Bumble’s stock surged by nearly half on Monday after a report claimed the dating app maker is in late-stage negotiations to be acquired for roughly $1bn (£757m).
According to the Wall Street Journal, technology holding company Ithaca could unveil a deal for the Texas-based business as soon as this week.
Bumble’s valuation still far below 2021 peak
The rally pushed Bumble’s stock market value above $580m. That remains a fraction of the peak of more than $14bn the company reached after its 2021 Nasdaq listing.
Bumble ranks among the most downloaded dating apps worldwide, yet it operates in a crowded field where growth has cooled.
Founder’s rule change draws user debate
Bumble was launched in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, who had also co-founded Tinder. She built the brand on a signature feature that let only women send the first message after a match.
The company has recently scrapped that rule, sparking arguments among users about whether the app had lost the qualities that set it apart from competitors.
Wolfe Herd said in August that users wanted greater flexibility and less pressure, and that the new format was designed to deliver exactly that.
Dating apps face wider pressure and job cuts
In 2025 Bumble said it would cut almost a third of its staff, with Wolfe Herd describing the sector as facing an “inflection point” in online dating.
Investments in other dating businesses have also soured, as apps find it hard to persuade users to pay for their services.
Match Group, which owns Tinder, OkCupid and Hinge, has also watched its shares fall sharply from their 2021 high.
A 2025 report from media watchdog Ofcom found that UK adults were spending less time on dating apps than they were three years earlier.
Some singles are turning to board game nights, book clubs and other group activities in hopes of meeting a partner.
