Google buying Seattle-based Picnik

On the prowl for more acquisitions, Google is buying Picnik, the Seattle online photo-editing site, the companies said Monday.

Picnik, founded in 2005, has 20 employees and 2 million visitors a month, according to its blog.

Picnik's technology allows users to edit, crop and add special effects to photos online in a Web browser.

Google, the dominant online search company, based in Mountain View, Calif., offers online photo sharing and free photo-editing software through its Picasa services.

"What does this mean for Picnik? It means we can think BIG," said a blog post written by several Picnik staff members. Users of Picnik services should not expect any immediate changes, the post said.

Picnik's team, which is now based in downtown Seattle, will move to Google's Seattle office in the Fremont neighborhood.

The company had no further comment Monday.

Picnik CEO Jonathan Sposato started PhatBits, another company he sold to Google before Picnik.

Picnik has partnerships with competing search company Yahoo and its photo-sharing site Flickr. Google said on its blog it will integrate Picnik's features and continue to support existing partnerships.

Neither company said how much the deal is worth.

The purchase represents the eighth small tech company Google has acquired in the past seven months, according to The Associated Press.

Sharon Pian Chan: 206-464-2958 or schan@seattletimes.com