elaineFacebook has acquired link-sharing service Branch and sister service Potluck. A new Branch team, called “Conversations” will be formed at Facebook headquarters with the goal of helping users connect around their common interests.
Image credit: flickr User: davidnicholson1978
Branch is a well-known platform for hosting and publishing invite-only conversations, while Potluck is a web and mobile app designed for friends to talk about news and other topics.
According to the news article featured on InsideFacebook, the first to announce the purchase was Branch co-founder Josh Miller who confirmed the deal in a post on Facebook.
“After two years building Branch and Potluck, I am thrilled to announce that we will be continuing our mission at Facebook! We will be forming Facebook’s Conversations group, based in New York City, with the goal of helping people connect with others around their interests. Their pitch to us was: “Build Branch at Facebook scale!”” wrote Miller.
Not disclosing the price of the deal, Miller revealed that the products they will continue to build will be reminiscent of Branch and Potluck, but those services will live on outside of Facebook.
“A more thoughtful note and details to come soon but I am writing this haphazardly from a mountain in Japan (I was tipped that the story was going to leak while on vacation),” wrote Miller.
“In the meantime, a huge “thank you” to our investors. Especially Jason Goldman, Evan Williams, Biz Stone, Ryan Freitas, John Borthwick, and Jonah Peretti, who all spent an extraordinary amount of time with us. Most importantly though, a big congrats to my eight teammates who have worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes.”
An article featured on The Verge reveals that Facebook has been focusing on rebalancing the News Feed towards promotion of actual news.
Branch managed to raise $2 million from high profile investors such as SV Angel, Lerer Ventures, and Betaworks’ John Borthwick, to name just a few.
Even though Miller claims that Branch and Potluck will “live on,” the industry is highly doubtful of this, as all products and services that have been purchased by hot-shot companies like Facebook soon fade away and become a thing of the past.
For more info on Branch visit branch.com