U.S.-based online ticket provider Groupon said Wednesday that it was purchasing a controlling stake in Russian competitor Darberry.
Darberry, which offers daily deals to subscribers, will begin operating under the Groupon brand within the next couple of months, and its founder, Alexei Chernyak, will stay on to lead the subsidiary, the U.S. company said.
Groupon also said it was acquiring Japan's Qpod, which provides a similar service.
“The launch of Groupon Japan and Groupon Russia reaffirms our global expansion into Asia and deeper into Europe,” Rob Solomon, Groupon's president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition of Darberry will not be Groupon's first experience with Russian business. In April, media holding Digital Sky Technologies led a $135 million round of funding for the Chicago-based web site.
DST, which owns stakes in Mail.ru and Facebook, among other social media enterprises, did not disclose the terms of the deal.
