Microsoft acquires calendar app Sunrise for more than $100 Million

Microsoft has acquired calendar app Sunrise for north of $100 Million. The company’s founder, Pierre Valade, all but confirmed the acquisition on Twitter today, marking a huge win for investors Resoluto, NextView, Lerer Ventures, as well as Angels including Loic Le Meur, Hunter Walk & Dave Morin, who poured a collective $2.2 Million into the startup 18 months ago. The startup was not currently generating revenue, Valade sought only to build a beautiful calendar application. Mission accomplished (like many, it’s one of my four main-bar apps on iPhone).
The application integrates with Outlook, but also Google Calendar and other apps; however, the killer features include profiles of the people you’re about to have meetings with (saves me the effort of googling them as I arrive), as well as the ease with which you can transfer from looking at Today, this week, next month, and next year’s plans.
Many were quick to punish Microsoft for spending a collective $300 Million on re-inventing its own products, citing Sunrise as well as Accompli, acquired last year. I think there is a case of Microsoft-bashing here, given that Google has done almost the exact same thing on numerous accounts, including the acquisition of Sparrow.
Valade previously worked as a UX Designer for Foursquare – we’ll see if his former boss has the same success in the near future.