[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Four year old Sydney-based
content management and personalization solutions developer Presence Online has gained
AUS $7.5 million (US $4.4 million) in funding to speed development of its
flagship product Aptrix.
The multimillion dollar capital injection has come from Deutsche Asset Management
(DAM), one of the country’s most prominent investors in the private
equity sector.
DAM has contributed the investment through two recently launched
funds, the Ericsson-Deutsche Technology Fund, a joint venture with
Ericsson Australia to invest in local technology companies, and the
Deutsche Private Equity Fund which targets businesses across the
spectrum of industries that have high growth potential.
Presence Online developed Aptrix when working for one of its first
clients, AMP. The developer retained
the rights over the tool, and has since used it with other clients such
as Goodman Fielder, AXA, Virgin Direct and Alcatel.
Aptrix provides the ability to manage Web content creation in
real-time, and facilitates e-commerce and personalization.
Presence has also sought integration support from IBM and Lotus, so
that its tool operates with other applications such as Notes.
“It’s at the forefront of developments which will revolutionize the
way customers interact with corporates of the Web, making the concept of
serving personalized content a reality,” said DAM director of private
equity Peter Dowding of the decision to invest in Aptrix.
Presence Online will use the funding to expedite the launch of the
next generation of Aptrix, alongside a Java-based release. The company
will also continue to expand its bases beyond its current London office,
to take better advantage of Aptrix’s worldwide business potential.
According to Presence Online co-founder and business director Tim
Birsdall, the company has been courting offers of venture capital
support from a number of investors. He said that the decision to choose
DAM was driven by the company’s “profile, connections and quality staff
required for a successful venture capital endeavor.”
