Author: Staff

YJ Capital, a Yahoo Japan venture capital fund, has put $5.4 million into FreakOut, a digital marketing company based in Japan. FreakOut invested the funds into real-time mobile demand-side platform provider Dobleas, the company said in a press release. Dobleas was started and spun-off last year by FreakOut President Yuzuru Honda, and is based in New York.

PRESS RELEASE
The advertising industry’s first real-time mobile demand-side platform (DSP) provider with real-time data, Dobleas (www.dobleas.com), emerged from a year of stealth operations by announcing the closing of a $5.4 million Series B funding round from Tokyo-based FreakOut, Inc.

The funding follows last week’s investment of a similar amount in FreakOut by YJ Capital, a Yahoo Japan venture capital fund. FreakOut is a digital marketing company that pioneered the first DSP in Japan and has grown rapidly. The investment will be used to bolster Dobleas’ engineering recruitment in support of its real-time bidding (RTB) infrastructure for mobile while building out the company’s U.S. organization.

Headquartered in New York City, Dobleas was started up and spun-off last year by FreakOut President Yuzuru Honda , a serial entrepreneur and former Yahoo development manager. Dobleas is led in the U.S. by Yugo Asato , chief executive officer and president, together with a seasoned management team with extensive digital advertising and marketing experience.

Dobleas is setting out to fill a void in the mobile advertising market – trying to make it easier for buyers and sellers to do business in real-time and in a fully transparent manner. Since its founding in April 2012 and start up of operations in June, Dobleas has tapped into its engineering resources in Japan to build a robust mobile DSP while partnering with eight RTB supply sources.

“FreakOut has already established itself as the best DSP in the Japanese market. Its entry into the mobile ad market, leveraging its advanced and proprietary technologies, is a highly strategic move,” said Takao Ozawa , chief operating officer, YJ Capital, Co. “The company has the potential to revolutionize mobile ad technology, not only domestically but globally.”

“YJ Capital’s investment in FreakOut, in turn allowing our further investment in Dobleas, is validation of the company’s mobile technology and business model,” said Mr. Honda. “I have the utmost confidence in Dobleas’ executive team to bring value to the mobile advertising market and real-time mobile DSP solution.”

Dobleas enables marketers to buy real-time impressions in a transparent automated way across leading mobile supply sources. Through the company’s mobile data management platform (DMP), advertisers can create targetable segments based on audience behaviors and run audience targeting campaigns on the same platform. Its mobile DMP integrates first or third-party data directly to empower scalable audience targeting. As a result, Dobleas is simplifying the buying process and giving marketers an innovative new way to discover, target and reach new audiences.

The company’s management team includes:

Yugo Asato , chief executive officer and president: Mr. Asato was a founding member of AudienceScience Japan, a targeting technology company for digital marketers. Previously, he was part of the team which launched Japan’s first ad exchange, Right Media Exchange (part of Yahoo!, Inc.) in 2007;
“Eda” Hirofumi Sakaeda , chief strategy officer. Mr. Sakaeda served as chief financial officer and executive vice president of ADK America, a full-service, WPP Group agency, for seven years starting in 2005. Previously, he was director of client services for ADK Hong Kong; and
Francisco Quiroga , vice president of business development and client services: Mr. Quiroga helped launch international mobile DSP StrikeAd in New York. He was a strategic accounts director at AppNexus and previously managed the entire South American market for Right Media.

In addition, Dobleas has appointed emerging media specialist Phil Miano to the new position of chief revenue officer where he will lead Dobleas’ growth strategy. Previously, Mr. Miano served as director of mobile for Videology Group and was senior vice president of development and demand sales for Collider Media (later acquired by Videology). Prior to those positions, Mr. Miano was national sales director, mobile advertising sales, for AOL and helped to launch Microsoft’s search advertising unit in the U.S. market.

“With ad spending budgets shifting to mobile and programmatic buying on the rise, Dobleas is uniquely positioned to capture the confluence of these emerging trends,” said Mr. Asato, chief executive officer, Dobleas. “Building on our deep technology roots in web advertising through the success of FreakOut, Dobleas offers ad agencies and brands the industry’s only true mobile DSP with innovative display ad technology DNA.”

Given the growing complexity of media buying in the digital and mobile supply landscape, Dobleas also offers customized programmatic buying with a full access API that enables full interoperability to enable partners to execute any functionality on its platform, build customized front-ends and integrate with existing technology.

For more information about Dobleas, visit www.dobleas.com or write to [email protected].

About Dobleas
Headquartered in New York City, Dobleas (www.dobleas.com) is a mobile advertising technology company. Its true mobile demand-side platform (DSP) with real-time bidding (RTB), leverages first- and third-party live data to enable the purchase of real-time impressions across leading mobile ad exchanges and supply side platforms. Dobleas’ mobile Data Management Platform (DMP), machine-learning bidding/optimization algorithms, full-access API and private exchange solutions allow marketers, advertisers and agency professionals to achieve better results for direct response, branding and full-funnel marketing. Founded in 2012, Dobleas is a subsidiary of FreakOut, Inc., a digital marketing company that pioneered the first DSP in Japan.

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Nipendo, a developer of cloud-based, supplier trading software, has raised an $8 million Series B round. Horizons Ventures led the round. Previous investor Tel Aviv-based Magma Venture Partners also participated in the round. Nipendo will use the capital to expand into the U.S. with a new headquarters in Boston, Mass.

PRESS RELEASE
Nipendo, a pioneer of the first cloud-based, supplier trading solution, announced today that it has closed its Series B round of funding in the amount of $8 million. The funding round was led by Horizons Ventures, which manages the private venture investments of Mr. Li Ka-shing in the technology sector globally. Its other notable investments include Facebook, Spotify, and Siri. Previous investor Tel Aviv-based Magma Venture Partners also participated in the round. Nipendo will use the capital infusion to scale its business operations and expand to the U.S., a strategic move initiated by the opening of its new headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.

In addition to securing this latest round of funding, Nipendo announced that Gilad Novik, Chief Technology Officer of Horizons Ventures, has joined the company’s board of directors. This appointment brings the board to five members, including Modi Rosen of Magma Venture Partners, Avner Schneur, founder and former CEO of Emptoris (acquired by IBM), and Nipendo’s two co-founders Eyal Rosenberg and Alon Rosenberg. The new funding and extended board positions the company for its next stage of growth focused on the enterprise business market in North America.

Gilad Novik of Horizons Ventures noted, “Nipendo has brought to market a truly disruptive solution with its social business network. Its rapid adoption by many world-class, industry-leading companies, endorses the value it is delivering. Nipendo has tremendous potential, and I look forward to being part of the board and working with Eyal and his team.”

“We are honored to have Gilad join our board and look forward to collaborating with him. His technology expertise, track record working with fast-growing tech companies, and strategic connections will help Nipendo continue its rapid pace of growth,” said Eyal Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of Nipendo. “We are pleased to receive this investment and validation from Horizons Ventures. Along with our existing investor, Horizons Ventures clearly recognizes the tremendous market opportunity and value we deliver through Nipendo’s Supplier Cloud.”

Nipendo is pioneering a high-capacity, trading partner network that aims to remove supply chain bottlenecks caused by manual or aging processes as well as longstanding legacy systems that have traditionally relied on EDI protocols, value added networks or extranets; each of these approaches are time-consuming, costly and burdensome. Nipendo’s Supplier Cloud enables enterprises to effortlessly collaborate with trading partners and rapidly automate the entire PO-to-payment lifecycle – from order receipt to shipping/receiving, tracking through electronic invoices, ensuring 100% reconciliation and accuracy, all the way to payment. Once connected to Nipendo’s network, suppliers and trading partners can automatically communicate with all other members, eliminating the need for lengthy custom programming for every new supplier connection. Nipendo’s Supplier Cloud reduces costly errors and discrepancies in the PO-to-payment process, accelerating time to market, enhancing data quality, and helping enterprises achieve dramatically greater efficiency and profitability.

Nipendo has struck a chord with big business. Top market-leading companies and organizations have adopted Nipendo across key industries, including high tech, defense, healthcare, telecommunications, pharmaceutical, banking, and food and beverage. Nipendo’s platform is also used by numerous multinationals, including Pfizer, HP, Lilly, IBM, Office Depot and Teva.

Manual, paper-based processes cost businesses around the world millions of dollars each year in direct procurement costs. With the cost of doing business for both customers (buyers) and suppliers approximately 2% of the total purchasing volume, a business spending $1.5 billion in purchasing volume, for example, will incur approximately $30 million in overhead resulting from existing process and transaction inefficiencies. Nipendo’s groundbreaking trading partner network automates the entire lifecycle of the transaction from order to payment, eliminating manual, paper-centric processes, and saving companies up to 50% of these process costs.

“In addition to its unprecedented offering, Nipendo has a great team that brings tremendous dedication, execution and technical expertise to solve a longstanding, costly and major inefficiency in the business world,” said Modi Rosen of Magma Venture Partners. “We are continuously searching for high-caliber teams with the ability to take advantage of huge market opportunities. We are convinced that Nipendo has the right mix of qualities that we look for to become a dominant market leader and achieve tremendous success.”

About Horizons Ventures

Based in Hong Kong, Horizons Ventures manages the Internet and technology investments of Mr. Li Ka-shing globally, including investments in companies such as Skype, Facebook, Spotify, Siri, Waze, UMPay and SecondMarket.

About Magma Venture Partners

Magma Venture Partners is Israel’s leading venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in communication, semiconductors, Internet and media. The firm helps to build these companies to target global markets and create industry leading success stories. For more information, interested parties can visit www.magmavc.com.

About Nipendo

Nipendo provides enterprise-level organizations with a highly scalable, cloud-based, trading partner network that removes the barriers to widespread deployment of electronic procurement and invoicing. Unlike existing dated solutions that require heavy investment and lengthy custom programming for every new supplier connection, Nipendo offers a breakthrough, plug-and-play solution that enables rapid on-boarding of thousands of suppliers — at a low entry cost. As a result, Nipendo enables businesses to significantly expand the reach of electronic procurement and payment processing across their supplier ecosystem, lowering the cost of doing business while dramatically increasing efficiency and profitability.

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Matterport, a developer of 3D scanning technology, raised $5.6 million in Series A financing. The company is backed by Lux Capital, which led the round, and by Felicis Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Greylock, and Qualcomm Ventures. The company is creating a “3D camera and interactive viewing platform.”

PRESS RELEASE
Matterport, the leader in rapid 3D scanning of spaces and objects, announced today that it raised a $5.6 million Series A financing round to create immersive experiences with interior spaces, starting with your home. Lux Capital led this latest investment round, with participation from Felicis Ventures, Red Swan Ventures, Greylock, Qualcomm Ventures, as well as a number of prominent Silicon Valley angels.

“Together we are transcending limitations of the physical world by allowing people to communicate in 3D.”

“We welcome the participation of these investors,” said Matt Bell, inventor of the camera and Matterport co-founder. “Together we are transcending limitations of the physical world by allowing people to communicate in 3D.”

“Matterport makes the extraordinary look easy,” said Peter Hebert, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Lux Capital. “Using advanced hardware and algorithms, Matterport helps consumers and businesses create accurate, photo-realistic 3D models – quickly, easily and automatically. Beyond initial markets in housing and interiors, the range of end applications is bounded only by the creativity of the Matterport community.”

Matterport will soon launch the first-ever 3D camera and interactive viewing platform – allowing its community to create virtual models of any indoor space and access the resulting 3D image from a web browser or iPad – anytime, anywhere.

Matterport’s cloud engine changes the way we understand and view spaces by allowing users to post and share them with the world. Users can freely navigate, measure, tag objects, and pin notes to anything in the 3D image, unlike conventional static photographs. Anyone will be able to explore homes, vacation rentals, or local restaurants remotely, as well as plan and visualize remodels.

Founded in 2011, the Silicon Valley company launched out of Y Combinator, and raised a $1.6 million Seed financing in 2012 to develop initial versions of the camera hardware and software. The Series A will enable Matterport to scale production to meet market demand.

Matterport has begun taking pre-orders for their 3D camera. For more information and to join the Matterport community, visit www.matterport.com.

About Matterport

Matterport makes it possible for anyone to automatically create 3D models of real-world spaces and share them online. The company serves direct customers and works with strategic business partners to serve a variety of markets. Matterport is located in Mountain View, California.

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Sycamore Partners is paying about $600 million to buy teen clothing retailer Hot Topic Inc. Sycamore will pay $14 per share in cash, a 30% premium to Hot Topic’s Wednesday close price of $10.75 per share. Sycamore Partners acquired women’s clothing retailer Talbots last year.

PRESS RELEASE
Hot Topic, Inc. (nasdaq global select market:HOTT) (“Hot Topic” or the “Company”) and Sycamore Partners today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Sycamore Partners will acquire Hot Topic for $14.00 per share in cash, or a total of approximately $600 million. The agreement, which has been unanimously approved by Hot Topic’s Board of Directors, represents a premium of approximately 30% over Hot Topic’s closing stock price on March 6, 2013.

Lisa Harper, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Hot Topic, said, “We are pleased that this transaction will allow us to deliver positive results for our shareholders. In addition, we are very excited about the future growth for the company and know that Sycamore Partners will provide great resources and expertise to us as we operate as a private company.”

“We are excited to partner with the Hot Topic management team and all of its talented and passionate employees,” said Stefan Kaluzny, Managing Director of Sycamore Partners. “We look forward to supporting the Company’s continued growth.”

The transaction, which is structured as a one-step merger with Hot Topic as the surviving corporation, is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of shareholder and regulatory approvals. The transaction requires the affirmative vote of holders of a majority of the Company’s outstanding shares, which will be sought at a special meeting of shareholders.

In connection with the merger agreement, Lisa Harper and Becker Drapkin Management LP, holders of 8.9% of the Company’s stock, each signed customary support agreements indicating they would support the proposed transaction.

Guggenheim Securities is acting as financial advisor to Hot Topic in connection with the transaction. Cooley LLP is acting as Hot Topic’s legal advisor. BofA Merrill Lynch is acting as financial advisor to Sycamore Partners and Winston & Strawn LLP and the Law Offices of Gary M. Holihan, P.C. are acting as its legal counsel.

About Hot Topic

Hot Topic, Inc. is a mall and web based specialty retailer operating the Hot Topic and Torrid concepts, as well as a new test retail concept, Blackheart. Hot Topic offers music/pop culture-licensed and music/pop culture-influenced apparel, accessories, music and gift items for young men and women. Torrid retails on-trend fashion apparel, lingerie and accessories inspired by and designed to fit the young, voluptuous woman who wears size 12 and up. Blackheart offers an expanded collection of dark, edgy, sexy lingerie, accessories and beauty products. As of February 2, 2013, the Company operated 618 Hot Topic stores in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Canada, 190 Torrid stores, 5 Blackheart stores, and Internet stores hottopic.com, torrid.com and blackheartlingerie.com.

About Sycamore Partners

Sycamore Partners is a private equity firm based in New York specializing in consumer and retail investments. The firm has more than $1 billion in capital under management. The founders of Sycamore have a long history of partnering with management teams to improve the operating profitability and strategic value of their businesses. They work with companies they believe have significant growth potential, particularly when given the capital and outside expertise they need to succeed. For more information, please visit www.sycamorepartners.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The press release contains forward-looking statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about beliefs or expectations, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on plans, estimates and projections at the time the Company makes the statements, and readers should not place undue reliance on them. In some cases, readers can identify forward-looking statements by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “should, “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, and the Company cautions readers that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any such forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the press release include, among others: the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement and the inability to complete the proposed merger due to the failure to obtain shareholder approval for the proposed merger or the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the proposed merger, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the transaction. Additional risks are described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2012 and its subsequently filed reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements included in the Press Release, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not undertake to update any of these statements in light of new information or future events.

Important Additional Information

In connection with the proposed merger, Hot Topic, Inc. will prepare a proxy statement to be filed with the SEC. When completed, a definitive proxy statement and a form of proxy will be mailed to the shareholders of the Company. THE COMPANY’S SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE PROXY STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED MERGER BECAUSE IT WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. The Company’s shareholders will be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the proxy statement (when available) and other relevant documents filed with the SEC from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company’s shareholders will also be able to obtain, without charge, a copy of the proxy statement and other relevant documents (when available) by directing a request by mail to Hot Topic, Inc., 18305 E. San Jose Avenue, City of Industry, California, attention: Jonathan Block, Secretary, or by calling (626) 839-4681.

Hot Topic and its directors and officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from Hot Topic’s shareholders with respect to the proposed merger. Information about Hot Topic’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of Hot Topic’s common stock is set forth in the proxy statement for the Company’s 2012 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 26, 2012 and will be set forth in the proxy statement regarding the proposed merger. Shareholders may obtain additional information regarding the interests of Hot Topic and its directors and executive officers in the proposed merger, which may be different than those of Hot Topic’s stockholders generally, by reading the proxy statement and other relevant documents regarding the proposed merger, when filed with the SEC.

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UK-based Biotech startup CoCo Therapeutics Ltd. has named Steve Butcher as Chief Operating Officer. Dr Butcher was a founder and Scientific Director of the Fujisawa Institute of Neuroscience, before holding management positions of increasing responsibility at Pharmacia AB. The company is backed by Advent Life Sciences.

PRESS RELEASE
CoCo Therapeutics Ltd, a newly formed biotechnology company, today announced the appointment of Dr Steve Butcher as Chief Operating Officer. Dr Butcher was a founder and Scientific Director of the Fujisawa Institute of Neuroscience, before holding management positions of increasing responsibility at Pharmacia AB. More recently he held executive positions in a number of biotechnology companies, including CSO at BioImage A/S and COO at TopoTarget A/S.

Raj Parekh, General Partner at Advent Venture Partners and the Chairman of CoCo said “We are pleased that an individual of Steve’s calibre is now leading the programmes at CoCo Therapeutics. The Board looks forward to working closely with Steve to evaluate RAR-alpha agonists in Alzheimer’s disease.”

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 5.3 million people in the US, 417,000 people in the UK and many millions of others worldwide. It is estimated that this incidence will more than double by 2050, should current trends continue.

About CoCo Therapeutics
CoCo Therapeutics is a UK biotechnology company focussed on the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The company’s programmes are based on the recent scientific discoveries from the laboratory of Professor Jonathan Corcoran at King’s College London, made during research funded by the Wellcome Trust. This research has implicated RAR-alpha, a novel target, in Alzheimer’s disease.

About Advent Venture Partners
Advent Life Sciences is the dedicated Life Sciences team at Advent Venture Partners, one of Europe’s best established venture capital firms. Advent Life Sciences invests predominantly in early-stage and growth equity life sciences companies in the UK, Europe and the US. It will back companies that have a first- or best-in-class approach in a range of sectors within life sciences, including new drug discovery, enabling technologies, med-tech and diagnostics.

Advent Life Sciences is a leader in European life sciences venture capital. Its investments include: PowderMed, a therapeutic DNA vaccine company sold to Pfizer; Thiakis, an obesity treatment company acquired by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals; Respivert, a drug discovery company focused on respiratory diseases that was acquired by Johnson & Johnson; EUSA Pharma, a transatlantic speciality pharmaceutical company acquired by Jazz Pharmaceuticals; Avila Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing targeted covalent drugs acquired by Celgene Corporation, Micromet, a biotechnology company acquired by Amgen and Algeta (OSE: ALGETA), an oncology company developing treatments for bone metastases and disseminated tumours.

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Vistar Media has raised $1.5 million in a seed round led by Valhalla Partners. Mercury Fund and Ben Franklin Technology Partners also participated. Vistar Media develops “place-based” media ad serving technology.

PRESS RELEASE
Vistar Media, the first digital out of home programmatic media platform, announced today that it has closed its initial institutional round of funding. Valhalla Partners led the $1.5M seed round, with Mercury Fund also participating, along with Ben Franklin Technology Partners and others.

Vistar Media’s founding team includes Jeremy Ozen, Michael Provenzano (previously a co-founder of Invite Media), and Mark Chadwick (Invite Media’s Chief Architect). The company’s deep experience in real-time bidding (RTB) platforms positions them favorably to develop this new segment, and they enjoy a substantial first-mover advantage in the digital out of home media segment.

The company’s platform enables brand buyers and agency trading desks alike to harness the precision of RTB and the scale of digital out of home while leveraging the enormous creative palette available in that medium. Vistar Media has also released Real World Retargeting™, enabling retailers to leverage the highly effective tactic of retargeting across a new media landscape. TechCrunch covered this funding first.

“Vistar Media’s team of programmatic display media experts is positioned to take advantage of the trend in what many regard as the most interesting segment for programmatic, digital out of home,” said Kiran Hebbar, General Partner at Valhalla Partners. “The next five years will bring us closer to the vision portrayed in science fiction movies like Minority Report, with advertisers delivering messages with far more precision and relevance across all digital channels in one buy, and seeing far less waste in their campaigns.”

Vistar Media has executed campaigns for several agency trading desks and ad networks, including WPP’s Spafax unit among others. These campaigns have been targeted to geographic regions as broad as multiple states and as narrow as multiple zip codes.

“The most successful digital media models have been those that upend the traditional way buyers and sellers transact. Search, for example, reverses traditional direct marketing every time a user makes a query,” said Blair Garrou, Managing Director of Mercury Fund. “Vistar Media is enabling a similarly new model, transforming the staid billboard or placard into the largest palette, eventually making it the smartest palette too through their technology.”

“People take for granted today that programmatic display is a thriving segment online,” said Provenzano. “But, when we launched Invite Media, relatively few people knew what programmatic display meant, let alone where it was going. There’s no such resistance today in the digital out of home segment, and we’re already seeing tremendous growth in our business.”

About Valhalla Partners
Valhalla Partners is a trusted partner and advisor to technology entrepreneurs in their quest to build world-class companies. Based in Vienna, Virginia, the firm’s management team has made more than 120 investments over the past twenty years and produced almost $1 billion of investment proceeds. Valhalla prefers investments where the mission of the company is to innovate, challenge and fundamentally change the dynamics of new and existing markets. Investments by Valhalla’s team include Adaptly, Advertising.com, AvailTVN, JumpTap, LeftHand Networks, Nirvanix, PlaceIQ, Progress Software, Proxicom, RealOps, Register.com, Riverbed Technologies, SafeNet, ServiceBench, SolidFire, Videology, Trilogy, and webMethods. Valhalla Partners brings the full power and network of its experienced team to every investment it makes, helping companies grow faster and smarter regardless of size or maturity.

About Mercury Fund
Mercury Fund is a seed-stage venture capital firm that makes equity investments in compelling and novel software and science-based startup opportunities. Mercury partners with extraordinary entrepreneurs to build globally competitive businesses, focusing on technology innovation originating in the U.S. Midcontinent. The firm has a particular interest in startups associated with seed accelerators, incubators and universities, and frequently invests prior to the formation of a business plan or complete management team. Since inception in 2005, Mercury has become one of the most active seed-stage venture firms in the U.S., becoming a “go-to” fund for entrepreneurs at the earliest stages of idea generation, company formation, and market execution. For more information, please visit www.mercuryfund.com.

About Vistar Media
Vistar Media’s place-based media ad serving technology provides the industry with its first programmatic platform. With Vistar, media buyers and place-based networks can now seamlessly transact across guaranteed and non-guaranteed inventory. With the power of real-time reporting and data driven audience targeting, place-based media can become part of every digital media campaign, with the most precise targeting available and the largest palette anywhere.

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Partners Group has closed its latest fund, Partners Group Global Value 2011, with EUR 680 million ($886.3 million) in commitments, the firm announced. The fund will fund private investments including private equity transactions, secondary purchases, fund commitments and mezzanine financings, the firm said. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland.

PRESS RELEASE
Partners Group, the global private markets investment manager, has closed its 2011 vintage Global Value program with EUR 680 million in commitments, showing the continued appeal to investors of an integrated, global approach to private equity investing.

The program is the third and largest in Partners Group’s Global Value series, following 2006 and 2008 vintage programs, which closed on over EUR 400 million and over EUR 530 million respectively. The Global Value programs invest in direct, secondary and primary private equity investments as well as select mezzanine investments worldwide, allowing Partners Group the flexibility to build an “all-weather” portfolio by targeting the most attractive segments of the asset class in different markets and market conditions.

At the time of its final close, Partners Group Global Value 2011 was already more than 50% committed to a range of private equity investments, diversified across geographic regions, industries and transaction types. Completed investments include Global Blue, a leading global provider of travel-related financial services including tax-free shopping refund services, and SBF Group, the largest sporting goods retailer in Brazil.

Dr. Stephan Schäli, Partner and Head of Private Equity at Partners Group, comments, “Both Global Blue and SBF Group stand to benefit from a growing middle class consumer group in emerging markets, an investment theme we believe will remain resilient to the volatility still seen in global markets. The Global Value 2011 program has also already benefitted from distributions from several mature assets in its secondary portfolio, as well as the early repayment of a mezzanine investment in a healthcare provider. With the market showing some pricing pressure for secondary investments, we continue to focus on assets at their inflection point where value can still be created and also on providing structuring solutions in complex transactions for the benefit of both sellers and buyers.”

Investors in Partners Group Global Value 2011 include a mix of new and prior investors from corporate and public pension plans, insurance companies and financial institutions from around the world. With its integrated investment approach, the program will draw on the expertise of Partners Group’s global team while benefiting from the extensive deal flow generated through the firm’s private equity platform.

About Partners Group
Partners Group is a global private markets investment management firm with over EUR 28 billion in investment programs under management in private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure and private debt. The firm manages a broad range of customized portfolios for an international clientele of institutional investors. Partners Group is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and has offices in San Francisco, New York, São Paulo, London, Guernsey, Paris, Luxembourg, Munich, Dubai, Singapore, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo and Sydney. The firm employs over 600 people, is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (symbol: PGHN) with a market capitalization of over CHF 5.5 billion and a major ownership by its partners and employees.

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NGDATA, a Belgian provider of consumer intelligence management software, has acquired Belgian-based data management consultancy ENQIO. Terms were not released. NGDATA has offices in San Francisco and near New York City.

PRESS RELEASE
NGDATA™, the consumer intelligence management solutions company, today announced it has closed the acquisition of ENQIO, a Belgian-based professional consultancy focused on data management, business analytics and multi-channel campaign management. The move provides NGDATA with an experienced team of data scientists – a core competency lacking in most Big Data technology vendors – and a proven formula for successfully understanding and addressing complex business problems pertaining to Big Data. By providing complementary business knowledge and competence alongside its customer intelligence solution Lily, NGDATA will help enterprise organizations more effectively use their Big Data to impact their business by providing a 360 degree view of customers, supporting one to one customer interaction and improving business performance by reducing customer churn, upselling to existing customers, attracting new customers, optimizing price structures, etc. Financial details of the deal will not be disclosed publicly.

“One of the biggest reasons most enterprises struggle with Big Data initiatives is because most technology vendors don’t have qualified staff who understand the specific business challenges and how to show ROI resulting from effectively applying the technology to address those challenges,” said Luc Burgelman, CEO and co-founder of NGDATA. “By leveraging the extensive skill set of our data scientists using machine learning, and combining that knowledge with the power of Lily, this acquisition provides NGDATA with the ability to architect a solution based on the specific business needs of our customers. By speeding up development and implementation and broadening the ability to scale, enterprise organizations will be able to create a multitude of new opportunities for revenue.”

NGDATA will remain focused on industries such as banking, media and publishing and telecommunications and remains committed to being the leading company in building Customer Intelligence solutions specifically targeted at these markets. This acquisition will further strengthen the company’s foothold in these markets as ENQIO brings a wealth of experience in working with organizations such as France Telecom, ING, KBC, Orange and Telenet, among many others.

“Data Scientists are a critical piece of any Big Data strategy and roll out. We’re excited about the possibilities of working with a company that not only understands and excels at the science and business process of Big Data – but can also master the development and implementation of a solution that will help us drive greater value from our customer relationships,” said Alain Glickman, Global Customer Insight Director at Orange. “As an ENQIO customer, we look forward to working with NGDATA and are excited about the possibilities this acquisition will deliver to our business.”

About NGDATA
NGDATATM is the consumer intelligence management solutions company that empowers enterprises seeking greater customer lifetime value to drive continuous, actionable insights to enable sales and increase customer loyalty. The company does this through its unique combination of Big Data management and machine learning technologies in a single integrated solution. Recently named one of Bank Systems and Technology Magazine’s “Top 7 Big Data Players to Watch,” NGDATA is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium with offices in New York City and San Francisco. The company provides solutions to data-driven sectors such as financial services, retail and media/publishing.

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Soldsie, a service that allows users to make purchases within comments on Facebook, has raised $1 million in seed funding. Backers include 500 Startups, e.ventures and FundersClub. Former Facebook employees Yun-Fang Juan and Jonathan Ehrlich, Peanut Labs founder Prosper Nwankpa, and angel investors Elliot Loh and Tom Kelly also participated, the company said.

PRESS RELEASE
Soldsie, a service that enables purchases within comments on Facebook, today announced that it has received $1 million in seed funding from institutional investors including 500 Startups, e.ventures and FundersClub. Former Facebook employees Yun-Fang Juan and Jonathan Ehrlich, Peanut Labs founder Prosper Nwankpa, and angel investors Elliot Loh and Tom Kelly also participated.

Soldsie allows brands, merchants and small business owners to use Facebook’s social features to increase online sales. The technology turns Facebook posts into digital shopping carts. Once a user has registered with Soldsie’s app, commenting with the word “Sold” lets them purchase the item posted. Since its start in May 2012, more than 100,000 Facebook users have registered with Soldsie’s app.

“For brands, selling on Facebook can be easy and engaging and still bring in more sales,” said Chris Bennett, CEO of Soldsie. “Facebook is about interacting, commenting on posts, and having conversations, and that’s exactly how our app works.”

On the backend, Soldsie’s platform completes the transaction and gives businesses a streamlined interface for processing and tracking sales.

“F-commerce needed a fresh perspective, and that’s what Soldsie’s technology provides,” said Alex Mittal, CEO and co-founder of FundersClub. “Cracking the code on this market would be huge, and from what I’ve seen, Soldsie is well on its way.”

How Brands Have Succeeded with Soldsie
After registering with Soldsie, simply posting a photo on Facebook turns into a valuable sales tool for any business. Because Soldsie’s technology works inside of Facebook and on any device, Soldsie posts convert better than sending fans to an outside link to make a purchase. It also gives brands an opportunity to create demand that extends outside of Facebook itself.

“Before Soldsie we just weren’t engaging people enough on Facebook. We started using Soldsie about six months ago and began running Wednesday night sales to test it out,” said Jennifer DeMaria, owner of Jenny Boston Boutique. “Our Facebook sales are a huge success, and they help us drive people into the store. We can’t put a price tag on the buzz these sales created.”

Soldsie’s platform is currently processing more than $1 million in transactions a month from clothing boutiques like Jenny Boston Boutique to professional sports teams like the San Jose Earthquakes. The platform processes payments via credit card or PayPal.

Brands interested in signing up for a free trial can visit: www.soldsie.com.

About Soldsie
Soldsie helps businesses turn Facebook pages into a new sales channel. Launched in September 2012, the company’s first product is a Facebook app and social media point-of-sale platform that allows businesses to sell items via Facebook comments.

The Soldsie platform includes more than 1,500 merchants and is currently processing over $1 million in transactions a month. To date, more than 100,000 Facebook users have registered with the Soldsie app.

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OneSource Virtual, a provider of business process cloud-sourcing services, has raised $15 million in fresh capital from Halyard Capital.

PRESS RELEASE
OneSource Virtual (OneSource), a Workday partner, today announced a $15 million investment from Halyard Capital that will support the growth and expansion of OneSource’s service offerings and capabilities.

Founded in 2008, OneSource Virtual has grown dramatically, more than doubling revenue in each of the past three years. The company has pioneered a new industry standard as the first organization to offer business process cloud-sourcing services and continues to enhance its solutions for its corporate customers. OneSource has a unique position in the Workday partner ecosystem with its ability to process North American payroll, benefits, taxes and garnishments within a customer’s Workday environment. In addition, OneSource provides deployment, training and support services to Workday customers. Workday is a leader in enterprise cloud applications for human resources and finance.

“Halyard’s investment in our organization is a testament to our success to date and it opens up opportunities for accelerated growth in the years to come,” said Brian Williams, co-founder and CEO for OneSource Virtual. “Through our partnership, we look forward to supporting our clients’ successes and expanding OneSource Virtual in other markets.”

Recently ranked number 54 on the list of America’s Most Promising Companies by Forbes, OneSource is changing the way organizations of all sizes leverage technology through the use of a truly cloud-based solution.

“We are impressed with the tremendous growth OneSource Virtual has sustained over the past few years and are proud to be partnering with the company’s outstanding management team,” said Jonathan Barnes, partner at Halyard Capital. “Halyard’s investment in OneSource supports our investment thesis that there is a substantial market need to provide world-class, outsourced services to enterprise customers of all sizes.”

For additional information about OneSource Virtual’s offerings and services, please visit www.onesourcevirtual.com.

About OneSource Virtual
OneSource Virtual is a team of certified Workday experts specializing in the deployment and delivery of the Workday platform to small- and medium-sized businesses while offering business process outsourcing services on one unified platform to companies of all sizes. OneSource Virtual is an established, strategic partner dedicated to delivering dynamic solutions to improve our clients’ business through a truly cloud-based, future-proof technology and efficient processes. Growing and global companies and business leaders partner with OneSource to best manage, analyze and grow their business’ value. Visit us at www.onesourcevirtual.com.

About Halyard Capital
Halyard Capital, a private equity firm with more than $600 million of capital under management, is focused on leveraged buyout and growth equity investments in Software, Information and Business Services companies. The firm has extensive experience and a proven track record within these industries, having invested in businesses that include Practice Insight, Digital Fortress, EducationDynamics, Datamyx and Presidio.

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OMERS Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of Canadian public sector pension fund OMERS, has added George Babu as a director responsible for identifying and executing investment opportunities in TMT sectors. Mr. Babu was previously general counsel and head of US operations for Stockholm-based social gifting startup Wrapp. OMERS Ventures was established with C$180 million under management in 2011.

PRESS RELEASE

OMERS Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of the OMERS pension plan, announces George Babu is joining its team as Director. In this role Mr. Babu will identify and execute investment opportunities in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) sectors, with a focus on human-computer interfaces, hardware platforms, mobile and enterprise software.

“OMERS Ventures is focused on investing in Canadian companies with the potential to become global leaders. As a very successful entrepreneur with diverse financial and operational knowledge, George will be a huge asset in helping us achieve this goal,” said John Ruffolo, CEO of OMERS Ventures.

Prior to joining OMERS Ventures, George acted as general counsel and head of U.S. operations for Stockholm-based social gifting startup Wrapp, where he negotiated key partnerships and built out the U.S. team in New York and San Francisco.

His many other accomplishments include co-founding and acting as head of finance and operations at Rypple, a social performance platform acquired by www.Salesforce.com in late 2011 and re-launched as Work.com. George also spent nine years at Research In Motion (RIM), initially with the Radio Frequency (RF) Research & Development team developing radio platforms, and then with the Intellectual Property (IP) team growing RIM’s patent portfolio and assisting in IP litigation across multiple countries.

George currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Faculty of Engineering Science at the University of Toronto. He holds a B.A.Sc. (Engineering Science, Electrical), J.D. and M.B.A. from The University of Toronto, is a Registered Patent Agent in Canada and is the holder of two patents.

About OMERS Ventures

OMERS Ventures (twitter:@OMERSVentures) is the venture capital investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest pension funds with nearly $61 billion in net assets. It is an initiative of OMERS Strategic Investments (OSI), an investment entity with a mandate to build long-term strategic relationships with like-minded partners. As both an institutional angel investor and a later-stage investor, OMERS Ventures is looking for successful companies with significant growth potential and market opportunities. We are seeking like-minded partners with a shared vision of building a vibrant and successful knowledge economy.

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Cincinnati-based SoMoLend Holdings, a debt-based crowdfunding platform, has closed its $2.18 million seed-stage-funding round, having inked a recent investment of $400,000 from QED Investors. The money will be used for continued development, and well as to expand marketing.

PRESS RELEASE
SoMoLend Holdings, LLC, a debt-based crowdfunding platform, announced today it has closed its $2.18 million seed-stage-funding round with the latest investment of $400,000 from QED Investors in Alexandria, Va.

The investment will be used to further enhance the software platform, including the addition of social networking features, as well as expand marketing and customer acquisition efforts and develop fund-raising tools and education programs.

“It is a major win to obtain our final round of seed funding from QED because of their expertise in the financial technology space,” said Candace Klein, founder and chief executive officer of SoMoLend.

“We’re thrilled to be associated with SoMoLend,” QED Partner Frank Rotman said. “The marketplace they are building will help bring needed capital to the small business community. Capital is the fuel that small businesses need to flourish, and SoMoLend is well positioned to be the catalyst that fills this gap in the marketplace.”

Other SoMoLend seed investors include: CincyTech, Queen City Angels, the North Coast Angel Fund, Blue Chip Partners, Shaker LaunchHouse, Eldar Investment LLC, Clarion Direct Investment LLC, Clifford Holekamp, Elizabeth Crowell, Bruce Terry, Bob Baron, Cheryl and Carlin Stamm and numerous other individual investors.

Klein founded SoMoLend in 2011 when she saw the need for small business to have alternative funding options. The SoMoLend crowdfunding platform enables small businesses to secure loans from customers, friends, family, accredited investors and institutional lenders, which is made possible by the JOBS Act signed into law in April 2012.

About SoMoLend
SoMoLend is the leading debt-based, crowdfunding platform that connects small business borrowers with individual and organizational lenders in a local area. SoMoLend.com automates the loan application process, as well as interest negotiations, funding progress and payments, and also provides fundraising campaign tools. SoMolend.com is a website owned by SoMoLend Holdings, LLC (SMLH). SMLH has entered into an agreement with GATE US LLC, a registered Broker/Dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Upon completion of final rule changes and implantations regarding funding portals, all securities offered will be provided and overseen through GATE US LLC. By accessing this site and any pages thereof, you agree to be bound by its Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. SoMoLend.com is intended for accredited investors, friends and family, banks or corporate lenders only.

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Debt collector Encore Capital Group Inc. has agreed to buy Asset Acceptance Capital Corp. for $200 million to strengthen its position in a highly fragmented industry, Reuters reported. Encore’s offer of $6.50 per share represents a premium of 13 percent to Asset Acceptance’s Tuesday closing price. Warren, Michigan-based Asset Acceptance buys individual consumer accounts, including credit card, telecommunications, and consumer loans.

(Reuters) – Debt collector Encore Capital Group Inc (ECPG.O) has agreed to buy Asset Acceptance Capital Corp (AACC.O) for $200 million to strengthen its position in a highly fragmented industry.

Encore’s offer of $6.50 per share represents a premium of 13 percent to Asset Acceptance’s Tuesday closing price.

Warren, Michigan-based Asset Acceptance buys individual consumer accounts, including credit card, telecommunications, and consumer loans.

Its shareholders will have the option to receive their consideration in cash or Encore stock or a combination of both.

Encore bought Propel Financial, a tax lien company, for $187 million in May last year.

Encore shares closed at $30.07 on Tuesday on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Ashutosh Pandey in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)

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Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. said it will form a marketplace for trading in shares in unlisted companies in a joint venture with SharesPost Inc, whose private trading platform has run into regulatory trouble, Reuters reported. The stock exchange operator will own a majority of the venture, Nasdaq Private Market. Specific terms were not disclosed. The new market, to be based in San Francisco, will launch later this year, pending regulatory approvals, and will be led by SharesPost founder Greg Brogger. SharesPost’s online trading platform, which matched buyers and sellers of unlisted shares, was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission last March for failing to register as a broker-dealer before offering securities.

(Reuters) – Nasdaq OMX Group Inc said it will form a marketplace for trading in shares in unlisted companies in a joint venture with SharesPost Inc, whose private trading platform has run into regulatory trouble.

The stock exchange operator will own a majority of the venture, Nasdaq Private Market. Specific terms were not disclosed.

The new market, to be based in San Francisco, will launch later this year, pending regulatory approvals, and will be led by SharesPost founder Greg Brogger.

SharesPost’s online trading platform, which matched buyers and sellers of unlisted shares, was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission last March for failing to register as a broker-dealer before offering securities.

SharesPost’s broker dealer and investment advisory business will continue to operate separately from the joint venture, the companies said in a statement.

SharesPost began in 2009 and its fortunes rose in step with technology startups such as Facebook Inc and LinkedIn , which traded on the market before they went public.

Recent legislation, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, has boosted opportunities for trading of unlisted companies. Under the act, an unlisted company can have 2,000 shareholders, up from 500.

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Peterson Partners has raised $140 million for its eighth fund, the firm announced. The Salt Lake City, Utah, private equity firm makes investments of between $2 million and $15 million in companies, and has backed companies including JetBlue Airways and Azul Airlines.

PRESS RELEASE
Peterson Partners today announced that it has raised its eighth fund, in the
amount of $140 million, with participation from prominent U.S. business and
investment leaders.

“This new fund enables us to continue to serve as reliable capital partners to
our current and future portfolio companies,” said Dan Peterson, managing partner
of Peterson Partners. “We look forward to continuing to help outstanding
entrepreneurs build great businesses in the years ahead. We are gratified that
our limited partners have trusted us to find and nurture the kinds of leaders
and companies that have provided thousands of jobs at home and abroad.”

The current Peterson Partners portfolio includes an extensive collection of
innovative, high-value companies across various industries, including JetBlue
Airways and Azul Airlines in the travel industry, Ladder Capital in financial
services, QMC in communications infrastructure, CLEO in software, Integra in
healthcare services, and Packsize in the supply chain management industry.

Peterson Partners is led by Founder Joel Peterson, and Partners Brandon Cope and
Dan Peterson. Joel Peterson, former managing partner at Trammell Crow Company,
currently serves as chairman of JetBlue Airways, is a professor at Stanford`s
Graduate School of Business, and sits on the Board of Overseers at the Hoover
Institution. Dan Peterson, with deep experience investing in a variety of
industries, including automotive, financial services and high tech, has served
as managing director at Z Capital and partner at Trammell Crow. Brandon Cope,
previously with Peterson Ventures and McKinsey & Company, has led several
investments in a variety of industries and serves on a number of boards of
directors.

Peterson Partners will use the proceeds of its Fund VII to make private equity
investments of between $2 million and $15 million. The firm provides growth and
buyout capital for companies with revenue between $10 million and $50 million.

About Peterson Partners
Peterson Partners, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, is one of the Intermountain
West`s most successful private equity firms. Specializing in small to mid-sized
companies, Peterson Partners has a track record of successful investments
including JetBlue, Vivint, EnergySolutions, 3form, Access CIG and Diamond
Rental. Founded in 1995, Peterson Partners has managed over $350 million in
committed capital through seven funds.

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Zemanta has added Todd Sawicki, the former chief revenue officer for Cheezburger Inc., as president. Sawicki announced the news Monday on the Zemanta blog. Zemanta is focused on helping publishers and advertisers better promote and monetize online content.

BLOG POST
I am very happy to be joining Zemanta because it is at the intersection of three massively important trends for online publishers and advertisers: the increasing use of content marketing, the rise and importance of native advertising and the rise of mobile (and it’s monetization challenges). With the recent launch of Zemanta’s Content Discovery Network, I am incredibly excited about it’s ability to help publishers and advertisers better promote and monetize online content.
Some Background

Andraz and Bostjan, Founders
My relationship with Zemanta goes back to 2008 Seedcamp in London. Zemanta’s co-founders, Bostjan, Andraz and I were all mentors for the startups competing for that year’s competition and kept in touch ever since. It seemed whenever Bostjan had a question about the business of online advertising he would ask me. He must have been a fan of my take on the history of online advertising from an Ignite NYC presentation. Then when Bostjan heard that I had left Cheezburger last fall, he recruited me to help advise Zemanta on the development and launch of their Content Discovery Network.

The Link is an original Native Ad Format
Early on I had a key realization about Zemanta and the future of Content Discovery Networks. Zemanta’s VP of Engineering Dusan Omercevic and I were talking about how Related Posts by Zemanta (the product powered by the Content Discovery Network) performed on mobile. It turns out that Zemanta’s mobile content recommendations had CTR’s as high as 6%. Yes, that is a CTR for essentially an ad unit. My reaction:

A 6% CTR definitely made me stop and think. And then it came together – links are as native to the Internet as LOLcat photos. They are such an expected part of the content experience that content without links looks and feels odd to readers. And in mobile where navigation requires a long scroll and swipe to the top of the web page, links even begin to represent navigation. Related Content becomes something so much more than just something readers expect to find at the end of each article they read online.
Native Advertising and Mobile Made for Each Other

For anyone not familiar with the current state of mobile monetization for publishers – mobile banner ads are running at a huge – 1/3rd to 2/3rds lower CPM’s then their desktop counterparts. And given publishers can show only 10% as many ads per session as they can on the traditional web that means publishers are only making 5-10% the amount of money they used to. In my view, banners are DOA on mobile (except for maybe cross-promoting app installs).

As James Slavet of Greylock recently wrote – something will solve mobile monetization for publishers. Personally, I think native advertising will solve it. As I have said before, there’s just not enough screen real estate for banners to work they way did in traditional PCs. Native advertising – in the stream – should work and when you see and hear about 6% CTR’s that mean it can and does. So my bet is that Zemanta is one of the those companies that does figure mobile advertising out.
So Why Zemanta?

When looking at either starting a startup or joining one – you need to look at the product/vision, the team and the investors. I’ve just explained why I am big believer in the product and vision. Zemanta currently counts about 300,000 active publishers using its tools. Content Discovery Network launched with a reach of 1 billion page views. These guys have a lot of wind at their sails.

Add on top of that the fact that Zemanta has one of the top product engineering teams for any startup across Europe and founders who I have gotten to know very well and respect over the last 4.5 years and I think it’s easy to say they check that box. And finally, the track records of their primary investors – Fred Wilson of USV, Peter Jones of Eden Ventures and Robin Klein of TAG (the Ron Conway of early stage investing for Europe) – speak for themselves. Zemanta has all three – great product/vision, fantastic team and top notch investors. 3 for 3.
So Why Me?

It’s not everyday that a company gets to hire a Bravo TV reality star as President. (OK I’m as far as a star as anyone) More seriously though, I was the guy who was responsible for making millions of dollars from silly cat photos. As you can see on my CV, I was the CRO for Cheezburger where I was responsible for developing and promoting the rise of native advertising. I’ve worked and co-founded I number of startups in the digital media space from Lookery, a social advertising pioneer, to Loudeye, one of the first commercial platforms for distributing music online. I am active advisor and investor in startups with a focus on digital media.
Todd with a Cat (Of Course)
So What’s Next

I am joining Zemanta in the role of President. Bostjan and Andraz are at the core the product and technical leaders of the company. I’m here to help them develop a great company to work at across the globe, a company that provides a powerful native advertising solution to hundreds of thousands of publishers and advertisers and company that help solves the puzzle of mobile monetization.

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Nelson Global Products Inc., a developer of exhaust products for commercial vehicle markets, has acquired Water Works Manufacturing. Water Works is based in Cambridge, Minn. Terms of the deal were not released. Nelson Global Products is a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners.

PRESS RELEASE
Nelson Global Products Inc., a global leader in the design and manufacture of tubular and exhaust products for commercial vehicle markets, has acquired Water Works Manufacturing located in Cambridge, MN. Water Works also has two subsidiaries; Cambridge Metals and Plastics (CMP), located in Cambridge, MN and, Interlaken Technology Corporation (ITC), located in Chaska, MN. The acquisition is effective immediately.

Water Works will continue to operate under the leadership of Jim Shear, its current President and CEO, and his experienced management team.

The 250 employees at Water Works will maintain their positions with the respective companies. A new 33,000 square foot addition is currently underway at the main manufacturing facility in Cambridge.

Founded in December 2003, Water Works is a leading provider of advanced metal forming solutions that have allowed the Company to become a major supplier to blue chip customers in the power-sports & infrastructure related industries.

Nelson Global Products is a portfolio company of Wind Point Partners, a private equity firm headquartered in Chicago, IL. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“This acquisition is a very exciting opportunity for us,” said Tom Gosnell, CEO of Nelson, “Water Works provides a significant opportunity for us to expand our addressable end markets, our manufacturing processes, and our product offering, as we better meet the expectations of our growing number of customers”.

“We are especially enthusiastic about the advanced metal forming capability which Water Works brings to the Nelson Global Products family. Jim Shear’s past investments in these processes, as well as laser technology for tube and sheet processing, further strengthens our already robust manufacturing technology,” said Gosnell. “We are proud to be aligned with the Water Works team”.

About Nelson Global Products With a 60+ years of rich engineering and manufacturing history, Nelson Global Products designs, manufactures, and markets a broad range of high performance exhaust and tubular products for OEM and aftermarket use for the global on-highway and off-highway markets. These products include mufflers and silencers; exhaust tube assemblies; EGR and Thermal Management Tubing (TMT) for emissions systems; pressurized tube assemblies for air, hydraulic and lubrication; and structural assemblies.

The company’s operations include corporate offices in Stoughton, WI and manufacturing operations in Clinton, TN; Fort Wayne, IN; Peoria, IL; Arcadia, Black River Falls and Viroqua, Wisconsin; and international operations in Scoresby, Australia; Pune, India; and Changzhou, China.

Stringent new emissions regulations for U.S. on-highway diesel engines, mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2010, have required the industry’s need for quality, thermal management tubing solutions. As other countries adopt tighter emissions standards in the future, Nelson anticipates carrying over North America thermal management technology to achieve significantly higher demand for its thermal management tubing products.

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Blue Point Capital Partners has recapped Shnier-Gesco Limited Partnership, a distributor of floor coverings in Canada. Terms were not disclosed. Blue Point has offices in Charlotte, Cleveland, Seattle, and Shanghai.

PRESS RELEASE
Blue Point Capital Partners announced today the recapitalization of Shnier-Gesco Limited Partnership (Shnier). Counting 75 years serving the Canadian flooring market, Shnier is the largest full-service distributor of floor coverings in Canada, selling proprietary and branded products and programs spanning all flooring categories through an established base of independent retailers.

Blue Point, with offices in Charlotte, Cleveland, Seattle and Shanghai, is one of the largest resident private equity firms in each of its target markets. Shnier represents the 15th platform company for Blue Point II, a 2006 vintage middle-market buyout fund with $400 million in committed capital. Shnier is a natural fit within the Blue Point portfolio given its financial strength and leading position within a highly fragmented marketplace. The firm’s investment in Shnier is focused on leveraging Blue Point’s operating resources and experience to optimize the Company’s supply chain as well as to embark on an acquisition campaign to further develop the Company’s revenue stream.

“Shnier is a demonstrated leader in the Canadian floor covering marketplace with an impeccable reputation for quality,” said Ed duDomaine, president and chief executive officer of Shnier. “Blue Point’s strategic and operational focus made it the obvious choice and ideal partner to execute this next phase of growth for the Company. We remain focused on serving our customers with high-quality flooring solutions and unsurpassed levels of service. The best is yet to come for Shnier.”

“We believe Shnier’s proven management team and strong legacy in the flooring market create a dynamic platform with actionable organic and strategic opportunities,” said Sean Ward, a partner with Blue Point. “We look forward to a successful and rewarding partnership together.”

Founded in 1938, Shnier (www.shnier.ca) sells and services over 4,000 residential and commercial flooring customers, offering value-add products, programs and services. Shnier is headquartered in Brampton, Ontario, and operates 5 state-of-the-art, warehouse, sales office and showroom facilities across Canada.

Blue Point Capital Partners (www.bluepointcapital.com) is an established private equity firm managing over $800 million in committed capital. Leveraging fully staffed offices in Charlotte, Cleveland, Seattle and Shanghai, Blue Point’s entrenched regional presence affords it the opportunity to establish relationships on a local and regional basis with entrepreneurs and their trusted advisors, while simultaneously providing the resources of a large, international firm. Blue Point has a 22-year track record of partnering with companies in the lower middle market where it can bring about accelerated growth and transformative change in partnership with its companies, their management teams and Blue Point’s network of operating resources. Blue Point is one of only a few middle-market private equity firms with a presence in the economies of both the United States and China, and the firm’s experience with cross-border management and value drivers has provided a distinct advantage for its portfolio businesses. Blue Point invests in manufacturing, distribution and service businesses generating $20 million to $200 million in revenue.

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Los Angeles-based buyout shop The Gores Group has completed its acquisition of GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing from GE Healthcare. Terms of the transaction, which was led by The Gores Small Capitalization Partners, were not disclosed. Wilbraham, Mass.-based GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing provides electronic billing and electronic medical records outsourcing.

PRESS RELEASE
The Gores Group, a leading Los Angeles-based investment firm, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing from GE Healthcare. Terms of the transaction, which was led by The Gores Small Capitalization Partners, were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Wilbraham, Mass., GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing is a leading provider of electronic billing and electronic medical records outsourcing solutions to the healthcare industry. Founded nearly ten years ago, GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing provides services to some of the most recognized healthcare systems in the United States.

“The Gores Group is excited about the acquisition of GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing,” said Victor C. Otley, Managing Director for The Gores Group. “We believe this platform offers great opportunity to continue the delivery of quality services using the GE Healthcare technology platform. We look forward to working with management and employees as we build on the services and capabilities as an independent platform.”

Rob Gontarek, the company’s newly appointed CEO, said, “GE Healthcare Strategic Sourcing occupies a unique position in the market, with the ability to provide top-tier electronic medical record and outsourced revenue cycle management to very large multispecialty physician groups. The existing management team’s expertise and state of the art technology provides an exciting opportunity for growth.”

The company will operate under the name Meridian Medical Management.

About The Gores Group, LLC
The Gores Group, LLC is a private equity firm focused on acquiring controlling interests in mature and growing businesses which can benefit from the firm’s operating experience and flexible capital base. The firm combines the operational expertise and detailed due diligence capabilities of a strategic buyer with the seasoned M&A team of a traditional financial buyer. The Gores Group, which was founded in 1987 by Alec E. Gores, has become a leading investor having demonstrated over time a reliable track record of creating substantial value in its portfolio companies alongside management. Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Gores Group maintains offices in Boulder, CO, and London. For more information, please visit www.gores.com.

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services to meet the demand for increased access, enhanced quality and more affordable healthcare around the world. GE GE -0.26% works on things that matter – great people and technologies taking on tough challenges. From medical imaging, software & IT, patient monitoring and diagnostics to drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies and performance improvement solutions, GE Healthcare helps medical professionals deliver great healthcare to their patients.

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San Francisco-based Pathbrite has raised $4 million in Series A2 financing, the company announced Monday. Pathbrite, an education portfolio platform company, and is backed by ACT, ReThink Education, Josh Mailman and angel investors. The money will go toward continued development. Pathbrite has raised a total of $8 million to date.

PRESS RELEASE
Pathbrite, a next-generation education portfolio platform company that enables educators and students to improve the way they teach and learn, announced today that it has completed a $4 Million Series A2 financing round that extends the $2.5 Million Series A financing round announced in June 2012. ACT, the U.S. leader in college and career readiness assessment, is leading the round of financing with participation by ReThink Education, Josh Mailman and existing angel investors. The round brings the total outside investment raised to $8 Million. The funding will be used to continue development of the Pathbrite platform, and to reach more higher education and K-12 schools.

Pathbrite made the announcement at the 2013 SXSWedu conference in Austin, TX where they are a sponsor of the annual gathering of innovators in education technology and reform. Pathbrite founder and CEO Heather Hiles will be participating at this year’s SXSWedu in several ways:

— Moderator for SXSWedu Panel Session
— Sponsoring the ePortfolio Meet Up
— Judge for the LAUNCHedu Pitch Competition
— Panelist for the Ideas Are Worthless Conference during SXSW
Interactive
— Recipient of the Innovators Award Hosted by Blacks in Technology

“In the year since our launch at the 2012 SXSWedu conference, the Pathbrite team has made me so proud of all that we’ve accomplished,” said Hiles. “We’ve grown our user base to include nearly 100 colleges and universities, signed distribution deals with both Pearson and McGraw-Hill Education, introduced accessibility features, and completed implementations at a range of public, charter and private schools in districts across the country. The momentum is truly exciting and we’re grateful to our investors for their continuing faith in our work.”

“At ACT, we believe that assessing and celebrating achievement should always go hand in hand, and that is why we’re proud to support Pathbrite as it rapidly builds the industry standard for next-generation education portfolios,” said David Cumberbatch, chief strategy and marketing officer of ACT. “Pathbrite is more than a portfolio platform, it’s an innovative company that shares our passion for helping millions of people unlock their potential.”

Educators and students at innovative schools, colleges and universities across the U.S. use Pathbrite to enhance metacognition and critical thinking skills, improve course-passing rates, and enable project-based learning and peer collaboration.

About Pathbrite Pathbrite, headquartered in San Francisco, is a next-generation education portfolio platform company that is changing the way people teach, learn and grow at schools, colleges and universities across the U.S. For more information, visit the Pathbrite Press Room, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our blog.

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