Metaweb Raises $42.5 Million led by Goldman Sachs and Benchmark Capital

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Metaweb Technologies, Inc., a company creating a new infrastructure for sharing data and building applications on the web, today announced that it has received a $42.5 million investment. The Series B round was led by Goldman, Sachs Co., with participation from DAG Ventures and existing Series A investors Benchmark Capital, Omidyar Network and Millennium Technology Ventures.

"We are extremely excited about Metaweb's potential to transform the web," said Kevin Harvey, Benchmark Capital general partner. "The company has a great team, an invaluable community and an important vision. Benchmark is thrilled to be part of it."

Metaweb, together with the Freebase community, is building Freebase.com, an open, shared database of the world's information in which data is freely available. This global resource will one day allow people and machines everywhere to access information far more easily and quickly than is currently possible.

"Metaweb has an ambitious vision and is working closely with the worldwide Freebase community to develop a shared resource unlike anything that exists today," said Thomas Layton, chief executive officer at Metaweb. "We have a terrific group of investors who share our enthusiasm, and the capital necessary to bring our plans to fruition."

About Metaweb Technologies, Inc.

Founded in 2005, Metaweb Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco, California and is backed by Goldman Sachs, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, Omidyar Network, and Millennium Technology Ventures.

EDITORIAL CONTACTS:
Stephanie Gnibus
GMK Communications for Benchmark Capital
408-776-9727
stephanie@gmkcommunications.com