Bumble agrees to a $1.3B acquisition deal as online dating faces a reset

Bumble has agreed to a $1.3 billion acquisition deal with Ithaca Holdings, a move that would take the dating app private after years of declining subscribers, lower revenue and rising pressure to refresh the online dating experience. Founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble went public in 2021 at an estimated valuation of about $14 billion. Since then, the app has faced a shrinking paying-user base, weaker revenue and growing dissatisfaction with the swipe-based model. Bumble reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $211 million, down 15.2% year over year, and paying users fell 16.4% to about 3.2 million. The purchase follows a strategic-options review by an independent board committee. Wolfe Herd said she will remain actively involved and work with Ithaca executives Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman. The company is also exploring AI-driven features and offline-connection efforts such as Plans.