Yandex N.V., a technology company, builds intelligent products and services powered by machine learning and other technologies to help consumers and businesses navigate the online and offline world. The company operates through Search and Portal, Ride-Hailing, Yandex Drive, FoodTech, Yandex Delivery, Yandex Market, Media Services, Classifieds, and Other Business Units and Initiatives segments. It provides locally relevant search and information services. The company also develops on-demand transportation, delivery, and navigation services and products, as well as operates in the e-commerce, online entertainment, and cloud computing markets to address the needs of customers in Russia and various international markets. In addition, it engages in the digital advertising, ride-hailing, on-demand video, auto classifieds, maps and navigation, and smart speakers. Further, the company operates subscription loyalty program, Yandex.Plus; and develops FinTech offerings to integrate payment and financial services across its services. The company was founded in 1989 and is based in Schiphol, the Netherlands.
Name
In 1993, Arkady Volozh and Ilya Segalovich, friends since their school days and by then working together to develop search software, invented the word "Yandex" to describe their search technologies. The name initially stood for "Yet Another iNDEXer". However, this is also a bilingual pun on "index" since "?" means "I" in Russian. Another pun is based on the yin and yang contrast .
Development
Between 1993 and 1996, the company continued developing its search technologies and released software for searching the Bible. The Yandex.ru search engine was launched on September 23, 1997, and was presented at the Softool exhibition in Moscow. Initially, the search engine was developed by Comptek. In 2000, Yandex was incorporated as a standalone company by Arkady Volozh.In 1998, Yandex launched contextual advertisement on its search engine.
In September 2005, it opened an office in Ukraine and launched www.yandex.ua. In 2007, Yandex introduced a customized search engine for Ukrainian users; Yandex also opened its development center in Kyiv in May 2007. In 2008, Yandex extended its presence in Ukraine by increasing bandwidth between Moscow data centers and UA-IX in Ukraine fivefold. In 2009, all services of www.yandex.ua were localized for the Ukrainian market. In 2010, Yandex launched its "Poltava" search engine algorithm for Ukrainian users, based on its MatrixNet technology.On June 20, 2008, it announced the formation of Yandex Labs in Silicon Valley, with an objective to foster "innovation in search and advertising technology".In 2022, TechCrunch reported that Yandex was selling its media division after the EU sanctioned the former head of its news operation, Lev Gershenzon . The CNN also reported in March 2022 that Yandex warned it may not be able to pay its debts due to sanctions imposed on Russia. On 12 September 2022 Yandex transferred its domain from yandex.ru to ya.ru. In late November 2022, the holding company announced a review of its ownership with the goal of divestment.
Our goal is to help consumers and businesses better navigate the online and offline world.
Yandex seeks to be a leader in the development of machine learning and artificial intelligence that leads to the creation of meaningful products and services for people across the globe.
