Genealogy-testing company MyHeritage said Monday it has agreed to acquire Filae, a leading family-history service in France, for about $37 million.
The deal, the Tel Aviv-based company’s 12th and largest acquisition, reinforces its position as the leading family-history service in Europe, it said.
The announcement marks the dawn of a new era for French genealogy that will leverage Filae’s expertise in French historical records and MyHeritage’s cutting-edge technologies and global reach, the companies said in a press release.
Filae was founded in 1994 and was formerly known as NotreFamille.com and Genealogie.com.
Following the acquisition, the exclusive historical record collections housed on Filae will be made accessible to MyHeritage users, creating new opportunities for genealogical discoveries for individuals around the world with French roots.
Under the terms of the deal, MyHeritage will acquire 90.91% of the share capital and 89.11% of the voting rights of Filae through TreeHouse Junior Ltd., a parent company in the MyHeritage group.
“As we did when we acquired Geni.com eight years ago, our plan is to maintain Filae’s independence and existing team, and strengthen it,” MyHeritage founder and CEO Gilad Japhet said. “The acquisition of Filae is a significant step for MyHeritage that builds on a longstanding relationship of trust and mutual respect.”
MyHeritage was acquired in February by US investment firm Francisco Partners for an estimated $600m. The company’s technology is now used by 90 million registered users worldwide and is available in 42 languages.
Earlier this year, MyHeritage made headlines when it introduced its “Deep Nostalgia” tool, which brings faces from the past back to life by turning old photos into videos.