In a strategic move to deepen its connection with Generation Z, Snap Inc. has officially acquired Saturn, a popular social calendar app loved by high school and college students across the U.S.. While the financial terms weren’t disclosed, Saturn will continue to operate independently, at least for now.
What Is Saturn?
Founded in 2018 by Dylan Diamond and Max Baron, Saturn offers students an interactive scheduling experience tailored to their academic routines. It supports rotation calendars, block schedules, lunch waves, rehearsals, sports practices, and other campus activities. The platform encourages sharing timetables with classmates to foster collaboration and real-time coordination.
-
Adopted by over 80% of U.S. high schools—available at more than 17,000 schools.
-
Nearly 30 full-time employees from Saturn have joined Snap.
-
Backed by major VCs, including General Catalyst, Insight, Coatue, Bezos Expeditions, Marc Benioff, Dara Khosrowshahi, and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures, having raised at least $44 million.
Why Snap Made the Move
Snapchat is renowned for ephemeral messaging and social features like Snap Maps. With heightened competition from platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and WhatsApp with their event functions, this acquisition aims to bolster Snapchat’s appeal as more than just a messaging app.
By integrating Saturn, Snap can:
-
Offer smart scheduling—allowing students to view friends’ schedules and plan events within the Snapchat app.
-
Introduce study reminders, live class updates, and group meet-ups embedded in chat and story features.
-
Leverage user behavior to enable contextual advertising, encouraging real-world connections and event participation.
What’s Next?
Snap has stated that Saturn will continue as a standalone app, but future updates will likely introduce growing integration points:
-
Seamless Scheduling – Friends might soon coordinate plans directly through Snapchat.
-
Dynamic Snap Integrations – Expect real-time calendar updates shared via Snap Stories or personalised Bitmojis.
-
Shared Student Timelines – Enabling social feeds tied to school routines, clubs, and events.
-
Enhanced Ad Framework – Embedding ads within schedules and reminders to align with user activities.
Broader Implications
This move reflects Snapchat’s strategic pivot toward utility-driven services that deepen daily engagement beyond casual messaging. In an increasingly video- and entertainment-focused social media landscape, Snap is repositioning itself as an essential tool for daily digital planning, not just social sharing.
Final Thoughts
By bringing Saturn’s social calendar prowess into its ecosystem, Snap isn’t just keeping pace—it’s setting a course to become more deeply woven into the daily routines of Gen Z. Whether it’s planning study sessions, coordinating weekend activities, or launching a group chat based on shared classes, Snapchat is poised to become the go-to hub for student life.
and then