Author: Connie Loizos

Socialbakers, a four-year-old, Prague-based analytics platform company that helps brands measure and compare the success of their social media campaigns, has hired James Bodha as CFO. Bodha joins Socialbakers from Myriad Group AG, a leading provider of global social messaging services listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange.

PRESS RELEASE:

Socialbakers, the global provider of analytics platforms that allows brands to measure, compare, and contrast the success of their social media campaigns, today announces the appointment of James Bodha as Chief Financial Officer.

Bodha joins Socialbakers from Myriad Group AG, a leading provider of global social messaging services listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. He will report to Jan Rezab, Socialbakers’ CEO, assuming responsibility for all financial, commercial and legal operations.

Bodha brings to Socialbakers over twelve years of experience in senior financial leadership roles within global, growth technology businesses held in public, venture capital and private equity ownership. During his time at Myriad Group, he oversaw the consolidation of three substantial businesses to create a market leader in social messaging, including the acquisition of Synchronica Plc., an AIM/ TSX dual listed mobile social platform provider.

Prior to joining Myriad Group, he was Chief Financial Officer at Aircom International, a mobile network software provider and Magic4, a mobile phone messaging software provider.

“James brings to Socialbakers an outstanding track record and deep expertise as a serially successful CFO of dynamic technology businesses,” said Rezab. “In particular, his knowledge of establishing and growing profitable and sustainable global, multi-site operations will be invaluable in helping Socialbakers accelerate its growth worldwide.”

“Socialbakers is a truly international company with a market leading social media analytics platform and an outstanding client base of the world’s biggest brands,” adds Bodha. “I am excited to be joining such an ambitious, highly talented team and look forward to helping the company scale operations to achieve its aggressive growth strategy.”

About Socialbakers:
Socialbakers.com is a user-friendly social media analytics platform, providing the only global solution that allows brands to measure, compare, and contrast the success of their social media campaigns with competitive intelligence.

Since 2009 Socialbakers has continuously developed innovative tools for companies to measure and maximize the effectiveness of their social marketing campaigns across all major social networks. With more than 160 employees located in 10 offices worldwide, Socialbakers is one of the world’s fastest growing social media and digital analytics company.

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UpOut, a San Francisco-based online guide that provides users with personalized recommendations to places and events, has closed $850,000 in seed funding from Sand Hill Angels and TEEC Angels, among others. Before receiving its new round of financing, UpOut had participated in Tandem Entrepreneurs, a Burlington, Calif.-based accelerator that targets mobile applications, providing the teams that create them with six months of support and guidance, along with an initial investment.

PRESS RELEASE:

UpOut, a guide that provides personalized recommendations to offbeat and interesting events, announced today it closed $850,000 in seed funding from leading Silicon Valley angels including the Sand Hill Angels and TEEC Angels. Previously, UpOut participated in Tandem’s accelerator program.

UpOut helps locals discover the most interesting events in San Francisco. The technology behind UpOut aggregates thousands of local events and ranks them based on accuracy and preferences, giving users event suggestions that fit their needs. As a companion to the website, UpOut released an iPhone app last year that helps people discover what’s going on around them now. Since the launch of their service, UpOut has grown to influence the going out decision for tens of thousands of Bay Area locals.

The company started out as a weekend project in the dorm rooms of Babson College by twenty-one-year old Martin Shen and nineteen-year-old Will King, entrepreneurs who have worked together for five years at their own web design firm and previous startup. Mr. Shen started his first business in high school and has over five years of UX design experience working with enterprises to rappers. Mr. King is a full stack developer that started coding at age seven.

“We thank our seed round investors for believing in our vision,” said Mr. Shen, CEO of UpOut. “After the positive feedback of our beta service, we’re excited to bring UpOut to all the locals itching to find something interesting to do. In addition to helping locals find things to do, we’re helping local business owners drive traffic to their awesome events.”

Tandem Entrepreneurs is a leading mobile industry accelerator based in Burlingame, CA that provides companies with six months of full support, guidance and an initial investment. “UpOut has been an early hit with both consumers and merchants,” says Doug Renert, Managing Entrepreneur at Tandem. “Martin and Will have the right vision and skills to scale the business and bring UpOut to every city.”

Sand Hill Angels, a group of successful Silicon Valley executives that are passionate about entrepreneurialism and disruptive technology, led UpOut’s seed funding round. “People have a need to discover their city and have a good time. UpOut is helping people satisfy this fundamental need,” said David Koehn, member of Sand Hill Angels. “Their tech is impressive, the timing is good and the team’s approach to product design is great. I’m really excited for what UpOut can bring to users and merchants.”

About UpOut

UpOut is a discriminating guide to fun and interesting events in your city. The startup uses social signals to help you find out what you’re doing tonight. The company was founded in August 2011, is backed by angel investors and is currently based in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://UpOut.com

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Compare Metrics, an analytics software startup that helps brands harness disconnected information to drive sales, has raised $4.2 million led by Austin Ventures. The round also included investors Mike Maples, Bob Greene, Julie Allegro, and Ralph Mack.

PRESS RELEASE:

Compare Metrics, an Adaptive Commerce company that empowers brands to harness disconnected information from across the web to power individualized discovery experiences and drive sales, today announced that it has received $4.2 million in first-round financing. The financing was lead by Austin Ventures and includes follow-on investment from the existing syndicate, including Mike Maples (Floodgate), Bob Greene (Contour Venture Partners), Julie Allegro (Allegro Venture Partners) and Ralph Mack (Mack Capital), as well as new independent investors, including Tom Meredith and Adam Ross. This brings the company’s total funds raised to $4.2 million, $3.5 million of which comes from Austin Ventures in leading the series A. The round will be used to support aggressive growth as companies, especially retailers, embrace the Compare Metrics solution as the next generation leap in product discovery and decision analytics.

“Compare Metrics is transforming the way people are making buying decisions,” said Compare Metrics’ co-founder and CEO Garrett Eastham , a thought-leader on semantic search and human-computer interaction. “We believe the future of online consumer discovery is not about creating the ultimate algorithm to tell consumers what they want but about giving consumers the best tools to articulate their personal desires and confidently follow their unique decision-making path.”
Technology Is Not a Replacement for Thought
“With the ever-expanding breadth of structured and unstructured information on the web, it’s understandable that consumers feel overwhelmed and often paralyzed when trying to make a buying decision. This effect is most obvious in the average retailer’s lower online conversion rate of 3-5%,” said Eastham. “Studies point to a lack of product information or simply not being able to find ‘the right product’ as the primary reasons for such low purchasing confidence. However you look at it, consumers are looking for a better discovery experience.”
The Compare Metrics solution is evolutionary, but it is inspired by simple, fundamental cognitive principles regarding how the brain processes information using visual and informational cues to make a decision. Core to the solution is a philosophy of combining the art of human-processing with the science of algorithmic data analysis and optimization to provide an ever-improving experience for each consumer. It’s a symbiotic relationship between the strongest processor in the world – the human brain – and advanced and purposeful big data processing.
Compare Metrics was co-founded in late 2012 by Garrett Eastham , Mikael Solomon and Stephen Goodwin . The solution was inspired by cognitive science research Eastham led at Stanford University to understand the impact of different computer interfaces on the decision-making process. The team has grown the idea into an innovative technology platform built from the ground-up, grown a highly scalable content curation team and content management system, and has signed market-leading customers.
“Compare Metrics will forever change the way that brands engage with and understand their customers,” said Brett Hurt , a veteran technology entrepreneur who founded Coremetrics and Bazaarvoice, currently works with Austin Ventures as a Venture Partner, and who also serves the Austin tech community as an angel investor and entrepreneurial catalyst. “Through all of my years – since 1998 – pioneering solutions that bring retailers into the digital age, an ongoing challenge has been providing each consumer with the unique mix of information they need to make a purchase decision. By curating a totally new layer of brand and consumer-created product meta data, Compare Metrics is better positioning brands to offer each customer a discovery experience tailored to how they actually think while shopping.” Brett backed Compare Metrics as a seed investor and has joined the company as the independent Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“The entrepreneurs we seek to back are those we see taking a provocative approach to address big problems,” said Chris Pacitti , General Partner at Austin Ventures. “When Garrett, Mikael and Stephen approached us in late 2012 with a solution that married the strengths of the human decision-making engine with big data processing and optimization, we knew they were onto something unique and promising. Market excitement has validated our early assumptions, and we look forward to being an on-going part of Compare Metrics’ growth and success.”
Compare Metrics Leadership
Austin-based Compare Metrics has assembled a team of executives and advisors with deep expertise in human-computer interaction, social commerce and retail software and analytics.
As Co-Founder and CEO, Garrett Eastham drives overall business and product strategy while also leading the day-to-day execution of the company’s vision. Most recently, Garrett helped launch Bazaarvoice Inc.’s big data solution used to track all interaction data across the platform. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University where his research work in semantic search and human computer interaction (HCI) formed the theoretical basis for the Compare Metrics solution and architecture.
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Mikael Solomon is responsible for defining the positioning of Compare Metrics in the online commerce space. This includes execution on strategic partnerships and corporate development plans to maximize the company’s longterm value and success. As an entrepreneur with over 6 years of experience, Mikael got his start as the Founder of Stanford Student Startups, a student operated incubator, where he advised and launched several companies. He brings direct retail experience from his previous work with McMaster-Carr and has extensive experience in the Financial Services industry, formerly at Morgan Stanley.
Co-Founder and CTO Stephen Goodwin is laser focused on ensuring that the Compare Metrics infrastructure and platform remain reliable, fast and innovative. Stephen is a seasoned software engineer with deep experience pushing the boundaries of search technologies for some of the best-known engines in the world, including Microsoft Bing and Indeed.com.
In addition, Compare Metrics has assembled a world-class advisory board of thought-leaders in the retail and technology industries. These advisors bring deep experience from leading institutions including Bazaarvoice, Mass Relevance, and Invodo, among others. A full list of advisors is available here.
About Compare Metrics
Compare Metrics offers Adaptive Commerce solutions that drive next generation product discovery and allow consumers to forge their own distinct path to a buying decision. The solution scales merchandising to support every consumer shopping scenario while creating new intelligence into how and why your shoppers buy. With this new-found ability to understand and react to what customers really care about, retailers have seen increased shopper engagement, increased conversion, as well as improved relevancy and efficiency in demand generation and marketing strategies.
Founded and led by a team steeped in experience building proven retail technology and pushing the boundaries of machine learning and natural language processing, Compare Metrics is changing the way consumers discover and decide on the right products for them. Based in Austin, TX, the company is privately held and supported by trusted venture capital partners and advisors. More information about Compare Metrics is available at the company’s Web site: www.comparemetrics.com.
About Austin Ventures
Austin Ventures (“AV”) has worked with talented entrepreneurs to build valuable companies for over 30 years. With $3.9 billion of capital raised, AV is the most active venture capital firm in Texas and one of the most established in the nation. AV invests in early stage and middle market companies, and its strategy is to partner with talented executives and entrepreneurs to build industry-leading companies predominantly in Texas. Visit Austin Ventures for more information.

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Lighter Capital, a Seattle-based online lending company, has appointed Jeff Seely to its board of directors. Seely is a trustee on the Washington State Investment Board and a member of the board of directors of Concur, a publicly traded, Redmond, Wash.-based company that’s focused on employee spend management software.

PRESS RELEASE:

Lighter Capital, a pioneer of Capital-as-a-Service (Caas), providing entrepreneurs with rapid access to growth capital through revenue-based financing, today announced the appointment of Jeff Seely to its Board of Directors.

Seely is a trustee on the Washington State Investment Board, which oversees more than $70 billion of pension assets for state employees, and a member of the board of directors of Redmond-based Concur (Nasdaq:CNQR), a company focused on employee spend management software. Seely previously served as the CEO of Recruiting.com from 2008 to 2010, and was chairman and CEO of ShareBuilder Corporation from 1998 until 2007, when it was sold to ING Direct for $220 million. Prior to ShareBuilder, Seely spent 15 years in investment banking at Robertson Stephens & Co., Dean Witter and Smith Barney, where he focused on financings, IPOs, and mergers and acquisitions for financial services firms and consumer businesses.

“Jeff’s career has bridged the worlds of finance and technology in a very rare and highly successful manner, bringing a tremendous wealth of experience to Lighter Capital as we grow our Capital-as-a-Service offering,” said BJ Lackland, CEO of Lighter Capital. “His experience building a web-based financial services firm, being an investment banker to banks, and providing strategic guidance to pension funds and successful software businesses provides our Board with a veteran perspective that will be extremely valuable. I am very excited to have him as an active member of our board.”

Lighter Capital and Revenue-Based Financing is intended for early-stage businesses that have established success and are primed for growth, but are cash-constrained and need access to capital with no loss of control and no fixed repayment schedule. Lighter Capital has developed a software platform to automate the investment application and evaluation process, accelerating the loan process for entrepreneurs, while also improving Lighter Capital’s scale and investment returns.

About Lighter Capital

At Lighter Capital, we’re breaking down the barriers to small business growth funding. Our revenue-based finance model exchanges growth capital for a fixed percentage of the company’s revenues. This structure is more flexible, easier, and faster than traditional loans, making us “lighter” than the marble and mahogany of the antiquated banks. Since 2010, Lighter Capital has funded dozens of fast growing companies that had no interest in personal guarantees from a bank nor the dilution and control provisions from venture capitalists. Lighter Capital invests $50k to $1M into companies with revenues of $15k per month and up. For more information, or to apply, visit: http://www.lightercapital.com/

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ViewRay Inc., a Cleveland-based medical device company, has raised $15 million in fresh funding, raising the total amount raised by the company to nearly $100 million. The company’s machinery, which can produce real-time images of cancerous tumors while the tumors are being treated radiation, raised what has been in its biggest round, a $45 million Series C, last year. ViewRay’s investors include Aisling Capital, Fidelity Biosciences, Kearny Venture Partners, OrbiMed Advisors and Siemens Venture Capital.

According to a company spokeswoman, ViewRay did not publish a press release in tandem with its new funding.

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Seattle-based HasOffers, a startup that provides white-labeled software for ad networks and egencies to manage their performance advertising programs, has raised $9.4 million in its first round of funding. The round was led by Accel Partners and included participation by Seattle investors Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks, and Chris DeVore of Founder’s Co-op.

PRESS RELEASE:

HasOffers, the SAAS leader in mobile advertising attribution raises $9.4M in its first round of funding led by Accel Partners, with participation by Seattle investors Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks, and Chris DeVore of Founder’s Co-op. The bootstrapped startup with 79 employees will use the new investment to expand its engineering organization and accelerate development of its analytics and attribution software tools.

Founded in 2009 by twin brothers, Lucas and Lee Brown, HasOffers features two SAAS (software as a service) products:

HasOffers.com provides white-labeled software for networks and agencies to manage their performance advertising programs. Clients include: Bucksense, Tapjoy, SponsorPay, Applift, PocketMedia, OfferMobi, Crobo, Tapit
MobileAppTracking.com (MAT) attributes installs, in-app engagement and purchases back to ad partners (such as social networks, publishers, and mobile ad networks). Clients include: SuperCell, HotelTonight, Spotify, LivingSocial, Electronic Arts, Square, Yahoo! Integrations include: Facebook, Tapjoy, InMobi, Millennial Media, AdColony, Drawbridge
“We really didn’t need to raise money based on our current cash flow and ability to keep growing, but this partnership with Accel changes the game for us, allowing us to increase our engineering efforts and quickly scale our internal processes to meet a massive need in mobile advertising. I really believe Accel is the perfect partner for engaging this mobile ad ecosystem,” said Peter Hamilton, CEO of HasOffers.

As part of the financing, Rich Wong, Partner at Accel Partners will join the board. Rich previously worked with and led investments in leading mobile companies such as Mopub, Admob, Rovio, the maker of Angry Birds, 3LM, and Mobilespaces. In addition, Accel Partners has also invested in leading global mobile companies such as Supercell, HotelTonight, Spotify, Kayak, Hailocab, Trulia, and others — many of whom are customers of the service.

“We’re seeing a market shift in online advertising from the CPM or display oriented world of the past to a more programmatic, performance based approach,” said Rich Wong, Partner at Accel Partners. “Mobile advertisers are igniting that progression by demanding real user engagement from their advertising partners, and MobileAppTracking provides them with an objective way to evaluate performance of these campaigns.”

MAT is integrated with over 150 major mobile ad networks and publishers to make it easier for mobile app developers to work with any partner they choose. As a third party, open platform, the company maintains an independent relationship with ad networks, RTBs, and agencies and presents marketers with truly unbiased reporting.

“Our roots in performance advertising lead us to believe that successful advertising campaigns are built on relationships. Whether advertisers are promoting mobile apps or web campaigns, they must find the right partners with the right users, and both parties should be held accountable to campaign performance,” said Lucas Brown, Co-Founder of HasOffers. “That is exactly why unbiased attribution is so important.”

In conjunction with the funding announcement, HasOffers released the new Cohort Analysis Report for MAT. This real-time report allows clients to select a segment of app installs and correlate the in-app purchases and engagement that came from those users over time, revealing the true life-time value and revenue per install generated by various advertising sources.

Mobile improvements to the HasOffers.com product provide new attribution technology and parameters for networks and agencies to engage with mobile advertisers. With major UI improvements and mobile oriented reporting, the product is well positioned to be the dominating measurement and reconciliation tool for performance driven marketers with campaigns across devices.

About HasOffers HasOffers was founded in Seattle in 2009 by twin brothers, Lucas and Lee Brown. The bootstrapped startup now employs 79 employees and is the leader in attribution analytics, providing marketers with the tools they need to measure and manage their advertising relationships.

About Accel Partners Founded in 1983, and managing over $9.6 billion in capital, Accel Partners has a long history of partnering with outstanding entrepreneurs and management teams to build world-class businesses. Accel today invests globally using dedicated teams and market-specific strategies for local geographies, with offices in Palo Alto, California, New York City, London, and Bangalore, as well as in China via its partnership with IDG-Accel.

Accel has helped entrepreneurs build over 300 successful technology companies, many of which have defined their categories, including 99designs, Actuate, AdMob, Agile Software, Alfresco, Angry Birds (Rovio), Atlassian, BBN, Bonobos, Braintree, Brightcove, Cloudera, ComScore, Diapers.com (Quidsi), Dropbox, Etsy, Exclusively.in, Facebook, Flipkart, Fusion-IO, Gameforge, GlamMedia, Groupon, Imperva, Infinera, Interwoven, IronPlanet, JBoss, Kayak, Lookout, Macromedia, metroPCS, MoPub, Myntra, OPOWER, Polycom/PictureTel, Playfish, Portal Software, QlikTech, Rapt, Real Networks, Redback, Responsys, Riverbed, Spotify, Squarespace, SunRun, Trulia, UUNet, Veritas, Walmart.com, Webroot, Wonga, XenSource and Zimbra.

SOURCE HasOffers

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/05/21/5436129/hasoffers-secures-94m-investment.html#storylink=cpy

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San Francisco-based Brightpearl, a software-as-a-service company that integrates orders, inventory, and customer data for small and medium-size businesses, has raised $8 million in Series B funding. The round was co-led by seed investors Eden Ventures and Notion Capital, which had previously given the six-year-old company $5 million in funding.

Additionally the company announced that Andy Young has joined as chief marketing officer, and Adam Smith has joined as senior vice president of finance and operations.

PRESS RELEASE:

Brightpearl (www.brightpearl.com), cloud software that integrates orders, inventory and customer data across multiple retail channels, today announced it has raised $8 million in a Series B financing, which was co-led by seed investors Eden Ventures and Notion Capital. Additionally the company announced that Andy Young has joined as chief marketing officer, and Adam Smith has joined as senior vice president of finance and operations.
“We believe Commerce Acceleration software for small to medium businesses is a multi-billion dollar global opportunity,” said Charles Grimsdale, Eden Ventures co-founder and a director of Brightpearl. “Brightpearl dominates this market with the ideal combination of technology, team and traction. We’ve seen customers experience growth rates of 40%-50% by adding new sales channels on the Brightpearl platform vs. single-digit growth for the overall retail sector.”

Brightpearl intends to use the Series B proceeds to invest in continued enhancements to its industry-leading Commerce Acceleration Platform, and to expand sales in North America and the UK.

“Brightpearl has an exciting opportunity to be a market leader in the small to medium-sized market, where significant customer pain is addressed by Brightpearl’s product,” said Chris Tottman, co-founder of Notion Capital and a director of Brightpearl. “Brightpearl is now well funded, building a world-class team, driving the product forward and rapidly expanding brand awareness.”

Andy Young, Brightpearl’s chief marketing officer, joined the company in early 2013, after leading marketing for Intuit’s TurboTax brand, and was a key member of the management team that increased TurboTax revenues by 40% in just three years. Prior to Intuit/TurboTax, Andy was vice president of web marketing for Adobe Systems, and managed all aspects of Adobe.com’s strategy, e-commerce, search / affiliate / direct marketing, analytics and creative services. Before Adobe, Andy was chief marketing officer for Shutterfly, a collection of brands that provide photo-based products and services, where he was responsible for driving revenues from startup through its successful initial public offering. Andy holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Virginia and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

“I’ve had the good fortune to help build some of the world’s leading brands,” said Andy Young, Brightpearl’s chief marketing officer. “Brightpearl has all the ingredients to build a multi-billion-dollar brand; and I’m excited to help make our vision a reality.”
Adam Smith, Brightpearl’s senior vice president of finance and operations, has over 25 years of experience in retail, direct channels and e-commerce. Before joining Brightpearl, Adam was eCommerce Development Director for Dixons Stores Group, and was part of the leadership team that took Sit-up Limited from startup to $400 million sales in just five years. Adam also has extensive experience working with multi-channel retail startups in the US, Asia and Europe. Adam holds a B.Sc. from the London School of Economics, is a qualified treasurer and qualified as a chartered accountant with Arthur Andersen.
“I was originally drawn to Brightpearl while working for a retailer experiencing all of the headaches of rapid growth in multiple channels,” said Adam Smith, Brightpearl’s senior vice president of finance and operations. “Now, I look forward to contributing to Brightpearl’s meteoric growth and success in attracting retail customers in an enormous and dynamic market.”
About Brightpearl
Brightpearl is cloud software for multichannel retailers. It integrates orders, inventory and customer data and lets retailers do what they do best: focus on growing their businesses. With Brightpearl’s Commerce Acceleration Platform, multi-channel retailers can be confident their core data and processes are under control, saving time, money and creating a reliable foundation for rapid growth. Since 2011, more than $600 million of gross merchandise value has been traded on the Brightpearl Commerce Acceleration Platform. Brightpearl is fully integrated with a variety of sales channels including Magento, eBay, Bigcommerce, Shopify and Amazon, providing retailers with built-in access to multiple avenues for growth. To learn more, visit www.brightpearl.com.

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CapLinked,  a Los Angeles, Calif.-based startup whose cloud-based platform enables investors to manage business transactions like mergers, acquisitions, financings, asset sales and reporting, has closed on a Series A round that the firm has been assembling since last year. The round, which is being closed with $2.1 million, includes new investors Conversion Capital, Inflection Ventures, and The Artesian Group. Previous investors in the company include 500 Startups and venture capitalist Peter Thiel. To date, CapLinked has raised more than $3 million.

PRESS RELEASE:

CapLinked (https://caplinked.com), the cloud-based platform that makes business transactions simple and secure, announced additional investors and the final results of its Series A financing round today.

The total size of the financing round came to $2.1 million. The new investors include Conversion Capital, Inflection Ventures, The Artesian Group, Chris Harris (software engineering manager at Google), and Lee Essener (founder of AccessDNA). The company previously disclosed that FF Angel, Siemer Ventures, 500 Startups, and Peter Thiel (co-founder of PayPal), among others, had invested $1.6 million in the Series A round. The new funding brings the company’s aggregate amount of capital raised to over $3 million.

CapLinked empowers its clients to manage complex business transactions such as mergers & acquisitions, financings, asset sales, and investor reporting. The company’s easy-to-use collaborative workspaces enable users to speed up the complicated and tedious process of managing a large deal. Built with workflow optimization in mind, CapLinked helps all parties involved in a transaction to communicate and securely exchange files, while providing customers with deal analytics and a complete audit trail.

“We’re using the proceeds from our financing round to invest in our technology, build new features, and increase sales and support,” said CapLinked CEO Eric M. Jackson. “We’re proud of our product, and I can confirm that we used our own software to manage our capital raise.”

“I was particularly drawn to CapLinked’s team, technology and vision,” said investor Lee Essner. “They have a beautiful, modern, workflow-friendly transaction management solution for corporate development teams, sell-side advisors, and private equity firms, as well as an extremely driven and impressive team that is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this big opportunity to disrupt the financial technology sector.”

Additionally, the company announced several new clients, including Edwards Lifesciences, Draper and Kramer, and Proprietary Capital. They join a growing and impressive roster of previously disclosed CapLinked clients that includes Thomson Reuters, Sun Capital, and NextView Ventures.

CapLinked provides a welcome alternative to Virtual Data Room (VDR) services for coordinating on complex business deals. The VDR industry has long been dominated by three large players (IntraLinks, Merrill Datasite, and RR Donnelly’s Venue), and the resulting lack of competition has lead to a lack of innovation for a technology that originated in the 1990s. Poor workflow, difficult set-up, and exorbitant pricing (including hidden per-page charges) have long plagued VDR customers. By contrast, CapLinked is easy to set up, workflow-friendly, and has transparent pricing.

About CapLinked
CapLinked is a cloud-based platform that makes business transactions simple and secure. CapLinked is used by companies for managing M&A transactions, raising capital, selling assets, updating investors, and conducting due diligence. The site was launched in 2011 by Eric M. Jackson (PayPal’s first head of US marketing and author of the award-winning book The PayPal Wars) and Christopher Grey (former senior private equity executive and managing director at a subsidiary of Emigrant Bank). Its investors include FF Angel, Hercules Growth Fund, Siemer Ventures, 500 Startups, 7th Rig, and Peter Thiel (the co-founder of PayPal). The Wall Street Journal called CapLinked “the go-to place for setting up and closing deals,” and Inc. named CapLinked to its list of “5 Back-Office Tech Innovations.” The company is based in Los Angeles.

Contact Information
For more information or to arrange an interview with CapLinked CEO Eric M. Jackson, contact Luke Cherrington at [email protected] or (310) 896-5045.

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Bunker Hill Capital, a Boston-based private equity firm, has acquired Dyno Holdco, LLC, the exclusive licensee of the Singer brand for sewing accessories and a large producer and marketer of holiday decorative home products. Dyno, based in Pompano Beach, Fla., was previously owned by TG Capital Corp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

PRESS RELEASE:

Bunker Hill Capital, a Boston based private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired Dyno Holdco, LLC (“Dyno” or the “Company”), the exclusive licensee of the Singer brand for sewing accessories and one of the largest producers and marketers of holiday decorative home products in North America from TG Capital Corp. The exclusive license enables Dyno to sell a large and diverse portfolio of sewing products, including cutting instruments, fasteners, needles, thread and a wide variety of other sewing related notions and accessories from an iconic sewing and craft brand.

Dyno’s sewing business is complemented by its holiday decorative home products that include holiday-oriented home décor, holiday decorations and ornaments, tree stands, decorative bows, light-hanging accessories and storage solutions. Like its sewing products, a portion of Dyno’s holiday products are marketed under proprietary or licensed brands, or are protected by product design patents.

Jim Moynihan, CEO of Dyno, stated that, “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with Bunker Hill Capital to continue to grow the company’s diverse portfolio of sewing, craft and holiday products. The management team believes that Bunker Hill Capital provides the company with extensive strategic expertise that will accelerate our growth both domestically and internationally. Importantly, we share a common vision of becoming the market leader in each of our core businesses.”

“Dyno’s two major product categories sell to a substantially similar demographic mix of consumers at recession resistant price points and offer both organic and acquisitive growth opportunities. We are excited to partner with Jim Moynihan and his team.”

Headquartered in Pompano Beach, FL, and with offices in Chicago, IL and Hong Kong, Dyno has achieved strong revenue and earnings growth driven by its Singer license and expansion into new holiday product categories both organically and through acquisition. Mark DeBlois, a Managing Partner of Bunker Hill Capital, said, “Dyno’s two major product categories sell to a substantially similar demographic mix of consumers at recession resistant price points and offer both organic and acquisitive growth opportunities. We are excited to partner with Jim Moynihan and his team.”

Dyno sells to over 50,000 retail locations across nearly every major sales channel in North America. Customers include major food, drug and mass retailers, home improvement/DIY retailers, fabric and craft retailers and wholesale clubs, such as Walmart, Jo-Ann, Lowe’s, Walgreens, Target, CVS, The Home Depot, Kmart, Kroger and Canadian Tire. Jared Paquette, a Principal at Bunker Hill Capital, commented, “The Dyno management team has done an excellent job in building a well-diversified products platform across multiple sales channels and two complementary product categories, providing a strong foundation for future growth.”

Bunker Hill Capital’s investment was the first investment from its second fund. Bunker Hill Capital owns a majority and controlling interest in Dyno and was joined in the transaction with equity and subordinated debt investments from management and The Hartford Investment Management Company, and senior debt was provided by SunTrust Bank.

About Dyno

Founded in 1953, Dyno is the exclusive licensee of the Singer brand for sewing accessories and one of the largest producers and marketers of sewing products in North America. The exclusive license enables Dyno to sell a large and diverse portfolio of sewing products, including cutting instruments, fasteners, needles, thread and a wide variety of other sewing related notions and accessories. Dyno’s sewing business is complemented by its holiday decorative home products that include holiday-oriented home décor, holiday decorations and ornaments, tree stands, decorative bows, light-hanging accessories and storage solutions.

About Bunker Hill Capital

Bunker Hill Capital is a private equity firm that makes investments in lower middle market companies with enterprise values up to $120 million. The principals of Bunker Hill Capital have invested over $450 million in 31 transactions and target opportunities across four industry sectors including industrial products, business services, consumer products and specialty retail. Bunker Hill Capital’s current portfolio company investments include California Family Fitness, the leading owner and operator of fitness centers in the greater Sacramento, CA area; Papa Gino’s/D’Angelo, a dominant quick service restaurant operator in New England; Smith & Wollensky, a premier steakhouse concept in the United States; SunBriteTV, the world’s leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of all-weather outdoor televisions and related accessories; and IT Consulting Services Holdings, a leading SAP services firm. For more information on Bunker Hill Capital, please visit www.bunkerhillcapital.com.

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TenFarms, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based startup focused on advertising technologies for smartphones and tablets, has raised $2.7 million in funding from undisclosed sources, in what the company is characterizing simply as “angel funding.” The money, says TenFarms, will be used for further development of its applications.

PRESS RELEASE:

TenFarms today announced a $2.7M angel funding round that will be used to fuel the continued development of its Photopoll app for iOS devices and bring Adtile, a new advertising solution for smartphones and tablets, to market. Unlike existing banner advertisements on mobile devices, Adtile is built on patent-pending technology and will deliver geo-targeted ads through native and web applications, fully embedded for a more user-friendly and engaging design.

“Banner ads might still function well in print and on desktop computers, but it’s clear that they just don’t work on mobile devices,” said Nils Forsblom, Founder & CEO of TenFarms. “Not only are banner ads intrusive to mobile users, but the limited space and inadvertent taps from the ‘fat finger’ effect doesn’t offer advertisers a reliable platform for quality engagement. Adtile will change all of this with a simple and automated method for integrating ads into mobile apps and websites. We believe the best way to revolutionize advertising is to create an entirely new design that embraces the needs of mobile users and publishers, making it part of the user experience.”

The Adtile mobile advertising solution consists of a customizable SDK that enables easy integration into mobile applications and websites, complete with a dashboard to deploy and analyze campaigns. Adtile’s unique algorithm has the ability to determine a user’s location and deliver smart ads based on that data. Additionally, ads are served based on specific keywords, categories and more, ensuring that relevant ads reach consumers, which offers developers and brands options for a fully automated but very targeted and tailored campaign. Adtile will also allow flexibility in the delivery approach based on the type of mobile application, whether it is music, games, lifestyle, shopping, or any other category.

TenFarms most recently introduced Photopoll, the world’s first mobile app for iOS devices that allows users to group and share multiple photos into a feed for instant polling. Compared to other apps that only allow feedback on one or two photos, Photopoll empowers users to share their stories through up to five photos, or poll the open community to access public opinion on any given topic. Part of the new funding will go towards further development of the application and experience, and growing its user base.

For more information about Adtile and to learn more, visit www.adtile.me.

For more information about Photopoll, visit www.photopoll.com.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/photopoll
Twitter: www.twitter.com/photopoll
App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photopoll/id456863839?ls=1&mt=8
About TenFarms

TenFarms is a startup company based in Los Angeles, California. The company’s purpose and mission is to design and build mobile products with substance, style and simplicity. With the introduction of Photopoll, TenFarms is the first company ever to introduce a multi-photo sharing solution that integrates polling. Its latest offering includes Adtile, a mobile advertising solution set to launch in 2013. TenFarms also holds six patents pending on mobile solutions and technology that drives its products and services. For more information, please visit www.tenfarms.com.

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ePrize, a Pleasant Ridge, Michigan-based company that specializes in mobile, social and Web campaigns and was acquired last summer by the private equity firm Catterton Partners, is itself announcing an acquisition. Under terms that aren’t being disclosed, ePrize has purchased Promotions.com, a company that offers brand contents and other “consumer-activation tactic.” The move marks ePrize’s fifth acquisition is less than two years.

PRESS RELEASE:

ePrize, a global leader in engagement for mobile, social, and web campaigns — and the largest provider of interactive promotions — today announced the acquisition of Promotions.com, a company that offers brands contests and other consumer-activation tactics. The deal marks ePrize’s fifth acquisition in under two years and further establishes its market position as the leading provider of robust promotional, loyalty, and mobile solutions. ePrize’s customer engagement platform is currently used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500 brands.

Since 1993, Promotions.com has been a leading interactive services provider specializing in driving desired consumer behaviors via the execution of sweepstakes, contests, instant-win games, Facebook and Twitter promotions, and other digital promotional activation tactics. The acquisition by ePrize demonstrates the rapid momentum it is experiencing as it broadens its product offerings and enhances its multi-channel technology platform and product offerings.

“With all the clutter in the market, it can be overwhelming when brands seek a partner to help drive digital engagement,” said Matt Wise, CEO of ePrize. “Our goal at ePrize is to offer a holistic engagement platform that enables the world’s largest brands to execute everything from mobile campaigns to social loyalty to live text-to-screen promotions and connect them to in store experiences. Our acquisition of Promotions.com allows us to further enhance our current promotional capabilities, add new members to our team who are already experts in the space, and offer current Promotions.com customers a more comprehensive, multi-channel engagement solution.”

ePrize’s recent acquisitions include Mozes, a mobile engagement company that added live event activation to ePrize’s portfolio of digital services, and Bulbstorm, an innovative software platform that allows for the production of fast, simple, high-volume promotional executions across social properties, mobile apps, and websites. Headquartered in Detroit, ePrize employs over 400 full-time people across eight offices including New York, Chicago, Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Seattle.

About ePrize, Inc.

ePrize is a global leader in digital and mobile engagement. A majority of Fortune 500 brands such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, The Gap, MillerCoors, Lenovo, NHL, Yahoo!, P&G and AT&T, have relied on ePrize’s multi-channel solutions to engage consumers on their path to purchase — all on a single unified platform. Since 1999, ePrize has created thousands of promotions, CRM and loyalty campaigns in 44 countries. Headquartered in Detroit, ePrize also has offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle. Visit us at eprize.com or text CRM to 35350 for mobile demos and alerts. For ePrize’s press kit, click here.

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Fastback Networks, a San Jose-based mobile infrastructure company, has closed a $15 million round led by the venture firm Matrix Partners. Existing investors, including Foundation Capital; Granite Capital; and Juniper Networks, through its Junos Innovation Fund, also participated in the Series B financing. Fastback Networks raised $11 million in Series A funding in 2011.

PRESS RELEASE:

Fastback Networks today announced the company has closed $15 million in Series B financing. Led by Matrix Partners, the round of funding includes existing investors Juniper Networks through its Junos® Innovation Fund, Foundation Capital, and Granite Ventures. The investment will provide working capital to accelerate and scale customer engagements, enhance customer service and support capabilities, and facilitate ongoing product development for the Fastback Intelligent Wireless Transport solution. In conjunction with the Series B investment, Stan Reiss, General Partner, Matrix Partners, has joined the Fastback Networks Board of Directors.

Following an $11 million Series A financing in 2011, the Company emerged from stealth mode in February 2013, unveiling a patented breakthrough in a new class of intelligent wireless transport devices that deliver fiber equivalent performance for small cell backhaul and commercial services. The Fastback solution, currently in trials with Tier 1 mobile network and services operators, fuses advanced radio and data network technology to enable fiber equivalent service assurance at any location where mobile services are in demand. With Fastback’s proprietary Any Line of Sight™ technology, mobile network operators can deploy small cells in any location without line of sight or access to fiber constraints, and fiber network operators can assure delivery of Carrier Ethernet 2.0 services over wireless to locations that previously could not be served.

“Fastback is well positioned to extend their technology advantage and lead the market in removing the barriers to widespread deployment of small cells within the new emerging mobile network,” said Stan Reiss, General Partner, Matrix Partners. “Fastback is leading the transformation of small cell backhaul, enabling the high capacity and density demanded by the explosive growth of mobile data usage.”

“We are proud and pleased to welcome Matrix as an investor, and look forward to Stan’s contributions to the Fastback Board of Directors as we scale the company and expand our market engagement in the re-architecting of the mobile network,” said Kevin J. Duffy, CEO & Co-founder, Fastback Networks. “Our Series B funding allows us to build on our success and address the opportunity as today’s disaggregated mobile networks seamlessly converge across public, private, LTE and Wi-Fi networks.”

“As a leading provider of innovative network platforms for service providers, we recognize the unique benefits Fastback’s solution brings to our 4G/LTE customers,” said Rami Rahim, Executive Vice President, Platform Systems Division, Juniper Networks. “We are excited to continue our work with Fastback and support the company as an investor.”

About Matrix Partners

Matrix Partners is a premier venture capital firm that has generated outstanding returns for more than three decades. By focusing on early-stage investments and emphasizing long-term relationships with entrepreneurs, the firm has delivered several of the industry’s top performing funds of all time. Matrix Partners has offices in Cambridge and Waltham, MA; Palo Alto, CA; Mumbai, India; and Beijing and Shanghai, China. Matrix Partners has invested in several game-changing, industry-leading businesses such as Apple Computer, Aruba, HubSpot, JBoss, Netezza, Phone.com, Polyvore, Starent Networks, Tivoli Systems, Veritas, Zendesk, and Zong.

About Juniper Networks’ Junos Innovation Fund

The Junos Innovation Fund is a corporate venture capital fund launched in 2010 and backed solely by Juniper Networks. It invests in leading early-stage and growth-stage technology companies that expand and enhance the Junos® ecosystem.

About Fastback Networks

Fastback Networks was founded with a vision to deliver innovative technology for the mobile infrastructure of the future, enabling network operators to deliver new services, tap new markets and monetize a new generation of mobile applications. With insights derived from the collective team’s vast experience building leading edge radio and data networking solutions, Fastback Networks looked at the challenges of 4G/LTE deployment with fresh eyes and better ideas, and developed a transformational solution that enables the acceleration of next generation mobile services. Fastback Networks is a privately held venture funded company. More information is available at www.fastbacknetworks.com.

Fastback Networks, Intelligent Wireless Transport, Any Line of Sight, and AnyLOS, are registered trademarks or trademarks of Fastback Networks. Copyright 2013, Fastback Networks. All rights reserved.

Contacts

Fastback Networks
Linda Prosser, 408-500-5410
[email protected]

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The Flexitallic Group, a maker of sealing products and other products, including gaskets, for the energy industry that is headquartered in Paris, is being acquired by Bridgepoint, a pan-European private equity investor focused on middle market opportunities. The €450 million transaction, which is subject to competition clearance, is anticipated to close this July.

PRESS RELEASE:

The Flexitallic Group, the global leader in specialized sealing products and solutions for the energy industry, today announced that it is being acquired by international private equity firm Bridgepoint.

“Eurazeo PME’s support has helped us become a global benchmark for corporate excellence in the oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical industries”
Since 2006, the majority shareholder in The Flexitallic Group has been investment firm Eurazeo PME, which will continue to retain a minority equity stake. The €450 million transaction, which is subject to competition clearance, is anticipated to close this July.

The sale enables The Flexitallic Group to continue its geographic and technological development for the benefit of upstream, downstream and power generation customers worldwide. With Bridgepoint’s support, the company plans to double in size during the next five years.

In the six years since Eurazeo PME took a controlling interest, The Flexitallic Group has acquired and rapidly integrated six companies, driven substantial process and research improvements, and bolstered its experienced leadership team, resulting in nearly 12 times valuation growth (to €450M) and 11 times revenue growth (to €210M). During the same period, its workforce has expanded from 46 to 1,250 associates.

Two recent acquisitions – AGS Flexitallic and Custom Rubber Products – have allowed The Flexitallic Group to position itself in high-growth alternative energy markets: Canadian oil sands and U.S. oil and shale gas.

“We are very pleased to have helped The Flexitallic Group achieve exceptional growth,” said Olivier Millet, chairman of Eurazeo PME. “Thanks to the high quality work of Rémi Toledano and his entire management team, The Flexitallic Group has demonstrated an outstanding ability for market expansion, international acquisitions and rapid consolidations. It is a strong, innovative and responsible company that is poised to extend its remarkable growth trajectory. ”

Frédéric Pescatori, Bridgepoint’s managing director for France, said, “The quality of Flexitallic’s service and products is impressive as is the dynamism and vision of its management team. Recent acquisitions in the alternative energy market offer compelling growth prospects not only in North America, where the group is already present, but also in Asia, Australia and South America.”

“Eurazeo PME’s support has helped us become a global benchmark for corporate excellence in the oil and gas, chemical and petrochemical industries,” noted Rémi Toledano, president and chief executive officer of The Flexitallic Group.

“Bridgepoint’s investment comes at a key moment in our history. Having already doubled in size in the last two years, The Flexitallic Group will now have the support of a new shareholder to help it pursue not only further penetration of our traditional markets in the US and Europe, but also further international expansion, notably China, where we are positioned to supply the developing nuclear industry. We will also continue to invest significantly in innovation to enable us to serve clients worldwide.”

The Flexitallic Group operating companies include Flexitallic, AGS Flexitallic, Siem Supranite, Sealex, Customer Rubber Products, and Induseal Gaskets. Facilities and teams across the globe serve customers such as EDF, Arkema, Total, Shell, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Cameron.

About The Flexitallic Group

The Flexitallic Group (www.TheFlexitallicGroup.com) is a global leader in specialized sealing solutions and products serving the oil and gas, power generation, chemical and petrochemical industries in emerging and developed markets. Focused on the upstream, downstream and power generation sectors, it has operations in France, the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan and China plus a network of worldwide licensing partners and distributors.

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Law firm Sidley Austin, which is headquartered in New York, has hired Gregory Salathé as a partner in its Singapore office. Salathé is now  a member of the firm’s M&A practice, and will reside in Singapore after a transition period in Tokyo. He was most recently a partner at the law firm Morgan Lewis, where he was a co-managing partner of the firm’s Tokyo office.

PRESS RELEASE:

Sidley Austin LLP has announced that Gregory Salathé joined the firm as a partner earlier this week. He is a member of the firm’s M&A practice and will reside in its Singapore office after a transition period in Tokyo.

Mr. Salathé focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, with particular strength in representing private equity and hedge funds in their downstream investments. He has represented global investment funds and multinational corporations in connection with their investments across Asia, as well as Asian companies investing in the U.S. and Europe. Recently, he has been involved in several significant transactions on behalf of large private equity funds. Mr. Salathé has been resident in Japan for over ten years and will continue to be actively involved with Japan-related matters.

“Greg has extensive experience representing clients in Asia-related cross-border M&A transactions and understands exceptionally well the myriad issues that private equity and hedge funds face when they make downstream investments in the region,” said Thomas Albrecht, Managing Partner, Asia Pacific. “That experience makes him a valuable addition to our practice. His appointment, together with that of investment funds partner Han Ming Ho, who will also join our Singapore office, significantly enhances our ability to advise our funds clients in the region on their most important legal matters including formation, regulatory compliance, downstream acquisitions and other corporate transactions.”
“There are significant M&A opportunities throughout the Asia Pacific region, particularly in Southeast Asia, and Singapore is a natural hub for the expansion of our M&A practice,” said Matthew Sheridan, partner and co-head of Sidley’s International Corporate Finance Practice in Asia. “The growth of our Singapore office reflects the increasing importance of Southeast Asia to our clients, and Greg will bring a strong record of successful M&A and investment deal making in a number of industries.”

Sidley’s Singapore office, established in 1982, was the firm’s first office in the Asia Pacific region. Sidley is one of only four firms to have been granted the QFLP license on February 19, 2013 by Singapore’s Ministry of Law, bringing the total number of QFLP firms to ten. As part of its planned expansion following the issuance of the QFLP license, Sidley announced last month that Han Ming Ho will join its Singapore office.
Sidley has had a presence in Asia Pacific for over 30 years and is one of few U.S. law firms to have maintained on-the-ground capabilities in this region for more than three decades. With approximately 160 legal professionals in Asia Pacific resident in six offices — Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo — and a global presence of nearly 1,750 lawyers in 18 offices worldwide, Sidley has built a reputation as a premier legal advisor for global businesses and financial institutions.

To stay up-to-date with the latest Sidley news, please follow us on Twitter at @SidleyNewsroom.

For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and our headquarters are Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, 212.839.5300; One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, 312.853.7000; and 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, 202.736.8000.

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Avec Capital, a New York private placement firm that works with private equity and alternative assets funds, has appointed Christine Kelleher as a managing director. Kelleher joins the firm from Georgetown University Investment Office in Washington, D.C., which oversees the management of the university’s $1.1 billion endowment and where Kelleher was a senior investment officer.

PRESS RELEASE:

Avec Capital, announced today that Christine Kelleher has joined the firm as Managing Director. Ms. Kelleher will lead Avec Capital’s investment sourcing and evaluation, guiding the firm in anticipating institutional investors’ allocation priorities through different economic environments.

Ms. Kelleher brings nine years of institutional investing experience to Avec Capital. Since 2004, she was Senior Investment Officer at the Georgetown University Investment Office in Washington, DC, which oversees management of the university’s $1.1 billion endowment. Prior to Georgetown she worked with the Central European University/Open Society Institute in Budapest.

Avec Capital Senior Managing Director and Founder, Nina Lesavoy noted, “Christine’s experience developing and implementing alternative asset investment programs including her background in asset allocation, risk management and forensic style investment manager due diligence, will be valuable for Avec Capital and the investment managers with whom we partner. Her asset class expertise in global public and private equity, natural resources, real estate and hedge funds, is an enhancement to our team.”

Ms. Kelleher graduated Phi Beta Kappa and cum laude with a BA in International Relations and Russian Language from Bucknell University. She also holds Master of Arts degrees in History and Russian and East European Studies from Georgetown University. She was named by aiCIO to its “Chief Investment Officer 40 [Mostly] Under 40” list in April 2012.

In addition to Ms. Kelleher, Avec Capital’s senior team includes Nina Lesavoy, Lindsay Todd and Joseph Vet. Collectively they have deep and diverse experience in investment management, fundraising and client service. Ms. Kelleher’s first-hand experience as an institutional investor understanding and investing in complex strategies managed by a diverse pool of investment managers is a significant complement to this team and a valuable resource for the Avec principals who invest individually in the funds with whom the firm partners.

Avec Capital offers securities through XT Capital Partners, LLC MEMBER: FINRA/SIPC. www.aveccapital.com

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Scioderm, a Durham, North Carolina-based company developing dermatology therapeutics, has raised $16 million in Series A funding led by Morgenthaler Ventures, with Technology Partners filling out the rest of the round.

PRESS RELEASE:

Scioderm, a company developing novel dermatology therapeutics, today announced the completion of a Series A financing commitment totaling $16 million. Morgenthaler Ventures led the Series A financing, with Technology Partners as the second investor participating in the round.

With the proceeds from the Series A investment, Scioderm intends to advance SD-101, a topical cream with a unique mechanism of action, into clinical development through registration for the treatment of the severe skin effects seen in patients across all EB subtypes. EB is a rare genetic condition that in all of its forms, share the prominent manifestation of extremely fragile skin that blisters or tears with the slightest friction or trauma. This particular manifestation has led to EB patients being known as “Butterfly children” due to the analogous nature of the fragility of the skin to the wings of a butterfly. As of today there is no cure or effective treatment. Wound care, pain management and preventative bandaging are the only options available for caregivers, who are usually the parents or other family members. The more severe forms of the disease lead to scarring, disfigurement, disability and early death, usually before the age of 30.

“I am very pleased to have Morgenthaler Ventures and Technology Partners as investors as we continue the development of SD-101 in this serious medical condition. We are fortunate to have Dr. Chris Christoffersen and Dr. Roger Quy , who are seasoned industry professionals with track records of successful investments, join as members of Scioderm’s Board of Directors,” said Robert Ryan , Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Scioderm. “Treatment of the debilitating skin effects seen in EB patients is a significant unmet need, and we believe that SD-101 has the potential to change the course of treatment in this disease. In order to expedite the development program of SD-101, we are planning over the next few months to identify investigators and potential patients interested in participating in our upcoming clinical study, which we anticipate to begin in the fall of 2013.”

“While there are no effective treatments for EB currently, the early clinical results that have been recently observed by Scioderm collaborators give us confidence that an effective treatment is possible, and we are pleased to be investing along with Technology Partners and a very experienced management team hopefully to make such a treatment available for patient use in the near future” said Ralph (Chris) Christoffersen , Ph.D. Partner of Morgenthaler Ventures and Head of the Life Sciences Team.

“We are pleased to be able to contribute to a treatment for such a devastating disease in children,” said Roger Quy , Ph.D., General Partner of Technology Partners. “Our investment in Scioderm is supported by our confidence in the experience of the founding team and early clinical results.”

About SD-101

SD-101 is a topical cream that has previously demonstrated potential to provide improvement in treating the severe skin effects seen in patients across all EB subtypes. An open- label Phase II study was conducted previously in children with either Simplex, Recessive Dystrophic (RDEB), or Junctional EB. The primary outcome measurements were assessment of target wound reduction and closure, and reduction in body surface area (BSA) coverage of lesions and erosions. In the clinical trial, SD-101 application resulted in complete closure of 88% of target chronic lesions within one month, in addition to a 57% reduction in BSA coverage of lesions and erosions after 3 months of daily treatment. SD-101 was well tolerated by the children, with daily administration up to 3 months.

About Scioderm

Scioderm is a privately held, clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing topical products to address critical medical needs in the treatment of chronic skin diseases. Additional information about Scioderm can be found at www.sderm.com.

About Morgenthaler Ventures

Morgenthaler Ventures is a premier venture capital firm, dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build valuable companies for more than 40 years. They have invested in approximately 300 companies in the life science and information technology sectors. Their passion for supporting entrepreneurship and innovation has earned them the respect of entrepreneurs and investors alike.

Most life science investments are in early stage companies, and representative companies include: Ardian, Avidia, Calithera, CardioThoracic Systems, CareMedic, Elcelyx, Ensure, FoldRx, ForSight VISION2, Galleon Pharmaceuticals, GlobeImmune, Innovative Pulmonary Solutions, Integrated Vascular Systems, IPC – The Hospitalist Company, Miramar Labs , Morphotek, Moximed, Nexis, OncoMed, Optiscan, Orexigen, Principia, Promedior, Perclose, Ra Pharma, Relievant, Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Second Genome, SetPoint Medical, Solta Medical, Spinewave, Stemgent, Tragara, Transcend Medical, Threshold Pharmaceuticals and Twelve, Inc..

Morgenthaler Ventures has offices in Menlo Park, CA, Boston, MA and Boulder, CO.

About Technology Partners

Founded more than 25 years ago and based in Palo Alto, California, Technology Partners is a venture capital firm with an investment focus in the life science and cleantech industries. The firm manages approximately $700 million in investment capital. Technology Partners’ strategy is to team with visionary entrepreneurs to build successful companies, serving principally as a lead investor and business advisor. For more information, please visit www.technologypartners.com.

Company Contact:

Forward-Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including: our dependence on third parties for the development, regulatory approval and successful commercialization of our products, the inherent risk of failure in developing product candidates based on new technologies, risks associated with the costs of clinical development efforts, as well as other risks. Actual results may differ materially from those projected. These forward-looking statements represent our judgment as of the date of the release. Scioderm disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

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Topera, a San Diego-based medical device company with a mapping and targeting system to identify the sources of complex cardiac arrhythmias, has completed a $25 million Series C financing round led by new investor New Enterprise Associates. The round also included an unnamed new strategic industry partner, along with existing (undisclosed) investors and the company’s management team.

PRESS RELEASE:

Topera, Inc., a medical device company that has developed a novel mapping and targeting system for the identification of the sources that sustain complex cardiac arrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation, today announced it has completed a $25 million Series C financing round. The round was led by new investor New Enterprise Associates (NEA) with the participation of a new strategic industry partner along with existing investors and the company’s management team. Proceeds will be primarily used to support the planned 2013 commercial launch of the company’s RhythmViewTM WorkStation and FIRMapTM Catheter in Europe and the U.S., and to further advance the company’s R&D pipeline and clinical development program. In conjunction with the financing, NEA partner Justin Klein, M.D., has joined the Topera Board of Directors.

“We are pleased to partner with this experienced group of investors as we continue our mission to help clinicians obtain information about the sources sustaining complex arrhythmias to significantly improve long-term patient outcomes while reducing costs to providers and the healthcare system,” said Edward Kerslake, CEO of Topera.

Commenting on NEA’s participation in the financing, Dr. Klein stated, “We have closely followed the rapidly changing field of atrial fibrillation, including the understanding of the mechanisms that sustain cardiac arrhythmias and especially the opportunity to improve clinical outcomes and health economics through next generation 3D mapping. With its game-changing technology, extensive intellectual property, and commitment to rigorous clinical science, we believe Topera’s leadership in this field positions them well to build a valuable new franchise in electrophysiology.”

“With NEA’s long track record of building great companies around transformative innovations, we believe this financing will support an exciting next chapter in Topera’s growth,” said Art Taylor, Chairman of the Topera Board of Directors.

About Atrial Fibrillation

According to the Heart Rhythm Society, atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder in the United States. An estimated 6-7 million people worldwide suffer from atrial fibrillation, and the prevalence of disease in the United States is projected to increase from about 3.4 million to 8-12 million over the next 30 to 40 years. In atrial fibrillation, the electrical signals that coordinate contractions of the heart become rapid and disorganized, resulting in an irregular heartbeat that can increase the risk of stroke by fivefold. It is estimated that the global market for medical devices used in atrial fibrillation ablation, including diagnostic and ablation catheters as well as mapping and navigation systems, was approximately $2.5 billion in 2012.

About Topera, Inc.

Topera Medical (Topera, Inc.), a venture-backed medical device company, has developed a novel 3D analysis and mapping system to assist electrophysiologists in the identification of the electrical source of complex cardiac arrhythmias. The Topera System, which consists of the RhythmView Workstation and the FIRMap diagnostic catheter, is designed to improve patient outcomes by enabling electrophysiologists to view a dynamic representation of the electrical activity of the heart, supporting the diagnosis of and treatment planning for a variety of arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, and ventricular tachycardia. For additional information, visit www.toperamedical.com.

* The RhythmView Workstation is 510(k) cleared by the FDA.

* The FIRMap Catheter is pending 510(k) clearance and is not available for sale.

* CE Marks for both the RhythmView Workstation and the FIRMap Catheter are currently pending.

About NEA

NEA is a leading venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. With about $13 billion in committed capital, the firm invests in information technology, healthcare and energy technology companies at all stages in a company’s lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. NEA’s long track record of successful investing includes more than 170 portfolio company IPOs and more than 290 acquisitions. For additional information, visit www.nea.com

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New Orleans-based investment firm Advantage Capital Partners has been awarded $75 million by the New Markets Tax Credit program, bringing the total awards received by the firm since 2002 to roughly $600 million. The New Markets Tax Credit program was established by Congress 13 years ago to increase investing in low-income communities; it  allows individuals and companies to get tax credit against federal income taxes in exchange for equity investments in community development entities.

PRESS RELEASE:

Leading venture capital and small business finance firm Advantage Capital Partners has been awarded a $75 million allocation in the highly competitive federal New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program. This latest allocation brings the firm’s total awards since the program began in 2002 to $599 million, and maintains the investment firm’s leadership role as a top program participant nationwide.

Through prior state and federal New Markets program allocations, Advantage Capital has invested more than $850 million in private capital into 175 businesses, which, in the aggregate, employ 11,550 people and have attracted $1.4 billion in follow-on capital to support their growth.

The NMTC program is administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury. It is designed to stimulate economic growth and job creation in low-income communities by providing much-needed investment capital, financial counseling and other services. Awardees are selected after a highly competitive and rigorous government review process. Advantage Capital was one of 85 organizations selected out of a total of 282 that submitted applications for the tenth round of allocations in September 2012.

“For more than two decades, our firm has identified and fostered promising entrepreneurs and created a significant positive impact in the communities where we invest. Over the ten years that we have been associated with the New Markets program, we have pioneered innovative ways to deploy private capital into underserved communities, enabling small businesses to create and retain jobs, revitalizing neighborhoods, and driving economic recovery. We are honored to have once again been selected as an NMTC participant based on our track record, our capacity, and our vision for the future,” said Steven T. Stull, president of Advantage Capital Partners.

The Advantage Capital Community Development Fund will use its NMTC allocation to make investments in operating businesses located in geographic areas in which the firm has previously invested, including both urban and rural communities, and will also focus on opportunities in distressed communities located in underserved states.

About Advantage Capital Partners

Advantage Capital Partners is a leading venture capital and small business finance firm focused on providing growth capital and other investments supporting state and local economic development efforts. The firm’s typical forms of investment include venture, expansion equity, mezzanine financing, senior and subordinated loans and government-guaranteed lending. With offices and partners in New Orleans, St. Louis, Chicago and other U.S. cities, Advantage Capital has invested more than $1.4 billion since 1992. The firm invests in small businesses located in geographic areas underserved by traditional capital and in companies in a wide range of industries.

About the federal New Markets Tax Credit program

The federal New Markets Tax Credit program, administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, encourages private-sector investment in economically distressed communities through tax incentives. In a highly competitive allocation procedure, the Treasury Department awards the tax credits based on applications submitted each round. Applications are evaluated based on the submitting organization’s experience investing capital; experience in and strategy for raising capital; strength and depth of management team; and expected community impact of the business plan. Since the program’s inception, the Treasury has awarded more than $36.5 billion in allocations.

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Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) of Frankfurt, Germany, and its managed private equity fund, the DBAG Expansion Capital Fund, is investing an undisclosed amount of capital in inexio Informationstechnologie und Telekommunikation KGaA (inexio), a Saarlouis-based broadband provider that services southern Germany.

PRESS RELEASE:

Frankfurt am Main, 25 April 2013. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) and its managed private equity fund, the DBAG Expansion Capital Fund, will invest in inexio Informationstechnologie und Telekommunikation KGaA (inexio), a strongly growing provider of broadband connections. The fresh capital will be geared to support the company’s further growth to become one of the largest providers of broadband connections in rural areas of southern Germany in the coming years. Currently, inexio, which is headquartered in Saarlouis, serves some 1,800 business clients and approximately 20,000 private customers primarily in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. inexio has continually enlarged its customer base by investing in fibre-optic networks – that is, in a sustainably accessible and rapidly expanding infrastructure that will secure an attractive source of income in the future.

The company focuses on rural areas large parts of which are still without speedy Internet access. At the same time, Internet use is growing continually; particularly industrial businesses are ever more dependent on Internet connections that enable high-speed data transfer. Mayors and district authorities in rural areas therefore often endeavour to bring advanced communication services to their communities or regions, and inexio is one of the strong providers in this market environment in Germany.

The equity investment by DBAG and its co-investment fund will accelerate inexio’s growth. The investment will increase the company’s equity ratio to more than 30 percent and thereby create access to further financing to fund expansion into additional communities in southern Germany. DBAG and the Fund will subscribe to a capital increase for ten percent of the shares and will, moreover, provide profit participation capital. A total of 10.6 million euros will be invested, of which 4.4 million euros will be provided by DBAG. The remaining shares are, for the most part, held by the company founders, who also serve as members of inexio’s management board.

inexio (www.inexio.net) is growing strongly. Founded in 2007, the company recorded total output of about 20 million euros in its 2011/2012 financial year (30 September). It is expected to rise to some 30 million euros this current financial year, and further strong growth is forecast. The company’s expansion is based on the attractiveness of its offering, which differs from that of other competitors in rural regions. Unlike other mobile network providers as well as providers whose services are based on traditional (copper cable) networks of Deutsche Telekom, inexio supplies high-speed Internet access and landline telephony over a fibre-optic network. This premium offering gives inexio a unique positioning regionally.

“Fibre-optic networks as a medium for high-speed data transmission will continue to gain in significance,” said Torsten Grede, Spokesman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Beteiligungs AG, on signing the investment agreement. “With inexio, we have invested in a strong provider operating in a growth market that can be tapped even faster with improved capital resources. We are delighted to be able to support a highly competent and motivated management team in an important stage of the company’s growth.”

Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (www.deutsche-beteiligung.de) is a leading publicly listed private equity company. With a track record of nearly 50 years, it is the oldest private equity firm in Germany. Deutsche Beteiligungs AG focuses on market-leading mid-sized enterprises in Germany and neighbouring European countries. It invests from its own balance sheet and from the assets of co-investment funds. Currently, the company has approximately 1.3 billion euros under management.

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VentureCamp, an 8-week-long high-tech startup boot camp that will house aspiring entrepreneurs in the city’s renowned Kessler Mansion, launches this June and is currently accepting online submissions online. Among those who’ve agreed to mentor VentureCamp attendees are Priceline cofounder Jeff Hoffman and Karl Mehta, the founder and former CEO of Playspan.

PRESS RELEASE:

VentureCamp is an 8 week high-tech start-up boot camp with a unique interactive Docu-Series twist, launching in the US on June 2nd. The first set of ‘Campers’ will live and work at the renowned Kessler Mansion (http://www.kesslermansion.com/) in Indianapolis with future camps planned at private estates across the US and Europe. Unlike traditional programs, which ask aspiring entrepreneurs to pay for advice, mentoring and workshops, VentureCamp is free to the future business leaders chosen to participate.

VentureCamp’s Fully Immersive New Startup Ecosystem will be showcased through an interactive Docu-Series, and a virtual gaming platform, where viewers can engage and partake in the entrepreneur’s journey.
VentureCamp is currently accepting online submissions at http://venturecamp.com.

VentureCampers will be coached and mentored by a host of high profile successful entrepreneurs such as Jeff Hoffman (Priceline.com), Mike DeLazzer (RedBox), Karl Mehta, (PlaySpan/Visa), Albert Angel (CertiCall), and Sergio Fernandez De Cordova (Infrastructure Media Group).

VentureCamp Co-founder and Chairman Chad Folkening says, ”Our Campers will have an opportunity to learn how to be successful entrepreneurs from the best and brightest in business in an amazing setting.” Speaking to VentureCamps being run out of luxury estates around the world, Jeff Hoffman, Co-Founder of Priceline and a VentureCamp mentor adds “No better way to inspire success than to be surrounded by it.” Folkening further explains, “Each business launched at the camp will also get instant access to targeted web traffic to jumpstart their companies by being awarded with premium domains.”

VentureCamp CEO and Co-Founder Giadha Aguirre De Carcer also notes, “Part of our mission is to empower entrepreneurs everywhere. Our curriculum and program structure is designed to foster innovation, social entrepreneurship, and job creation in a digestible and entertaining way.” DeCarcer adds, “The Camp and Campers will be filmed for our Docu-Series giving the entrepreneurs an opportunity to raise their startup’s profile as well as to connect to future partners, investors and customers.”

VentureCamp is based on the idea that launching a successful high-tech business in our new economy does not require you to be in Silicon Valley or Silicon Alley. It can be done anywhere with the right people. Jeff Hoffman captures it best as he notes, “I don’t spend time launching companies anymore. I launch entrepreneurs.”

Mentor Bios included below. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Jennifer Chikes at 917-657-5476 or [email protected]

VentureCamp is a fully immersive new Startup Ecosystem taking place in luxury estates around the world. Leveraging world-renowned serial entrepreneurs and a proven curriculum, VentureCamp guides and coaches participants to launch successful businesses in 8 weeks.

The Kessler Mansion will host the initial VentureCamp this June in Indianapolis. Featured on HGTV’s Extreme Home, the estate is 26,000 square feet and includes such unique features as quartz walls and floating staircases.

Sponsors & Partners

VentureCamp is pleased to partner with the following organizations to promote entrepreneurship everywhere.

Entrepreneurs Organization (EO)

http://www.eonetwork.org

EO is a global community that enriches members’ lives through dynamic peer-to-peer learning and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We are the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life.

ShiftGroup

http://www.Shiftgroup.com

ShiftGroup’s mission is to create a sustainable world, transformed by entrepreneurs. Moving businesses to more sustainable, environmentally aware and socially responsible models through empowered entrepreneurs’ innovations. ShiftGroup program participants learn to leverage profits from implementation of social and environmental practices, lead their industry with state-of-the-art sustainable business practices, increase success rate by joining an experienced entrepreneur community, and compete effectively through constant entrepreneur training.

The International Women Leadership Association (The IWLA)

http://www.theiwla.com

It is the dream, the passion, the commitment – and the challenge – of The International Women’s Leadership Association to provide useful, meaningful resources to every mother, daughter, sister, and friend that enhance every woman’s opportunity to reach her greatest level of personal and professional development; and in so doing make it possible for every women to realize her own goals, her own potential, her own dreams.

Compass Fellowship

http://compassfellows.org

The Compass Fellowship, supported by the Kenneth Cole Foundation, is a global family of young social innovators supported by peer and professional Mentors. The Compass Fellowship is a one-year program that identifies the most passionate first-year undergraduates at schools around the country, inspires them to start a social venture, and empowers them to solve the world’s greatest problems with socially-conscious business.

Syracuse Sandbox

http://www.syracusestudentsandbox.com/

The Syracuse Student Sandbox is a unique business incubator that gives aspiring student entrepreneurs the resources to make their visions a reality. The objective of the Sandbox is to accelerate the process of ideation, development and deployment through mentoring and coaching. The twelve week experiential based program has an end-goal of producing revenue generating entities or investment ready firms.

Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO)

http://www.c-e-o.org

Entrepreneurship as a field of study at colleges and universities across the U.S. and around the world has become a leading subject at the undergraduate and graduate level. With this increased attention, it is more important than ever to give students the opportunities to network not only with their student peers, but with fellow entrepreneurs in the business world to promote entrepreneurship at all levels and in all environments. And, this is where CEO comes in.

VeTransfer

http://www.vetransfer.org

VeTransfer provides a hands-on learning experience for Veterans who want to become entrepreneurs. Unlike traditional business plan writing programs that focus on ideas, VeTransfer’s programs focus on ACTION. Veterans directly engage with customers to test the validity of their business model, while interacting with mentors that can help interpret what the Veteran is hearing from potential customers. VeTransfer is a national program sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs to support Veteran entrepreneurship.

TiE

TiE Global

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. There are currently 13,000 members, including over 2,500 charter members in 61 chapters across 17 countries. TiE’s mission is to foster entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking, and education. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community, TiE’s focus is on generating and nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs.

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Mentors
Jeff Hoffman
Co-Founder, Priceline.com
Co-Founder, Ubid.com
Co-Founder, ColorJar.com
Jeff Hoffman is a serial entrepreneur and internationally recognized innovator who has been a founder and CEO in a number of startups and high growth companies, including Priceline.com, uBid.com, and ColorJar. Jeff writes a regular column on innovation and entrepreneurship for Inc. Magazine, and works with the White House, the Executive Office of the President, and the US State Department, to support business and economic growth initiatives all over the world.

Mike DeLazzer
Co-Founder, RedBox
Co-Founder, Gaton Ltd
Founder, GetAMovie
Founder, Kodel Corp.
Mike DeLazzer is a serial entrepreneur who in 2006 he was inducted into the Chicago Entrepreneur Hall of Fame for his work as founder of GetAMovie Inc., which developed the Redbox kiosk. In 2009 he was given a lifetime achievement award from the Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization for his word in supporting entrepreneurship globally. In 2010 Mike founded and funded Gaton Ltd., a non-profit organization that fosters entrepreneurship in Ghana,West Africa.

Karl Mehta
Founder, Playspan
Founder, Grassroots Innovations Network (GrIN)
Partner, Menlo Ventures
Karl Mehta is a seasoned serial entrepreneur and Founder &former CEO of Playspan, Inc. (acquired by Visa Inc. in March 2011), an Inc. Magazine 500 Fastest growing companies and a leader in monetization platforms for online games, social networks and new media. In 2010, he was the award winner of the Ernst &Young “Entrepreneur of Year” for Northern California/ SF Bay Area. Karl was selected by the Obama Administration to serve as the White House Presidential Innovation Fellow in 2012, and he was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to sit on the California Workforce Investment Board. He recently joined Menlo Ventures as a partner.

Sergio Fernandez de Cordova
Co-founder, P3GM
Co-Founder, Infrastructure Media Group Holdings
Co-Founder, PVBLIC Foundation
Co-Founder, Fuel Outdoor
Sergio Fernandez de Cordova is an internationally recognized entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist working at the intersection of media and leveraging public-private partnerships for social impact. In 2011, he co-founded Infrastructure Media Group Holdings, a holding company focused on global infrastructure, energy, commodities and public-private partnerships. Sergio has received numerous awards including Dell Inc’s #Inspired 100 leading global influencers in entrepreneurship and multiple awards from New York Enterprise Report in the fields of Marketing, Green Business, Social Responsibility, and Mergers & Acquisitions.

Albert Angel
Founder, CertiCall
Chairman, Redfish Media
Chairman, AWE Management Company, Ltd.
Albert Angel is an entrepreneur and a former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer who has had a string of successes with interactive service companies. He has an extensive background in the telecommunications and online payment fields. Throughout the years has remained active in helping to shape interactive services policy on a pro-bono basis, typically in trade association leadership positions.

Chad Folkening
Founder, eCorp
Founder, Global Ventures
Co-Founder, Referrals.com
Co-Founder, Domain Holdings
Chad Folkening is a life-long entrepreneur and a leader in domain investments and website development for almost two decades. He has been instrumental in providing real value to end-users through domains and websites, monetizing components for investors, and coordinating with government officials to define and protect the burgeoning domain industry, often called the virtual real estate of the future. Chad has successfully built, sold and acquired websites that have led to development deals and partnerships with leading hi tech and Fortune 500 companies. In 1996, he founded Global Ventures, a technology-based venture development, advisory and investment group established with over 20,000 premium internet domains.

Giadha DeCarcer
CEO, GNI International, LLC
Executive Director, Grassroots Innovations Network (GrIN)
Executive Director, Women Entrepreneurship Reinforcement (WeR)
Giadha DeCarcer is a serial entrepreneur focused on technology and high growth emerging markets. Giadha utilizes her decade of experience in finance, business management, international trade, and government relations to launch and support new ventures with a specific focus on promoting females and veterans within the entrepreneurial arena. Currently the founder and CEO of GNI International, LLC, she serves as Executive Director of two non-profit organizations, Grassroots Innovations Network (GrIN) and the Women Entrepreneurship Reinforcement (WeR).

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