Deep background.

Fetch Technologies Inc. has been probing the "deep Web" with its artificial-intelligence search technology for nearly a decade. Developed with funding from NASA, the Air Force and others, its algorithms can lead users to resources most search engines can't.

The goal is to offer services to businesses that want to aggregate data on the Internet without having a team of programmers on staff.

Its new division is called Fetch Footprint. It will be devoted to helping companies leverage the Web to vet employment candidates. The goal of the division is to sell the service to a wider base.

"This is our first commercial endeavor to repackage our technology," said Jerry Thurber, division president. "While most employers routinely Google candidates as part of the hiring process, Fetch Footprint goes substantially deeper. It is designed to parse data that's relevant to hiring decisions."

Using its deep Web search technology, Fetch can access candidate data from government information sources and social and professional network posts online. For now, the data will be sold to the background-check market. In two years, the company hopes to offer its services on FetchFootprint.com, where users can run the search themselves.

In addition to providing the tool for human resource management, Fetch plans on serving the sectors of credit check services and tenant screening.

Staff reporter Booyeon Lee can be reached at [e-mail] or at (323) 5495225, ext. 230.