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The pioneering social network, Friendster, has raked in USD 20 million in venture funding led by IDG Ventures and has hired former Google regional managing director of South Asia, Richard Kimber as its new CEO.

Richard Kimber had been Google's managing director of operations for the Asia Pacific region, including key countries such as India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. Prior to joining Google, Kimber was the chief executive of FirstDirect Bank in the UK and HSBC Internet Payment in the states.

Kimber is not the only Google executive to leave in recent months. Earlier this year, former Google vice president for global sales and operations Sheryl Sandberg took the COO position at Facebook, and former Google CIO Douglas Merrill jumped ship to go to EMI Music as president of digital business.

Friendster's current chief, Kent Lindstrom, who has served as Friendster's CEO for 2.5 years will remain with the company, though his role with the company has officially been pared down to President. Lindstrom was instrumental in helping his company in 2006 to obtain a patent for certain methods of arranging social networks online, though its IP threats against rivals worldwide have thus far been largely unheeded.

Friendster also announced that it has closed a USD 20 million funding deal with new investor IDG Ventures. As part of the venture capital deal, IDG general partner Butch Reddy is also joining Friendster's board of directors. IDG Ventures was joined in the round by all of Friendster's previous investors: Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, and the Founders Fund (which also invested in Facebook).

"With the addition of Richard, Butch and the new funding, Friendster will continue to expand its worldwide footprint and take advantage of its leadership position in Asia Pacific," said Russ Siegelman, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and chairman of the board for Friendster, in a statement. He also added saying that the company will use the additional USD 20 million for new features, new offerings, localization and marketing.

Friendster has more than 75 million members to date.