In a quietly transforming the small business web scene, NetNation has acquired Yola, the venerable AI-powered website builder with more than 12 million customers across the globe. The acquisition, publicly announced through LinkedIn, further bolsters NetNation’s expanding footprint within the online presence market—this time by adopting AI-native technology designed for simplicity and scale.
Yola, founded in 2007 and currently operating with teams in Ukraine, earned its reputation by making it easier for entrepreneurs and startups to build professional websites without the tech headaches. With the acquisition, Yola will remain a standalone brand but now benefits from NetNation’s deeper infrastructure and global partnerships. Upcoming integrations are expected to align with broader strategic goals while preserving the core Yola experience.
NetNation’s President, John Enright, described the acquisition as a way to “expand capabilities” and offer stronger solutions to businesses seeking more than just a place to host a website. That message resonates as the digital economy trends more heavily into AI-driven tools for customer interaction and content generation.
Yola’s CEO and co-founder Brent Viljoen mirrored the alignment, citing a collaborative vision between the two teams that made the decision a natural extension. The entire Yola team, including developers and product leads, will become part of NetNation, marking a literal merging of talent—not merely technology.
This buy strengthens NetNation’s roster alongside hosts such as Hostway, SolVPS, and DomainPeople, but it also sends an even bigger message: the future of web site creation isn’t all about looks—it’s smart, simple, and more and more driven by AI.
