Clickmango winds up fruitless operations

NEWS Online business-to-consumer health portal Clickmango.com has confirmed it will be closing down next Monday, just four months after its launch. The company has been desperately looking for backers over recent weeks, but was unable to raise the £300,000 needed to continue operations. Earlier this month the company's founders were still confident they could find a buyer. The increased publicity saw traffic levels to the site quadruple and sales rise by 20 per cent, but this was not enough to keep the company afloat. Backed by TV star Joanna Lumley and founded by Toby Rowland, son of publishing baron Tiny Rowland, the website raised funds in record time at its inception last September. Robert Norton, co-founder of Clickmango, said today in a statement: "Time is the biggest issue. Rather than risk insolvency, we must now close the business to meet contractual obligations to our creditors and to our staff. We have had a great deal of support over recent months and it is extremely important that we honour our agreements". The Clickmango office will finally close at the end of September and will lay off all its 18 staff.