MyHeritage

MyHeritage

Gilad Japhet established MyHeritage in 2003 as a genealogy platform enabling users to build family trees and discover ancestral records. The company grew through a mix of subscription revenue and strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Geni.com in 2012 and the DNA testing service from the Chinese firm WeGene in 2021. Francisco Partners acquired a majority stake in MyHeritage in 2021 at a reported valuation of over $600 million, generating the liquidity that created the family office. The Japhet family office takes a direct investment approach, focusing on technology companies and real estate with a global mandate. Known portfolio holdings include undisclosed private tech ventures in the data and AI space, though the office maintains a low public profile. The office targets minority and controlling stakes in growth-stage companies primarily in Israel, North America, and Europe. The office operates from Or Yehuda, Israel, with a lean team that includes Gilad Japhet as the key investment principal. No philanthropic vehicle or separate operating company has been publicly disclosed. The office's structure remains compact, with deal sourcing coming through Japhet's network of entrepreneurs and former MyHeritage executives. What distinguishes the Japhet family office is its founder-operating background — Gilad Japhet spent 20 years scaling a consumer internet business before transitioning to capital deployment. He retains a board seat at MyHeritage, creating a structural link between the operating company and the investment vehicle that is relatively rare among family offices.