Facebook will buy startup Parse for $85 million, according to a report.
Parse, which was founded in 2011 and helps companies build mobile applications across different platforms, had already raised $7 million and was going through its second round of funding when Facebook stepped in, according to the Wall Street Journal which used unnamed sources.
The startup was on the way to raising $50 million when Facebook offered $85 million in cash and stock. Apparently startup Dropbox made an offer but was outbid by the social network.
From the WSJ story:
Douglas Purdy, Facebook's head of platform, said in a blog post that the social network acquired Parse to "enable developers to rapidly build apps that span mobile platforms and devices." Facebook declined comment beyond the blog post.