Nurien Software raises $15 million for Asian social networking and gaming service

Nurien Software, a Korean social networking and online gaming company, has raised $15 million in a first round of venture capital from investors in the U.S. and China.

The company lets users create their own avatars and then socialize in a variety of topic areas. Its service has been in development for three years. Investors include Beijing-based Northern Light Venture Capital, Globespan Capital Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and QiMing Venture Partners.

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The company is a closed beta in Korea this month. It is launching its service in China and Korea at the end of 2008 and in the U.S. in early 2009. Users can play online games such as MStar, an online dance game; Runway, a fashion show application; and QuizStar, a casual online game. I suppose if I saw those pictures above, I’d throw $15 million into this too.