NewsOct 13, 2026, 16:06 UTC

Bumble to go private in $1.3B all-cash deal with Ithaca Holdings

What's the deal? Bumble has agreed to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in an all-cash transaction valuing the dating app company at $1.3 billion. Shareholders will receive $6.05 per share, a roughly 138% premium to the unaffected closing price on October 9, 2026. The deal takes Bumble private after its 2021 NASDAQ listing.

Who's involved? Ithaca is a holding company that says it applies "frontier technology" to renew businesses "in a world transformed by AI." On closing, its co-CEOs, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will become co-CEOs of Bumble.

What changes? Bumble will operate as a private company with offices in London, Austin, and New York City, and is expected to remain based in Austin. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, who recused herself from the Board's vote, will stay involved and partner with the new leadership.

Why now? An independent Special Committee reviewed "a range of strategic alternatives" before recommending the sale. Affiliates of Blackstone and Wolfe Herd then approved the deal by written consent, providing the required shareholder sign-off.

What they said: Ann Mather, chair of the Special Committee, said the transaction "represents the best outcome for our shareholders." Wolfe Herd said she had found a partner that "shares our vision" and "believes in our women-first mission."

The signal: The steep premium underscores how far Bumble's public value had fallen from its 2021 debut. Ithaca's AI-focused pitch signals a bet that frontier technology can revive consumer platforms built for human connection.