Vertro, Inc. was a software and technology company that owned and operated the alOt product portfolio. Vertro was descended from Comet Systems, Inc., a privately held Internet startup founded in 1997 in New York City.
In 2004, Comet Systems was acquired by FindWhat (FWHT), a publicly traded search marketing company based in Ft. Myers, FL which had also acquired eSpotting, a London, UK search marketing firm, and MIVA Merchant, a shopping cart technology company based in San Diego. The combined company was then re-branded as MIVA, Inc. (MIVA).
In 2009, MIVA, Inc. sold the search marketing operations and MIVA brand assets to AdKnowledge. The remaining company was rebranded as Vertro, Inc. (VTRO) and headquartered in New York City.
In 2012, Vertro was acquired by Inuvo, Inc. and the Vertro offices in New York were closed. Inuvo is now based in Conway, Arkansas.