Ning co-founder Gina Bianchini (pictured right) has announced that Ning just landed $44 million in financing from Legg Mason and several other unnamed investors. If you believe that Facebook is the new “Social Operating System” then it’s just as reasonable to call Ning—one of my favorite Web 2.0 companies—a Social Network Engine. The site allows users with little technical knowledge to create their own social networks built on photos, videos, maps and listings.
The entire experience is so well executed and the Ning staff so dedicated to the goal of helping you launch your network, it’s surprising that many people are just now hearing about Ning. According to Bianchini there are currently 73,650 social networks on Ning. If you haven’t taken the site for a spin, you are definitely missing out on a great social networking playground that just might give birth to a couple of Internet superstars.
Photo: Mario Sundar
