Bumble agrees $1.3bn deal to go private
Ithaca Holdings will pay $6.05 per share for the dating-app company.
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Bumble has agreed to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in an all-cash deal valuing the dating-app company at $1.3bn. The agreement, announced on Tuesday, follows a steep fall in Bumble’s valuation and in the number of paying users. The transaction would take the company private if completed.
Under the terms announced by Bumble, shareholders will receive $6.05 for each Class A share. The company said that represents a premium of about 138% to its closing share price on 9 October and about 119% above its 30-day volume-weighted average price.
Bumble’s independent special committee recommended the transaction to the full board, which approved it unanimously. Founder and chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd did not take part in the board’s deliberations or vote. Affiliates of Blackstone and Wolfe Herd have also approved the deal by written consent, according to the company.
The takeover follows a difficult period for the dating-app operator. Reuters reported that Bumble’s total paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million in the second quarter, while quarterly revenue had been declining for almost two years. Its market capitalisation stood at about $582m at Monday’s close, compared with a valuation of $14bn when it floated in 2021.
Bumble was founded in 2014 by Wolfe Herd and became known for putting women at the centre of its dating service. Wolfe Herd returned as chief executive in 2025, and the company has been trying to revive growth through AI-powered features, group dating and a redesigned member experience.
The buyer, Ithaca Holdings, describes itself as a holding company for technology businesses. Its co-chief executives, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, are due to become Bumble’s co-chief executives after completion. Wolfe Herd is expected to remain actively involved with the company.
Bumble said it will operate as a privately held company with offices in London, Austin and New York, and is expected to remain based in Austin. That means the deal affects a platform with a continuing UK presence, even though both the buyer and target are US companies.
The sale has been agreed but has not yet completed. Bumble said it will prepare an information statement for shareholders and that further regulatory and transaction documents will be filed. The public announcement did not give a completion date, so the final timetable and any conditions attached to closing remain unclear.
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The core announcement, price and governance details are supported by Bumble’s release, while the turnaround context is corroborated by Reuters. The deal remains pending, and the public announcement did not specify a completion date.
- confirmed Bumble agreed to an all-cash acquisition by Ithaca Holdings valued at $1.3bn. — Confirmed in Bumble’s announcement and Reuters’ report. source
- confirmed Shareholders will receive $6.05 per Class A share. — Stated in the company’s transaction announcement. source
- confirmed The offer represents premiums of about 138% and 119% against the stated reference prices. — Confirmed in Bumble’s announcement. source
- confirmed Bumble’s paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million in the second quarter. — Reported by Reuters. source
- confirmed Whitney Wolfe Herd recused herself from the board’s deliberations and vote. — Confirmed in the company’s announcement. source
- confirmed Bumble is expected to retain offices in London, Austin and New York and remain based in Austin. — Stated in Bumble’s announcement. source
- confirmed The transaction had not completed and no completion date was given. — The announcement describes a proposed transaction and sets out future filings without specifying a closing date. source
Editor's note
The agreement, price, board process, management changes and office locations are confirmed. The transaction is not yet complete, and the public announcement gives no completion date.Sources
- Bumble Inc. to Be Acquired by Ithaca Holdings — Bumble Inc. via Business Wire
- Bumble to go private in $1.3 billion deal — Reuters
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