Talk about a triple threat — actor, singer and a successful startup cofounder?
That’s right. “New Girl’s” Zooey Deschanel, who you either loathe or love for her so-called quirky personality, has just sold a startup she co-founded to Time Inc. for a cool $30 million.
We had no idea she even had a startup.
The startup, called Hello Giggles, is a lifestyle site for women that features news on entertainment, fashion, relationships, food and more. Founded in 2011, the creators were smart by making it mobile-friendly and adding multimedia, like podcasts, video and live monthly events to the mix.
The founders posted the news earlier today: “By partnering with Time Inc., we hope to promote the work of our amazing contributors on an even bigger platform, to showcase young talent and reach more readers than ever, and to expand the HG community in cool, new, exciting ways.”
The four-year-old company, which Deschanel co-founded with Sophia Rivka Rossi and Molly McAleer, “reaches more than 17 million monthly unique visitors and has seen rapid growth in traffic,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
Deschanel certainly isn’t the first in Hollywood to invest in a startup on “lifestyle” branding. Gwyneth Paltrow practically wrote the book with Goop, which is often criticized for its expensive clothing and product selections. Deschanel’s site is a little more low-key and accessible for younger women in particular who probably can’t afford a $2,500 coat.
Not all star’s sites turn into gold, however. Blake Lively just shuttered her site Preserve after just a year, according to Vogue.
