Rakuten to eat Popsugar in $580m deal

Apr 14, 2015 • Robert Lavine

The online media company, which once counted NBC Universal as an investor, is set to be the latest in a series of big US deals for Rakuten.

E-commerce company Rakuten is set to acquire US-based online media network in a $580m deal, TechCrunch reported today, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Founded in 2006, Popsugar runs a celebrity-oriented online news site with 41 million unique visitors each month. The company, which has raised about $46m in total venture funding, had reportedly been seeking a buyer for the last two months.

Entertainment company NBC Universal led a $10m series B round for Popsugar, then known as Sugar…

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