Google to acquire Meebo

Faith Merino · June 4, 2012 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/2734

Google finds an ideal fit for Meebo with Google+

It’s official: Google is acquiring Meebo.  The news comes after rumors began churning two weeks ago that Google had its eye on Meebo and was looking to buy the seven-year-old company for $100 million.  While Meebo has not officially confirmed the $100 million price tag, that’s where reports are pegging it.

Google isn’t commenting on the financial terms of the deal, but it did issue the following statement:

“We are always looking for better ways to help users share content and connect with others across the Web, just as they do in real life. With the Meebo team’s expertise in social publisher tools, we believe they will be a great fit with the Google+ team. We look forward to closing the transaction and working with the Meebo team to create more ways for users to engage online.”

A Google spokesperson also said that Google will be evaluating Meebo’s existing products in light of its overall business plans, but the company has nothing concrete to say in terms of how Meebo will be integrated.

Meebo has raised $70 million to date.  Most recently, the company raised $27.5 million in December 2010 from Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, DFJ, JAFCO, and Time Warner Investments.

Since its founding in 2005, Meebo has experienced something of an identity crisis.  Initially launched as a social tool, Meebo was originally known for its Meebo Messenger, which allows users to instant message across multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Google Talk, AOL/AIM, MSN, and more.

These days it looks like Meebo’s moving into the content direction with its main product, the Meebo Bar, which allows users to build an “interest profile” by favoriting things they like.  Meebo then customizes the content users receive via their Meebo Bar, which they can rate to make the content more accurately reflect their interests.

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Meebo

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Palo Alto based Meebo is a Sequoia backed, web based instant messaging company. Meebo originally gave users the ability to access multiple chat clients from one place without the need for desktop software. This was great for users when they were away from their main computer and without AOL, ICQ, MSN or Yahoo software. However, in less than two years Meebo has launched so many new features that for many people it’s changed from an occasional solution to a frequently used web app.

Meebo has become quite popular, with users exchanging over 80 million instant messages daily. In addition, Meebo has been named to the following lists:

  • Time’s Top 50 Coolest Websites for 2006
  • PC World’s The 100 Best Products of 2006
  • PC World’s The 100 Best Products of 2007
  • Top 100 Webware sites for 2007