Austin's women founders are rocking the business world.
About a year ago, Kendra Scott's namesake jewelry company became Austin’s newest unicorn company, valued at more than $1 billion. Now, the latest to get that coveted distinction is Bumble, the wildly popular dating app founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd.
Herd, who is 28 years old, will be featured on the cover of Forbes' 30 under 30 issue in mid-December, the magazine tweeted today. The article notes that Match Group, which owns Tinder, OKCupid and others, had reportedly approached Bumble earlier this year with a $450 million buyout offer.
This cover belongs to ALL of the women who have made the first move. If you have a dream, believe in yourself, and work — you can do anything you want. Never stop making the first move, bees. Together, we can create equality in dating and business. Your life is in your control. https://t.co/FR4jAe1M6U
— Bumble (@bumble_app) November 14, 2017
It's worth noting that Herd was a co-founder at Tinder, and she sued the company in 2014 for sexual harassment after her ex-boss and ex-boyfriend allegedly threatened her and sent offensive text messages. That case was settled.
Now, Forbes reports that its sources say Match tried again to buy Bumble at a valuation "well over $1 billion." And it notes that Herd has a 20 percent stake in her company. The company is expected to exceed $100 million in sales this year, and it could double in 2018, Forbes reported.
Bumble's success is also a big story for other women entrepreneurs and tech workers. The startup has taken a women-centric approach from the design of its dating app, which has women make the first move, to the design of its new headquarters in north central Austin (which is just blocks from Kendra Scott's offices on North Lamar).
Unlike most tech startups which are predominantly male, Bumble's 70 employees are 85 percent women, Forbes reported.
