Wiki maker Wetpaint raises second round

Wetpaint, a startup which provides hosting and tools for building wiki-based web sites, said on Tuesday that it has raised $9.5 million in a second round of venture funding from Accel Partners.

The company's service is designed so that consumers can build their own Web sites without programming. Wetpaint is used in the construction of 150,000 wiki sites since launching in June 2006, according to the company.

The additional funding will be used to expand the company's offering, which is funded by advertising.

"Wetpaint sites increase user engagement and let advertisers connect directly with the most motivated and influential audiences in their target markets," said Theresia Gouw Ranzetta, a general partner at Accel Partners, in a statement.

Wetpaint, which is aimed mainly at consumers building community-oriented sites, is one of several do-it-yourself Web site services which have emerged over the past two years.

Another wiki-building company, JotSpot was acquired by Google last year.