Categories: OLD Media Moves

Business Insider raises $12 million from investors

Business Insider raised an additional $12 million in funding from investors including Amazon.com Inc. Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, reports William Launder of The Wall Street Journal.

Launder writes, “The site plans to use the money for growth efforts including hiring more journalists and photographers as well as to help finance a launch into the U.K., Business Insider Chief Executive Henry Blodget said. The money will also go to expanding the site’s subscription research and advertising staff.

“Business Insider has emerged as a popular source for online business and general interest news, spanning topics from Warren Buffett to the Oscars. In January, Business Insider ranked as the fourth largest business news site, drawing a total of 25.4 million unique visitors on desktop and mobile devices, according to comScore. That is more than AOL Inc.’s Money and Finance and Bloomberg L.P.’s news site.

“Mr. Bezos’ investment firm, Bezos Expeditions, was the lead investor in the latest funding round, according to a person familiar with the company. Other investors in the latest round include RRE Ventures, Institutional Venture Partners and publishing executives Jim Friedlich and Gordon Crovitz. Those investors, like Mr. Bezos, have previously provided funding to Business Insider.

“Representatives from Amazon, Bezos Expeditions, RRE and Institutional Venture Partners weren’t immediately available for comment. Mr. Friedlich and Mr. Crovitz confirmed their investment.”

Read more here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.

Recent Posts

Dynamo hires former Business Insider executive editor Harrington

Former Business Insider executive editor Rebecca Harrington has been hired by Dynamo to be its…

16 hours ago

Bloomberg TV hires Kerubo as desk producer

Bloomberg Television has hired Brenda Kerubo as a desk producer in London. She will be covering Europe's…

16 hours ago

Jittery CNBC staff reassured by new boss

In a meeting at CNBC headquarters Thursday afternoon, incoming boss Mark Lazarus presented a bullish…

17 hours ago

Making business news accessible to a wider audience

Ritika Gupta, the BBC's North American business correspondent, was interviewed by Global Woman magazine about…

17 hours ago

Rest of World hires Lo as China reporter

Rest of World has hired Kinling Lo as a China reporter. Lo was previously a…

17 hours ago

Bloomberg rises to No. 7 biz news website

Bloomberg News saw strong unique visitor growth to its website in October, passing Fox Business…

18 hours ago