Automattic, WordPress’ Parent Company, Moves Into E-Commerce With WooThemes Acquisition

Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, has announced its acquisition of WooThemes, the maker of popular blog themes and an even more popular WordPress-based, e-commerce platform called WooCommerce.

The WooCommerce plugin currently has more than 7.6 million downloads and more than a million active installations. In his blog post announcing the deal, Automattic co-founder Matt Mullenweg also cites BuiltWith.com statistics that show WooCommerce is in use on almost 25 percent of all websites with e-commerce technology.

Mullenweg says the company’s move into e-commerce has been something users have been asking for a while now.

…at a WordCamp a few years ago, someone stood up and asked me when we were going to make it as easy to create an online store as we’d made it to create a blog. Everyone applauded; there’s long been demand for better ecommerce functionality, but it’s been outside the scope of what Automattic could do well.

According to Recode.net, sources are putting the purchase at more than $30 million in cash and stock. Automattic now has 380 employees spread across 42 countries.

For more perspective on the Automattic/WooThemes deal, check out Brian Krogsgard’s article on Post Status.

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Matt McGee

Matt McGee is the Editor-In-Chief of Search Engine Land. His news career includes time spent in TV, radio, and print journalism. After leaving traditional media in the mid-1990s, he began developing and marketing websites and continued to provide consulting services for more than 15 years. His SEO and social media clients ranged from mom-and-pop small businesses to one of the Top 5 online retailers. Matt is a longtime speaker at marketing events around the U.S., including keynote and panelist roles. He can be found on Twitter at @MattMcGee and/or on Google Plus. You can read Matt’s disclosures on his personal blog. You can reach Matt via email using our Contact page.

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