Groupon Acquires Blink To Enhance Groupon Getaways

has acquired Blink, a last-minute travel app available in eight European countries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Groupon did reveal that it plans to use Blink to enhance the existing services from Groupon Getaways. "We are very excited to welcome the Blink team to the Groupon family," Aaron Cooper, senior VP of Groupon Getaways, said in a

. "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." Described as a "leading European destination for great deals on highly curated, same-day hotel bookings," Blink works with more than 2,000 hotel partners. "Groupon's commitment to expanding its travel business and its focus on delivering a first-rate experience for its customers make this a great fit for Blink," said Blink CEO and founder Rebecca Minguela, who was also quoted in the company release. "We are looking forward to building more relationships with top hotels around the world and helping customers find unbeatable deals, even when booking at the last minute." Blink's current website is located at

. The site's fate has not been revealed, but Groupon said that the app will be re-branded as "Blink by Groupon."

After the transformation is complete, Groupon will allow Blink to operate separately from its new owner. The goal of the Blink team will be to develop an integrated experience that "takes advantage of the full breadth of Groupon Getaways global travel offers." Shares of Groupon soared last month after the company

and announced that Eric Lefkofsky would be the company's new full-time CEO. Year-to-date, Groupon is up more than 117 percent. In July, Groupon announced a new reservation service called Groupon Reserve. The service is expected to be a staunch competitor to industry leader

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