Automattic Expands Reach with Acquisition of Universal Messaging App, Texts

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com and other popular web properties, has acquired Texts, a universal messaging app, for $50 million. Texts allows users to log in to multiple messaging apps and view and respond to messages in one place. Automattic sees messaging as its third pillar, alongside publishing and commerce, and plans to invest heavily in this area. The company is interested in open-source solutions and decentralized messaging networks like Matrix. Texts' founder, Kishan Bagaria, and its on-device encryption security model were key factors in the acquisition. The Texts team will focus on completing the mobile app, which will maintain end-to-end encryption and user privacy. Automattic envisions a future where messaging becomes more central to online interaction, and aims to make messaging more organized and user-friendly.