Google Acquiring Meebo for $100 Million?

If inside sources are to believed, Google is considering acquisition of social media platform Meebo. However, CEO of Meebo, Seth Sternberg was tight lipped about the negotiations. The inside news is that Google is expected to buy seven year old Meebo for $100. But there is no official release about Google acquiring Meebo yet.

Ever since its launch in the year 2005, Meebo has evolved consistently. The first offering from the company was the Meebo Messenger. It was a web based instant messenger platform that did not require users to download any kind of software. Meebo Messenger had compatibility with all the leading IMs including Yahoo, MSN, AOL and others. However, Meebo failed to monetize the Meebo Messenger. And it was only in the year 2009 that Meebo came up with Meebo Bar, a social sharing tool bar for website publishers.  Meebo Bar offered publishers multiple advertising options and helped them in promotion of social actions. Meebo Bar had hit the right note. Since then the Meebo tool bar has been widely used and distributed on top web sites. San Francisco and Travel Chronicle are among them.

The tech economy was witnessing a dip around mid 2008 and it was during this time that Meebo managed to raise funds worth $25 million on a $200 million valuation. The latest funding of $27.5 million came in the year 2010. Now as many prominent capitalists invested at a valuation of $200 million, they are expected to lose their money.

Meebo with over 250 million monthly visitors is widely used both by the publishers and consumers. Right price, good talent and focus on mobile and social app development have undoubtedly generated Google’s interest in Meebo.