## KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Bumble is in advanced talks to be taken private in a deal valuing the dating-app company at roughly $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal.
- The buyer is Ithaca Holdings, a firm founded recently by two Silicon Valley executives that plans to apply advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, to its investments.
- Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd is expected to remain involved with the company as part of the proposed transaction.
- The valuation sits far below Bumble's post-IPO peak; the company was valued at roughly $13 billion to $14 billion after its 2021 public debut, and was reported at about $389 million in market value as of the prior Friday's close.
- Bumble shares rose sharply on the report, with the WSJ headline data showing a gain of about 51.77%.
## DETAILED SUMMARY
Bumble, the dating-app company founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd, is in advanced talks to be taken private in a transaction that values the company at roughly $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter reported by The Wall Street Journal. The report indicates the deal is at an advanced stage but does not confirm final terms.
The buyer is Ithaca Holdings, a firm founded recently by two Silicon Valley executives. According to the people cited by the WSJ, Bumble would be one of the first major investments for Ithaca, which plans to apply advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, across its portfolio. Wolfe Herd is expected to remain involved with the company following the transaction.
The proposed valuation represents a steep decline from Bumble's public-market history. The company went public in 2021 at a valuation that peaked near $13 billion to $14 billion, and secondary-market coverage has described substantial value erosion since then. Other outlets reported that, as of the prior Friday's close, Bumble carried a market valuation of roughly $389 million, with shares of the Austin, Texas-based company having fallen nearly 29% over the preceding period. Reports on the talks also indicate the stock jumped sharply on the news.
The reported talks come amid slowing growth in the online dating sector, where competitor Match Group remains the largest player and both companies have faced declining user bases. Details on financing, timing, and approval requirements had not been disclosed in the available reporting.
