Hoover's Adds To Management Strength With Appointment Of Jeffrey Tarr As New President And CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Co-Founder Patrick Spain To Continue As Full-Time Executive Chairman

AUSTIN, Texas - May 3, 2001 - Hoover's, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOV), a leading provider of online business information, tools, and content integration and syndication technology, today announced the addition of Jeffrey Tarr to its management team as president and CEO of Hoover's, Inc.

Tarr, formerly CEO of Austin-based All.com, Inc., and vice president at U S WEST, will assume the role of president and CEO on May 22, 2001. Patrick Spain, one of Hoover's co-founders, will continue with the company as full-time executive chairman of the board of directors. In addition, Tarr will be nominated for election to the Hoover's board of directors.

"Hoover's has grown rapidly since its inception," said Spain. "With the addition of Jeff to the management team we are better positioned than ever to direct and enhance that growth, while at the same time increase our profitability. Jeff's leadership skills and proven record of directing and executing on high-growth business strategies will be critical to Hoover's future success as the premier online information resource for businesspeople."

"Hoover's has established itself as a trusted source of reliable information about companies, industries and the people who lead them," said Tarr. "Its trusted brand, 3 million users and 285,000 paid subscribers form a strong foundation for future growth. I'm looking forward to joining Patrick and the entire Hoover's organization in continuing to build Hoover's into one of the world's leading providers of business information services."

Tarr brings to Hoover's extensive experience leading the development of technology-based business and information services in high-growth business environments. Most recently Tarr was the president and CEO of Austin, Texas-based All.com, which provided Web-based information technology support solutions for small businesses. Prior to joining All.com, Tarr was a vice president at U S WEST (now Qwest). Under his leadership, U S WEST emerged as the leading provider of a variety of Internet products and services in its 14-state region, including the number one-ranked Internet Yellow Pages (uswestdex.com, now qwestdex.com), the number one Web site developer and the leading provider of locally targeted Internet advertising solutions.

Prior to joining U S WEST, Tarr led sales and marketing for an international entertainment software publisher, and was a consultant with Bain & Company based in its Paris office. Tarr has written about customer service and international business for The Wall Street Journal Europe and EuroBusiness. He holds an undergraduate degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Spain will continue to work full-time as the company's executive chairman. His duties will include working with Tarr on defining Hoover's long-term strategy, international expansion and new product development. Spain will also continue his role as a speaker and recognized expert at various leading industry events.

About Hoover's, Inc.

Hoover's, Inc. (Nasdaq: HOOV) provides online business information, tools, and content integration and syndication technology to help businesspeople get their jobs done. Hoover's information is available through its destination sites Hoover's Online (www.hoovers.com) and the company's other sites in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K., through syndication and co-branding agreements with more than 30 other online services, and through customized applications developed for enterprise information portals, corporate intranets and business-to-business vertical and content sites. Hoover's investors include AOL Time Warner (NYSE: AOL), Media General (AMEX: MEG.A), NBC -- a unit of General Electric (NYSE: GE), and Knowledge Universe, through its Knowledge Net Holdings and Nextera Enterprises (Nasdaq: NXRA) units. Hoover's is headquartered in Austin, TX, and has offices in London, New York City and San Francisco.

"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release may contain forward-looking statements relating to future events or results that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding the expected benefits of executive changes. Among the important factors which could cause actual results of Hoover's to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is the successful growth of Hoover's to be the premier online business resource, effectiveness of new leadership and management, economic conditions specific to the Internet, as well as general economic and market conditions and other factors detailed in Hoover's reports and documents filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its prospectus and recent 10-K and 10-Q filings.

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