Mokono, a German-based blog space provider that also operates localized versions around Europe, has sold a 30 percent stake in its platform to magazine publisher Burda. Founder Vasco Sommer-Nunes refused to disclose the amount, which he said would be used to grow the technical infrastructure and staff of the operation.
The company operates a blog hosting service using variations on the “blog” or “blogs” domain name in France, the UK, Canada, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Romania as well as at home; it counts nearly 100,000 blogs at home in Germany. Sommer-Nunes said the service would be relaunched this year and augmented by a new product; he said the Burda partnership is long-term. The publisher, Hubert Burda Media, operates over 200 magazines, especially in the women’s market with InStyle and Elle. It this year started racking up small stakes in digital start-ups.
Photos: Meanwhile, myphotobook.de, a German photo sharing and printing site, has sold a majority stake to Holtzbrinck Ventures.
(both via Deutsche Start-ups and AC Europe)