In what appears to be a new trend where companies are acquired for tech talent rather than products, Google has made an acquisition - Sparkbuy, in a deal of undisclosed size. The site has been shut down, and from the note that appears on it looks like the startup’s founder are joining Google as employees.

Sparkbuy, a Seattle-based startup which describes itself as 'Kayak for consumer electronics', launched its product only a few months ago. It has raised $1 million in funding and is a high-powered product search engine and comparison shopping site with a focus on consumer electronics.The company launched its beta service - focused solely on laptops - in November. Sparkbuy had planned to extend the service to other consumer electronics, such as TVs and mobile devices, but now the team is expected to join Google's Kirkland offices.

So, why was Google interested? Sparkbuy has got an extensive facility of searching for products and comparison among them, with a good user interface design. You enter which criteria are important to you, and the site will give a listing of laptops that it thinks you’ll like best. You could also use in-depth filtering options to break down results. The assumption is that Google will use Sparkbuy’s technology to boost Google Product Search, its own comparison shopping engine.

From a statement Google made

We’re thrilled that Sparkbuy will be joining Google. They have built an impressive comparison shopping site that is simple in design yet powerful for consumers, and we think their expertise, vision and energy will be a great addition to our Kirkland office.