Attention Capital Acquires Girlboss Digital Network

By Cynthia Littleton

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Attention Capital, the startup media investment venture, has cut a deal to acquire the Girlboss digital network for rising female executives and entrepreneurs.

founder Sophia Amoruso has assembled an online community of professional and aspiring women seeking advice and community in advancing careers and running businesses. The deal with will give the three-year-old Girlboss resources to improve the company’s digital operations, expand live events and aggressively pursue development of other business lines including television and licensing and merchandising.

“Girlboss is an internationally known brand that is redefining what it means to be entrepreneurial—it’s not just starting your own business, it’s taking a risk, looking for that next role, making a career switch and taking a step into the unknown,” said Ashlyn Gentry, co-founder and managing partner of Attention Capital.

“Millions of women feel more comfortable going on this journey because they know they have Sophia and the global Girlboss community right there with them. The loyalty and passion that this brand captures makes it a massive market opportunity and at Attention Capital we’re looking forward to working with the team on Girlboss’s expansion,” Gentry said.

Attention Capital was formed earlier this year by Gentry, a former executive with analytics heavyweight Palantir Technologies, Nick Bell, former Snap content executive, and Joe Marchese, a tech startup veteran who spent a few years at Fox, rising to head of ad sales prior to the shakeup of the Disney-21st Century Fox acquisition.

Attention Capital is in the hunt for media brands with a strong audience profile that can be expanded into other business opportunities. In a world awash in content, brands that help consumers navigate their options are become more valuable, in the view of Attention’s partners.

Amoruso founded Girlboss in 2017 after the success of her 2014 autobiography “Girlboss,” which told the story of her rise with the Nasty Gal fashion brand. Amoruso launched Nasty Gal in 2006 selling thrift store clothes on eBay. It eventually took off as an Internet brand that generated more than $100 million in annual sales, but missteps and management issues led to the company filing for bankruptcy in 2016.

Girlboss is designed to be a women’s empowerment network, helping users find tools, advice and training for career advancement with a focus on podcasts, live events and speaker series. The brand has about 1.4 million followers on Instagram. The company will continue to be based in Silver Lake and headed by Amoruso, with Neha Gandhi as chief operating officer.

“Girlboss is built on the idea of powering growth through community,” said Amoruso. “The Girlboss movement’s viral success makes evident that women are more successful if they have access to each other and can share their experiences. We are thrilled to supercharge Girlboss’ growth by tapping into Attention Capital’s deep-rooted expertise in building and scaling brands.”

(Pictured: Girlboss founder and CEO Sophia Amoruso)