paidContent.org - Fanzter Raises $2 Million Second Round For Celeb Style Site

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Amanda Natividad

paidContent.org
Tuesday, March 3, 2009; 9:06 PM

Fanzter, the creator of celebrity and style-focused site Coolspotters has closed its second round of funding for $2 million. Disney-backed Steamboat Ventures led the round, with Second Avenue Partners, the lead investor in the $2 million first round, also participating. The Collinsville, Conn.-based company was co-founded in 2007 by former ESPN exec Aaron LaBerge and Eric Kirsten. In May 2008 it launched Coolspotters, a community for users to recommend and buy products used by their favorite celebs and public figures. Currently in the works is its sports site called Simple Sports.

Steamboat Ventures MD Dan Beldy singled out Fanzter's potential to "create a new dynamic in online commerce" by combining users' passions with brands and product discovery. Beldy is joining Fanzter's board. The investment is intriguing for other reasons: Steamboat looks for ventures that have financial promise and "significant strategic interest to The Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) Company."