Microsoft confirms acquisition of German startup behind Wunderlist app

Wunderlist lets people sync their to-do lists through applications for platforms including iOS, Android, Mac OS, Windows, and the web. It comes highly reviewed by users across platforms.

The deal won't immediately affect any existing Wunderlist users, company co-founder and CEO Christian Reber said in a blog post. Wunderlist's existing applications will remain functional, and the company will continue to develop the service from its offices in Berlin. The service's business model will carry on after the acquisition, and people who pay for a Wunderlist Pro or Business subscription will continue to be charged.

At least for the time being, it seems like it's business as usual for Wunderlist as 6Wunderkinder begins integrating with Microsoft following the acquisition. According to Reber's post, more developments are soon coming for the service, including many new features, an expansion of the partner ecosystem and a push to grow the user base into the "billions of people."

Previous reports pegged the value of the deal between $100 and $200 million. A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to share the financial terms of the acquisition.

It's clear why 6Wunderkinder was an appealing buy for Microsoft: the service has more than 13 million users, who have created a total of 1 billion to-do list items.

It's the third maker of cross-platform productivity apps Microsoft has acquired recently. In December, Microsoft acquired Acompli, the maker of an email app for iOS and Android that went on to become Outlook for iOS and Android. Earlier this year, Sunrise Atelier, the company behind the Sunrise calendar app, sold to Microsoft as well.

It's part of the firm's larger "mobile-first, cloud-first" strategy spearheaded by CEO Satya Nadella that has seen Microsoft expand its offerings across mobile platforms beyond Windows. Over the past year, the company has released versions of its Office productivity suite for iOS and Android that people can use for free, though accessing more advanced features requires an Office 365 subscription.