Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has acquired Metaweb, a company that develops the open, shared database platform called Freebase. Metaweb was founded by Danny Hillis and Robert Cook in 2005. Metaweb raised $57.5 million in funding over two rounds. Investors include Benchmark Capital, Millennium Technology Ventures, Goldman Sachs, and Omidyar Network. Google said that the Freebase database will remain open and free. [VentureBeat]