Yahoo buys self-destructing messaging app Blink: All you need to know

There have been several Snapchat-inspired apps in the past two years. Blink, yet-another Snapchat-like self destructing messaging app has now been acquired by Yahoo. Does Yahoo plan to revamp/re-launch the app? Certainly not! Just like we’ve seen in the past, the company will shut it down.   The Blink website now reads, “We’re excited to announce that as of May 13, 2014, Blink is joining Yahoo! We built Blink because we believe everyone should be free to show the same honesty and spontaneity in their online conversations as they can in person. We look forward to the possibilities that will come from bringing the Blink vision to Yahoo. We can’t begin to express how grateful we are for your support throughout this journey. We hope you stick with us through the next chapter.”   Ex-Googler Kevin Stephens and Michelle Norgan founded the company Meh Labs that has built the Blink app. According to Techcrunch, the startup initially focused on a location-based service called Kismet. As Kismet didn’t really take off, the team moved their focuss towards secret mobile messaging space.   Though Yahoo will pull the plug on the messaging app, the seven member Blink team will be joining the Internet giant. The terms of the deal are not yet disclosed. It all seems to be a part of the big plan by Marissa Mayer to bounce back in the mobile space.   Venturebeat points out,” Yahoo bought more US tech companies than any other company last year, with 22 acquisitions, according to a recent report. Many of those companies — including Alike, GoPollGo, Jybe, MileWise, andSummly — have shut down their applications after confirming that Yahoo had bought them, although a few, like Astrid and Tumblr, live on. Clearly, Yahoo’s buying streak goes on.”   Blink is little over a year old, launched last year in April for iOS. In fact, the Android variant of the app was launched earlier in February. Though more than 50 percent of its users are from the US, the app has started gaining attention in the Middle East, off late. The startup had even disclosed its plans of localizing in Arabic along with some pro features, earlier this year.   Clearly, Yahoo didn’t plan to buy the app, but simply acquire the talent behind it to probably spruce up its mown mobile products. For instance, Techcrunch reveals, Stephens has had a stint as the senior director of device product partnerships at Boxee, PM at Google and YouTube, and was an engineer with Apple. However, industry experts and investors have now reportedly begun questioning Yahoo’s strategy to acquire talent rather than product.   Blink has raised $1 million in seed funding from Triple Point, NEA, AngelPad, and also several angel investors.   Yahoo has acquired several small, mobile start-ups since Mayer took over. The company has 430 million monthly users of its mobile products.   Mobile messaging apps have drawn buyer attention in the past year as large internet companies seek to capitalize on the appeal of free services offered through the apps, especially in emerging markets.   Snapchat received a $3 billion buyout offer from Facebook late last year, which it rejected. Facebook later acquired mobile messaging app Whatsapp for $19 billion, its largest acquisition ever.   In February, Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten Inc bought Viber, a mobile app enabling free calls and messages, for $900 million.   With input from Reuters