Lowenstein Sandler represented Newel Corp. d/b/a Official, a dating and relationship-building app designed to initiate and foster longer-lasting relationships, in a merger with Badoo PartnerCo LLC, an affiliate of Bumble, Inc.
The app aims to build stronger relationships and strengthen what it calls the “ecosystem of love” through mood check-ins and date planning for friendships, budding relationships, or couples who have been together for years.
Since it launched in 2021, Official has grown to more than 368,000 couples and is available in 45 countries. Official will remain as a standalone app for the time being, though Herd says there are opportunities for Official and Bumble to collaborate. If a person finds a partner through Bumble, they can switch to the company’s relationship-centric app rather than leave the system entirely. Couples who met on another app or in person could also sign up for the app and join the Bumble network.
The Lowenstein deal team included Steven E. Siesser, Brendan J. Koeth, Sarah Gore, Adam Dickson, Christopher M. Cozzens, James E. Gregory, Taryn E. Cannataro, Lesley P. Adamo, Jessica Billeter, Bryan Sterba, Oluwaseyi O. Amorin, Jenna-Marie Tracy, Eric Sands, and Chynara Tolubaeva.
