Microsoft Acquires Mobile Email Start-Up Acompli

Microsoft has acquired Acompli, a start-up that makes mobile email software that runs across iOS and Android.

The Windows developer plans to integrate the technology into Outlook while also keeping Acompli as a stand-alone application.

“Their app provides innovative ways to focus on what’s important in your inbox, to schedule meetings, and work with attachments and files,” said Rajesh Jha, Office and Office 365 corporate vice president. “We’re excited about what’s possible as we build on the app’s success and bring it together with work currently in progress by the Outlook team.”

Microsoft collaboration

The San Francisco company, founded 18 months ago, began discussions with Microsoft early on as it looked to integrate Office 365 features into the product, according to chief executive Javier Soltero.

“We began conversations with the folks at Microsoft about how we could go farther by integrating the capabilities of their Office 365 platform into our product while continuing to provide amazing support for email and file services from Apple, Dropbox, Google, and Box,” Soltero wrote in a blog post.

“Those conversations led to today, where we have decided the opportunity to join forces in pursuit of a better, faster, more powerful email experience is something we can do better as one company.”

Microsoft paid more than $200 million (£127m) for the company, which had raised only $7.3m in venture funding to date, according to industry journal Re/Code, which cited unnamed sources.

Acompli will continue as independent software, according to Soltero, but the acquisition also brings Microsoft “innovative technology and a set of talented people”, according to Microsoft’s Jha.

The acquisition is Microsoft’s latest move to reinforce its support for mobile platforms other than its own Windows Mobile.

Microsoft released the Outlook application for iOS last July, shortly after releasing Office for iOS.

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