Ex-Forbes.com Publisher Grabs $2M for Web Venture
Former Forbes.com publisher Jim Spanfeller, who brought the site back into popularity, and some say infamy, has obtained around $2 million for a new web start-up.
The Spanfeller Media Group will create multiple sites with a focus on various industries. MediaMemo has the deets:
Once the deal is done, sources say Spanfeller’s plan is to roll out a series of industry-specific “verticals.” First up: Food.
Aren’t there plenty of food sites out there already? You’d think so, but Spanfeller and his backers figure there’s room for more. After that, they have a list of categories to tackle, with the exception of five they think are overpopulated: News; business/finance; entertainment; traditional sports; and technology. Spanfeller declined to comment.
Spanfeller’s best known for his work at Forbes.com, which he joined in 2001. During his nearly nine-year run, he’s credited with turning the .com into one of the most viewed business sites in the online world. But some of his tactics, like Top-10 lists that had little to do with finance and more to do with scantily clad women, earned Spanfeller much criticism.
However, considering Spanfeller’s focus on traffic, and the need for reporters to obtain the pageviews for said traffic, this could be good for the industry.
