Blackstone and Bumble: Building a Global Champion
When Blackstone partnered with Bumble, we focused on building an exceptional leadership team and investing in new offerings to help strengthen the company’s leading position in the fast-growing digital connections space. In 2021, Bumble held an IPO that made its visionary founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the youngest woman in history to take a company public.
Preparing Bumble for a Historic IPO
As founder of one of the highest-profile startups of the past decade, Whitney Wolfe Herd had no shortage of firms interested in investing in her company. What set Blackstone apart was our trust and belief in the visions of the entrepreneurs we support, and our ability to use our resources, expertise and global network to bring those visions to life.
Leadership and Talent
We sought to build a senior leadership team at Bumble that reflected Whitney’s goal of creating a platform by women, for women. We recruited several female C-Suite level officers and identified leading tech and media executives to join the company’s majority-female board.
Establishing a Brand
We supported the company’s rebrand from MagicLab to Bumble, which unified their various platforms under one recognizable brand name that’s become synonymous with women’s empowerment in the digital connections space.
Expanding User Offerings
We helped Bumble provide a better experience to its users by investing in new technological capabilities like video dating, as well as building on existing offerings like its Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF platforms, which help users find professional connections and new friends.
“What stood out about Blackstone was their true commitment to trusting our vision and helping us get properly resourced to help us execute on that vision.”
Whitney Wolfe HerdFounder and CEO, Bumble
Building on Shared Values
Our partnership with Bumble owes its success to the values that underpin both our businesses: an emphasis on teamwork and community, a focus on diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to empowering women in the boardroom and beyond.
Our Partnership Mentality
We take a collaborative approach to strengthening our companies, working hand-in-hand with them to identify tools, resources and expertise tailored to their business’ needs.
Promoting Diverse Boards
Our new initiative to increase diversity on the boards of our companies builds on our longstanding commitment to promoting D&I, both within the firm and across our portfolio.
Supporting Women Entrepreneurs
We aim to support female business leaders and promote gender diversity in entrepreneurship through our LaunchPad program, which supports student entrepreneurs across the country.
“Blackstone is all about building and growing companies. We think of ourselves as helpers and partners to visionary founders like Whitney Wolfe Herd.”
Jon GrayBlackstone President and COO