Startpage began in 1998 under the earlier search-engine name Ixquick.
The service’s history is slightly more layered than the short quiz wording suggests. Ixquick was created in 1998 by David Bodnick and originally operated as a metasearch service, gathering results from multiple search engines and directories. It was acquired by the Dutch company Surfboard Holding in 2000 and relaunched with a redesigned metasearch algorithm in 2005.
Startpage.com emerged as a related brand and began mirroring Ixquick in 2003. In 2009, Startpage was relaunched to obtain results from Google while emphasizing privacy. Ixquick and Startpage were ultimately merged in 2016, and the Ixquick name was later discontinued. The modern Startpage identity therefore descends directly from the Ixquick service.
A common confusion is to treat Startpage and Ixquick as completely unrelated search engines. They were closely connected brands within the same privacy-focused search business. “Startpage” is the current name, but “Ixquick” is the historical name expected for the service’s 1998 origin.