Yahoo Buys Israeli Start-up ClarityRay

By JTA August 17, 2014

Yahoo has purchased a small Israeli start-up company, ClarityRay, for an estimated $15 million to 25 million.

The Tel Aviv-based company, founded in 2012, creates software to enable content publishers to dodge ad-blocking programs, and also focuses on ad security and fraud detection.

“This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity enables the mass scaling of our technology, impact and ideas to the absolute forefront of our field, while working with an amazing team who shares our passion. We’re proud to call Yahoo ‘home,’” the company said in a statement on its website.

ClarityRay was founded by CEO Ido Yablonka, Vadim Zak and Guy Pitelko, who all served in the Israeli military’s Intelligence Corps, the Israeli business daily Globes reported.

“We’ve been working on building up security capabilities and making Yahoo! a safer place for users and partners. Advertising is an essential part of our business here at Yahoo, and we’re committed to getting it right. ClarityRay is a company with deep expertise in ad-malware detection and prevention. The bottom line for Yahoo! is that search is going to get better and safer for users, and advertising will become more reliable and profitable for partners,” Yahoo said in a statement.

The company is expected to remain in Israel.

Last month Yahoo acquired an Israeli company, the video-streaming start-up RayV, for an undisclosed sum, according to Globes.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO