Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Jane Friedman Raises $3M in Funding for E-Book Startup
From Publishers Lunch

Documents filed with the SEC on Friday indicate that former HarperCollins CEO Jane Friedman has raised $3 million from Bay Area Holdings Inc., a fund of venture capital firm Kohlberg Ventures, for her new company, OpenRoad Integrated Media LLC. Jeff Sharp, an independent movie producer, and Chris Lederer, former CMO at HarperCollins, are listed as executives of OpenRoad, which lists a Spring Street address for its offices. Reiter, Kailas & Rosenblatt represented OpenRoad, described on the law firm's website as "a start-up entity which is engaged in developing a platform for eBook marketing and publishing."

PW also notes that Sharp had formed a partnership with HarperCollins in early 2008 to develop HC titles into films under the umbrella title of Sharp Independent at HC. So far none of the five films originally announced as potential projects have been made, and the status of the partnership, brokered while Friedman was still at HarperCollins, remains unclear.

No comments: