Microsoft's interest in Discord looks to have been rebuffed as the communication platform is no longer up for sale, according to reports.
The popular chat app was thought to be mulling an acquisition valued at around $10 billion, but a Wall Street Journal report suggests the firm has cancelled talks with four interested parties - a list that includes Microsoft.
The other potential suitors were thought to be Twitter, Amazon and Epic Games, but all acquisition plans are reportedly being dropped in favour of a public offering.
Discord has around 140 million monthly users and earned $130 million in revenue in 2020, but it still isn't a profitable business which is the main reason the company began exploring acquisition options. Microsoft was seen as a likely suitor, given Discord's popularity with gamers and Microsoft's strong portfolio within the industry.
The two companies may reignite talks in the future, according to the WSJ, but for now, Discord is keen to pave its own way forward. The San Francisco company is best known for its free service that lets gamers chat via video, voice and text. Naturally, its users have increased throughout the pandemic, and so has its potential use cases; the communications tool has helped people study, take dance classes, join book clubs and other types of virtual gathering.
The tech giant has been very active of late, acquiring game maker Zenimax in March for $7.5 billion and also speech recognition startup Nuance Communications for $19.7 billion. Microsoft was also reportedly in talks to by Chinese social media firm TikTok towards the end of 2020 but ultimately lost out to Oracle, which, in turn, has been put on hold by the US government.
Microsoft's interest in Discord was said to be based around the social element of the app and the personal data it holds. Outside of its Xbox and Surface devices, Microsoft doesn't have much in the way of consumer-facing services or any form of social media.
-
Asus ZenScreen Fold OLED MQ17QH reviewReviews A stunning foldable 17.3in OLED display – but it's too expensive to be anything more than a thrilling tech demo
-
How the UK MoJ achieved secure networks for prisons and offices with Palo Alto NetworksCase study Adopting zero trust is a necessity when your own users are trying to launch cyber attacks
-
Truss seeks last-ditch SoftBank meeting over Arm IPONews Gov said to want a dual New York-London listing, at the very least
-
Kaseya to build R&D centre in Dundalk and create 250 jobs over next three yearsNews Software provider aims to further invest in Ireland and capitalise on the university talent within the region
-
CMA probe into Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard merger might derail company strategyNews With the FTC also looking into the deal, the tech giant is at a crucial crossroads for how it handles the next decade of expansion across the tech sector
-
UK tech sector beats China for VC investment with £12.4bn so far in 2022News The digital sector continues to thrive in the UK despite a global market slow down
-
IBM to wind down Russian operations completelyNews Tech giant to begin terminating the employment of Russia-based employees immediately
-
Klarna to cut 10% of its workforce due to "market restraints"News Potentially 700 jobs losses as the payment platform aims to refocus its core business with the "right team" in the "right places"
-
Toshiba mulls going private after string of shareholder revoltsNews The firm has established a special committee to "engage" with potential investors and review alternatives
-
Google to entice workers back to the office with free e-scootersNews US employees reportedly offered a Unagi Model One scooter to make the commute into the office more appealing
