Flipboard Acquires Portland Startup Graze
Flipboard acquired Graze to enhance open social protocols and user content control.
On 26 August 2026, Flipboard, a content discovery platform, acquired Portland-based startup Graze. Graze, co-founded by Devin Gaffney, Peat Bakke, and Andrew Lisowski, specializes in enabling users to create and monetize custom social algorithms without coding. The financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed.
Graze has established itself as a player in the open social web, having delivered over 41 billion posts to 12 million users. This acquisition aims to combine Flipboard’s front-end discovery tools with Graze’s algorithmic engine to enhance users’ content control and expand open social protocols.
The acquisition aligns with Flipboard’s strategy under CEO Mike McCue to invest in open social protocols like AT Protocol and ActivityPub. Initiatives such as the Surf browser further support this direction. The combination will integrate Graze’s back-end capabilities with Flipboard’s Surf, enhancing how users interact with platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon.
For Graze, joining forces with Flipboard provides an opportunity to leverage established infrastructure, addressing previous operational challenges. Gaffney noted that aligning with Flipboard accelerates the development process, benefiting from an already robust system.
The acquisition responds to the increasing need for a user-first approach in the attention economy. As concerns over generative AI grow, Flipboard and Graze aim to offer an alternative to legacy platforms like Facebook by empowering users with tailored content experiences.
Looking forward, Graze’s core products will remain operational, with the team shifting to Flipboard’s larger ecosystem. Gaffney and software engineer Nick Gerakines are transitioning to Flipboard, continuing to advance Graze’s platform within the new organizational structure.
The move also signals a strategic shift as companies like Flipboard advocate for user-controlled content environments. With traditional platforms facing scrutiny over content algorithms, this acquisition potentially sets a precedent for similar collaborations in the industry.
Stakeholders and industry observers will now closely watch how the integration unfolds and its impact on the broader social media landscape. Further development of user-driven, open social protocols may redefine the way content is curated and consumed.
Overall, this acquisition not only enhances Flipboard’s technological capabilities but also strengthens its position in advocating for a more equitable attention economy.