Bumble in Advanced Talks to Go Private in $1 Billion Deal

Bumble is in advanced negotiations to be taken private for about $1 billion by Ithaca Holdings, a recently formed investment firm started by a partner at Sequoia Capital and an ex-Meta executive, the Wall Street Journal reported on October 12. A deal could be reached within days, though the talks may still collapse, Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The price is far below the more than $14 billion value Bumble carried after its 2021 initial public offering. Its stock climbed roughly 50% on October 12, pushing its market capitalization to about $580 million from $335 million at the prior close, according to the New York Post.

Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, 37, who returned as chief executive in March 2025, is expected to stay involved and keep at least part of her stake, the Journal reported.

Second-quarter revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5 million and paying users dropped 16.4% to 3.2 million. The company reported a net loss of $127.9 million for the quarter and about $154 million in cash at the end of June. In August it dropped its rule requiring women to message first. Reuters reported in June that Morgan Stanley was advising on strategic options.

This story was first reported by New York Post.