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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Google Buys Wireless Sharing App 'Bump'

As reported by CBS NewsGoogle has purchased Bump, makers of smartphone apps for wirelessly sharing files, photos, and contacts, for an undisclosed sum. Bump CEO and co-founder David Lieb made the announcement in a blog post and tweet Monday morning. Google confirmed the buy to CNET.


Founded in 2008, Bump raised roughly $20 million in funding from a collection of renowned venture firms including Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital before it was picked up by Google. A source told AllThingsD that the deal was valued between $30 million and $60 million.
"We strive to create experiences that feel like magic, enabled behind the scene with innovations in math, data processing, and algorithms," Lieb said. "So we couldn't be more thrilled to join Google, a company that shares our belief that the application of computing to difficult problems can fundamentally change the way that we interact with one another and the world."
The Mountain View, Calif.-based startup developed an early following for its fun technology that lets people exchange content with friends and strangers with the bump of two smartphones. The Bump application seemed to fade from view over the years, however, and more recently the team released Flock, an app for group photo albums. Lieb said that both Bump and Flock will remain operational for the time being.
"The Bump team has demonstrated a strong ability to quickly build and develop products that users love, and we think they'll be a great fit at Google," a Google spokesperson told CNET.
The news comes just ahead of the release of Apple's iOS 7, which comes with a feature called AirDrop for wirelessly sharing content with other iOS users.

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