New in the News
58k.com, 800.COM, Ants.com, ChangeMusic Network, CompleteHome.com, ComputerJobs.com, ECeurope.com, EmWare, Esurg.com, EXIST, GiftCertificates.com, GroupServe, Hire.com, HomePoint, ibooks.com, iExchange.com, IFILM, iMediation, Kasenna, Krause’s Furniture, Linguateq, liveprint.com, Masterpiece Technology, oCen Communications, PaperExchange.com, QXL.com, Reciprocal, ShopLink.com, USAutoNews.com, YAPA, Zero-Knowledge Systems
Homepoint Secures $55 Million Equity Financing
GREENVILLE, S.C. — HomePoint Corp., a multi-channel provider of Internet solutions for the home furnishings industry, announced a $55 million second round of equity financing led by TH Lee.Putnam Internet Partners. Catterton Partners and GE Equity, which led HomePoint’s initial investment round of $16.5 million last August, also participated in this round, along with Granite Private Equity II LLC.
http://www.homepoint.com
< /FONT>http://www.thli.com
emWare Secures $34 Million in Funding
SALT LAKE CITY emWare Inc., a provider of device-networking software, raised $34 million in venture capital funding. Participants include Galileo Technologies, JK&B Capital, Motorola and Siemens Venture Capital. Previous investors, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Encompass Ventures, Infineon Technologies North America Corp. and Wasatch Venture Fund also participated in the funding round. Thomas Neustaetter, executive member of JK&B Capital, joins emWare’s board of directors. emWare’s EMIT device-networking software is being used by companies to develop smart devices. emWare’s technology enables users to remotely access and control their electronic devices and appliances over the Internet or intranets using Web browsers, personal digital assistants, databases, spreadsheets or phones.
http://www.emware.com
http://www.venture-capital.com
http://www.encompassventures.com
http://www.galileoT.com
http://www.jkbcapital.com
http://www.infineon.com
http://www.motorola.com
http://www.wasatchvc.com
iExchange.com Raises $28.5 Million in Second Round of Financing
PASADENA CA — iExchange.com, an accountable marketplace for investment ideas and insights, completed a $28.5 million second round of financing. The lead investor is the Capital Z Financial Services Fund II, L.P., a global private equity fund focused on the financial services industry managed by the New York-based private equity firm Capital Z Partners. Existing investors Bill Gross9 idealab! and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as well as a new investor Comdisco Ventures, also participated in the second round.
Adam M. Mizel, a co-founder and partner of Capital Z Partners, has joined iExchange.com’s board of directors.http://www.capitalz.com
http://www.comdisco.com
http://www.idealab.com
http://www.kpcb.com
iMediation Raises $25 Million in Venture Capital
PARIS and PALO ALTO, Calif. — iMediation, a global provider of software and services for managing Internet selling relationships, closed a $25 million round of financing. The financing was led by GE Equity and syndicated to Intel, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Reuters, Royal Philips Electronics and Europ@Web. Apax Partners, Viventures (the first venture fund that invested in iMediation), Innovacom and Financiere Edmond de Rothschild (through its Venture Fund Croissance Discovery), the venture capital companies which provided a previous round of financing in March 1999, also co-invested. With a total ownership of 23%, Apax Partners remains the largest shareholder of iMediation.
http://www.imediation.com
Zero-Knowledge Systems Completes $25 Million Financing
MONTREAL– Zero-Knowledge Systems Inc., a developer of Internet privacy solutions, raised US$25 million in a financing from Canadian institutional investors, underwritten by Yorkton Securities, a Canadian investment bank specializing in funding technology companies. In December 1999, Zero-Knowledge launched its highly-anticipated Freedom Internet privacy technology, which enables users to surf the Web, send email, post to newsgroups and IRC chat in total privacy. In September 1999, Zero-Knowledge secured US$12 million in first round venture capital funding. The lead investors were Platinum Venture Partners, Aragon Ventures and Strategic Acquisition Ventures.
http://www.zeroknowledge.com
http://www.yorkton.com
Hire.com in Mezzanine Funding Round
AUSTIN, Texas– Hire.com, a talent acquisition and retention application service provider, has been backed in its mezzanine equity funding round for $21 million. The round was led by Austin Ventures and included additional funding from existing venture capital investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Crosspoint Ventures and TL Ventures. New corporate investors include The Hearst Corp., Pulitzer Inc., Essex Investment Management Co. LLC and Dell Computer Corp. Hire.com’s e-Recruiter service automates the entire recruiting process, including marketing job openings, capturing passive job seekers, responding to active job seekers and connecting hiring managers with applicants
http://www.hire.com
http://www.austinventures.com
http://www.kpcb.com
http://www.tlventures.com
$19 Million Investment in Krause’s Furniture
BREA, Calif.– Krause’s Furniture Inc. (Amex:
KFI) received a $19 million capital investment led by TH Lee.Putnam Internet Partners L P, GE Equity, and other investors. The investment will be used primarily to fund the initial launch of Krause’s business-to-business activities and e-commerce capabilities and secondarily to reduce debt and fund capital expenditures. The $19 million private placement is for an aggregate of 380,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred. Each share of Series A Preferred is convertible into 45.45 shares of common stock at a price of $1.10 per share.
http://www.thli.com
http://www.equitycapital.com
Kasenna Receives $14.5 Million in Venture Funding
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Kasenna Inc. acquired $14.5 million in initial funding from U.S. Venture Partners, Alloy Ventures, Entertainment Media Ventures and SGI to
spin off the SGI MediaBase broadband Internet media streaming technology from SGI (NYSE: SGI). The new company’s mission is to provide the first platform for management, serving and distribution of high-quality digital video over broadband Internet for business-to-business and business-to-consumer applications.http://www.kasenna.com
http://www.usvp.com
http://www.alloyventures.com
PaperExchange.com Pulls In $10 Million
BOSTON– PaperExchange.com LLC, an online provider of e-commerce solutions for the pulp and paper industry, received $10 million in its latest round of financing. Madison Dearborn Partners, MSD Capital LP, the private investment firm for Michael S. Dell, and David Wetherell, founder and CEO of CMGI, participated. Including the current round of funding, the company has now raised over $35 million of capital. Earlier investors include The Kraft Group, Internet Capital Group, Roger Stone, and Terrapin Partners. David Wetherell will also join the company’s board of directors.
http://www.paperexchange.com
http://www.mdcp.com
oCen Communications Secures Fourth Round of Strategic Investment
LOS ANGELES– oCen Communications Inc., an Internet communication services provider connecting consumers, carriers and corporate enterprise customers in the United States and Asian markets, raised an additional $8 million in institutional equity fundraising to support the expansion of its large, carrier-grade Internet Protocol communications network.The investment capital, oCen’s fourth round of institutional fundraising, was provided by the company’s existing investors — New World Cyberbase, the Internet arm of New World Group, China’s Anders
on Group, Hong Kong’s Lotus Asset Management and Barings Private Equity Partners. Earlier this month, oCen launched its Asia-U.S. network, connecting Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States. The company received
financing in December 1999.http://www.ocen.com
Linguateq Secures $7.8 Million in Financing
MCLEAN, Va.– Linguateq Inc, a provider of telecommunications integration management software, raised $7.8 million in financing from lead investor Polaris Venture Partners and Generation Partners. Linguateq’s products provide an advanced integration management platform that resolves data exchange problems for telecommunications service providers and their e-commerce partners.
http://www.linguateq.com
http://www.polarisventures.com
http://www.genpartners.com
USAutoNews.com Lands Funding to Bolster E-Presence
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — USAutoNews.com, a business-to-business portal for the automotive dealer and trade, completed a $5 million Series C convertible preferred stock financing. USAutoNews.com plans to use the proceeds to finance the marketing rollout of its communications and distribution network and to continue to expand its Internet infrastructure. Through venture management firmCatalyst Capital, USAutoNews.com has raised more than $6 million in capital and debt facilities, including financing from Cisco Systems Capital, First Corp Venture Leasing and Silicon Valley Bank.
http://USAutoNews.com
YAPA Closes $5 million Financing
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Young Adult Professional Associates Inc., a free, internet-based membership organization aimed at helping young professionals achieve career and personal success, closed a private equity offering with $5 million in commitments from individual investors. Membership in YAPA includes a private e-mail account, a personalized home page with access to individualized content, a YAPA electronic organizer, a YAPA membership benefit card, discounts on YAPA-sponsored seminars and training programs (such as YAPA “U”), access to networking forums to discuss issues with other young professionals and YAPA mentors, and a one-year subscription to the career and lifestyle publication, YAPA Magazine.
http://www.yapa.com
Masterpiece Technology Completes $600,000 Private Placement
CINCINNATI — Masterpiece Technology Group Inc. (OTC BB:
MPTG) announced a $600,000 private placement through the sale of share warrants at the price of $5.00 per share warrant. The agreement also calls for the purchase of 100,000 share warrants at $5.00 per share by the end of January 2000, and additional 100,000 share warrants at $5.00 per warrant by the end of February, 2000, and a total number of share warrants of 500,000 to be purchased at $5.00 per share by June 30, 2000. Masterpiece has signed Letters of Intent to acquire Triadd Software and Populous Systems, which the company hopes will create a superior web-enable document and practice management technology suite.
58k.com Closes Private Equity Financing
NEW YORK– 58k.com, an online auction market for the country’s 58,000 printers and their commercial clients, closed a private equity financing with Piedmont Venture Partners II LP. At the 58k.com web site, commercial print buyers anonymously submit jobs and printers bid in open auction. Printers in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico have enrolled, including 5 of the 8 largest printers in North America.
http://www.58k.com
http://www.piedmontvp.com
EXIST Garners Investment by eCompanies
SANTA MONICA, Calif.– EXIST Corp. received second-round funding from eCompanies Venture Group. EXIST offers a one-stop, comprehensive partnership solution for the customization, branding and operation of the underlying exchange infrastructure. The exchange platform integrates unlimited suppliers, provides a scalable forum for user-driven supply and demand information, and facilitates transactions across multiple forms of value interchange, from auction formats to barter, and of both intellectual property and physical assets.
http://www.exist.com
http://www.ecompanies.com
GroupServe Secures ForceNine Funding for Wireless Internet Groupware
WASHINGTON– GroupServe Inc., a developer of wireless groupware systems, received angel investment from a group led by ForceNine LLC, a capital firm for early-stage telecommunications companies.In December, GroupServe launched its Palmtop version of GroupVine, its premier web discussion service. Wireless groupware systems permit groups of three or more to communicate and collaborate productively utilizing any access modality.
http://www.groupserve.com
http://www.forcenine.net
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.– Ants.com, a marketplace on the Internet for freelance jobs, received funding from Bertelsmann Ventures. Terms were not disclosed. Ants.com has a community of 15,000 international freelance workers.
http://www.ants.com
CompleteHome.com Acquires MetroRent
SAN FRANCISCO — CompleteHome.com, Cendant Corp.’s (NYSE:
CD) residential real estate services Internet portal, acquired MetroRent, a rental services company specializing in small apartment buildings, Victorians and flats in the San Francisco Bay Area. MetroRent complements CompleteHome.com’s current rental services, which include Rent Net, a rental and relocation guide, and Senior Housing Net, a service of Rent Net that provides a comprehensive low-cost advertising solution to senior housing and long-term care owners and managers in the United States. The agreement expands CompleteHome.com’s resources as a comprehensive vertical portal. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.http://www.CompleteHome.com
IFILM Acquires Lone Eagle Publishing
SAN FRANCISCO and LOS ANGELES — IFILM Corp. acquired Lone Eagle Publishing, a preeminent source of professional and educational information to, for and about the entertainment industry. The acquisition will bolster IFILM’s presence as a destination for the filmmaking community and professionals. The Lone Eagle content offerings will be integrated into IFILM in Q1 2000, and will include the flagship Eagle I property, a proprietary online credit and contact database, the publisher’s best-selling consumer trade catalog, as well as future industry directories and informational books.
http://www.ifilm.net
ChangeMusic Network Acquires Palavista.com
NEW YORK — Following on the heels of the recent merger between CMJ and ChangeMusic.com, the ChangeMusic Network Inc., a subsidiary of Rare Medium Group Inc. (Nasdaq:
RRRR), announced its acquisition of Palavista.com, a popular digital music meta-search engine. The incorporation of Palavista.com and its core capabilities into The ChangeMusic Network gives ChangeMusic visitors single-click access to all the major digital music search engines throughout the Web. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.http://www.raremediumgroup.com
http://www.changemusic.com
http://www.palavista.com
QXL.com Acquires Largest Danish Auction Site
LONDON — QXL.com plc (Nasdaq:
QXLC; London: QXL.L), the pan-European online auctioneer, acquired the largest Danish online auction site, Jubii Auktion. The consideration will be 510,000 QXL.com Ordinary Shares, which have a current market value of £6.6 million ($10.87 million). Jubii Auktion is the largest consumer-to-consumer auction web site in Denmark, with over 30,000 members at the end of 1999, and was the auction business of the leading Danish portal, Jubii A/S.http://auktion.jubii.dk
http://www.qxl.com
City of London PR Buys More of ECeurope.com
LONDON — City of London PR Group, the listed financial PR and investment company, exercised an option to purchase 7.5% of CBSH Limited, owners of a European e-business trade site, taking its stake to an effective 49.9%. CBSH, apart from owning the ECeurope.com global marketplace trade site, also publishes the URL2Trade directory, which ranks trade sites and offers shortcuts to business-to-business resources on the Web.
http://www.eceurope.com
Who’s Who & Where
ComputerJobs.com Names Sally Foster as President
ATLANTA — ComputerJobs.com, an IT employment Web site, appointed Sally Foster as president and chief operating officer. Foster comes to ComputerJobs.com from Clarus Corp., where she was vice president and general manager of the Atlanta-based business-to-business electronic commerce company. ComputerJobs.com has investments from Internet Capital Group and Mellon Ventures.
http://www.computerjobs.com
John Schwarz Signs On as President and CEO of Reciprocal
NEW YORK– Reciprocal announced the appointment of John Schwarz as president and chief executive officer. Schwarz is a former general manager of IBM Solutions, leading the IBM business unit that develops, markets, and implements e-business applications for large enterprises. Reciprocal recently closed a $35 million
mezzanine round of financing.http://www.reciprocal.com
800.COM Names New Senior VP and CFO
PORTLAND, Ore. — 800.COM Inc., an online retailer of consumer electronics and home entertainment products, named Robert Falcone senior vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to joining 800.COM, Falcone served as corporate vice president and CFO of NIKE Inc. 800.com recently closed a Series C
funding round.http://www.800.com
ShopLink.com Names Chief Financial Officer
WESTWOOD, Mass.– ShopLink.com, an on-line provider of grocery shopping and household services, appointed L. Jamison (Jamie) Hudson as chief financial officer. Prior to joining ShopLink.com, Hudson served as vice president and assistant treasurer of Staples Inc. ShopLink.com investors include: Soros Private Equity Partn
ers LLC, Permal Capital, Asdale Ltd. and Andersen Consulting LLP.
http://www.shoplink.com
GiftCertificates.com Names Bertina Ceccarelli as Executive VP of Marketing
NEW YORK — GiftCertificates.com, an online provider of branded gift certificates, appointed Bertina Ceccarelli as executive vice president of marketing. Prior to GiftCertificates.com, Ceccarelli served as senior vice president of marketing for Snap, the Internet portal service. GiftCertificates.com recently received a
second round of funding. There is a profile of the company at our sister site, VC Watch.http://www.GiftCertificates.com
Esurg.com Makes Two Key Management Appointments
SEATTLE– Esurg.com, an online source for medical, surgical and pharmaceutical supplies and information to the office-based procedural healthcare market, appointed Tom Collins to vice president and chief technology officer and Sean Browne to vice president of sales. Prior to joining Esurg.com, Collins was vice president and CTO for Egghead.com, an online retailer of software, computers and other technology products. Browne was a senior vice president at McKessonHBOC. Esurg.com’s lead venture capital firm is Polaris Venture Partners of Boston and Seattle. Esurg.com’s Website will go live during the first quarter of 2000.
Online Bookstore Pioneer Joins ibooks.com
AUSTIN, Texas– ibooks.com, an expert source for digital online reference books, announced that Barbara Frerichs, the founder of the first online interactive bookstore, ReadUSA.com, will join the company as vice president of strategic relations. Prior to founding ReadUSA.com, Frerichs served as a senior financial analyst at PaineWebber and Citicorp. The company is privately held with funding from TL Ventures Partners and others.
http://www.ibooks.com
Frank LeQuang Joins liveprint.com
ALEXANDRIA, Va.– liveprint.com, a destination on the Web for marketing communications solutions, appointed Frank LeQuang as vice president of operations. Prior to joining liveprint.com, LeQuang worked at User Technology Associates Inc., an information technology and engineering services company, as division manager of the commercial business services group and division manager of the science and technology group. liveprint.com has received funding from venture capitalists Flatiron Partners, Chase Capital Partners, Liberty Venture Partners and others.
http://www.liveprint.com
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