Dive Brief:

• The Information and TechCrunch are reporting that Snapchat plans to acquire mobile search app Vurb for $110 million.
• The deal includes a $75 million retention bonus to keep Vurb CEO Bobby Lo on board.
• Vurb won TechCrunch’s Disrupt NY 2014 Startup Battlefield with its browsing-focused take on mobile search. 

Dive Insight:

Snapchat’s move to expand its features comes at a time when Facebook and Instagram are taking steps to replicate aspects of Snapchat’s user experience, such as Instagram Stories. 

Snapchat's potential acquisition of mobile search app Vurb could open up a number of interesting possibilities. TechCrunch speculated that Vurb could help Snapchat users make plans with friends by turning chats about movies, restaurants or places into an arrangement to meet along with map links. TechCrunch also said Snapchat could take advantage of a recent Vurb development that delivers personalized recommendations (such as Discover portal content) to users.

For Vurb, the Snapchat deal would allow it to continue to develop its mobile search technology in the closed ecosystem of Snapchat’s rapidly growing user base, rather than directly competing with Google’s mobile search, a point of emphasis for the tech giant.

The move to acquire Vurb comes as the social media app has become much more marketer-friendly as it has seeks to attract advertisers.