2019-10 · merger · terminated
Taboola → Outbrain $850M (reported value; abandoned in 2020)
The two native networks that supply most native-to-search traffic tried to combine and then called it off, so arbitrage buyers kept two competing sources.
The deals
Search monetisation has been built, bought and sold many times over. 30 landmark deals worth a disclosed $19B+ since the 1990s, plus new deals detected in the news as they break. Why does it keep happening? Read the lesson.
Just announced
Detected in the news| Date | Deal | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Brave Bison → System1 Brave Bison has reported that, as of its latest update, it has received zero acceptances for its proposed takeover of System1. The status of the acquisition remains unchanged, with no shareholders agreeing to the offer so far. | — | announced |
| 2026-10-01 | Brave Bison Group PLC → System1 Group PLC Brave Bison Group PLC and System1 Group PLC have released an update regarding the current acceptance levels for their proposed acquisition deal. The announcement provides stakeholders with the latest information on the progress of the transaction. | — | announced |
| 2026-10-01 | Brave Bison → System1 Group Brave Bison is advancing its plans to acquire System1 Group at £3.60 per share, having secured additional support for the takeover. The deal would bring System1 Group under Brave Bison’s ownership, pending final approvals. | — | announced |
2013-09 · merger · completed (closed 2014-01-02)
Perion Network → ClientConnect (Conduit toolbar business)
Merged the largest browser-toolbar search distributor into a listed company and created Perion's search business, later branded CodeFuel, which lived on Microsoft Bing ads for the next decade.
2012-03 · merger · completed (closed 2012-03)
Inuvo → Vertro
Inuvo says the Vertro deal brought it an important relationship with Google, the basis of the ad-syndication business that still supplies most of its revenue.