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Follow on Google News | Fanzter, Inc. Completes Early-stage FinancingCOLLINSVILLE, CT - Fanzter, Inc., a new media company has closed its first round of financing from Richard Barton (Expedia founder, Zillow.com CEO), and Seattle-based venture capital firms Second Avenue Partners and Curious Office Partners.
By: Fanzter, Inc. Founded by Aaron LaBerge and Eric Kirsten in June, 2007, Fanzter's mission is to create the world's best consumer Internet products. LaBerge, 34, a former senior vice president of technology and product development for ESPN, spent nearly a decade with The Walt Disney Company and ESPN. Kirsten, 38, held executive positions at AT&T, GlobalCenter, and Universal Pictures. He also has an extensive entrepreneurial background as a founder of TrueChat, Inc. (acquired by Terayon Communications) “We’re very fortunate to have the backing and support of such prominent and accomplished business leaders and investors,” said LaBerge, CEO of Fanzter. “Their collective business, technology, design and product development expertise is an incredible asset. We’re excited to tap into that expertise and vision as we continue building a product that people will love using.” "We invest in people as well as ideas," said Mike Slade, Partner at Second Avenue Partners. "Aaron and I go way back, and he and his co-founder, Eric, really impressed us with their product vision and their tenacity. If you love pop culture as much as I do, you're going to love what these guys are up to. They are working on a platform that should become an indispensable tool of your daily life. They're building a community with a purpose." Fanzter plans to launch their first product, Coolspotters.com, in early 2008. Visit Fanzter online at http://www.fanzter.com. About Fanzter Fanzter is a privately-held new media development company with a simple mission: to create the world's best consumer Internet products. The company is currently in the final stages of product development for its first product, Coolspotters.com, with plans to launch in early 2008. About the Investors Richard Barton: Rich is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zillow.com. Before creating Zillow.com, Rich founded the online travel site Expedia in 1994 and served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and a Director until March 2003. Previously, Rich worked in various product management roles for Microsoft. He is currently a venture partner at Benchmark Capital and on the board of directors of Netflix and most recently, Avvo, Inc., an online company focused on the legal industry. Rich holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. Nick Hanauer: Nick is co-founder of Second Avenue Partners. He most recently served as chairman of the board for the Internet media company Avenue A Media, Inc., a company he founded in 1996, before selling the company to Microsoft in 2007 for US$6 billion. Nick was also a founding investor for Amazon.com and served as a board advisor until January, 2000. Additionally, he founded and served as Chairman of gear.com, which merged with Overstock.com in 2001, and co-founded Museum Quality Framing Company, which today has 60 stores and is the largest of its kind on the west coast. Nick began his professional career, and still serves as Co-Chairman and chief strategy officer, at Pacific Coast Feather Company. He is active in the Seattle community and Washington state’s public education system, co-founding the League of Education Voters (LEV) with the goal of transforming the educational system to increase student achievement. He serves as co-president of the LEV and serves on the boards of the Seattle Downtown Association, The University of Washington Foundation and the Alliance for Education. Mike Slade: Mike is co-founder of the Seattle based venture capital company, Second Avenue Partners. He is the former Chairman and CEO of Starwave, Paul Allen’s multimedia and internet startup, where he was a key figure in the creation of the consumer internet, launching key sites ESPN.com, NBA.com, NFL.com, ABCNews.com, Mr. Showbiz and the Go.com network. Prior to Starwave, Mike spent 10 years in executive roles at both Steve Jobs’ NeXT Computer, Inc. and Microsoft (where he introduced products, including Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Works). He has also served as a high-level consultant at Apple Computer and Disney Internet Group. In 2000, he and two other former Microsoft executives purchased and re-launched the Professional Bowlers Association, where he currently sits on the board of directors. Mike is a board member of startups Fantasy Moguls, Azaleos, and GotVoice. He is active in the nonprofit field as a board member of the Broadway Bound Children's Theatre Company and the Seattle Theatre Group, and he also sits on the Board of Trustees of his alma mater, Colorado College. Adrian Hanauer: Adrian is the majority owner of The Seattle Sounders professional soccer club of the United Soccer League, and a part of the ownership group recently granted a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Seattle (beginning play the 2009 season). He is among the largest shareholders in the Cambridge United Football Club and has promoted numerous international soccer matches. Outside of soccer, Adrian has more than 15 years of business success in a variety of industries, and has invested in numerous early stage technology companies in advertising, infrastructure, and wireless communications. He recently co-founded technology incubator Curious Office Partners, which has invested in or developed multiple technology companies. He owns one of the largest picture framing chains in the United States, a chain of pizza restaurants and, with his family, owns the nation's largest manufacturer of pillows and bedding products. Adrian was an early investor in Amazon.com and a seed stage investor in aQuantive Inc, the largest interactive advertising company – recently acquired by Microsoft for US$6 billion. He was also an early investor in Amazon.com. Adrian is involved in many organizations in Seattle and sits on the advisory board of The University of Washington Intercollegiate Sports Master's Degree Program. He also is on the Board of Trustees for the Museum of History and Industry. Kelly Smith: Kelly is the founder of Curious Office, a Seattle-based investment and software development company. He was most recently co-founder and CEO of Imagekind, the fastest growing online venue to buy, sell or create original artwork. Kelly also founded RocketVox, an early distributor of online digital video technology which was acquired by thePlatform.com in 2001 and is today the leading content management system for audio and video. He has over 15 years of software experience, serving as Vice President of Product Marketing for Siemens/Nokia Home Entertainment, and European Director of Business Development at RealNetworks. Kelly started his career with SPRY, the world’s first commercial implementation of the Mosaic web-browser. The company was subsequently acquired by CompuServe and has long been a part of the AOL family. Angel Investors: Fanzter also received funding from angel investors within the media and entertainment industries. Contacts Eric Kirsten media@fanzter.com (860) 269-7247 -end- # # # About Fanzter Fanzter is a privately-held new media development company with a simple mission: to create the world's best consumer Internet products. The company is currently in the final stages of product development for its first product, Coolspotters.com, with plans to launch in early 2008. Website: www.fanzter.com End
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