The NaturallyCurly Network Captures $1.2 Million in Additional Angel Investments

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - Jun 22, 2011) - The NaturallyCurly Network, (NaturallyCurlyNetwork.com), the leading social network and community for people with wavy, curly and kinky hair and the brands and professionals who service them, announced today that it has raised nearly $1.2 million in Series C growth-stage financing. The company also announced plans to invest the funds in talent, acquisitions, infrastructure enhancements, new mobile applications, and marketing initiatives to expand community reach and engagement.

With its most recent round in funding completed, the Austin, TX-based social media company has raised approximately $2 million in total during the past four years, and achieved a profitable and cash-flow-positive year in 2010, according to NaturallyCurly CEO Crista Bailey.

"Our latest round is a testament to the business team's performance -- we've consistently grown revenues and visits, in triple-digit percentages, over the most recent years while achieving profitability," Bailey said. "Our passion and vision, and the counsel we receive directly from our angel investors, is reflected in what we've achieved. Among our angels are astute business leaders who are involved closely with us -- and I deeply appreciate their acumen and hands-on advice as we chart our way forward."

Among strategic investors present in all fundraising rounds is NaturallyCurly Chairman Jimmy Treybig, founder of Tandem Computers. Investor newcomers include John Paul Mitchell Systems co-founder John Paul DeJoria, whose existing advisory role with the company has led to strategic relationships and ties with multiple industry leaders, and Golden Seeds, a nationwide angel network and venture capital firm with offices in New York City, Boston and San Francisco.

"NaturallyCurly represents ingredients that investors look for -- a passionate team, a proven concept, a highly evolved and engaged customer community, and a willingness and drive to constantly innovate," Jimmy Treybig said. "Through solid, focused business leadership, this recipe has translated to profitability -- and a clear strategy for its continued growth. This business, in my view, is one social media company to watch."

The NaturallyCurly Network recently named its first Chief Marketing Officer, Christopher Burkhart, and, according to Bailey, is currently seeking additional talented expertise in technology and marketing. The company soon will announce a mobile platform and launch a consumer mobile application featuring a daily Frizz Forecast™, thousands of product reviews and a stylist/curl specialist finder. A global consumer packaged goods brand is sponsoring the "app" launch, which will be highly promoted to the network's online community, which now exceeds 1 million monthly unique visitors, and beyond.

About The NaturallyCurly Network
The NaturallyCurly Network is a collection of sites that informs, empowers and unites a community of people brought together by a common interest - curly hair. The flagship brand, NaturallyCurly.com, attracts 700,000 unique monthly engaged, influential consumers creating user-generated content on a daily basis - boasting more than 30,000 photos, product and stylist reviews and 30,000 monthly forum posts. The network also includes CurlStylist.com, a professional community especially for stylists servicing the curly clientele; CurlMart.com, a boutique e-commerce site showcasing more than 60 brands and 550 community-vetted products; and CurlyNikki.com, the leading natural hair expert in the blogosphere, encouraging people everywhere to share their experiences, frustrations and triumphs of being naturally glamorous, with 230,000 unique monthly visitors. The entire network logs 1 million unique monthly visits, on average from more than 250 countries worldwide, all of whom have a common thread - a curl, kink or wave - that bonds.

Tags: naturally curly, NaturallyCurly, The NaturallyCurly Network, angel investment, financing, social media, mobile, social engagement, community, curly hairstyle, Austin, Golden Seeds, John Paul DeJoria, Jimmy Treybig