HTC buys kids' app maker Inquisitive Minds
updated 02:00 pm EDT, Tue October 18, 2011
HTC goes for kids' apps, buys iOS-friendly company
HTC made another in a string of company buyouts Tuesday as it acquired Zoodles maker Inquisitive Minds for $13 million. The deal will get it the creator of a child-oriented front end for smartphones and tablets that both lets parents manage the enviroment, such as blocking ads or setting play times, as well as giving them a central place for books, drawing, games, and videos. HTC noted that there were about two million users, although it didn't say what would happen to Zoodles after the deal.
The deal is rare for HTC as it's acquiring a company that is genuinely cross-platform. All of its content is available for iPads and iPhones along with Android devices and desktops.
HTC has been making several deals to take advantage of its rapid growth on the back of Android smartphones. It took control of Beats' audio processing this year and almost instantly put it to use in devices like the Sensation XL. HTC also bought Dashwire for cloud syncing and Saffron Digital for what would become its Watch movie store. A third deal, for S3, gave it graphics engineers but may have been mostly to get a company that had a rare win against Apple in a patent dispute.
HTC as grown from being just a designer for carriers' phones to one of the largest smartphone makers, becoming second only to Samsung among Android builders.
