Bumble to Go Private in $1.3 Billion Deal; Shares Surge

01:36 PM EDT, 10/13/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Bumble (BMBL) agreed to be acquired and taken private by technology-focused holding firm Ithaca in an all-cash deal valuing the dating apps operator at $1.3 billion, sending its shares soaring Tuesday. Shareholders of the parent of the Bumble, Badoo, and BFF apps will receive $6.05 per class A share, representing a roughly 138% premium to the company's closing stock price on Friday, it said in a statement Tuesday. An independent committee of Bumble's board "thoroughly evaluated all available paths and determined that this transaction with Ithaca represents the best outcome" for the company's shareholders, Bumble Chair Ann Mather said. The company's shares rallied 56% in afternoon trade, bringing its year-to-date gains to 66%. Bumble shareholder Blackstone (BX) and Bumble founder and Chief Executive Whitney Wolfe Herd have approved the deal, providing the required shareholder approval for the transaction. "This investment is a bet on the future of humanity," Ithaca Co-CEOs Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman said. "As technology and dating habits evolve, we see huge potential to take (Bumble) into the next era together." Gupta and Hegeman will become co-CEOs of Bumble following the deal's completion, while Wolfe Herd said she will remain "actively involved" with the company. In the light of the deal, the company said it does not intend to issue an earnings release or hold a conference call to discuss its third-quarter results. The Wall Street Journal reported on the potential deal Monday, adding that Bumble's shares have slumped more than 90% since the company went public in 2021. Bumble, Match Group (MTCH) and other dating app companies have struggled as younger users are turned off by such platforms, according to that report. In August, Bumble logged a surprise second-quarter per-share loss as revenue dropped 15% year over year to $210.5 million. Tinder parent Match Group is scheduled to report third-quarter results Nov. 2. Price: 5.94, Change: +2.14, Percent Change: +56.18