- Bumble is reportedly negotiating a ~$1B take-private deal with Ithaca Holdings
- Paying users fell 16.4% year on year to ~3.2M in Q2 2026
- The offer is ~2.6x Bumble’s pre-report market cap of ~$389M
Bumble is in advanced talks to go private in a deal with Ithaca Holdings that would value it at about $1B, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.
Bumble’s shares rose nearly 50% to $3.80, after a Friday close that put its market cap at ~$389M. At $1B, the reported price is about 2.6x that figure. Reuters didn’t say whether $1B is equity value or includes debt. Bumble carries roughly $297M of net debt, so the distinction matters.
Ithaca Holdings was founded by Silicon Valley executives Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman. Reports say Whitney Wolfe Herd, who founded Bumble in 2014 and returned as CEO in March 2025, is expected to roll over her stake.
From $14B IPO to a potential buyout
Founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble built its identity around a women-first approach to online dating. Wolfe Herd, who previously co-founded Tinder, launched Bumble to give women greater control over initiating conversations in heterosexual matches.
The company made a blockbuster Nasdaq debut in 2021, reaching a valuation of approximately $14 billion. However, its growth has since slowed as competition intensifies and users reassess their relationship with dating apps. Wolfe Herd returned as CEO in March 2025 after stepping down in January 2024.
Bumble has also pursued acquisitions to broaden its reach. In 2022, it acquired French dating app Fruitz, which uses playful fruit symbols to help users communicate their relationship intentions.
Falling subscribers put pressure on growth
Bumble’s latest financial performance highlights the challenges behind its potential sale.
For 2025, annual revenue declined nearly 10% to approximately $966 million, while paying users fell more than 11% to around 3.7 million. In the second quarter of 2026, paying users dropped a further 16.4% year over year to approximately 3.2 million. Revenue for the quarter fell 15.2% to $210.5 million, according to the company’s results.
The figures point to a business facing pressure on both subscriber numbers and revenue. Bumble has been introducing AI-powered features, improving matching algorithms and developing new ways for users to connect beyond endless swiping in an effort to reverse the trend.
The dating app reset
Bumble’s difficulties reflect a wider shift across online dating. Its larger rival, Match Group, owns Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid and faces similar questions about user engagement and subscriber growth.
Grindr has also faced take-private speculation. In 2025, two major board members proposed a buyout valued at approximately $3.46 billion, highlighting the pressure on dating platforms to demonstrate sustainable growth.
Meanwhile, new startups are testing alternatives to endless swiping. Berkeley-based Ditto raised $9.2 million in seed funding to use AI to arrange in-person dates through messaging, aiming to prioritise real-world connections over prolonged app engagement.
What happens next?
A take-private transaction could give Bumble more flexibility to restructure its business, invest in product changes and pursue a longer-term recovery away from quarterly public-market scrutiny. However, the reported $1 billion valuation remains subject to negotiations and is not a confirmed deal value.
The contrast with Bumble’s $14 billion public-market debut illustrates how sharply investor expectations have changed. Any successful turnaround will depend on whether the company can stabilise paying users, restore revenue growth and make its platform more compelling to a generation increasingly questioning conventional dating apps.
