Google cuts deal for Dealmap

Google has acquired Dealmap, a California-based startup that will fuel Mountain View's efforts to mimic Groupon.

Launched in May 2010, Dealmap aggregates "daily deals" from hundreds of sources, and according to the company, its various services are now used by over 2 million people.

"We are impressed with what The Dealmap team has accomplished and excited to welcome them to Google," Google said in a statement shared with various news outlets. "We've been thrilled with the early success of our commerce offerings, and we think they can help us build even better products and services for consumers and merchants."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Google recently rolled out its own daily deals service, Google Offers, after apparently failing in a bid to purchase Groupon, the poster child of the online daily deals services. Google Offers was first launched in Portland, and it has since expanded to New York and San Francisco. Presumably, Dealmap will be rolled into the Offers effort.

"We believe Google provides the ideal platform to help us accelerate our growth and fulfill our mission," Dealmap said in a blog post. "We’re passionate about helping people save money while having great local experiences, and in Google we’ve found the perfect partner that shares this passion, as well as our vision and strategy. We believe that joining Google will help us innovate in new and unexplored areas of commerce."

Dealmap said that "for time being", it will continue to support its primary services, including its main website, mobile apps, daily email service, and API. The company has about 15 employees, and the entire staff will be moved from Menlo Park, California to Google HQ in Mountain View. ®