Groupon Acquires Blink App

We all love a great deal, don’t we? And online deals just seem better (maybe that’s psychological?).  Whether it’s eating out, buying furniture or even travel, there are bargains galore to be had out there and according to their website, Groupon is such a bargain store.

They describe themselves as a city guide with a twist! Since the company was founded in 2009, their team has taken pride in handpicking deals to direct people to the best things to do, see, eat and buy at spots near where you reside as well as “unearthed gems” further afield. The company wants you think of them as a tool of discovery, they say: “like a compass with impeccable taste”.

So a new buyout of a great travel app seems like a good idea for all would be jetsetters.  The money saving/discount company Groupon has acquired Blink Booking, the Madrid-based startup behind last-minute hotel booking app Blink.  The deals service announced the acquisition on Monday. Unfortunately we do not have any further insight into the deal as the terms of the business venture were not immediately disclosed.

Blink was founded back in 2011, and raised $2.5 million in funding only last year, which it then used to expand the company’s operations. The app currently offers services for last-minute bookings for hotels in only 184 cities across eight countries, according to the company’s website. The app, which has been downloaded more than 600,000 times to date, may give Groupon more of a foothold in the European sector.  Aaron Cooper, senior vice-president of Groupon Getaways, said in a statement “The combination of a fantastic mobile app, same-day inventory management for properties and a team that is obsessed with mobile and last-minute travel will help us further expand our travel business as the go-to destination for great deals on great places to stay”. The Blink app will currently continue to operate separately, but will be renamed “Blink by Groupon.”  The app is available on both iOS and Android OS.

[Image via promozionealbergo]

SOURCE: http://mashable.com/2013/09/09/groupon-acquires-blink-booking/