UPDATED 00:24 EDT / APRIL 27 2018

CLOUD

Square snaps up website creator Weebly for $365M

In a surprise move, mobile payments company Square Inc. has acquired online website Weebly Inc., an online website creator, in a cash and stock deal worth about $365 million.

Founded in 2007, Weebly describes itself as a “complete platform that allows anyone to start and grow an online business with curated website templates, powerful e-commerce and integrated marketing.”

Although it literally appears to be nothing more than a blogging service sitting somewhere between Blogger and Medium, the service distinguishes itself by offerings a range of tools that assist small to medium-sized enterprises including e-commerce payment support, the appeal of the product behind Square’s decision to acquire it.

“Square and Weebly will give sellers one cohesive solution to start or grow an omnichannel business,” Square said in a statement. “Today, it is important that sellers can reach buyers as they move between channels (in person, online, in apps) during discovery, purchase, and even returns and exchanges. An integrated suite of services will make critical business tasks like engaging with customers, managing orders, growing sales, and making informed business decisions easier than ever for sellers.”

The deal is Square’s second acquisition this month. The company acquired food delivery service Zesty Inc. on April 19.

Square last made serious headlines when it was reported that it was entering the cryptocurrency market by applying for a New York state Bitlicense in March that would allow it to become a licensed bitcoin exchange. The company had started testing support for bitcoin payments in November before accepting bitcoin as a payment option, along with limited exchange services, in January.

Square Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey, who is also the CEO of Twitter Inc., is a huge fan of bitcoin, predicting that the cryptocurrency will become the sole global currency within 10 years. Presumably, under Square ownership, Weebly users will, in short order, be able to accept bitcoin payments on their websites.

Prior to acquisition, Weebly had raised $35.7 million from Sequoia Capital, SV Angel, Felicis Ventures, Tencent Holdings, FLOODGATE, Baseline Ventures, Paul Buchheit and Ron Conway. The deal, subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close in the second quarter.

Image: Square

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