Mig33, a Singapore-based mobile messaging service, has raised $8.9m in its series C round, led by Indonesian telecom entrepreneur Sugiono Wiyono Sugialam and Gree, a Japan-based social networking service with 22 million users. Alongside the two new investors were US venture capital firms Accel Partners, Redpoint Ventures and DCM.
Mig33 said it was modeled on social networking peers, such as Gree and China’s Tencent, but was targeting emerging markets in Indonesia, India and South Africa.
Steven Goh, chief executive and co-founder of mig33, said: "Mig33’s goal is to replicate the East Asian social networking service model to the rest of the world.
"The partnerships we’ve established will be strategic in helping us consolidate our lead in emerging Asia, as we tap these big, underserved markets."
Since its 2005 launch, Mig33 raised $10m in its series A round in May 2007 from Accel and Redpoint and $13.5m the following January, led by DCM and joined by Accel and Redpoint.