Yahoo has acquired personalised recommendation app Jybe, bringing five former Yahoo employees back into the fold.

The data scientists and engineers that make up Jybe’s workforce — including former VP of Yahoo Search Technology, Arnab Bhattacharje — will join Yahoo’s platform organisation which focuses on “targeting and personalisation”.

The Jybe app — which recommends activities based on what is trending in users’ social circles — has been closed but Yahoo said the experience gained through the development of the services will feed into its products.

Yahoo further boosted its mobile expertise with the acquisition of local recommendation app maker Alike in February.

However, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said in February that the company could benefit from reducing the number of smartphone apps it offers to between 12 and 15 apps compared to the current “scattered” portfolio.