Mail.ru Buys Third Of Russian Date Site Mamba

Mail.ru – Russia’s leading email provider and one of the top web portals – has bought 30 percent of online dating site Mamba, one of the top two Russian date sites, for $15 million from Badoo backer Finam, RBC Daily reports. The Moscow-based VC house had taken a controlling stake in the site three years ago and Mamba now claims 10 million registered users and $9.2 million revenue for H108, from premium services that sit on top of the core free proposition. In what is an increasingly incestuous Russian digital media investing scene, Mamba currently powers online dating for Mail.ru’s portal rival Rambler – something that may have to change, Quintura says. Mail.ru shelved its planned London IPO when investor Digital Sky Technologies took a majority stake last month, so is now building the company.