Nalden, co-founder of WeTransfer, has launched Boomerang, a new file transfer service, citing dissatisfaction with changes at his former company following its acquisition by Bending Spoons in 2023.
Nalden, a Dutch entrepreneur who co-founded WeTransfer in 2009, stated that he believes updates implemented since his departure in 2019 have compromised the product. After the acquisition, WeTransfer altered transfer link functionality and reduced its staff by 75%. This year, the company faced criticism for using user content to train AI models, later reversing its terms of service.
Nalden told TechCrunch that Bending Spoons’ “private equity strategy” does not prioritize users, adding that these actions spurred him to create an alternative focusing on simplicity and user experience.
Boomerang enables file transfers without requiring user logins. Nalden emphasized the service’s focus on user experience and ease of use, eliminating sign-up and email verification processes.
For casual users, the non-login option provides 1GB of total storage, a 1GB file size limit, and a seven-day expiration. Creating a free account increases total storage to 3GB, raises the file size limit to 3GB, and adds upload history, file management capabilities, and custom emojis for sharing pages.
A €6.99 per-month subscription tier offers 200GB per folder and 500GB of total storage, a 5GB file size limit, custom folder covers, password protection, file expiration up to 90 days, and unlimited user invites per folder. Nalden stated that Boomerang will avoid advertising and unnecessary user data collection, asserting that advertising adds complexity.
Boomerang features a minimalist interface. While Nalden uses AI to develop the product, user-facing AI features are not planned. Boomerang is currently available via web browser, with a dedicated Mac application scheduled for future release.
