Sitecore A/S has agreed to acquire Scrunch, a platform that helps brands monitor and improve how they are presented in AI-generated search answers, for roughly $225 million, according to a statement reviewed by Bloomberg and people familiar with the matter.
The transaction is pitched as a response to a shifting discovery landscape in which large language models are playing a greater role in consumers' product comparisons and shopping choices. The companies say that when AI systems generate search results, they can sometimes omit or misrepresent products, creating reputational and commercial risks for brands.
Eric Stine, Sitecore’s chief executive officer, described the impact of artificial intelligence on marketing in an interview. He said AI has produced what he called the first new "marketing funnel" since the internet, as AI agents increasingly act on behalf of human users to browse and evaluate websites. "The real opportunity for companies is to understand what questions their buyers are asking, where they are in those answers and what they can do about it," he said.
Scrunch’s software is intended to provide brands with insight into how they are represented in AI-driven search answers and to identify ways to optimize visibility and relevance. Chris Andrew, Scrunch’s co-founder and chief executive, said the platform helps companies understand their representation in AI answers so they can better reach and serve customers.
Both firms said combining Scrunch’s capabilities with Sitecore’s digital experience platform should help brands increase website traffic, improve conversion rates and measure performance more effectively. The companies characterized the acquisition as a strategic fit between visibility tools for AI search and a broader set of customer-experience technologies.
Chris Andrew and the Scrunch team will remain in place following the deal. Andrew will continue as chief executive of the Scrunch division within Sitecore.
As brands adapt to search behavior shaped by AI agents, Sitecore’s acquisition of Scrunch reflects an effort to integrate visibility and measurement tools with a larger digital experience stack. The transaction was reported at approximately $225 million and, according to the companies’ statements, is intended to help clients navigate emerging risks and opportunities tied to AI-generated search results.