Exa
Web search API using neural embeddings for AI agents — semantic search with sub-150ms latency trusted by Cursor, Cognition, and 400K+ developers
$2.2B
Valuation
400K+
Developers
$250M
Series C
Overview
Exa is a web search API designed for AI agents and LLMs, using neural embeddings rather than keyword matching. Unlike traditional search engines, Exa converts queries and indexed pages into high-dimensional vectors representing semantic meaning. The platform offers multiple search modes from sub-150ms instant search for chatbots to 12-40 second deep-reasoning search for research agents. Exa powers search for Cursor, Cognition, HubSpot, OpenRouter, Monday.com, and over 400,000 developers. In May 2026, Exa raised $250M Series C at a $2.2B valuation.
The Verdict
Who Should Use Exa?
Best For
- AI agents needing real-time web search capabilities
- RAG applications requiring semantic search
- Coding agents and assistants (Cursor-style)
- Research agents doing deep web exploration
- Developers building chat apps with web knowledge
Not Ideal For
- Simple keyword-based search needs
- Teams on very tight budgets
- Offline-only applications
- Use cases requiring exact phrase matching
What's Great
- Semantic search using neural embeddings, not keyword matching
- Multiple latency profiles: instant (~150ms) to deep reasoning (12-40s)
- Specialized indexes: 1B+ people, 50M+ companies, 100M+ papers
- Highlights feature condenses pages to save LLM tokens
- Trusted by Cursor, Cognition, HubSpot, and 400K+ devs
- $250M Series C at $2.2B valuation (May 2026)
Watch Out For
- Paid tiers can get expensive at scale
- Semantic search may miss exact phrase matches
- Learning curve for optimal query crafting
- Deep search modes have higher latency
Pricing
Free
$0
1,000 requests/month
Core
$49/mo
8,000 credits included
Startup Credits
$1,000 free
Apply for startup/education
View all features & details
Search Modes
- Exa Instant — sub-150ms for chat apps
- Standard search — ~250ms balanced
- Deep reasoning — 12-40s thorough research
Specialized Indexes
- 1B+ people profiles
- 50M+ companies
- 100M+ research papers
- News, repositories, and more
API Features
- exa_search — semantic search with categories
- exa_get_contents — full content retrieval
- Highlights — token-efficient summaries
- Category filters (news, papers, repos)
Framework Integrations
- AWS Strands Agents SDK
- LangChain
- LlamaIndex
- REST API
How It Compares
| Feature | Exa | Tavily | Google Search API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search Method | Neural embeddings | Semantic + LLM | Keyword-based |
| Latency (fast mode) | ~150ms | ~180ms | ~100ms |
| Specialized Indexes | People, companies, papers | General web | General web |
| Token Efficiency | Highlights feature | Clean output | HTML-heavy |
| Funding | $250M Series C | Acquired by Nebius | N/A |
| Free Tier | 1,000/mo | 1,000/mo | Limited |
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