In late 2018, Apple boosted its development of a web search engine by buying Laserlike, a startup founded by a trio of former Google search engineers to recommend websites to people based on their interests and browsing history. Four years later, Laserlike’s founders have returned to Google, according to a person with knowledge of the move, dealing a potential blow to the Apple team quietly developing search capabilities that might compete head-on with Google’s.

At Apple, Laserlike co-founder Srinivasan Venkatachary was a senior director in the search team, which numbers at least 200 employees, according to a person with direct knowledge of the structure. The team, which has operated separately from the group in charge of search results for Apple’s App Store, develops technology for the Spotlight and Siri Suggestions search features on iPhones and Macs and helps improve answers for the Siri voice assistant.