Skip to main content [aditude-amp id="stickyleaderboard" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":339314,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"business,entrepreneur,mobile,","session":"A"}']

Nuance in talks to acquire Swype for $102.5M

Swype on a tablet A new SEC document filed by communication technology company Nuance today reveals that the company paid $102.5 million to acquire Swype — with $77.5 million  paid upfront and the remaining amount in 18 months.

Swype is best known for its touch screen-based predictive text technology, which allows people to draw (or swipe) characters instead of typing individual buttons on a graphical keyboard. Its Swype application is optimized for many different devices, like smartphones, tablets, TVs, gaming consoles and more.

[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":339314,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"business,entrepreneur,mobile,","session":"A"}']

It’s not surprising that Nuance would be interested in buying Swype. Nuance’s T9 predictive text software, which is used on over 3 billion mobile phones worldwide, is a direct competitor to Swype’s application. Also, Swype’s co-founder Cliff Kushler created the T9 technology. So basically, Nuance would be eliminating competition, (potentially) gaining new talent and gaining a hot new product (the Swype application).

Founded in 2002, Seattle-based Swype has $13.9 million total funding from Samsung Ventures, Nokia Growth Partners, Benaroya Capital, DoCoMo Capital, Ignition Partners and others.

VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Learn More