LinkedIn to buy news app Pulse?
The professional social network is the top contender in the bid to acquire the news-reading app, AllThingsD reports.
LinkedIn is getting ready to purchase news-reading app Pulse, AllThingsD reported today.
The app, which aggregates news and social media feeds, boasts more than 20 million users who are spread across more than 190 countries and read 10 million stories a day.
Unnamed sources told AllThingsD's Kara Swisher that the startup has had many suitors. Both Microsoft and Yahoo were talking to Pulse about an acquisition, and other companies including Facebook, Gannett and Amazon have been interested as well.
But the top contender is LinkedIn, and the two companies may announce the deal this week, according to the report. We've contacted both LinkedIn and Pulse, and we'll update when we hear back.
If LinkedIn is interested in the news-reading app, it's not a surprise. The interest in news apps like Pulse has been high among content providers. CNN bought Zite, one of Pulse's competitors, for a reported $20 million in 2011.
For its part, LinkedIn has been amping up its efforts to produce a reliable stream of content for its users -- and keep them coming back to the site each day for a fix of news.
In addition to launching a news page, LinkedIn started partnering with industry leaders, who write exclusive content for their followers within the network.