Australian online coupon website Tjoos has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by online media company Internet Brands.

The company is one of the nation’s more high-profile startups due to it being co-founded by Bart Jellema, who has been active in the Australian startup scene — especially in forums such as StartupCamp Australia and the Silicon Beach group. The other founder is the startup’s CEO Kim Chen.

The site offers merchant management tools allowing online retailers to customise their coupon listing to assist with their own revenue and traffic growth goals, as well as providing a platform for content syndication via Twitter, RSS feeds, blogs and widgets.

According to a statement issued by Internet Brands, Tjoos grew by 150 percent to “well over” 1 million unique visitors in February 2010, compared to the prior year, with the growth being driven the site’s collection of more than 500,000 coupons from more than 180,000 merchants.

“This is a hot area,” said Internet Brands CEO Bob Brisco. “Discount discovery, fueled by community participation, is growing very rapidly and will continue to do so. Consumers want deals, and coupons are a massive marketing channel for both small and large merchants.”

Internet brands already runs other online shopping sites such as UltimateCoupons.com, BensBargains.net and Bargainist.com. “We are very focused on discount shopping and deal discovery,” said Brisco. “We believe the market will continue to expand quickly, and we plan to bring a considerable amount of innovation to these sites.”

Chen hasn’t Twittered from her personal account since February 19th, but according to Jellema’s account, he plans to take part in the Startup Bus project shortly — on a bus from San Francisco to Austin, 12 strangers will concieve, build and launch 3 technology startups in time to catch a party at the South by Southwest technology conference.

“Party will have to wait until after our trip to the US, but don’t worry, there will be one!” he said.

Image credit: Tjoos

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1. alan jones
   Posted 04/03/2010 at 5:17 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Congratulations to Kim and Bart, on completing the startup cycle so rapidly while at the same time giving so much time and energy to fostering the local startup industry. I hope the final chapter for your involvement in Tjoos ends very happily indeed.

2. Renai LeMay
   Posted 04/03/2010 at 5:52 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I know, they are pretty much pillars of the local community. Such a high level of energy is amazing!

   I knew Tjoos would succeed when Bart handed me a US$1 bill at CeBIT last year as a promotional exercise. I think I still have it somewhere.

3. alan jones
   Posted 04/03/2010 at 9:52 pm | Permalink | Reply

   I had one too somewhere. I wonder if it says, “In the event of acquisition, redeemable for 10 Tjoos shares at pre-acquisition value” in the fine-print? ;-)

4. Renai LeMay
   Posted 04/03/2010 at 9:54 pm | Permalink | Reply

   Heh we can only hope (or forge it) ;)