Netscape founder invests in Web site for teen girls

Internet veteran Jim Clark is teaming with two other tech heavyweights to plunk $22 million into a Web site for teen girls.

Watch video

The site, called Kibu.com, targets girls between the ages of 13 and 18 and offers a range of content, chat rooms and other services that allow teens to socialize online.

Taking the lead with Clark are Tom Jermoluk, chairman of Excite@Home, and venture capital firm Kleiner Partners.

Clark also will join Redwood City, Calif.-based Kibu's board of directors.

"Kibu will build a loyal teen audience while creating an innovative new business model," Clark said in a statement released today.

The venture is a departure from Clark's previous projects. The co-founder of Silicon Graphics and Netscape has also sunk money into online health care giant Healtheon/WebMD, financial consulting firm MyCFO.com, and photo finishing service Shutterfly.com

Several other Web sites, such as Snowball.com, Alloy.com and Bolt.com, recently have emerged targeting the growing number of teens jumping online. Internet research firm Jupiter Communications estimates that 47 percent of teens use the Net.