Last year, Netherland-based digital news aggregator Blendle was acquired by its French competitor Cafeyn for an undisclosed amount. Soon after the acquisition, Alexander Klopping stepped down as CEO and took a seat on Cafeyn’s board to further develop Blendle’s journalistic vision.
Bids farewell to Blendle
In a recent move, Alexander Klöpping, co-founder of Blendle, bids farewell to his digital kiosk as he wants to focus on new things.
On his official Medium page, he said, “This month will be my last month at Blendle. After almost eight years, I’m ready to move on.”
Klopping adds, “I’m not sure yet what’s next. But I knew that I first needed to take the hard step to leave because I care too much about you and this company to be able to truly think freely about what’s next for me. My curiosity tends to lead me in all kinds of directions. I think I’ll manage less and build new things. But we’ll see”
“My heart belongs to Blendle, so quitting is not easy. Even though I’ve been preparing mentally, it’s still a wrench to let go of my baby. It’s also very hard for me to take a couple of steps back and comprehend what I’ve *really* learned over the last years. What I’ve *really* appreciated. What I’ll *really* miss. It’ll take time to fully appreciate the depth of this big adventure. …”
iTunes for Dutch newspapers
Founded by Alexander Klöpping, and Marten Blankesteijn in 2014, Blendle allows readers to pay for individual articles from major publishers, instead of having to pay a monthly subscription.
Till date, the company has raised €7M in funding from various investors including INKEF Capital, Nikkei Inc, The New York Times, and others.
With the acquisition, the Cafeyn Group of companies now offers more than 2500 newspapers and magazines and serves over 1.5 million active users across Europe. The company brings the best of both companies and apps together into a unified experience.
