This article first appeared on our U.S. website.
Shares of Bumble (NASDAQ: BMBL) absolutely dominated Tuesday after the dating app maker struck a deal to be acquired by technology and media investment firm Ithaca Holdings for US$1.3 billion.
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An enticing offer for Bumble’s shareholders
Under the terms of the deal, investors will receive US$6.05 in cash for every share of Bumble they own. That’s a 138% premium over the stock’s closing price on Friday.
Following the closing of the acquisition, Bumble will operate as a privately held company with Ithaca’s Co-CEOs, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, overseeing its operations.
Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said she will also “remain actively involved with Bumble.”
“In Ithaca, we have found a partner who shares our vision, believes in our women-first mission, and is committed to investing in Bumble’s future,” Herd said.
Bumble stumbled as dating trends shifted
Herd launched Bumble in 2014 with the goal of building a safer place for women to find love. Its dating app was unique in that it was built around women initiating conversations with matches. But Bumble was forced to abandon that approach earlier this year in an attempt to attract more users and boost engagement.
Bumble’s growth has stagnated in recent years as younger people have moved away from online dating platforms. The company’s revenue fell 15.2% year over year to US$210.5 million in the second quarter, driven by a 16.4% decline in total paying users to 3.2 million.
