Dropbox nabs cloud-based photo library Snapjoy

Dropbox is continuing to reveal its interest in getting into the online photo sharing space. The latest piece of evidence is the acquisition of Snapjoy, a startup that provides a cloud-based photo library.

For reference, Snapjoy's platform can be used to collect photos from a multiude of online and offline sources (i.e. Flickr, desktops, an iPhone, etc.) to be stored in a cloud-based account. Users can elect to share some or all photos, either via invite to select friends or on social networks.

One of the differences that Snapjoy aimed to convey is that its elegant photo stream displays photos in the order in which the user "lived them" -- presumably based on when the original photo was generated.

Snapjoy executives confirmed the news in a blog post on Wednesday. Here's a snippet from their statement:

As a fellow Y Combinator company, we’ve always admired Dropbox and loved their product. From the moment we met the founders, it was clear we shared a common goal. By combining forces with their amazing team, we can leverage the technology and scale of their platform and focus on what matters -- delivering an incredible photo experience to over 100 million people.

The Snapjoy team added that while they are closing the door on new signups, existing users can continue to use Snapjoy just as they do now. More details are promised to become available to members in the coming weeks.

Earlier this week, Dropbox rolled out a revamped edition of its iOS app, which mainly focused on the photo management and sharing features. Those new functions included a timeline stream of automatically uploaded photos as well as a splashy new viewing feature for the iPad version.

Thus, with the Instagram kerfuffle this week, it might be perfect timing for Dropbox (not to mention other competitors) to turn up the heat in the photo sharing space.

Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. TechCrunch reported that the Boulder, Colo.-based team will be moving to Dropbox's base in San Francisco.

Screenshot via Snapjoy