Group Commerce Acquires Socialight
Pioneering Mobile Technology Team to Lead Development of New Mobile Apps for Publishers and Merchants
New York (August 15, 2011) – Group Commerce Inc., a full-service group-buying solution built for the needs of publishers and merchants, today announced the acquisition of Socialight, the company behind a platform that enables local content publishers and communities to create their own mobile applications. Socialight Founder and CEO Dan Melinger will join the Group Commerce team as Director of Mobile & Social Product Management, and will bring with him Socialight’s engineering team.
“Socialight was instrumental in first establishing the location-based mobile content market,” said Jonty Kelt, CEO of Group Commerce. “Dan’s expertise will be a major asset for our publishers and the merchants that they work with. We’ve seen the demand for a white-label, best-in-breed mobile offering, and we’re meeting that need with today’s announcement.”
Founded in 2005 by Melinger and fellow graduates of New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program, businesses use Socialight’s self-serve platform to design and launch apps around location-based content. The company has powered mobile and web solutions for top brands such as Ford Motor Company, Travel Channel, and NBC Universal with its scalable, white-label platform.
Melinger will be charged with overseeing the development of mobile applications for Group Commerce’s publishers and merchants, drawing on his experience catering to businesses looking to drive hyper-local foot traffic to retail and traveler hot spots.
“Joining forces with Group Commerce is the natural next step for Socialight,” said Melinger. “We have deep experience using local and social context to deliver content. With deal programs increasingly accessed using mobile devices, this kind of context lets us cater to audience lifestyles like never before. I’m thrilled to be helping to develop the next generation of social commerce applications.”
Socialight has previously been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Discovery Channel, and the Economist, and Socialight alumni have gone on to launch Facebook Places and co-found foursquare.
ABOUT GROUP COMMERCE
Group Commerce Inc. is a white-label, full-service group buying platform built for the unique needs of publishers and merchants. Founded in 2010, its social commerce technology is already in use by several of the industry’s most respected brands. Backed by leading venture capital firms and other top investors, the Company is based in New York. For more information, visit www.groupcommerce.com.
ABOUT SOCIALIGHT
Socialight lets any person, brand, or media owner create local communities around user-created and branded content. Based in New York City, Socialight is a pioneer in location-based social media. By providing local experts and advocates with simple tools to create apps for mobile and web, Socialight and has provided its platform to customers big and small, including Wyndham Hotels, Travel Channel, Ford Motor Company, and over 1,000 others.
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