Bumble in advanced talks to go private in $1B Ithaca deal
What's the deal? Bumble is in advanced talks to be taken private by Ithaca HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → in a deal valuing the dating app operator at roughly $1 billion, a source told Reuters. Neither company responded to requests for comment, and no timeline or terms have been confirmed.
Why now? Reuters earlier reported that Bumble was exploring a sale as growth across online dating slowed. The company had a market value of about $389 million at Friday's close — far below the $1 billion Ithaca talks imply.
The numbers: Bumble's paying users fell more than 11% to about 3.7 million in 2025, while annual revenue dropped nearly 10% to roughly $966 million. In the second quarter ended June 30, paying users fell 16.4% to 3.2 million.
What's the context? Founded in 2014 by chief executive officer Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble pioneered a women-first approach, letting only women send the first message. It debuted on the Nasdaq in 2021 at a $14 billion valuation, then struggled with a post-pandemic slowdown.
Ithaca HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is a holding company for technology businesses, founded by Silicon Valley executives Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman.
What's the endgame? Since returning as chief executive officer in March 2025, Wolfe Herd has rolled out AI-powered features and new ways for users to connect to revive growth. A private owner would remove quarterly market scrutiny as that turnaround plays out.
What could go wrong? Investors cheered the news — Bumble shares closed about 50% higher on Monday at $3.80, their biggest-ever single-session gain. But analysts are sceptical a change of hands fixes the core problem.
"Going private looks less like a strategic masterstroke and more like an admission that Bumble's current strategy is failing," said PP ForesightDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → analyst Paolo Pescatore. "A change in ownership will not magically fix these fundamental problems."
The signal: Dating apps including Bumble and larger rival Match GroupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, owner of Tinder and Hinge, face pressure as younger users tire of endless swiping. A take-private at a fraction of Bumble's 2021 peak shows how sharply the sector has cooled — and how much work remains to win paying users back.
Read more: thenextweb.com, Reuters
Image credit: Cityswift - Ireland
