Shares of Bumble Inc, backed by Blackstone Group Inc, soared more than 76 percent in their stock market debut on Thursday, fetching a US$14 billion valuation for the operator of the dating app where women make the first move.
The company’s shares opened at US$76 on the NASDAQ, well above its initial public offering (IPO) price of US$43 per share. Austin, Texas-based Bumble operates two major apps, Bumble and Badoo, which touts over 40 million monthly active users worldwide.
In an interview on Thursday, Bumble chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd said the global pandemic encouraged people to build a relationship and meet