Instapaper has announced that it is being acquired by Pinterest and that the app will continue as an independent application.
The app was created by Marco Arment and sold to Betaworks three years ago. The team who have been working on the app will continue to work on it and will also work on Pinterest.
Today, we’re excited to announce that Instapaper is joining Pinterest. In the three years since betaworks acquired Instapaper from Marco Arment, we’ve completely rewritten our backend, overhauled our mobile and web clients, improved parsing and search, and introduced tons of great features like highlights, text-to-speech, and speed reading to the product.
All of these features and developments revolved around the core mission of Instapaper, which is allowing our users to discover, save, and experience interesting web content. In that respect, there is a lot of overlap between Pinterest and Instapaper. Joining Pinterest provides us with the additional resources and experience necessary to achieve that shared mission on a much larger scale.
The Evolution of Instapaper
Instapaper has come a long way since its inception. Initially launched as a simple tool to save web pages for later reading, it has evolved into a sophisticated platform with a variety of features designed to enhance the user experience. The app’s ability to save articles offline, provide a clean reading interface, and offer text-to-speech functionality has made it a favorite among users who want to consume content on their own terms.
The acquisition by Betaworks three years ago marked a significant turning point for Instapaper. Under Betaworks’ ownership, the app underwent a complete backend rewrite, which improved its performance and reliability. The mobile and web clients were also overhauled, making the app more user-friendly and visually appealing. These improvements, along with the introduction of features like highlights and speed reading, have solidified Instapaper’s position as a leading read-it-later service.
What the Acquisition Means for Users
For users, the acquisition by Pinterest is likely to bring several benefits. Pinterest’s vast resources and expertise in content discovery and curation can help Instapaper enhance its core functionalities. Users can expect more seamless integration with Pinterest, potentially allowing them to save and organize their reading material alongside their pins.
Moreover, Pinterest’s focus on visual content could lead to new features that make Instapaper even more versatile. For instance, users might see improved image handling within saved articles or new ways to discover related content through Pinterest’s recommendation algorithms.
Another potential benefit is the increased stability and longevity of the Instapaper service. With Pinterest’s backing, Instapaper is less likely to face the financial and operational challenges that smaller, independent apps often encounter. This means users can continue to rely on Instapaper for their reading needs without worrying about the app’s future.
You can find out more details about Pinterest’s acquisition of Instapaper at the link below. There are no details on how much the deal involved.
Source Instapaper
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