Fundraising platform Change.org has acquired US-based media commentary provider Versa for an undisclosed sum, giving an exit to mass media group Comcast, VentureBeat has reported.
Founded as a political communication platform called ElectNext, Versa pivoted to focus on a tool that enables users to pay for the ability to attach commentary to ongoing news stories in return for payment.
CEO Keya Dannenbaum, chief technical officer John Mertens and chief product officer Manya Scheps will join Change.org, which will shut down the app. The company had disclosed $2m in seed funding as of 2014 from investors including Comcast’s corporate venturing unit, Comcast Ventures.
Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, Liberty City Ventures, Digital News Ventures, Gabriel Investments, Omidyar Network, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and Investor’s Circle also took part in the seed round. ElectNext was part of DreamIt Ventures’ accelerator in 2011.