Dive Brief:

• China's biggest search provider Baidu has formed a partnership with New York-based Taboola to bring its content-recommendation platform to China. 
• Taboola just secured a $117 million Series E round of funding, of which Baidu reportedly contributed between $20 and $30 million. 
• The content-recommendation platform has recently expanded into Japan -- with Yahoo Japan -- and parts of the Israeli market. 

Dive Insight: 

Taboola is a clear leader in the content-recommendation arena, but it has some fierce competition. Google, for example, recently threw its hat into the ring with the Matched Content tool that utilizes a widget format strikingly similar to Taboola. Partnering with global forces like Baidu will help Taboola build a steady international influence to stay competitive.