Bumble Agrees to $1.3 Billion All-Cash Acquisition by Ithaca Holdings
Bumble agreed to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.3 billion. Bumble is expected to become privately held and remain based in Austin.
Aurora Cannabis is considering strategic alternatives in response to Curaleaf’s hostile takeover bid. Options include a possible transaction with a third party or remaining independent, as Aurora seeks to maximize shareholder value. Bumble Inc. (NASDAQ: BMBL) has agreed to an all-cash acquisition by Ithaca Holdings valued at $1.3 billion.
Bumble will become privately held, with offices in London, Austin and New York City, and is expected to remain based in Austin. IonQ has agreed to buy cybersecurity firm Elisity in an all-stock transaction valued at up to $1.3 billion. The deal would bring together IonQ’s quantum security technologies and Elisity’s enterprise protection platform. Closing is expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approval.
26North Partners has agreed to acquire MEI Industrial Solutions, a national provider of equipment execution services, from private equity firm Olympus Partners. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals. ATL Partners, a private equity firm investing in commercial aerospace, national security, and transportation and Precise A&D, a logistics company, acquired aerospace supplier Precise Metal Products from affiliates of Staple Street Capital. The transaction’s financial terms were not disclosed.
Property management firm AKAM acquired Matthew Adam Properties, a New York City-based company that manages 85 buildings across the city. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Knot Worldwide, owned by private equity firm Permira, agreed to acquire rival wedding-planning platform Zola, Reuters reported. The deal would expand The Knot Worldwide’s portfolio of wedding services.
Zola will continue operating as a standalone brand, providing wedding websites, gift registries, invitations and guest-list management. Financial terms were not disclosed. West Madison Foods, a Brynwood Partners portfolio company that makes Dean’s Dips and Marie’s salad dressings, bought The Flavor of California, which owns the licensing rights to Bob’s Big Boy salad dressings and dips. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Vivify Specialty Ingredients, a Gryphon Investors portfolio company, purchased AuNutra Industries, a supplier of botanical extracts and Financial terms were not disclosed for the supplement and nutraceutical market business mentioned earlier in the section. Private equity firm Rhône has agreed to sell Paragon Films, a maker of high-performance stretch and shrink films, to Atlantic Ridge Capital and Grafine Partners for approximately $900 million. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. Agilent Technologies has agreed to buy Proscia, a pathology software maker, for $240 million in cash.
Reuters reported that the agreement includes a possible additional $30 million if performance targets are met. The acquisition would expand Agilent’s digital pathology business and AI-powered diagnostics capabilities. It is expected to close early in fiscal 2027. PSP Capital has agreed to sell StormTrap, which provides stormwater management and water quality solutions, to Advanced Drainage Systems for approximately $530 million.
The deal is expected to close in the coming months, pending customary regulatory approvals. Workday (NASDAQ: WDAY) has agreed to acquire C1.ai, a platform for managing identities and access for people and AI agents. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday’s fiscal 2027 ends Jan. 31, 2027, and remains subject to customary closing conditions.
Watsco, Inc. (NYSE: WSO) completed its previously announced purchase of The Granite Group, a distributor of plumbing and HVAC products. Nasdaq (NASDAQ: NDAQ) has also completed its acquisition of LeveL Markets, LLC, an off-exchange equity execution venue that operates one of the largest Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) in the United States, Traders Magazine reported. Artificial intelligence startup Character.ai filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and plans to seek a court-supervised sale before the end of the year to secure the platform’s long-term future.
Walt Disney & Co. agreed to pay $20 million for select intellectual property and provide transition support through former Character.ai employees now working at the entertainment company. The arrangement is expected to help the platform remain operational during the bankruptcy proceedings. Getty Images plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and go private by year-end, Reuters reported.
The plans follow the collapse of its Shutterstock merger amid heavy debt and AI competition. Getty family affiliates and Koch Equity Development are set to take full ownership, with investors pledging up to $533 million in new equity. The Picklr, described as one of the world’s largest indoor pickleball franchise networks, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The filing was made by its parent, Picklr Inc., in a Texas bankruptcy court.
The company said its clubs will stay open. An investor group led by a franchisee has committed $4.5 million in financing, subject to court approval. Financial statements cited by Sports Business Journal show The Picklr generated $10.3 million in revenue in 2025 and recorded a $4.4 million net loss. Its liabilities totaled about $19 million as of March 2026.