Bumble, the dating app where women make the first move, has agreed to be bought by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share in cash, valuing the company at about $1.3 billion and taking it private. The deal, announced on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, pays shareholders a 138% premium to the stock's price before talks were reported.
It's also a measure of how far Bumble has fallen. The company was worth about $14 billion when it went public in 2021.
Bumble deal at a glance
| Buyer | Ithaca Holdings |
| Price | $6.05 per Class A share, in cash |
| Deal value | About $1.3 billion |
| Premium | ~138% to Oct. 9 close; ~119% to 30-day average price |
| Approval | Done by written consent of Blackstone affiliates and Whitney Wolfe Herd; no shareholder vote |
| New leadership | Ithaca co-CEOs Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman become Bumble co-CEOs |
| Headquarters | Stays in Austin, Texas |
| Closing | Date not announced |
Who is Ithaca Holdings?
Ithaca describes itself as a long-term holding company for technology businesses. Its co-chief executives, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will run Bumble after the deal closes.
"We see huge potential to take it into the next era together," Gupta and Hegeman said.
Why is Bumble selling?
Its core business has been shrinking for months. In the second quarter of 2026:
- Revenue fell 15.2% from a year earlier to $211 million.
- Paying users fell 16.4% to about 3.2 million.
Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returned as chief executive in March 2025 to turn the company around. A special committee of independent directors reviewed the offer and called it "the best outcome for our shareholders."
"In Ithaca, we have found a partner who shares our vision," Wolfe Herd said. She stepped aside from the board vote but will stay closely involved after the sale.
What happens to Bumble shareholders?
When the deal closes, each Class A share will be converted into $6.05 in cash, and Bumble will leave the Nasdaq.
No shareholder vote is required. Affiliates of Blackstone, Bumble's longtime backer, and Wolfe Herd hold enough voting power to approve the deal, and have done so in writing.
Bumble will not release third-quarter earnings or hold a call. It will file its quarterly report with regulators by November 9.
What does it mean for Bumble users?
For now, nothing. The app, its subscriptions and its sister services keep running as normal. Bumble keeps its Austin headquarters and offices in London and New York.
Private ownership gives the new leadership room to make changes without quarterly scrutiny from Wall Street, but neither company has announced any.
A busy week for deals
Bumble's sale was one of several announced in mid-October. Getty Images and Character.AI both headed into bankruptcy-court restructurings the same week. See our coverage of Getty Images' plan to go private and Character.AI's Chapter 11 filing.
Published Monday, October 19, 2026. This article is for information only and is not investment advice.
