On March 17, 2025, Shopify has acquired San Jose-based Vantage Discovery, an AI-powered search startup co-founded by Pinterest alumni Lance Riedel and Nigel Daley. Though the transaction value was not disclosed, it reflects Shopify’s strategic push to strengthen its AI capabilities, particularly in search and advertising. Vantage Discovery specializes in semantic and personalized search technologies, aiming to go beyond traditional keyword-based methods by focusing on user intent and context. Shopify confirmed that the team and platform will enhance its search experience for merchants and buyers. While the company has not revealed transaction details, Shopify CTO Mikhail Parakhin hinted on X (formerly Twitter) that the technology could improve advertising functionalities. This acquisition is among at least six "tuck-in" AI-related acquisitions made by Shopify in 2024, according to CFO Jeff Hoffmeister, who emphasized the strategic hiring of AI talent through these deals. Parakhin, who joined Shopify as CTO in August 2024, is a key figure in these efforts, having previously led Microsoft’s advertising and web services division and contributed to Bing and Copilot.

Legal counsel for Vantage Discovery was provided by Paul Hastings LLP.