- notes
- {"status": "Acquired", "acquirer": "You42, Inc.", "acquirer_location": "Atlanta, Georgia, United States", "acquisition_price_usd": null, "timeline": [{"event": "Service shut down due to running out of capital", "date": "2014-06", "source_urls": ["https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2014/08/11/why-some-startups-die-the-case-of-earbits/", "https://www.socaltech.com/earbits_shuts_down/s-0055570.html", "https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm"]}, {"event": "Site offline for approximately three days", "date": "2014-06", "source_urls": ["https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2014/08/11/why-some-startups-die-the-case-of-earbits/", "https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm"]}, {"event": "Letter of intent from You42 received within 48 hours of shutdown; service relaunched", "date": "2014-06", "source_urls": ["https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm", "https://musically.com/2014/06/23/earbits-is-back-online-thanks-to-a-mystery-strategic-partner/", "https://www.socaltech.com/Joey_Flores_On_Earbits_Life_Death_and_Resurrection/s-0062151.html"]}, {"event": "Acquisition formally announced publicly", "date": "2015-09-24", "source_urls": ["https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm", "http://www.you42inc.com/news/press-release/earbits-announces-acquisition/"]}, {"event": "Variety reported acquisition had effectively happened in 2014 during shutdown/rescue, with public announcement delayed until ahead of new app launches", "date": "2015", "source_urls": ["https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/earbits-previews-new-mobile-apps-reveals-new-owner-1201601211/"]}], "post_acquisition_notes": [{"note": "Variety reported Earbits may eventually rebrand as You42 Radio.", "source_urls": ["https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/earbits-previews-new-mobile-apps-reveals-new-owner-1201601211/"]}, {"note": "Audrey Capital portfolio lists Earbits as sold to You42 in 2015.", "source_urls": ["http://audrey.co/"]}, {"note": "As of June 2026, earbits.com domain metadata references You42 branding rather than an independent Earbits product site.", "source_urls": ["https://website.informer.com/earbits.com"]}], "current_operational_status": "Acquired; independent streaming service status after 2015 not established from primary sources reviewed", "source_urls": ["https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/earbits", "https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm", "https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/earbits-previews-new-mobile-apps-reveals-new-owner-1201601211/", "http://audrey.co/"]}
- source urls
- ["http://audrey.co/", "https://variety.com/2015/digital/news/earbits-previews-new-mobile-apps-reveals-new-owner-1201601211/", "https://www.prweb.com/releases/earbits_announces_acquisition_after_shutdown_all_new_apps_incoming/prweb12980513.htm", "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/earbits"]