Palo Alto, Calif. - Online social network Facebook has received a "significant" investment from German Internet entrepreneurs the Samwer brothers, Reuters reports. "We are going to support the expansion of Facebook in Europe ... We know the online space in Europe extremely well," Alexander Samwer told Reuters.

The exact amount wasn't disclosed, but was said to be less than the $240 million Microsoft invested for a 1.6% stake in Facebook in October.

The Samwer brothers sold an online auction site to eBay in 1999, and also helped create ringtone distributor Jamba, which was sold to Verisign in 2004.

Their European Founders Fund, established in 2006, has also invested in the LinkedIn social network, and German social network Studivz.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/1xiqj (Reuters)

http://snipurl.com/1xiql (TechCrunch)

http://www.europeanfounders.com

http://www.facebook.com