Automotive advertising network Jumpstart Automotive Media has closed its first round of institutional financing, six years after the company was founded.

The $10 million minority-stake investment was made by Alta Communications, a Boston-based private equity firm which focuses exclusively on opportunities in the media and telecommunications industries.

Jumpstart Automotive Media has been profitable since its launch in 2000 and reaches more than 5 million in-market car shoppers per month with a portfolio of advertising programs that include contextual display advertising, behavioral targeting, search marketing and lead-generation, the company said. Jumpstart counts every automotive manufacturer and more than one thousand automotive dealers as customers.

"Jumpstart's revenues doubled from 2005 to 2006 and are expected to double again in 2007. The company is well positioned in a fantastic marketplace and this investment will enable us to grow even faster by expanding staff and facilities," Jumpstart CEO Mitch Lowe said in a statement (pdf).

"Jumpstart Automotive Media has a unique, industry-leading business model and is led by solid top management with strong experience in automotive, marketing and online advertising," Tim Dibble, Alta's managing general partner, said.