Jane Friedman Raises $3 Million

By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 8/22/2009 8:41:00 AM

In documents filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission Friday, Jane Friedman disclosed that she had raised $3 million to start her new company, dubbed OpenRoad Integrated Media LLC. Funding came from Kohlberg Ventures. In the filing,  Friedman, the former CEO of HarperCollins, is listed as CEO of OpenRoad with Jeff Sharp and Chris Lederer listed as executive officers. Headquarters is listed as Spring Street in New York. Sharp, an independent movie producer, had formed a partnership with HarperCollins to develop HC titles into films through a unit called Sharp Independent at HarperCollins. A spokesperson at HarperCollins confirmed that, although the publisher's term with Sharp expired, the films under development through that wing are still moving forward, "managed by Sharp Independent." The spokesperson added that the split was amicable, noting that "both parties mutually decided not to renew." 

Sharp Independent at HC announced a slate of five films in January 2008, though none has made it to theaters. Friedman has been spied at various film festivals the last few months.