Former London Live editorial director Stefano Hatfield has rapidly re-emerged in a new role running High50, the online community for over-50s.

Hatfield – who announced his departure from London Live on Friday and only finished working at parent ESI Media on Wednesday – will take on the newly-created role of editor-in-chief.

He has been hired as High50, launched by veteran advertising executive Robert Campbell, secures its first significant round of investment to enable the business to expand.

Hatfield is something of a launch specialist – his credits include Metro in New York, News UK's freesheet thelondonpaper and the Lebedev's cut price national i – and has been tasked with expanding High50's team and pushing the website into markets beyond the UK.

"I'm grateful for the unique opportunities Evgeny Lebedev and Andy Mullins [the London Live chief executive] offered me at ESI Media, launching the i and London Live," said Hatfield. "However, it's no coincidence that, in my own 50th year, I'm interested in how you can harness an increasingly influential but much overlooked group of people."

High50 claims a web audience of more than 500,000 unique users per month.

High50 was co-founded by James Burrows, who launched early internet firm espotting with Seb Bishop.

"Having Stefano join us at this pivotal time says a lot about our progress and success to date," said Burrows, the community website's chief executive. "At best, people in this group feel ignored by brands and at worst, patronised."

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