Speculation about the potential sale of Israel-based general marketplace Yad2.co.il has intensified, with interested parties reportedly raising their bids. Founded in 2005, Yad2 is operated by Germany-based Aviv Group, which was acquired by private equity business KKR as part of an $11.1 billion deal with Axel Springer that closed in April.
Potential buyers — including private equity companies CVC, Apax and Fortissimo Capital — are willing to pay between $600 million and $700 million for Israel’s No. 1 classified site, Calcalist reports. This is significantly more than the rumored price in July and nearly triple what Axel Springer paid when it acquired Yad2 in 2014.
However, the bid price to date appears to fall short of KKR’s valuation of Yad2. According to the same report, the company is seeking $1 billion for the company, roughly 20 times its annual EBITDA of $40–50 million. Yad2 saw total monthly visits of more than 10 million in August, according to Similarweb.
We have contacted KKR and Yad2 for comment and will update this story if we receive a response.
Meanwhile, Yad2.co.il has appointed Michal Frenkel (above) as VP of product.
Frenkel joins Yad2 from AT&T, where she served for more than two years as chief product owner.
With three decades of professional experience, she has held leadership roles in product development at several companies. She has a BSc in computer science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master’s degree in computer science from Bar-Ilan University.
“Michal brings with her extensive and impressive experience in product management, strategy and team leadership, along with systems thinking, a deep technological approach, and an exceptional ability to connect users, data, and innovation,” Yad2 said in a LinkedIn post.
“Over the past two decades, Michal has led key roles in leading companies, focusing on building smart product strategies, integrating AI technologies, scaling international teams and creating real impact for millions of users. We are confident that Michal will be a key part of our growth journey and will help lead the product industry forward, working closely with our R&D, data and AI teams.”
