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Bumble, the women-first dating app that once symbolised the boom in online romance, is now exploring a sale as it battles slowing growth, falling paying users and a broader loss of momentum in the sector, Reuters reported.
According to the report, Bumble is working with investment bank Morgan Stanley to assess a potential sale process. The discussions are private and no deal is assured, the report said, adding that the company could still choose to remain independent.
A sharp fall from its IPO peak
The reported sale exploration marks a striking turn for a company that was once among the most closely watched names in tech.
Founded in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, a co-founder of Tinder, Bumble built its brand around a simple but powerful idea: women make the first move. That positioning helped it stand out in a crowded dating market and made Wolfe Herd the youngest woman to take a company public in the United States when Bumble listed on Nasdaq in 2021.
At the time, the company was valued at more than $7 billion.
That picture has changed dramatically. Bumble’s shares have fallen about 48 per cent over the past 12 months, dragging its market value down to roughly $388 million.
Wolfe Herd, who stepped down as chief executive in 2023 before returning to the role in March 2025, is now trying to steady a business under intense pressure.
Paying users keep slipping
Bumble’s biggest problem is not just investor sentiment — it is the erosion of its user base.
The company said total paying users fell by more than 11 per cent in 2025 to around 3.7 million, while annual revenue declined nearly 10 per cent to about $966 million.
The decline accelerated in the first quarter of 2026, when paying users dropped about 20 per cent year-on-year after Bumble removed lower-engagement accounts from its platform.
The company has tried to cushion the blow by raising subscription prices and improving monetisation. Average revenue per paying user has edged higher, but not enough to offset the broader decline in subscribers.
A sector losing its spark
Bumble’s troubles reflect a wider slowdown across the online dating industry.
Match Group, the larger rival that owns Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid, has also faced weaker growth as users become more cautious about paying for dating services.
Bumble’s “women-first” model, once seen as a clear differentiator, has also become less distinctive as competitors have adopted similar safety and user-experience features.
Trying to move beyond dating
Bumble has attempted to broaden its appeal beyond romantic relationships.
Its Bumble For Friends product is aimed at helping users build friendships, while Bumble Bizz focuses on professional networking.
But both remain small compared with the company’s core dating business and have yet to emerge as meaningful growth engines.
Blackstone’s bet
Blackstone first acquired a majority stake in Bumble’s parent company, then known as MagicLab, in 2019 in a deal that valued the business at about $3 billion.
MagicLab was later renamed Bumble before going public in February 2021.
According to Reuters, Blackstone affiliates sold about $28.2 million worth of Bumble shares earlier this month.
