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What ’s next forTexts.com ? The all - in - one message app wasacquired this fall by WordPress.com owner Automattic for $ 50 million , grade the troupe ’s first prescribed expansion into the world of private electronic messaging — outside of its startup investments , at least , which have includedApple ’s recent foe BeeperandElement , a intercellular substance - powered app . Like Beeper , Texts.com is also take exception Apple ’s mean grip on its iMessage ecosystem , with an app that aggregates your iPhone chats with other message services , including WhatsApp , Instagram , Telegram , Messenger , LinkedIn , Signal , Slack , Discord and X , and more in the future , the company has state .
In theirfirst joint interview post - acquirement , Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg and Texts.com founder Kishan Bagaria discuss why the timing was correct for Automattic ’s move into the messaging blank , the Department of State of the social web more broadly and what ’s next for Texts.com , now under Automattic ’s umbrella .
Mullenweg began by explaining how the introduction of the iPhone had give ascending to closed ecosystem , as peregrine operating systems and app stores are n’t as open as the web , which was ground on receptive standards . Companies , include today ’s tech giants , then funnel one thousand million of dollars into these platforms , leading Google , Meta and TikTok possessor ByteDance to win power in an advertizement - endure market . But thing are now set out to shift again back to the opened web , Mullenweg believes .
“ That ’s why I think we ’re determine a resurgence of Tumblr , WordPress , everything … it ’s come back , ” he say . “ engineering science father kind of closed for a while . The pendulum is now sway very hard in the other guidance towards more undecided [ standards ] , which I ’m aroused about because that is that ’s the part of the cycle I like the best , ” Mullenweg add .
With Texts.com , he saw an opportunity to invest in another domain where consumers are pushing for more receptiveness : message . The app , which claims to support closing - to - destruction encoding , is “ to the full compatible with all the stage business modelling of the message platforms , ” Mullenweg pointed out , in a subtle challenge to Apple and others who may view it other than . “ There ’s no rationality for them not to fully support it . ”
Texts ’ app runs entirely on the user ’s gadget and does n’t touch the society ’s servers at all , he explained — its server could go down and the app would still work , in fact .
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Mullenweg also suspects the clime is right for such an app to exist thanks to the get regulations in the EU , including the Digital Markets Act ( DMA ) , which willrequire messaging interoperability . The U.S. is also progressively try out the uncurbed power of Big Tech and mobile platform , with an oculus toward new antitrust oversight . For instance , a panel just harness in Epic Games ’ favorover Google in a outstanding app store antitrust test this week .
Though Mullenweg did n’t speak out in support of one bill over another , in terms of antitrust statute law , he order that Automattic would always be on the side of users and freedom , and suggested that WordPress — which powers over 40 % of all websites — has king of its own in full term of the residential district ’s influence over the open web ’s progress . In addition , he believe there will soon be more non - app depot means to distribute apps because of the coming statute law , including across both Android and iOS .
As for Texts.com , Mullenweg saw the acquisition as a way to move into a third major market beyond publication and DoC .
“ I believe that communication is a fundamental human rightfield . And that communication should be able-bodied to be free , encrypt , open source where potential , and also really put drug user in control , ” he said . “ … we care about the people we ’re talking to , not particularly what messaging platform they ’re on . ”
Created as a side task by Kishan Bagaria out of personal need , the first prototype of Texts.com was hacked together in a workweek , the father enunciate . But the app after make momentum as acquaintance and others on the internet started learn about it , as they experienced the same defeat with get too many message apps to keep rails of , as well . The startup fire “ around a million ” from 44 investors , Bagaria told TechCrunch — a low amount because he was focus on being effective and cautious with respect to Texts ’ burn pace .
Though other companies made offers , include OpenAI , he believed Automattic seemed like the effective fit . Plus , he lend , “ Matt is super persuasive . ”
In a separate conversation , Bagaria substantiate to me that both OpenAI and Superhuman had reached out , but the latter not until the Automattic great deal . He said that , earlier , his intention was not to be acquired , but to “ acquire company ourselves . ”
When he first fill with Matt , he cerebrate they would discuss an investment , but the conversation afterward twist toward acquisition .
“ I thought that we had a stack of ideas to work up , and Automattic seemed like the ripe place , ” Bagaria added .
go fore , the company is weigh try out with a freemium model for its app , which is presently a pricier $ 15 per month ( or $ 12.50 / Show Me State if you ante up for a year upfront ) for approach to all your messaging apps . Competitor Beeper recently made its iMessage - on - Android app Beeper Mini freeas it does battle with Apple , which has been working to shut down its help .
Mullenweg defended his new acquisition , however , claiming that everything Texts.com does is “ completely in note with being in the App Store ” — a statement sure to be test as Texts.com get its mobile app to the pubic — something that is expected to bechance “ presently , ” we ’re told .
He also believes that the Texts.com mass could finally have a big impact than online publishing on Automattic ’s futurity .
“ recall about it . Not everyone write , ” he said , but “ everyone subject matter . ” And message seems like the region that could use the most scuttle up , he note .
“ We have the opportunity to actually….create something that can advert literally hundreds of billion and 1000000000000 of people , ” Mullenweg added . “ There has never been a better time for something like Texts.com to be . ”
WordPress.com owner buy all - in - one message app Texts.com for $ 50 one thousand
Updated , 12/13/23 , 11:16 a.m. ET , to note the inauguration raised from 44 , not 34 , investors . Also clarified the timing of outreach by other competitors for the mountain .
