Skyscanner CEO and Co-Founder Gareth Williams

Skyscanner, a veteran in the travel search market, has acquired Distinction a mobile app development company based in Budapest. The 30-strong team of web developers and designers will continue to be based in Budapest and will form Skyscanner’s new mobile hub. The acquisition sees Skyscanner bringing mobile app development in-house. Distinction recently received 1^st place in the Rising Star category in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50, Central Europe report 2014.

Skyscanner and Distinction have an existing working relationship that dates back to 2011. A couple of years back, Distinction helped build Skyscanner’s Window’s 8 flight search. More recently in August the two companies worked together to develop Skyscanner’s iOS and Android hotel app.

Skyscanner has received more than 30 million downloads for its various apps, which are available in more than 30 languages.

Skyscanner’s Co-founder and CEO, commented “The future of online travel booking is undoubtedly mobile. More and more of travellers’ plans are made on the move and that is accelerating fast.

The team at Distinction, led by Bálint Orosz and Akos Kapui, are some of the best app developers that I’ve ever come across. In working closely with them on the design of our hotel app, we saw how focused they were on the user experience. They have built a fantastic company with a great culture and, as part of our combined team, will focus on creating the mobile travel assistant that future travellers will need.”

In August, Skyscanner announced that it was creating 250 new jobs as it looks to boost its international growth over the next 12 months. In June, Skyscanner bought Chinese travel search start-up Youbibi. Skyscanner received an investment from Sequoia Capital in October 2013. The amount of the investment wasn’t disclosed; however, it came at an astounding valuation of Skyscanner of $800 million.