Rumor: Apple acquires social network Path

Apple is rumored to want to take over the ailing social network Path. The Cupertino company is said to be planning to integrate Path, which is praised for its beautiful interface, into its messaging app.

A source within Apple’s engineering department is said to have told the Pando news site that the deal is almost complete; it would just have to be signed. Path founder Dave Morin sat in the front row at Apple’s keynote on Tuesday evening, a seat reserved for Apple insiders and top executives. With the acquisition and integration of Path, Apple would like to expand the social functions of its messenger app.

Morin worked at Apple and Facebook before founding Path in 2010. Path is an app that allows users to share messages and photos with friends. Unique to the social network is that people can have up to 150 friends. The limit is set to ensure that people maintain a high-quality social network.

After the introduction of Path, the app was regularly featured in Apple commercials and keynotes, the iPhone builder is said to be enthusiastic about the design. In the last year and a half, the social network has grown slowly. Path currently has 25 million users and is especially popular in Indonesia. It is not known how many users are actually active. In January, the start-up raised $25 million in a difficult investment round. The company was valued at $400 million.