Today’s Deals: Excite@Home and Chello to Take Europe By Storm

  
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Amount:         $5.1
billion

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Speed/Bandwidth

  
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Scorecard:      B+

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  LONDON, July 18–U.S.-based high speed Internet provider
  Excite@Homeand European cable operator
  United Pan-Europe Communications NV (UPC)said
  they would take an 86% chunk of new Web group Excite Chello, which
  will be formed through the merger of UPC’s chello broadband subsidiary with Excite@Home’s international operations.
  The merger will create a firm, operating in 15 countries, with more than
  300,000 broadband Internet subscribers and is estimated to be worth about
  $5.1 billion. Read analysis of this deal in Kelly Black’s
  DealTracker.
  
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Speed/Bandwidth

  
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Scorecard:      B-

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  LONDON & PRAGUE, Czech Republic, July 18–Global TeleSystems
  , a provider of e-business and borderless broadband
  services across Europe, announced that it has acquired the Internet
  division of CS-COMPEX a.s. The acquired assets include an Internet
  services business and a metropolitan wireless local network in Brno, the
  second largest city in the Czech Republic. The CS-COMPEX acquisition will enhance Global TeleSystems’ position as a major
  Internet and telecommunications services provider across the Czech
  Republic.
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Content/Communities

  
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Scorecard:      C-

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  LAS VEGAS, July 18–PDS Financial Corporation, which finances, leases, sells, manufactures and refurbishes
  gaming equipment for the casino industry, announced that it has acquired
  CasinoSlotExchange.com, all customer lists and certain other assets
  from CJ’s Slot Connection for an undisclosed price. CasinoSlotExchange.com
  provides a virtual marketplace for the purchase and sale of used slot
  equipment and will be integrated into Slot Source, the division of PDS
  Financial Corporation that reconditions and sells used gaming devices to
  the casino industry, expanding its distribution channels online.
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Content/Communities

  
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Scorecard:      C+

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  PLAYA DEL REY, July 18–CraftClick.com
  announced the acquisition of Craftville.com, an Arts and Crafts
  portal in the United Kingdom, that has been catering to professional
  craftspeople and craft hobbyists for over three years. The addition of Craftville.com to the CraftClick.com network furthers
  CraftClick.com’s mission to become the leading resource for crafters
  throughout the world.
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
n/a

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:       
Search/Portals

  
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Scorecard:      C

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  LAS VEGAS, July 18–Laredo Investment
  announced that it has reached an agreement to purchase 100% of the issued
  and outstanding shares of privately held Web Search Technologies and
  its next generation Internet information search technologies. Web Search
  Technologies, which was founded by Dr. Mengchi Liu, an influential
  scientist in deductive databases (the core science that underlies the
  foundation of the next generation Internet search engine operation), will
  become a wholly owned subsidiary of Laredo and will operate independently
  with its own Board of Directors and management team. Terms were not
  disclosed.
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Amount:        
Undisclosed

  
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Terms:           
100% stock

  
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Premium:        n/a

  
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Industry:        E-commerce
enablers

  
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Scorecard:      C-

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  HOUSTON, July 18–Internet Venture Group
  announced that it has finalized its acquisition of Houston, TX based
  GeewhizUSA.com, a B2B exchange for fiber optic illuminated
  promotional products, in a stock exchange transaction. The acquisition was
  structured as a merger of interests, whereby the shares of GeewhizUSA were exchanged for shares
  of Internet Venture Group. Further
  details of the transaction were not disclosed.
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