Category: All Acquisitions

Paktor Continues Spending Spree: Acquires Taiwan’s Goodnight

Posted on February 8, 2017

Goodnight screenshotSG NEWS – Feb 8 – Founded in 2015, Goodnight matches people with common interests, after which, they can engage in a voice chat of up to seven minutes. It claims a user base of ~500K. Paktor has formed a new division called Paktor Labs, which is a social apps accelerator headed by Colin Hodge, previously CEO and co-founder of Down and Sweet (two dating apps Paktor bought last month). Down and Sweet, Goodnight and Kickoff (acquired last May) will all be part of Paktor Labs. These newly acquired apps will increase Paktor's user base by ~7M, bringing the total number to 20M users.

by Yon Heong Tung
See full article at SGNews

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Swiss Dating App Blinq Acquired By Outdoor Ad Firm APG|SGA

Posted on February 4, 2017

Blinq screenshotTECH CRUNCH – Feb 3 – The price of the deal wasn't disclosed, but given Blinq's limited traction, it probably wasn't very high. The dating app, that was incorporating beacon proximity technology, and the algorithm to judge physical attractiveness, also develped by the startup, will be both shut down within two weeks. The team will join APG|SGA to help the company to launch a beacon network for a new division that will be developing interactive ads to work in conjunction with the Bluetooth comms tech. The startup had raised ~ $1M since its launch in 2013 and claims 400k registered users.

by Natasha Lomas
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Dating App Woo Acquires LA Based Dus

Posted on February 1, 2017

Woo dus logosVC CIRCLE – Feb 1 – The price wasn't disclosed. Woo acquired the Dus platform and brand to increase its foothold in the US. Dus had around 150k members and was specifically aimed at South Asian singles living in the US. Its leadership team will join Woo and help with developing a country growth strategy and customising user features designed for the international Indian community.

by Arti Singh
See full article at VC Circle

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Paktor Acquires Casual Dating App Down

Posted on January 21, 2017

Down paktor logosTECH CRUNCH – Jan 21 – The terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but the price was reportedly "several million". Colin Hodge, the founder and CEO of Down, will join the Paktor team and will run Down and Sweet apps. He will also be overseeing Paktor Labs and be responsible for acquiring other apps, amongst other things. Down started in 2013 (as Bang With Friends) and grew to 5M downloads, about 200k MAU and $1M annual revenue from in-app purchases.

by Katie Roof
See full article at Tech Crunch

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Bae Was Acquired By If(we), Parent Company Of Tagged

Posted on January 5, 2017

Bae screenshotsFAST COMPANY – Jan 5 – Bae, the dating app for African-American millennials, was just acquired by if(we), the parent company of Tagged. The Bae name is being retired and its users will be streamlined into Tagged and its global dating pool. Bae was cofounded in 2013 by tech-savvy brothers Brian and Justin Gerrard, and friend Jordan Kunzika. Bae (Before Anyone Else) received 17K downloads in its first month. Brian and Justin will move to San Francisco to lead marketing and growth across if(we)'s entire portfolio, which includes Tagged, Hi5, Fandom, and new social streaming site WeChill.

by Lindsay Goldwert
See full article at Fast Company

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Wixty Acquires Brazilian Dating Platform, Kingr

Posted on December 26, 2016

Kingr wixty picBUSINESSWORLD.IN – Dec 25 – The deal was worth $150k and was made in cash. Kingr, a dating platform for Christians in Brazil, was founded in Dec 2015, and currently has 48k users, out of which 20k are active. Wixty is a 4 years old Delhi based software company. The plan is to expand the operations to USA, UK, India and eventually all over the world.

See full article at Businessworld.in

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Shaadi.com Acquires Dating App Frivil

Posted on December 20, 2016

Frivil logoVCCIRCLE – Dec 20 – People Group, the owner of online matchmaking site Shaadi.com, has acquired Frivil, a dating app owned by Delhi-based Thrill Pte Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. In January 2015, People Group had acquired 25% stake in the company for $1M and in a related deal, Fropper, owned by People Group, was brought under Thrill. Frivil's product, intellectual property rights and brand will become part of People Group, however the dating app will continue to operate as a separate entity from Shaadi. Frivil's founders Josh Israel and Devin Serago will help to integrate the app into the new parent company, but will not be joining the firm.

by Priya Prasad
See full article at VCCircle

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Dating App Paktor Acquires Photo-Sharing And Live Streaming App 17Media

Posted on December 8, 2016

Paktor logo new jan 16CHANNELNEWSASIA – Dec 8 – Paktor has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Taiwanese start-up 17 Media, which owns a photo-sharing and live streaming app that has ~15M users worldwide. The deal marks Paktor's first acquisition and comes as the homegrown start-up looks to diversify into the social entertainment space. Following the acquisition, Paktor Group CEO Joseph Phua will take on the role of CEO at 17 Media, while Mr Jeffrey Huang, founder of 17 Media, will remain as chairman. Paktor is a mobile dating app which offers users to find partners by swiping right to "like" potential matches or left to "reject". The app has amassed ~15M users and operates in six Southeast Asian countries and Taiwan.

See full article at ChannelNewsAsia

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

M14 Acquires Double

Posted on November 22, 2016

M14 double logosBQ – Nov 22 – M14 Industries, the white label platform used to power niche dating apps, has acquired London-based dating platform Double, which shot to fame in 2015 after a successful Dragon's Den appearance. Double is a dating app which encourages users to find a friend, and look for double dates. The app has secured a £75k investment from Moonpig founder Nick Jenkins on the BBC show Dragon's Den in 2015. Under the terms of this deal, the value of which is undisclosed, the Double founders will exit the business.

by Suzy Jackson
See full article at BQ

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team

Alibaba Is Selling Momo’s Shares

Posted on November 18, 2016

Momo logoSEEKING ALPHA – Nov 17 – Momo's founder aims to continue forward as a standalone listed company following the termination of its buyout bid earlier this year. Momo suddenly called off its privatization this year without further explanation. Alibaba has sold off some of its stake in Momo. The sale reduced Alibaba's sizable Momo stake to 23.2%. Alibaba said in a statement that Momo has been a good investment, and it continues to remain a supportive shareholder.

by Doug Young
See full article at SeekingAlpha

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Summarized by the Courtland Brooks team