New in the News
AllAdvantage.com, BizSpace, BlueLight.com, divine interVentures, Global TeleSystems, Leisureplanet, Listen.com, LoopNet, MAX Internet Communications, Ockham Technologies, Petopia.com, ScienceWise.com
Deal News
$100 Million Investment Round For AllAdvantage.com
HAYWARD, Calif.– AllAdvantage.com completed a $100 million round of equity financing led by SOFTBANK Capital Partners. In addition to SOFTBANK Capital Partners’ $70 million investment, new investors include Putnam Investments and T. Rowe Price. Existing shareholders J&W Seligman, Walden VC, Times Mirror TMCT Ventures, Partech International, Technology Partners and Alloy Ventures also participated in this new financing. Bill Burnham, a general partner of SOFTBANK Capital Partners, joined the company’s board of directors. AllAdvantage’s proprietary Viewbar communications window gives members the means to profit from their online personal data while maintaining their privacy, and to obtain discounts and special deals on sponsored products and services.
http://www.alladvantage.com
http://www.sbcap.com
http://www.seligman.com
http://www.waldenvc.com
http://www.tmctventures.com
http://www.partechintl.com
http://www.alloyventures.com
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Invests in BlueLight.com
NEW YORK — Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (NYSE:
MSO) received a 5% ownership interest in BlueLight.com in exchange for its agreement to make Martha Stewart Everyday products availableon BlueLight.com and a cash investment of approximately $13 million. BlueLight.com is a new e-commerce web site, which launched in December 1999 offering consumers free Internet access. Kmart is the majority shareholder of BlueLight.com, with an approximate 60% ownership. SOFTBANK Venture Capital has committed $62.5 million to establish BlueLight.com.
http://www.marthastewart.com
http://www.bluelight.com
MAX Internet Communications Receives Private Equity Investment
DALLAS– MAX Internet Communications (OTC BB:
MXIP) finalized a $7 million private equity investment which will be used for the purchase of inventory and key components for the MAX i.c.Live 3600 Internet Media Processor card and for future development and advertising of the MAX i.c.Live Video Communication Station, which is expected to begin shipment in limited quantities by next month.http://www.maxic.com
BizSpace Announces $3.5 Million in Equity Financing
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — BizSpace raised $3.5 million in an equity financing round led by October Capital. Other investors in the round include News Press & Gazette Co., George H. Young III, managing director, Lehman Brothers’ Global Communications & Media Group; and The New Economy Fund. BizSpace raised $1 million last summer from private investors. The Internet company develops and operates web sites that target specialized, cohesive industry micro-segments, providing daily news, industry information, and online purchasing opportunities to executives within these niche vertical markets.
http://www.BizSpaceOnline.com
http://www.octobercapital.com
Webforia and ScienceWise.com Form Strategic Partnership
BELLEVUE, Wash.– Webforia, an online place for business communities, is making an investment exceeding $2 million in ScienceWise.com of Gaithersburg, Md. Webforia will own a significant minority stake in ScienceWise.com, a B2B workplace on the Web for more than 100,000 science and engineering professionals. ScienceWise.com will add the highly customized applications, tools and services provided through webforia.com to its members beginning spring 2000. In a single screen, ScienceWise.com members can access a variety of business tools and services in addition to ScienceWise.com’s science and engineering content.
http://www.sciencewise.com
http://www.webforia.com
All Five Major Music Labels Invest in Listen.com
SAN FRANCISCO — Listen.com, a comprehensive directory of downloadable music
, announced that BMG Entertainment, EMI Recorded Music, the Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group invested in the company. Maverick Records principals Guy Oseary and Ronnie Dashev also invested in the year-old San Francisco start up. Terms of the investments were not released. Sony Music invested in Listen.com
last October, along with Access Technology Partners, the Barksdale Group, August Capital Management and Altos Ventures.http://www.listen.com
http://www.bmg.com
GTS to Acquire U.K. ISP Netcom Internet Ltd.
LONDON and WASHINGTON– Global TeleSystems (NYSE:
GTS), a provider of e-Business and borderless broadband services across Europe, entered a definitive agreement with Providence Equity Partners to acquire Netcom Internet Limited, one of the United Kingdom’s leading Internet service providers focusing on the business-to-business market, for GTS common stock valued at $91.5 million. Netcom was formerly affiliated with Netcom Inc. The company was acquired by affiliates of Providence Equity Partners in March 1999.http://www.gtsgroup.com
http://www.provequity.com
Fund News
CMGI Takes Strategic Position in Divine interVentures
ANDOVER, Mass.– CMGI Inc. (Nasdaq:
CMGI), a large and diverse network of Internet companies, agreed to take a strategic position in divine interVentures Inc., a Chicago-based Internet operating company focused on the business-to-business marketplace. Upon final closing, CMGI will hold a 4.9% stake in divine interVentures.http://www.divine.com
http://www.cmgi.com
Who’s Who & Where
Don House Joins Ockham Technologies as Chairman of the Board
ATLANTA– Ockham Technologies, a provider of Integrated Sales Management applications, added private investor, business consultant, and technology community leader Don House to its board of directors. He has been elected chairman of the board. Ockham’s SalesRazor Series collects and analyzes sales data to provide managers with the tools they need to direct sales activities and make fact-based decisions that increase sales productivity. The company closed a
$2.25 million financing
in December 1999.http://www.ockhamtech.com
Petopia.com Beefs Up Finance Department
SAN FRANCISCO– Petopia.com, an online pet store, appointed Gregory Smith as vice president of finance, and Martin Estkowski as senior director and corporate controller. Most recently Smith was the vice president of finance and administration at Escalade and Estkowski was corporate controller and treasurer at GO.com. Petopia.com recently closed a $35 million
financing round.http://www.petopia.com
LoopNet Names Denise Kalos as VP of Human Resources and Administration
SAN FRANCISCO– LoopNet, an online commercial real estate marketplace, appointed Denise Kalos as vice president of human resources and administration. Kalos most recently was field human resources leader and senior strategic change management consultant at C-Change Inc., a California-based strategic change and e-business consultant group. LoopNet recently raised $20 million in a
mezzanine round.http://www.LoopNet.com
Leisureplanet Taps Jon Barrett tapped as CIO
LONDON– Leisureplanet, an Internet travel services provider that is majority-owned by Leisureplanet Holdings Ltd. (Nasdaq:
LPHL), named Jon Barrett as chief information officer. Prior to joining Leisureplanet, Barrett served as technical director of JBA Software Products Limited. Leisureplanet Holdings recently received investments from Europ@Web, and Warburg Dillon Read and UBS Capital.http://www.leisureplanet.com
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