Wall Street Journal reports:

Internet company Automattic Inc., which distributes the popular WordPress blogging software, said it has raised $29 million from investors that include New York Times Co., after spurning an acquisition offer last year.

[edit by kbahey: fixed the link]

Comments

kbahey’s picture

An important distinction: it is Automattic and its Wordpress.com, the commercial venture that hosts blogs, that got the funding. Not Wordpress (the software) itself.

This is like Acquia getting funding, not the Drupal project/community.
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thatashok’s picture

My understanding (shaky at the best of times) was that Automattic/Wordpress GPL weren't that distinct. Acquia compares itself to the Redhat/Linux model, which is quite different to the Automattic/Wordpress model. My reading of the news is that quite a bit of that funding will find its way into WP software development.

icame’s picture

How are they planning on making the $29 million back, only by advertising (I never even seen any ads on their website?)?

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geoline’s picture

Thats a good question. How they make money? No ads and all there services a free. so how do they make money? Or will they just burn the $29 million?

alan.fork’s picture

no ads? From wordpress.com:

To support the service we may occasionally show Google text ads on your blog, however we do this very rarely. In the future you’ll be able to purchase an upgrade to either turn the ads off or show your own ads and make money from your blog.

They also have some "premium" paid service level.

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geoline’s picture

hm... I never saw one of these ads?