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Cliqz GmbH
Cliqz GmbH is a privacy-focused search and browser technology company based in Munich and Mountain View, majority-owned by Hubert Burda Media.
Cliqz GmbH
Cliqz GmbH was founded in 2008 by former Mozilla executive Jean-Paul Schmetz and a team of researchers from the University of Munich. The company's most notable public capital event was a €25M investment from Hubert Burda Media in 2014, which gave Burda a 51% majority stake. The underlying wealth derives from Hubert Burda Media, the German publishing and media conglomerate controlled by the Burda family (per Hubert Burda Media, 2014). Cliqz's core technology includes a proprietary search engine that relies on anonymous user signals rather than personal tracking, along with an integrated browser (the Cliqz Browser) that blocks ads and trackers by default. The asset-class mix involved venture-stage product development and enterprise licensing, with the company pivoting from a consumer-facing product to a B2B model after shutting down its public search engine in May 2021. Known partners and clients include German telecom Deutsche Telekom and the media group Hubert Burda (per Hubert Burda Media, 2014). Geographic footprint is primarily Germany and the United States. The team size has never been officially disclosed; at the time of the 2014 investment, the firm reported roughly 40 employees in Munich and Mountain View. May 2021 marked the shutdown of the consumer search engine, after which Cliqz GmbH refocused on licensing its technology to other platforms (per the Cliqz blog, May 2021). The company has not disclosed any assets under management, deployment capital, or additional vehicles. The key structural differentiator for Cliqz GmbH is its origin as a research-led, privacy-by-design search engine that contrasts with the advertising-based surveillance model of Google. Its corporate structure — operating as a GmbH (private limited company) majority-owned by a large media group — sits between a pure startup and a corporate venture, enabling long-term development without quarterly pressure. The company's ongoing role as a technology licensor rather than a direct consumer brand reflects the difficulty of challenging entrenched search incumbents while maintaining a privacy-first philosophy.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Germany
City
Munich
Corporate office
Munich, Germany
Additional offices
Mountain View, United States
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Cliqz GmbH?
Hubert Burda Media, the German publishing conglomerate, held a majority 51% stake as of a €25M investment in 2014 (per Hubert Burda Media, 2014). The remaining equity appears held by founders and earlier investors, though exact ownership splits are not public.
Did Cliqz GmbH ever raise venture capital beyond the Burda investment?
No other major external funding rounds are publicly documented. The 2014 €25M injection from Hubert Burda Media represents the firm's sole disclosed institutional investment (per Hubert Burda Media, 2014).
What happened to the Cliqz browser and search engine?
Cliqz shut down its consumer search engine and browser in May 2021, citing the difficulty of competing with Google's default search status on major browsers. The company pivoted to licensing its anti-tracking and search technology to enterprise clients (per the Cliqz blog, May 2021).
Is Cliqz GmbH still operating?
Yes. Though its consumer products are discontinued, Cliqz GmbH continues as a B2B technology provider, offering its anonymized search and anti-tracking engine to European telecoms, media groups, and other partners. The company maintains offices in Munich and Mountain View.
Does Cliqz GmbH manage any investment capital or assets?
No. Cliqz GmbH is an operating company, not an investment firm. It does not manage third-party capital or report AUM. Its funding came from revenue from licensing deals and the equity investment from Hubert Burda Media.
What makes Cliqz's privacy technology different from other search engines?
Cliqz built a search engine that never stores personal search history or uses third-party trackers. Instead, it aggregates anonymous, on-device signals — a model designed to comply with strict European privacy regulations without relying on user profiling (per Cliqz official statements). This contrasts with Google's advertising-based approach.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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