Worth noting attempts at non-profit search engines are not new. In 2015, Wikimedia Foundation attempted to start one called the “Knowledge Engine” using at least $250,000 from a grant. Wikipedia likely started the project as a response to Google’s use of “knowledge panels” based on Wikipedia Creative Commons license alongside search results in 2012, which reduced traffic to Wikipedia.
Also worth noting that Google is a significant donor (and now enterprise customer) of Wikipedia, but unclear if this had any impact of Wikipedia’s choice not to continue the project.
I don't think this accurately represents Wikipedia's relationship with Google. Wikipedia is thrilled with the knowledge panels. It has dramatically cut Wikipedia's hosting costs and spread its reach. You're making it sound like Wikimedia and Google were antagonists over the knowledge panels, but as I understand things it was the opposite.
Which is the problem with non-profits, the transparency requirements are at best minimal and all non-profit vs for-profit means at a super high level is that there is: no equity distribution, government approves of its mission, and there is no distribution of excess cash flow.
There frequently non-profits that use excess funds to unnecessarily expand beyond the original mission, for example Wikipedia — or that pay staff, especially executives way beyond what most donors realize.
To me, being a non-profit is what it is, I don’t read too much into organization being a non-profit.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_Engine_(Wikimedia_...
Also worth noting that Google is a significant donor (and now enterprise customer) of Wikipedia, but unclear if this had any impact of Wikipedia’s choice not to continue the project.