OPW – Bumble reported Q3 2026 revenue of $207.1M, down 16% YOY. Total paying users fell 14% to 3.08M, including 1.99M on Bumble and 1.09M across Badoo and Other. Net earnings declined to $31.6M from $51.6M a year earlier. The results were disclosed through an SEC filing as Bumble moves toward its $1.3B acquisition by Ithaca Holdings. Shareholders have approved the deal, which remains subject to regulatory clearance.
WASHINGTON POST – Friendship apps are growing in popularity, with Bumble reporting an 80% year-on-year increase in weekly BFF users. However, platforms such as BFF and Timeleft face many of the same challenges as dating apps, including ghosting, mismatched expectations, and difficulty building lasting relationships. While some users struggle to form meaningful friendships, others have found lasting connections through in-person events. Critics also question whether app business models encourage continued swiping rather than successful matches.
DW NEWS – Bumble’s $1.3B sale marks a steep fall from its ~$14B valuation five years ago, as dating apps struggle with user burnout. Online dating industry analyst and Courtland Brooks CEO Mark Brooks says interest in meeting offline has grown since COVID. “People have woken up; they’re starting to go out more. They’re more interested in IRL,” he says. Dr. Jess Carbino, former sociologist for Tinder and Bumble, questions the industry’s pace of innovation, saying dating apps have changed little since 2012. Companies are now looking to AI to improve matchmaking. Bumble is exploring AI-curated recommendations, while Tinder’s Chemistry feature would analyse users’ camera rolls, with permission, to understand their interests.
Mark Brooks: People need more than the simple swipe. Tinder has woken up to this and is adapting with real innovation. Hinge + Tinder are a potent combination against Bumble. Bumble is an unusual dating app. It could become more social.
CNN – Dating apps are moving beyond AI-written profiles and messages towards automating parts of the dating process itself. Grindr is testing bot-to-bot conversations that could vet potential dates before users speak, while Bumble is developing AI-driven matchmaking and Hinge is adding AI tools for profile creation and conversation starters. Newer apps Amata, Sitch, and Ditto are taking another approach, using detailed questionnaires and AI to narrow users down to a smaller pool of matches rather than endless swiping.
FAST COMPANY – Bumble has launched Handles, searchable usernames that let people find and like a specific profile instead of relying only on the app’s recommendations. Users can share their handle when meeting someone in person, use it to introduce friends, or post it on social media. Messaging still requires a mutual match, and handles can be switched off at any time. The feature is currently available to iOS users in the US.
PRESS RELEASE – Ithaca Holdings has agreed to acquire Bumble in an all-cash deal valued at $1.3 billion. Shareholders will receive $6.05 per share, a 138% premium to Bumble’s closing price on October 9. The board approved the deal, and affiliates of Blackstone and founder Whitney Wolfe Herd provided the required shareholder approval. Bumble will become a private company and remain based in Austin, with offices in London and New York. Ithaca co-founders Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman will become co-CEOs, while Wolfe Herd will remain actively involved.
REUTERS – Bumble is in advanced talks to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in a deal valuing the dating app company at $1 billion. Ithaca Holdings is a technology investment company founded by Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman. Bumble shares jumped 50% on Monday following the news. Bumble went public in 2021 at a valuation of $14 billion. Annual revenue declined nearly 10% to $966 million in 2025, while paying users fell more than 11% to 3.7 million. Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returned as CEO in March 2025 and has since introduced AI-powered features and new ways for users to connect. Neither company has confirmed the proposed deal.
BUSINESS INSIDER – Blackstone is preparing to exit its remaining stake in Bumble after nearly seven years, despite the dating company’s shares falling 96% from their peak. Blackstone and Accel invested $2.1B in Bumble’s parent company in 2019 and ultimately recouped roughly twice that amount, largely by selling shares early. Blackstone recovered much of its investment around Bumble’s 2021 IPO and sold another $1B of shares later that year. Its remaining 22.4M shares are now worth just over $60M. Blackstone has been reducing its position through an agreement with UBS and could be fully out by early 2027. The exit comes as Bumble undergoes a turnaround, with paying users down 16.4% YoY in Q2 2026, while the company is also reportedly exploring a potential sale.
NPR – Dating apps are seeing a steady decline in paying users, with Match Group and Bumble both reporting subscriber losses. Boston University researcher Kathryn Coduto attributes the drop to technology fatigue, subscription costs and declining interest in swipe-based dating, particularly among Gen Z and millennials. Many users still keep free apps but increasingly prefer speed dating, running clubs and other interest-based events that guarantee face-to-face interaction. She said complaints such as ghosting and mismatched intentions are not unique to dating apps and also happen when people meet offline.
WIRED – Bumble has ended its women-first rule, allowing men to initiate conversations. Bumble said 66% of surveyed women preferred men to message first and that testing increased chat initiation. However, some users fear the change will bring more unwanted messages and turn Bumble into another version of Tinder. The decision suggests that Bumble’s original women-first identity had become a commercial disadvantage as the company struggles to remain competitive and profitable.