Facebook buys UK-based software developer Monoidics

Monoidics offers tools for developers to safely verify their software bug-free

Facebook has agreed to purchase assets, as well as take on the technical team, from code-verification-software developer Monoidics, it was announced in a blog post from the Monoidics team on Thursday.

A Facebook spokesperson would not disclose the financial terms of the deal.

"In 2009 we started this company with the goal of making the best automatic formal verification and analysis software in the industry. We’ve gone from theoretical ideas in logics of programs all the way to a company with a world-class engineering team, real customers and an office right in the midst of London’s Silicon Roundabout. It’s been incredible journey. . . we’ve loved every minute of it!," the company wrote.

When they met the member of the Facebook engineering team, though, the Monoidics team says that it saw how much the two companies had in common, including "a relentless focus on quality, a desire to move fast and try new things, and a passion for making an impact."

By joining Facebook, they say that they are opening themselves up to "a world of new opportunity for our technology and for our individual and collective scientific expertise."

"This asset acquisition represents our investment in the quality of our mobile applications platform and also our people, as members of their talented engineering team will join us to work at Facebook’s London office once the deal closes (pending certain closing conditions)," Philip Su, Director of Facebook London Engineering Office, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

"We have always focused on hiring smart, talented engineers -- and in this acquisition, we found many. Their entrepreneurial spirit and desire to make an impact make them great additions to Facebook. We can’t wait to have them here!"

U.K.-based Monoidics specialises in automatic formal verification and analysis of software. It offers products such as The INFER Static Analyzer, an advanced static code analyzer that focuses directly on memory safety and security. It allows developers to verify software bug-free by turning it into a mathetmatical equation.

The company also offers the INFER X-Ray product, a tool for visualizing software quality. It provides software engineers and IT managers with a visual representation of software quality so that they can identify critical components and areas of risk most in need of quality improvements.

Monoidics is Facebook's sixth acquisition this year so far.

In February, it acquired Atlas Advertiser Suite from Microsoft, then it acqui-hired the team at blogging platform Storylane in March.

Facebook then picked up three more companies in April: mobile software startup Osmeta; mobile game creation platform Spaceport.io; and cloud-based platform Parse. 

(Image source: https://www.monoidics.com)