Bumble, dubbed the female-focused counterpart of Momo, is being sold for 1.3 billion US dollars, after once being valued at 10 billion US dollars.

The female-oriented equivalent of Momo, social networking app Bumble (stock ticker "BMBL") announced today (the 14th) that it has reached a definitive agreement to be fully acquired by Ithaca Holdings (referred to as "Ithaca") in an all-cash transaction that values the company at $1.3 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, holders of Bumble's Class A common stock will receive $6.05 in cash per Class A common share. This price represents a premium of approximately 138% to Bumble's unaffected closing share price on October 9, 2026, and a premium of approximately 119% to the 30-day volume-weighted average share price as of October 9, 2026.

Driven by the acquisition news, Bumble's share price has surged by more than 50% today, and as of press time, the company's market capitalization stands at $785 million.

Ithaca CEO to Serve as Bumble CEO

Bumble stated that the independent special committee (referred to as the "Special Committee") established under the company's board of directors has conducted a rigorous assessment of a series of strategic alternatives with the assistance of independent legal and financial advisors.

After prudent consideration, the Special Committee determined that the transaction proposed by Ithaca is in the best interests of Bumble's common stockholders, and recommended that the board of directors approve the transaction. The board of directors adopted the recommendation of the Special Committee and unanimously approved the transaction (with the exception of Whitney Wolfe Herd, who recused herself from the board's deliberations and voting on the matter).

After the signing of the definitive agreement, affiliates of Blackstone and Ms. Wolfe Herd approved the transaction via written shareholder consent, thereby providing the shareholder approval required for the transaction.

Upon completion of the transaction, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, Co-Chief Executive Officers of Ithaca, will serve as Co-Chief Executive Officers of Bumble. Bumble will operate as a private company with offices in London, Austin and New York, and is expected to continue to be headquartered in Austin.

Ann Mather, Chair of Bumble's Board of Directors and Chair of the Special Committee, said: "The purpose of forming the Special Committee was to conduct an independent assessment of various strategic alternatives to maximize value for public stockholders and non-affiliated stockholders. With the support of independent legal and financial advisors, the Committee comprehensively evaluated all feasible paths and determined that this transaction with Ithaca is the best outcome for stockholders. We thank the management team for their full cooperation throughout the entire assessment process."

Whitney Wolfe Herd, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bumble, said: "Bumble was founded on a simple belief: meaningful human connections are essential for a healthy, happy life. Today, this belief is more important than ever."

"I sincerely thank the entire Bumble team, whose dedication and firm belief in the company's mission have made Bumble what it is today. We have found a partner in Ithaca, who shares our vision, recognizes our "women-first" mission, and is committed to investing in Bumble's future. I thank the Special Committee for their careful work, and I am pleased to support this transaction based on the board's recommendation."

Q2 Adjusted EBITDA Reached $72.88 Million

As introduced, Bumble Inc. is the parent company of Bumble, Badoo and BFF. The Bumble platform is dedicated to helping people build healthy human connections to bring them closer to romantic relationships. Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble is one of the first dating apps centered on women, covering two fields: dating (Bumble Date) and platonic friendship (BFF).

Founded in 2006, Badoo is one of the pioneers of online and mobile dating products. BFF is a social app designed to help you meet like-minded partners.

In February 2021, Bumble Inc. was listed on NASDAQ, offering 50 million shares at an issue price of $43, raising $2.15 billion. Including debt, Bumble's market capitalization exceeded $10 billion at that time.

The prospectus shows that Bumble's revenue in the first half of 2026 was $420 million, down 14.7% from $495 million in the same period of the previous year; its operating loss was $46.76 million, compared with an operating loss of $294 million in the same period of the previous year; its net loss was $75.27 million, compared with a net loss of $347 million in the same period of the previous year.

Bumble's revenue in the second quarter of 2026 was $211 million, down 15.3% from $248 million in the same period of the previous year; its operating loss was $112 million, compared with a net loss of $338 million in the same period of the previous year; its net loss was $128 million, compared with a net loss of $367 million in the same period of the previous year.

Bumble's Adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2026 was $72.88 million, compared with $94.59 million in the same period of the previous year; its free cash flow was $51.09 million.

This article is from the WeChat Official Account "Lei Di" (ID: touchweb), written by Lei Jianping, published with authorization from 36Kr.