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PCMag Australia | Reviews | Software | Social Networking | News

Path Social Network Sold to Korean Firm
 30 May 2015, 12:15 a.m. Social networking app Path has been acquired by South Korean mobile platform Daum Kakao.


Launched in the winter of 2010, San Francisco-based Path allows iOS, Android, and Windows Phone users to share photos and messages with up to 50 friends and family members.

"We're very proud of what we've accomplished over the last five years together with 10 million monthly active users," Path CEO Dave Morin said in a statement. "But we've reached a point where more resources are needed to help accelerate Path's ability to grow and scale."

Enter Daum Kakao, maker of KakaoTalk and Daum Mail, among other communication, search, and mapping services. The company plans to boost Path's service quality and strengthen the user experience, while promoting the app in global markets.

However, little will change about the Path and Path Talk services, Morin promised. "We believe Daum Kakao, with its deep understanding of the Asian market and experience in leading mobile innovation, will be able to provide Path users with additional resources and value," Morin said.

Often used as a personal journal or another way to publicly share updates with your inner circle, Path has a strong appeal in the Asian market, particularly Indonesia, where the service is "a powerful candidate" for growth, according to Alex Kim, head of Daum Kakao Indonesia.

"We believe there is huge potential for Daum Kakao and Path in the global market," Kim said, tipping future integration between the social network and other Daum Kakao services.

Path expanded its focus last summer when it acquired TalkTo, a messaging service that allows users to text nearby businesses and receive a response within minutes. The function was integrated into the Path Talk application as Place Messaging.

The California company, however, hit a rough patch in 2013, when, just as it celebrated its 10 millionth user, the network was accused of spamming members' contacts with messages and calls. The controversy drew the ire of Facebook, which quickly moved to block the app from finding users' friends.

Path later released an update with cartoon stickers, an improved iPad version, and a refined friends list.

For more, see PCMag's review of Path and the slideshow above.


