Facebook Acquires Startup Behind Conversation Platforms Branch And Potluck
January 14, 2014
Facebook has just acquired Branch Media, the social media startup behind the conversation platform Branch and conversation-focused link-sharing service Potluck.
The operative word here appears to be "conversation." And Branch cofounder Josh Miller reinforces that point in his announcement, revealing that the startup will be initiating Facebook's Conversations group:
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!"Miller notes that although the products that will come out of Facebook's Conversations group will be akin to Branch and Potluck, those services will remain available outside of Facebook. Branch is a Web platform for hosting and publishing invite-only conversations, while Potluck is a Web and mobile app essentially for sharing conversation starters online. Just last week, Branch released another conversation-focused product in the form of PhoneTag Messenger for iOS. The new app allows easy sending of voice messages with photo attachments. According to The Verge, Facebook purchased Branch for around $15 million. In other, and decidedly much bigger, acquisition news, Google has acquired Nest, the home automation company cofounded by former Apple engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, for $3.2 billion.
