Automattic Acquires All-In-One Messaging App Texts for $50 Million

Automattic's acquisition of the all-in-one messaging app Texts introduces a new focus on messaging to its current concentration on publishing and commerce, plans to maintain its end-to-end encryption of all messages and support for multiple messaging services including WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn, Signal, iMessage.

• Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com and Tumblr, has bought all-in-one messaging app Texts for $50 million, signaling a new emphasis on messaging in addition to its current focuses of publishing and commerce.
• Texts app unifies various messaging services including iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Signal into one platform, while maintaining end-to-end encryption for all messages.
• Texts is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with an iPhone version in the works. It also offers features like AI-powered chat summaries and draft responses, Gmail-style labels, keyboard shortcuts, and a browser extension for opening messages in the Texts app from the web.
• Automattic owner, Matt Mullenweg, views the acquisition of Texts as a solution to the common problem of managing communications across multiple messaging apps, expressing a desire to work on areas 'integral to the modern web experience' like messaging.
• As a result of the acquisition, Texts.com founder Kishan Bagaria will join Automattic as head of messaging. Mullenweg views the acquisition as part of a broad investment strategy for the company, with the long-term vision of supporting open-source messaging solutions.

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