Google acquires Sigmoid Labs

Google has acquired Bengaluru-based startup Sigmoid Labs, the parent company of the popular train tracking app, Where Is My Train, for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition is viewed as part of Google's larger game plan to bring on board next billion customers on its platform via Google’s Next Billion Users division.

Where Is My Train, an app developed in 2016, helps users check live train status without the need for internet connectivity. The parent company of the app is founded by five former executives of a US-based tech company TiVo Corporation.

The company is in intense competition with companies like iXigo and RailYatri in a similar space. The government-owned Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is also planning to come up with a platform for real-time time sharing of trains with its commuters.

According to analysts, the value of the deal is somewhere between $30 and $34 million.

When contacted by DH, Google Spokesperson for Sigmoid Labs said, "We are excited that they’re joining Google, and will be part of a team that will continue to build on the current offering and more. We have no other specifics to share beyond their announcement."

In a LinkedIn page, the company stated that the team behind the “Where is my train” app is joining Google.

"We can think of no better place to help us achieve our mission, and we’re excited to join Google to help bring technology and information into more people’s hands,” states the company.

“Where Is My Train” app was created to use the cell tower technology to track a train, instead of GPS. The app has around 10 million downloads. It is available in several Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

This is the second acquisition made by Google in India. A year ago, it had acquired Bengaluru-based AI startup, Halli Labs.