In a bid to expand its personalized offerings for consumers, German hotel metasearch platform Trivago has acquired artificial intelligence startup TripHappy.
TripHappy, based in the United States and founded in 2015, analyzes location data from more than 25,000 neighborhoods in more than 10,000 cities to make personalized recommendations for travelers.
The platform has more than 2.4 million bookable accommodations, and more than 100,000 trips have been created via the TripHappy site.
Still, the acquisition is essentially a purchase of the startup's technology and founders, Calvin Hawkes and Carl Grafmuller, both of whom will join Trivago's Hotel Search team.
For Trivago, the acquisition is the latest in its efforts to update its search functionality, following the purchase of AI startup Tripl in September of last year as well as a partnership with incubator Plug and Play last month.
It also echoes the company's statements following its first-quarter earnings last month that it's investing heavily in machine learning.
"We are always looking for innovative ways to solve the hotel search problem, making it easier for travelers to find their ideal accommodation," says Elie Matta, head of corporate development at Trivago.
"The TripHappy team's long-term vision aligns with our own, and we believe the team's approach to product innovation will be a great fit."