Controversial word of mouth marketing company BzzAgent raises a $13.75 million in a Series A from IDG Ventures and General Catalyst Partners.

More from their homepage:

"What is Bzz? Bzz is the delivery of word-of-mouth marketing. The official definition of word-of-mouth is "all person-to-person communication about a product, service or idea that delivers independent credibility." Bzz is about creating discussions and enabling information to spread from one person to the next and the next. It's the word on the street, the energy around a product --- it's about creating and sharing the idea that people will talk about.

What is a BzzAgent? A BzzAgent is a smart, passionate and honest Messenger of Bzz to people around them. A BzzAgent is a clear communicator and an informed consumer who is connected to other people. BzzAgents are often familiar with the latest trends and like to express their opinions. They like to meet new people and new people like to meet them. People listen when BzzAgents talk. If all this applies to you, you have BzzAgent potential!"

That's a lot of money!