Mpire

Four months after raising a $10 million venture round, Seattle's Mpire has tapped a new chief financial officer to help manage the money. Jeff Bergstrom, a former Go2Net executive who most recently served as CFO of The PowerTech Group, has joined the three-year-old startup.

In the press release, Bergstrom is described as an "Internet startup exit veteran." It goes on to say that Bergstrom previously helped sell three Internet companies at a total value of more than $2.2 billion. Does that mean Mpire -- which operates the online shopping ad network WidgetBucks -- is looking to be sold?

I am told there's no immediate plan for a sale, but the company is simply trying to prepare for the future. The WidgetBucks ad network has been growing fast with thousands of small publishers using the plug-in to showcase ads on a variety products, from books to electronics to airfares.

Competing against Google and other ad networks, WidgetBucks has carved a niche by focusing on small publishers and bloggers. As of last June, it had about 20,000 signed up. 

Bergstrom isn't the only former Go2Net executive walking the halls at Mpire. In August, the company tapped Kirby Winfield -- who worked with Bergstrom at Go2Net -- as its chief revenue officer.

Mpire is backed by Ignition Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and others.