com for United States audiences and yelp.co.uk catering to British users. Social outreach spans numerous networks featuring officially verified profiles enhancing brand credibility and interaction frequency. Furthermore, analytics show consistent high traffic rankings placing it well within top global web destinations according to historical Alexa metrics placing it at rank 212 during November 2017.

## References

1. Global LEI Index
2. [Source](https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/yelp?rid=173076213280-06)
3. [Source](http://www.buzzfile.com/business/Yelp-Inc.-415-908-3801)
4. [Source](https://www.yelp.com/biz/yelp-san-francisco)
5. [Source](http://www.quantumonline.com/SearchDD.cfm?tickersymbol=YELP&sopt=symbol)
6. Yelp
7. [Source](http://www.nyse.com)
8. [Source](https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/YELP/)
9. [Source](https://internetassociation.org/our-members/)
10. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
11. [Source](https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/Stock/yelp/SecFilings?subview=secarticle&sid=10117215&guid=9185744&type=311)
12. [Source](https://www.whitepages.com/phone/1-415-908-3801)
13. [Alexa Internet](https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/yelp.com/)
14. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
15. [Yelp - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYEYJyqnEkI1ZnkgWeQOdAg)
16. GRID Release 2018-06-25
17. EU Transparency Register
18. Google Maps
19. [Yelp (yelp) - Profile | Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/yelp/)
20. [(5) Yelp: Overview | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/yelp-com/)
21. [Source](http://www.yelp.com/static?country=US&p=tos)
22. [Yelp (@yelp) Official TikTok | Watch Yelp's Newest TikTok Videos](https://www.tiktok.com/@yelp)
23. [Source](http://www.yelp.com/tos/privacy_policy)
24. YouTube API
25. [yelp · GitHub Topics · GitHub](https://github.com/topics/yelp)
26. [Yelp Company Culture | Comparably](https://www.comparably.com/companies/yelp-in)
27. Wikirate