Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, has finalized the acquisition of Beeper, a messaging app, for a whopping $125 million.
The deal includes Beeper’s entire team of 27 employees, with co-founder Eric Migicovsky set to lead messaging endeavors at Automattic.
Beeper, known for its innovative approach, offers a universal chat platform that consolidates various messaging services into a single inbox. Since its beta launch in 2021, it has garnered approximately 100,000 users.
Migicovsky, renowned for creating the Pebble smartwatch, views Beeper as a remedy to the fragmented nature of online messaging due to the lack of open standards.
However, Beeper faced challenges, notably with Apple, regarding its “Beeper Mini” app, enabling Android users to access iMessage.
This sparked regulatory scrutiny. Despite Apple’s plans to support RCS messaging across platforms, Migicovsky believes the Automattic acquisition will champion awareness for open messaging standards.
The ethos of Automattic, deeply rooted in open-source principles, resonates with Migicovsky’s vision for a more inclusive messaging infrastructure.
With Beeper transitioning out of its beta phase, it will soon be accessible to all users under Automattic’s ownership, marking a significant milestone in the quest for unified messaging solutions.
