The war between two of the nation’s most popular frozen yogurt chains is heating up — on the financing front.

Red Mango, a longtime competitor of Pinkberry, said on Tuesday that it had raised $12 million in a series A round of financing, led by a former chief executive of Blockbuster and the Dallas-based private equity firm CIC Partners.

The announcement came 10 months after Pinkberry unveiled a $27.5 million round last October, spearheaded by Maveron, a venture capital firm co-founded by Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz.

Both chains have their roots in a South Korean variation of frozen yogurt, which is a bit more sour (though they would say “tangy”) than what Americans are used to. Customers can choose from an array of toppings, including fresh fruit and cereal.

Though Red Mango was founded first — it began in South Korea in 2002 — it did not set up shop in the United States until last year. Pinkberry opened its first store in Los Angeles in 2005, and has since opened stores across the nation. (Its founders, Shelly Hwang and Young Lee, star in an American Express commercial.)

Now Red Mango is making a bid for national prominence. As part of the new financing round, John Antioco, the former Blockbuster chief executive who left the video-rental company last year after clashing with the billionaire investor Carl C. Icahn, will serve as Red Mango’s chairman. He previously worked at Taco Bell and the Circle K and 7-Eleven convenience store chains.

The investment will be used to expand the chain’s presence and bulk up its management team, the company said in a statement. Its new chief operating officer has worked at Romano’s Macaroni Grill and the chief marketing officer at 7-Eleven.

“Red Mango has achieved spectacular growth over the past year, and continues to impress us with extremely strong customer appeal and solid unit-level economics,” Mr. Antioco said in a statement. “We look forward to helping Red Mango build upon its early success.”

Red Mango’s new backer is CIC, a middle-market private equity firm that has invested in the energy, food and retail sectors. Among its investments in the food business were Don Pablo’s, Main Street Restaurant Group and Quiznos.