Israeli startup Clarity, which developed technology to detect fake job candidates, has been acquired by Deal in a cash and shares transaction worth tens of millions of dollars. Clarity had raised $16 million prior to the acquisition. The company's technology helps organisations verify that job applicants are who they claim to be, ensuring they are not using stolen or fake identities and deepfake tools. All 15 Clarity employees will join Deal. The acquisition addresses growing concerns about identity fraud in recruitment processes, particularly as deepfake technology becomes more sophisticated and accessible.

Ukrainian AI startup Zeely has won an international competition organised by Deel and J.P. Morgan, securing $1 million in investment from Deel. The Paris-based competition attracted over 50,000 startups worldwide, with 84 reaching the final. Zeely develops an AI Marketing Intelligence Platform that enables small and medium-sized businesses to create and scale digital advertising without technical expertise. The platform already serves over one million users, with the United States as its primary market. Founded by Dmytro Samoiliuk, Yaroslav Samoiliuk and Alina Bondarenko, the company employs over 170 people and reports sixfold year-on-year growth. The funding will support platform scaling, AI development and international expansion. Zeely previously raised $1 million in seed funding in April 2023 from Vesna.Capital, ZAS Ventures and other investors.

Smart Bricks, a UAE-based proptech startup, has won $1 million at The Pitch by Deel competition's grand finale in Paris. The company was selected from a global field of more than 50,000 startups. The competition was presented by J.P. Morgan. No further details about Smart Bricks' technology or business model were provided in the source material.