Renaissance Capital Behind FriendFinder Networks IPO

MOSCOW — A Russian investment bank is underwriting the initial public offering for FriendFinder Networks Inc., an effort to raise nearly half-billion dollars to pay off debt and return the company to solid footing.

Renaissance Capital is based in Moscow but has satellite offices across Eastern Europe, the U.K., in Nigeria and in New York.

The bank — considered just this summer one of largest of its kind in Russia — has struggled in the face of the global financial crunch, the Financial Times reported in September.

Earlier this year, Renaissance Capital’s New Zealand-born co-founder and CEO Stephen Jennings spurned a $3 billion acquisition offer from a state-controlled Russian bank, then turned around and sold a 50 percent stake to a former business partner for $500 million.

With financial backing from Renaissance Capital, FriendFinder Networks is looking to raise $460 million to help offset massive debt, which is estimated at $423 million, according to the Florida-based company’s filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made last week.

In the filing, FriendFinder revealed its net income between Jan. 1 and Dec. 6, 2007 — $48.6 million, down 20.5 percent from the full year in 2006.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

'InMelanin' Relaunches Through PAYSITE

InMelanin.com has officially relaunched through PAYSITE.

Pearl Industry Network Partners With Takedown Piracy

Industry trade group Pearl Industry Network (PiN) has officially partnered with Takedown Piracy.

Hollywood Reporter Spotlights XBIZ Miami in Feature on Fan Platforms

Last month's XBIZ conference serves as the setting for a new Hollywood Reporter feature examining the competitive fan platform market.

F2F, Image Angel Launch 'Forensic Watermarking' for Traceability

Friends2Follow (F2F) and Image Angel have partnered to launch a new traceability solution to combat unauthorized content sharing with the use of forensic watermarks.

EU Court: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

The European Union’s Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law, as long as France follows EU electronic commerce rules.

LoyalFans Announces 'Group Walkthrough' Online Event Series

LoyalFans has announced its new “Group Walkthrough” online event series for creators, taking place every Tuesday and Thursday.

Bree Sky Officially Launches 'ThirstChat' Fan Platform

Creator and entrepreneur Bree Sky has debuted her new fan platform, ThirstChat.

Lawsuit Alleging Meta Pirated VMG Content Will Move Forward

A U.S. district court on Thursday rejected Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss a suit by Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings, which accuses Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Playboy Partners With Creator Platform Tango

Playboy has partnered with creator platform Tango, introducing Playmates to the livestreaming service.

Anti-Porn Senator Introduces Federal Age Verification Bill

U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, who last month urged the Department of Justice to ramp up obscenity prosecutions, on Wednesday introduced a bill that would make age verification by adult websites federal law.

Show More