Yahoo just added another startup to its string of acquisitions after buying ephemeral messaging app Blink, but we're not going to see a new Blink revamped under the Yahoo brand.
Blink allows users to send text, images, voice and videos that self-destruct after a period of time set by the sender. Meh Labs, the company behind Blink, reported around 100,000 downloads in its one year of existence, and was set to conquer a growing market in the Middle East. Any plans of expansion, however, are shelved after Blink announced it was acquired by Yahoo, which will be discontinuing its mobile messaging service.
"We're excited to announce that as of May 13, 2014, Blink is joining Yahoo," said Blink co-founders Kevin Stephens and Michelle Norgan on the Blink blog. "We look forward to the possibilities that will come from bringing the Blink vision to Yahoo. What does this mean for you as a Blink user? In the next few weeks, we will be shutting down Blink for both Android and iOS."
Stephens and Norgan also urged anyone with questions to send them an email, promising that they will personally pen the reply.
TechCrunch reports that Yahoo has confirmed the acquisition, saying that all seven members of the Blink team will be moving over to Yahoo to work on the technology firm's own projects. Blink's shutdown, however, "implies that the deal for Blink was one that was more about the talent behind the app, rather than the app itself."
Last year, Yahoo purchased more startups than any other technology company in the United States, apparently in its attempt to buttress its mobile business, where most of the advertising dollars are coming in. However, while Yahoo continues to struggle, Facebook, which also strained during its transition to mobile, is now making the majority of its advertising revenue on ad sales made on tablets and smartphones.
The social network also hit the headlines when its $3 billion proposed buyout of another self-destructing messaging app was rejected. Snapchat, which is currently the leader in ephemeral messaging, allows users to send photos and texts that disappear within a few seconds of sending. Currently, there are 100 million Snapchat users sending 350 million disappearing images every day.
Following Yahoo's purchase of Blink, Snapchat's value could rise above the estimated $4 billion. Similar apps, such as Wickr, Confide and Criptext, could become targets for acquisitions as well.
It's not all sunshine and daisies for disappearing image apps, though. Last week, Facebook killed Poke, which was essentially a Snapchat clone, without revealing its reasons for discontinuing the service.
