Bumble Signs $1.3 Billion Take-Private Deal

The Tip Desk · November 11, 2026 · 3 min read

The dating-app operator agreed to an all-cash sale at $6.05 a share after third-quarter revenue of $207.1 million.

Bumble Inc. (BMBL) agreed on October 12, 2026, to be acquired by Ithaca Holdco, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.3 billion, with Class A holders other than dissenting, cancelled or rollover shares set to receive $6.05 a share.

The board approved the deal and stockholders gave the requisite consent. Completion remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Upon closing, the company said it will become privately held and its Class A common stock will cease to be publicly traded.

The agreement followed a third quarter in which the online dating and social networking operator generated total revenue of $207.1 million, down from $246.2 million a year earlier. Bumble App revenue was $167.3 million. Badoo App and Other revenue was $39.8 million.

Net earnings were $31.6 million, or 15.3% of revenue, compared with $51.6 million, or 21.0% of revenue, a year earlier. Adjusted EBITDA was $60.5 million, a 29.2% margin. Diluted earnings attributable to Bumble Inc. shareholders were $0.20 a share.

Total paying users, excluding Official, advertising and partnerships, were 3.08 million. Bumble App paying users were 1.99 million. Badoo App and Other paying users were 1.09 million. Total average revenue per paying user was $22.14. Bumble App ARPPU was $28.02. Badoo App and Other ARPPU was $11.34.

The company said it has not sought to generate revenue from the BFF app, which it relaunched in the United States in September 2025, and therefore excluded BFF from those operating metrics. Bumble operates a family of apps including Bumble, BFF and Badoo, monetized through a freemium model of subscriptions and in-app purchases.

During the pendency of the merger, the company said it expects to continue its previously disclosed growth strategy, focused on a healthier membership base, product innovation, technology modernization and increased use of artificial intelligence. It has rebalanced marketing toward brand and organic demand generation while optimizing performance marketing. As it transitions from a quality reset, the company said its primary focus has shifted to the member experience through application re-architecture, cloud migration and select vendor solutions, and that revenue and paying users have been, and may continue to be, negatively impacted in the short term.

In April 2026, subsidiaries entered a $475.0 million term loan maturing in April 2030 and used the proceeds, together with cash on hand, to repay the 2020 credit facility. As of September 30, 2026, the interest rate in effect was 11.69%. Long-term debt, net including current maturities, was $438.2 million. Cash and cash equivalents were $190.3 million. Total assets were $1.25 billion.

The company did not repurchase Class A shares in the nine months ended September 30, 2026. $50.1 million remained available under its $450.0 million authorization.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2026, total revenue was $630.0 million. Net loss was $43.6 million, which included a $169.3 million impairment charge recognized in the three months ended June 30, 2026 after a sustained decline in the stock price and market capitalization. Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months was $216.0 million. Free cash flow was $178.0 million.

Upon completion of the take-private transaction, Bumble’s Class A common stock will no longer trade publicly.