Lending Club raises $12 million

Lending Club just announced they raised an additional $12 million in funding and hired a new marketing officer. Previous funding includes $10 million in late 2007 and an additional $4 million in September 2008. From the press release:

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LendingClub.com, the peer lending network that brings together investors and creditworthy borrowers, announced today that it has closed a $12 million Series B round of funding. Morgenthaler Ventures led the round and is joined by existing investors, Norwest Venture Partners and Canaan Partners. Rebecca Lynn, a Morgenthaler Principal, is joining Lending Club’s board of directors.

Lending Club also announced today that it has added Pamela Kramer as Chief Marketing Officer. Ms. Kramer is an established marketing veteran with more than 17 years of experience. She was most recently Chief Marketing Officer of MarketTools, Inc and, before that, spent 9 years in leadership roles with E*TRADE Financial helping to shape the development of online investing in various capacities, including most recently as Chief Marketing Officer.

“This additional capital will allow us to continue to expand our capabilities and accelerate the growth of our customer base. Lending Club is proud to be building a network where individuals come together to provide financial value to each other beyond what traditional banks can provide. We are equally proud to have great investment partners in Morgenthaler, Norwest and Canaan Partners,” said Renaud Laplanche, Lending Club’s CEO and Founder.

“We were attracted to Lending Club because it offers a compelling proposition in any market, but especially in today’s environment,” said Rebecca Lynn, Principal at Morgenthaler Ventures, “Borrower members find much-needed relief in a tight credit environment, and lender members have earned an average annual return of 9.05% over the last 20 months, which is better than most investment alternatives.”