Bumble to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for $1.3 billion
Bumble has agreed to a $1.3 billion acquisition by Ithaca Holdings, ending its public listing after years of declining revenue and subscriber losses. The move allows the company to pursue AI-driven features and offline strategies without public market pressure.
Bumble has agreed to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in a $1.3 billion deal that will take the dating platform private. The transaction follows a period of sustained financial pressure, with the company reporting second-quarter 2026 revenue of $211 million, a 15.2% year-over-year decline. Its paying user base also contracted by 16.4% to approximately 3.2 million users. Bumble was founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolf Heard and went public in 2021 at a valuation of $14 billion, a figure that has since eroded significantly.
An independent board committee recommended the transaction after consulting with advisors. Wolf Heard did not participate in the board discussions or vote on the deal. The company stated that the move provides the flexibility to experiment with AI-driven features and offline connection strategies without the constraints of public market expectations. By removing the need to meet quarterly earnings targets, Bumble aims to focus on long-term product development and user engagement strategies that may not yield immediate financial returns.