Constellation Research Founder Talks Bumble IPO

Analyst Ray Wang, Founder of Constellation Research, has spoken to Cheddar about the potential for Bumble to IPO in 2019.

The video interview opens with a discussion of Tinder. Wang notes that the brand is driving Match Group forward, with 1.2 million subscribers.

He then notes that the acquisition of Hinge may be a smart move. Owning a portfolio of brands allows Match to benefit from a segmented user population, picking singles up on one platform after they leave another.

Hinge can capture users who ‘graduate’ from Tinder, he says. The analyst and author then notes how India will be a crucial battleground for the app going forward.

Comparing Match to Bumble, Wang says “this is like Uber and Lyft”. He feels there is a “feature war” between the two, and that Bumble is Tinder’s biggest competitor.

Bumble is likely to go public soon, the interview mentions, once it can achieve a $1.1 to $1.5 billion IPO. Andrey Andreev was reportedly in “deep discussions” in October 2018.

A final point was that online dating may have more detailed social data than many social networks, as companies can learn user preferences in a unique way. This may enable them to branch out into other verticals, such as travel, with an in-built advantage.

Match Group CEO Mandy Ginsberg was featured in the GDI Power Book 2019, released first thing today. Download your copy here!

Find the full interview here.