{{short description|Social media conglamerate}} {{Infobox website | name = The Meet Group, Inc. | logo = 250px|MeetMe logo | traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|MEET}} (2014–2020) | location_city = New Hope, Pennsylvania | location_country = U.S. | screenshot = | caption = | owner = ProSiebenSat.1 Media | url = {{URL|https://www.themeetgroup.com/}} | commercial = | company_type = Public | website_type = Social networking service | foundation = {{start date and age|2005|4}} (as MyYearbook) | founder = Geoff Cook<br>David Cook<br>Catherine Cook | registration = Required | parent = ParshipMeet Group | current_status = Active | programming_language = PHP | revenue = | language = English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Turkish, Malay, Indonesian. | advertising = Banner ads, custom ads }} '''The Meet Group, Inc.''' (formerly MeetMe) owns several dating app networking services including MeetMe, hi5, LOVOO, Growlr, Skout, and Tagged. The company has offices in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dresden, and Berlin.
==History== 250px|left|thumb|The myYearbook logo, which was used from 2005 to 2012
Two siblings, Dave and Catherine Cook, created myYearbook during their Spring break of 2005. They persuaded their older brother Geoff, who had founded EssayEdge and ResumeEdge from his Harvard dorm room, to invest in their project. At the launch of the site, Dave was a junior in high school and Catherine was a sophomore; the project was initially activated at Montgomery High School, in suburban New Jersey where they attended. The site was created entirely by workers in India.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/the-secrets-of-a-teens-internet-success/ | work=CNET |title=The secrets of a teen's Internet success | first=Stefanie | last=Olsen| date=16 August 2007}}</ref>
In 2006, myYearbook raised $4.1 million from U.S. Venture Partners and First Round Capital. In 2008, it raised $13 million in a Series B round.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/07/29/teen-social-network-myyearbook-gets-13-million/ | title=Teen Social Network myYearbook Gets $13 Million| first=Jason | last=Kincaid | work=TechCrunch | date=July 30, 2008}}</ref>
In July 2011, myYearbook announced it had agreed to be acquired by Latino social networking site Quepasa.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://techcrunch.com/2011/07/20/facebook-for-latinos-quepasa-buys-myyearbook-for-100-million-in-cash-and-stock/ | title=MyYearbook bought by Latino social network Quepasa.| date=20 July 2011| publisher=TechCrunch }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS426280704820110720 | title=Latino social network Quepasa swallows MyYearbook | first=Ryan | last=Kim | work=Reuters | date=July 20, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/teens-start-company-sells-100-million/story?id=14127273 | title=New Jersey Siblings Net $100 Million for myYearbook Sale | first=RESHMA | last=KIRPALANI | work=ABC News | date=July 21, 2011}}</ref> In June 2012, the company formed from the combination of myYearbook and Quepasa was renamed MeetMe.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://techcrunch.com/2012/06/05/meetme-rebranding-nyse/ | title=Quepasa, MyYearbook Complete Rebranding As MeetMe, Will Start Trading Today As MEET | first=Anthony | last=Ha | work=TechCrunch | date=June 5, 2012}}</ref>
In October 2016, MeetMe acquired Skout for $55 million.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161004005598/en/MeetMe-Announces-Closing-Skout-Acquisition-Preliminary-Revenue | title=MeetMe Announces Closing of Skout Acquisition | publisher=Business Wire |date=October 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/06/27/meetme-acquires-mobile-flirting-app-skout-for-55-million-in-cash-and-stock/ | title=MeetMe acquires mobile flirting app Skout for $55 million in cash and stock | first=Ken | last=Yeung | work=VentureBeat | date=June 27, 2016}}</ref>
On April 3, 2017, the company acquired if(we) and rebranded to The Meet Group.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170403006525/en/MeetMe-Announces-Closing-Acquisition-Rebrands-Meet-Group | title=MeetMe Announces Closing of if(we) Acquisition and Rebrands to The Meet Group | publisher=Business Wire | date=April 3, 2017}}</ref>
In September 2017, Meet Group acquired German dating app Lovoo<ref>[https://www.lovoo.com/ Lovoo]</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/20/german-dating-app-lovoo-is-acquired-for-70m-by-the-meet-group/ |title=German dating app Lovoo is acquired for $70M by The Meet Group | first=Mike | last=Butcher | work=TechCrunch | date=September 20, 2017}}</ref> for US$70 million.
In 2020, The Meet Group was acquired by ProSiebenSat.1 Media with a parent company, ParshipMeet Group, being formed to manage both The Meet Group and Parship.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-05/prosiebensat-1-struggles-with-turnaround-amid-tough-tv-ad-market |title=ProSieben to Buy Dating Firm Meet Group in Tough TV Market | first=Stefan | last=Nicola | work=Bloomberg News | date=March 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200904005336/en/Meet-Group-Announces-Closing-Acquisition-eharmony-Parent |title=The Meet Group Announces Closing of Acquisition by eharmony Parent Company Parship Group | agency=Business Wire |date=September 4, 2020}}</ref>
In 2022, Tumblr announced its livestreaming service Tumblr Live, based on The Meet Group's product Livebox.<ref>{{Cite web |last=King |first=Ashley |date=2022-12-21 |title=Tumblr Joins Livestreaming Band Wagon with New Service |url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2022/12/20/tumblr-launches-live-streaming/ |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Digital Music News |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2024, Tumblr announced that they would be discontinuing Tumblr Live as of January 24, with options for users to migrate to MeetMe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tumblr Live Is Shutting Down - Help Center |url=https://help.tumblr.com/hc/en-us/articles/20438412142999-Tumblr-Live-Is-Shutting-Down |access-date=11 January 2024 |website=Tumblr Help Center}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Internet}} * Facebook * Myspace * List of social networking services
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{Official website|https://www.themeetgroup.com/}} *[https://onlinepersonalswatch.com/2013/10/an-interview-with-geoff-cook-the-ceo-of-meetme-about-charm/ CEO Geoff Cook Interview; Online Personals Watch, October 2013] *[https://onlinepersonalswatch.com/2014/11/geoff-cook-co-founder-and-ceo-of-meetme/ CEO Geoff Cook Interview; Online Personals Watch, November 2014] *[https://www.inc.com/magazine/201205/liz-welch/catherine-cook-and-geoff-cook-myyearbook.html Inc. magazine profile of Catherine and Geoff Cook]
{{Social network}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myyearbook}} Category:American social networking websites Category:Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Category:Internet properties established in 2005 Category:Yearbooks Category:2014 initial public offerings Category:Companies based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania