Hey, bear in mind BeReal, the real-time photo-sharing app that had half the inhabitants in a digital chokehold again in 2022? Effectively since then, issues haven’t gone so nice for the app, which some thought-about to, probably, be the following huge factor.

BeReal has struggled to keep up its development momentum, whereas its restricted use case has additionally restricted its monetization capability. And in consequence, BeReal’s founders are actually getting out whereas they nonetheless can, with the app at this time asserting that it’s been bought to online game and app developer Voodoo for $500 million.

For readability, it’s really extra like $US537 million, at a €500 million sale worth, which looks like a really excessive worth level for an app with questionable upside.

And in that context, what precisely Voodoo’s paying for is one other query.

At peak, BeReal had round 70 million every day lively customers, however lately, it’s extra like 30 million, although BeReal itself claims that it’s nonetheless reaching 50 million every day contributors. So actually, Voodoo’s paying for the capability to contact 50 million or so individuals, and from there, it’s hoping that it may possibly work out an precise enterprise from the framework of the platform, that may seemingly function in isolation from its different choices.

As reported by The Monetary Instances, Voodoo’s preliminary plan is to launch adverts within the app, whereas it additionally says that it’ll be searching for to develop its lively person base to 100 million.

Which might be some feat. Once more, 50 million customers is just about the identical stage that BeReal has been at for about two years, so how precisely Voodoo plans to double that, with adverts included, stays to be seen.

The preliminary lure of BeReal is within the identify, with the app offering actual, real perception into every customers’ day, versus our more and more curated social feeds. That felt like a breath of recent air, and gained the platform a heap of consideration. However BeReal has all the time appeared like extra of a characteristic than an app, and a characteristic that was, in truth, replicated by each Instagram and TikTok.

Which is core to its problem in scaling. As a result of BeReal doesn’t have any distinctive, defining ingredient, larger platforms can simply copy it, and dilute it into oblivion. And there’s probably not area to develop, in addition to changing into simply one other social platform, there’s nothing that offers BeReal any important market benefit, that may level to its development path.

However its new homeowners are going to strive, although I’m fairly assured in predicting that we’re near the top of BeReal as a consideration within the social media area.

Principally, BeReal customers can anticipate many adverts, despatched direct to them, within the coming months, as Voodoo seeks to recoup its prices.