Outbrain is Taboola’s closest rival in the content recommendation space. Founded in Israel in 2006 by Yaron Galai and Ori Lahav, the company provides those “You May Also Like” widgets that appear across premium publisher websites, serving content suggestions to readers.
The company works with publishers like CNN, The Washington Post, MSN, and Der Spiegel, placing its recommendation widgets on their pages. For advertisers, it’s a way to get their content in front of engaged readers who’ve just finished an article and are looking for what to read next.
After the failed merger with Taboola in 2020, Outbrain went public on NASDAQ in 2021, though at a lower valuation than its rival. The company has carved out a niche by focusing more on quality publishers and brand-safe environments rather than chasing every possible placement.
Outbrain’s Smartlogic algorithm decides which content recommendations to show based on user context, reading history, and real-time engagement signals. The company claims its technology processes more than 10 billion recommendations per day across its network.
In early 2024, Outbrain agreed to acquire Teads, a video advertising platform, for approximately $1 billion — a move that would significantly diversify its business beyond content widgets into premium video advertising. The combined company would reach roughly 2 billion unique users monthly. Outbrain’s annual revenue is around $930 million, and the Teads deal represents its biggest bet on moving beyond its core content recommendation roots.
