Bumble NASDAQ: BMBL reported second-quarter results that were in line with its expectations, with revenue landing in the upper half of its guidance range and adjusted EBITDA exceeding the high end, as the dating-app company continued a technology and product transformation.
Founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said Bumble has made progress in improving the quality of its member base and is now focused on product innovation and renewed brand investment to return to growth. The company is nearing completion of a technology overhaul, though a complex data migration has delayed some planned product launches by a couple of months.
Second-Quarter Financial Results
Total revenue for the second quarter was $211 million, down from $248 million a year earlier. Foreign exchange provided an approximately $3 million tailwind during the quarter, according to CFO Kevin Cook.
- Bumble App revenue was $172 million, compared with $201 million a year earlier.
- Badoo App and other revenue was $39 million, down from $47 million.
- Adjusted EBITDA totaled $73 million, compared with $95 million a year ago.
- Adjusted EBITDA margin was 35%, compared with 38% in the prior-year period.
Cook said Bumble’s gross margin expanded by roughly 380 basis points year over year, with cost of revenue falling to 26% of revenue from 29%. The improvement was driven by continued adoption of alternative billing methods and lower aggregator fees.
On a GAAP basis, Bumble recorded a net loss of $128 million, including a $169 million non-cash impairment charge. Cook said the charge did not affect operations, cash flow or liquidity, and that the company would have generated positive net income excluding the charge.
The company generated $54 million in operating cash flow and $51 million in free cash flow during the quarter. It ended the period with $154 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Technology Migration Delays Product Roadmap
Wolfe Herd said Bumble is transferring core functions to a new technology platform and moving critical data from its own data centers to cloud infrastructure. The volume and complexity of the data have made the migration more time-consuming than expected, delaying the company’s new interaction model and portions of its product roadmap.
“We would rather get this perfectly right than beat some deadline,” Wolfe Herd said during the question-and-answer session.
The company now expects to begin rolling out elements of its reimagined interaction model in early 2027, rather than in 2026. Wolfe Herd said the approach will move away from optimizing for “swipe speed and velocity” toward “fewer, better, more considered signals.” She did not disclose what would replace swiping, citing competitive considerations.
Once the migration is complete, Bumble expects to move faster in launching member-facing features and enhancing its recommendation engine. Wolfe Herd said the new system should allow the company to make algorithmic adjustments more quickly to surface more relevant matches.
Chat, Matching and Group Initiatives
While the platform migration continues, Bumble has been testing changes intended to address member pain points. In 12 markets, the company has changed chat initiation so that either person can send one opening message, but a conversation will not progress until the recipient responds. Bumble is also extending its 24-hour match response window.
Wolfe Herd said initial tests showed significant increases in chat initiation and mutual chat rates. Bumble plans to roll out both updates globally by the end of the month.
The company is also testing algorithmic changes to how recommendations are sorted and surfaced. According to Wolfe Herd, the tests have produced gains in members getting matches and initiating chats, contributing to higher average mutual chats.
Bumble is placing greater emphasis on real-life and group-based ways to meet. The company said its BFF group initiative has seen strong growth in active groups and in the average number of active members per group. Wolfe Herd said the offering has resonated particularly well with Gen Z women.
In addition, Bumble is testing Plans, a standalone app for curated in-person social events that allows attendees to match after an event. Wolfe Herd described early results from summer tests marketed to younger prospective members as promising.
Free Experience and Marketing Investment
Bumble is testing a more expansive free experience, including limited free access to the Liked You feature, which has generally been restricted to paying members. The company said early testing has shown increased yes votes, matches and mutual chats.
Wolfe Herd said the company plans to simplify subscription tiers, provide a clearer path from free to paid offerings and explore a higher-priced tier centered on mutual serious intent. “Monetize value and outcomes, not friction,” she said.
After reducing marketing spending during its product transformation, Bumble plans to increase brand marketing in the second half of 2026. The company intends to focus on community, creators and hyperlocal initiatives aimed at younger consumers, with a larger brand push expected in 2027.
Cook said selling and marketing expense was $28 million, or 14% of revenue, compared with $30 million, or 12% of revenue, in the prior-year quarter. Product development expense increased to $31 million from $24 million as Bumble invested in platform modernization.
Wolfe Herd said most of the anticipated decline in margins will be directed toward strategic marketing investments rather than broad spending. She said Bumble will seek to maintain disciplined margins while investing to grow.
Third-Quarter Outlook
For the third quarter, Bumble forecast total revenue of $205 million to $213 million, including Bumble App revenue of $167 million to $173 million. The company expects adjusted EBITDA of $56 million to $60 million, representing an approximately 28% margin at the midpoint.
Cook said adjusted EBITDA margins are expected to normalize through the remainder of 2026 as Bumble increases investment in technology, talent, product innovation and marketing. The company expects the benefits of those investments to take time to appear in financial results but believes they will support durable engagement and monetization.
About Bumble (NASDAQ:BMBL)
Bumble Inc operates a technology platform designed to facilitate social and professional connections through its suite of apps, most notably the flagship Bumble dating app. The company's core premise is to empower users—particularly women—to make the first move, helping to reshape traditional dating dynamics. In addition to its dating function, Bumble offers mode-switching features that allow users to find friends through “Bumble BFF” or pursue professional networking opportunities via “Bumble Bizz.”
Beyond the Bumble app, the company also owns and operates Badoo, a social discovery platform with a substantial global footprint, particularly in Europe and Latin America.
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