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$13 million more for teen networking site MyYearbook

by Caroline McCarthy

It's no Facebook, but social site MyYearbook can still play with the popular kids: the site has announced $13 million in Series B venture funding. The round was led by Norwest Venture Partners with existing investors US Venture Partners and First Round Capital chipping in as well. Norwest's Sergio Monsalve has joined the site's board of directors.

Founded in 2005 when co-founder Catherine Cook was a sophomore in high school (the two other co-founders are her older brothers Dave and Geoff, who serves as CEO), MyYearbook focuses on a decidedly younger demographic than Facebook and even News Corp.'s MySpace, which is frequently considered to be a teen hub. The site currently has a major partnership, for example, with the Teen Choice Awards hosted by youth sensation Miley Cyrus. Not exactly a pick for the over-21 crowd.

With the new funding round, MyYearbook has raised $16.8 million total. The purpose for raising so much wasn't directly addressed by the site, with a release ambiguously saying that it will be used to "develop new services for its members and continue to drive revenue." Right now, per Hitwise, the site pulls in about 10 million unique visitors per month, and 2 billion page views. That's still small compared with Facebook and MySpace, but nothing to sneer at either.

Rumors swirled last year that the site was going to be acquired by InterActiveCorp; they weren't true, stemming from a misunderstanding after the site gave a "mock pitch" to IAC czar Barry Diller at a conference.

Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline.
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About The Social

CNET News' Caroline McCarthy is a downtown Manhattanite who believes that, despite popular opinion, the Web can actually help your social life. She's happily addicted to fun social-media tools from Twitter to Yelp to Facebook, sends an inordinate number of text messages, and has a tendency to waste time at the office reading restaurant blogs. Here, she explores all facets of the Web's gregarious side, as well as the unique tech culture in her home city of New York. (Don't call it Silicon Alley.)

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