Ex-Google Star To Head Friendster Growth Drive

Asia's leading social network may be getting ready to give its U.S. competitors a run for the money. Friendster, the ninth largest Web site in the world based on traffic, has received $20 million in funding and hired a Google veteran as CEO.

On Tuesday, Friendster announced Robert Kimber as its new CEO to lead Friendster's global business and guide operations in Asia and the U.S.

Most recently, Kimber was the regional managing director for South Asia at Google, where he led business operations and strategic partnerships across the region. He helped increase Google's revenue in the Asia-Pacific region, opening offices in Singapore and Auckland, and rapidly growing Google's Australian and Korean businesses.

"Friendster is growing at an enormous rate in Asia-Pacific and is clearly leading the competition. I believe this is partly because the Internet is transforming the lives of everyone, and it will probably become one of the greatest liberators of our time," Kimber said. "With more than 75 million users, it is clear that Friendster has already made a dramatic impact. I look forward to growing our business further as we continue our global growth and strong focus on Asia."

Friendster's Windfall

Friendster has money to back up Kimber. The company raised $20 million in financing led by new investor IDG Ventures. Joining Friendster's board from IDG is Butch Reddy, a general partner.

"With the addition of Richard, Butch and the new funding, Friendster will continue to expand its worldwide footprint and take advantage of its leadership position in Asia-Pacific," said Russ Siegelman, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, an investor in Friendster, and chairman of the board for Friendster.

Friendster plans to use the new funds to focus on user growth, user engagement, and monetization through new features, new offerings, localization and marketing, Siegelman said.

Fast Growth

In the last two...