Sequoia Capital | News

China's Largest Blog Community - 51.com - Successfully Closes Second Round Financing

Tue, 01 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

SHANGHAI, China, May 10 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- 51.com, China's largest
blog community, recently announced the closure of its latest round of financing, which is co-invested by Intel Capital, Redpoint Ventures (the investor of MySpace, the well-known social network in the U.S.), Sequoia Capital China and SIG. Prior to that, 51.com received the first round of investment from Sequoia Capital China and SIG in May 2006.

Intel Capital is the venture capital arm of the world largest chipmaker, Intel, responsible for equity investment in technology innovation companies and other companies worldwide. As one of the largest venture capital companies in the world, Sequoia Capital has invested in Apple Computer, Cisco, Oracle, Yahoo!, Google, and Paypal, etc. Founded in 1972, this VC has become the flagship of the American venture capital industry. Neil Shen, board director of 51.com is the Founding Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital and the co-founder of Ctrip.com International Ltd. and Home Inns. He was honored the 2006 CCTV Top Economic Person of China.

The above-mentioned heavyweight investors demonstrate their high recognition to 51.com. Neil Shen said, ''We are very satisfied with 51.com's development in the last year. At present, with the roaring number of registered users, login users, simultaneous online users and average page views per day, 51.com tops the ranking of Chinese websites. We are full of confidence for its future and will continue to support 51.com.

According to David Yuan, the partner of Redpoint Venture, the investor of MySpace, ''Redpoint has been always been looking for a company with the same growth potential as MySpace in China, and we decided to invest in 51.com through a deep understanding of the Company. We believe that 51.com, together with its excellent team, will be as successful as MySpace.''

Alan Pang, Chairman of 51.com, said that the capital raised this time would be used for expanding system capacity, improving service and enlarging markets. While strengthening product innovation, 51.com would constantly improve product quality and enhance user experience so as to provide more netizens with excellent blog community services. Max Huang, the Chairman assistant and head of data mining and strategy studies of 51.com, believed that 51.com's blog & community mode set a model for Web 2.0. With 60 million registered users, over 5 million login users each day and an average online duration of 40 minutes for each user, this mode competes with TV. Meanwhile, the maximum amount of online users reaches 500,000, exceeding most online games. And each user views up to 40 pages after login on average, exceeding that of a portal.

New media mode brings new advertising mode. Mr. Pang said, ''It's absolutely possible to deliver advertisements according to the users' features such as interest, region, age, etc., as only by login can users use the services and view the pages.'' Accurate marketing, which is impossible to achieve in Web1.0, comes true in the 51.com blog community mode.

The 51.com blog community is devoted to delivering a healthy culture, advocating a diversified culture and leading a harmonious culture. As regards the business mode's positive impact on society, Mr. Pang said, ''The 51.com blog community will provide a platform for Chinese netizens to achieve their personal value. It directs the development of industry upgrading and we are confident about the future.''

Insiders think that 51.com's new gain of venture investment of millions of dollars in the sluggish financing environment in 2007 symbolizes a new mode that balances the self-actualization needs and social demands. Blog communities are emerging from the new Web2.0 and they represent the development trend of the Internet industry, sending encouraging signals to new dotcoms, especially Web2.0 start-ups.

A123Systems Receives $40 Million Investment to Expand Product Portfolio and Scale Manufacturing of Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid Batteries

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

Watertown, Mass. - January 25, 2007 - A123Systems, one of the world's leading suppliers of high-power lithium-ion batteries, today announced it has completed a $40 million round of funding, bringing the total capital invested in the company to $102 million.

A123Systems will use these funds to scale its technology development and manufacturing capacity for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) batteries, as well as to support the fast growing demand in the power tool, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and consumer applications markets.

"As our doped nanophosphate technology continues to deliver superior power, safety and life, we're experiencing tremendous growth and interest from companies across a vast array of industries looking to innovate new and existing products," said David Vieau, CEO and President of A123Systems.

This latest round was led by General Electric Commercial Finance which is significantly increasing its investment in A123Systems. Also participating is new investor The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG), the world's leading consumer goods company and a leading manufacturer of consumer batteries through its brand Duracell; prior investors are also participating including Alliance Capital, FA Technology Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, OnPoint, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Motorola, Qualcomm, and Desh Deshpande, the company's board chairman.

"As the worldwide leader in the battery category, we constantly evaluate emerging technology for its potential to deliver benefits to consumers," said Mark Bertolami, VP, Global Marketing and General Manager, North America, Duracell. "Our investment in A123Systems coupled with our companies' joint development activities is intended to further strengthen Duracell's position in the consumer portable power space. This move also reinforces P&G's commitment to partner with innovative companies to gain access to new technologies."

"A123Systems has met or surpassed its key development and performance milestones" said James Kim, Vice President, GE Global Media & Communications. "The company's latest wins - focused on Plug-In Hybrid and Hybrid Electric Vehicles - are particularly exciting given current global environmental challenges." added Mark Huang , Senior Vice President, GE Energy Financial Services.

This funding adds to A123Systems' strong momentum with major customer wins and partnerships in the power tool and automotive industries. Most recently, A123Systems announced it will supply batteries to General Motors for the Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid development program, the world's first commercial program of its kind by a major automaker.

A123Systems continues to expand its fast growing power tool battery business with Black & Decker Corporation, the world's largest manufacturer of cordless tools, where the company is helping drive the transition from nickel cadmium technology to doped nanophosphate lithium-ion technology.

A123Systems is also working with GE to develop systems for the hybrid bus market and recently received a $15 million development contract for next generation HEV batteries by the U.S. Department of Energy and the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), an organization composed of DaimlerChrysler Corporation, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Corporation.

Accelergy Secures Series B Funding From Leading Investors

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

Palo Alto, CA, December 11, 2006 -- Accelergy Corporation, a leading research and development company offering high throughput solutions for accelerated discovery, development and commercialization of advanced catalytic materials, today announced that it has secured its Series B financing from a group of leading global investors. Goldman Sachs is leading the round along with Sequoia Capital China and Lux Capital. Accelergy's existing investors, Nth Power, Technology Partners, Mobius VC and Advent International also participated in the funding.

"Accelergy is paving the way towards faster discovery and commercialization of advanced catalytic materials and processes with our proprietary high throughput solutions," said William Chen, founder and CEO of Accelergy. "We are pleased to have the support of these leading investors as we continue to deliver on our mission of bringing innovative research capabilities to all stages of the advanced materials creation process."

Accelergy works with global businesses in the pursuit of more efficient and cost effective technologies for the production of environmentally attractive fuels and petrochemicals and the economic development of alternative energy resources. With locations in both the United States and China, Accelergy is positioned to work with the largest global and regional energy companies. The funding will be used to facilitate the company's high throughput research initiatives, expand its technology platforms, and support further intellectual property development and executive recruitment.

"The company's strong leadership team, experience, and proprietary high throughput capabilities are leading factors in our investment decision," said Raheel Zia, vice president at Goldman Sachs and member of Accelergy's Board of Directors. "Accelergy is helping major global companies extend their research and development capabilities and shorten time to market throughout the entire development and commercialization process. We look forward to working with Accelergy to accelerate their growth."

A123Systems Acquires Hymotion

Thu, 03 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

Watertown, Mass. -- May 3, 2007 -- A123Systems today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Hymotion, Inc., the leading fabricator of aftermarket plug-in hybrid modules. These Battery Range Extender Modules (BREMs) can be easily installed in the spare tire well of most hybrid vehicles, enabling current production models to become Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) capable of achieving 100 or more miles per gallon. Converted PHEVs have the potential to reduce oil consumption by as much as 75 percent and CO2 emissions by up to 50 percent over today's internal combustion engine powered vehicles.

"With 5 million hybrids expected on the road by the end of 2010, we feel there is a significant opportunity for an interim aftermarket solution allowing consumers to experience the oil and CO2 reduction benefits that PHEV upgraded vehicles provide," said David Vieau, President and CEO.

The Hymotion acquisition provides A123Systems access to critical early IP on Plug-in Hybrid systems technology as well as valuable experience with engineering BREMs using A123Systems' Automotive Class Lithium Ion batteries. Terms were not disclosed.

"The fleet market has been an important testing ground for PHEVs" said Ricardo Bazzarella, Co-founder and President of Hymotion. "The Hymotion systems will continue to be available to the growing fleet market. Over the coming months we will work to reduce delivery times to fleets by standardizing packaging and in anticipation of having a consumer ready system for 2008 introduction."

"BREM technology is the near-term answer for plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and, thanks to recent joint contracts with NYSERDA and the South Coast AQMD, no company had nearly as much real-world data on engineering aftermarket modules with A123Systems' batteries as Hymotion," said Akos Toth, Co-Founder and Director of Engineering of Hymotion. "Joining forces with A123Systems enables us to more efficiently address demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles today."

The Hymotion team has a deep history in the alternative fuel and heavy duty vehicle segments, bringing critical integration and design experience to the group. This valuable experience includes work with OEMs such as Daimler-Chrysler and BMW, as well as heavy duty manufacturer Orion Bus Industries, and alternative fuels companies, Hydrogenics and Quantum Technologies.

The A123Systems Nanophosphate cells are next-generation lithium-ion batteries designed for exceptional power, safety and life. A123System's Automotive Class Lithium Ion cells have been optimized specifically for use in HEV and PHEV applications.

Achates Power, a clean diesel engine startup, funded by Sequoia Capital

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

January 24th, 2008 | Investments in clean-burning combustion engines are picking up, as VCs bet that batteries and exotic fuels like hydrogen won't be the end of the story for powering automobiles.

The latest is Achates Power, a San Diego, Calif. startup working on a clean diesel. Although details are thin, the company's website promises to create "new benchmarks in fuel economy and power density."

Constructing a new type of engine is a risky bet, relying not only on the ability of a small team of engineers to quickly work out all the kinks, but also on a market that has changed little in decades to adopt a totally new type of equipment.

However, diesel engines have a number of advantages over spark-ignition engines, the kind typically used in American passenger vehicles. Those include a greater efficiency, more torque and lower emissions of some gases, including CO2.

A design that tackled the remaining problems -- including higher weight and the toxic soot diesel engines tend to produce -- would have a shot at capturing a vast market. Khosla Ventures also recently bet on a diesel motor maker called EcoMotors, which has many of the same aims as Achates.

AdMob Closes $15 Million in Series B Funding

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AdMob, the world's largest mobile advertising marketplace, announced today that it has closed $15 million in venture capital funding. The Series B financing round was led by Accel Partners, with previous investor Sequoia Capital participating as well. The announcement was made today at North America's largest mobile industry tradeshow, CTIA Wireless 2007 in Orlando, Florida.

The company says that it will use the funds to develop new solutions that will make it easier for advertising customers to leverage mobile. Recent AdMob metrics include:

Over 1.6 Billion ads served in less than a year
More than 1200 publishers
Ads viewed in over 160 countries
"Mobile Advertising is exploding as advertisers of all types learn to take advantage of the mobile medium," says Rich Wong, Partner at Accel Partners, who will join the AdMob board. "We're excited to work with AdMob, as we believe AdMob's unique international footprint, growing lead in mobile ad inventory and rich technology platform will continue to lead the way in this dynamic market."

In January, AdMob announced that it had served 1 billion ads in the past six months. Demonstrating the acceleration in the market, AdMob has served more than 600 million ads in the last sixty days alone, sending the total past the 1.6 billion mark. Much of this growth has been fueled by growing activity in the US and Europe.

"We are thrilled to receive such enthusiastic support from Accel Partners," said Omar Hamoui, CEO and Founder of AdMob. "We regard it as recognition of AdMob's accomplishments to date and a testament to the growth of the industry, as well as the opportunities to come. This financing will enable AdMob to invest in making mobile advertising easy and accessible, unlocking the full potential of this medium."

Advertisers are increasing their use of AdMob's platform to reach customers on their mobile phones using different targeting capabilities. Some statistics on targeting included:

95.2 % of AdMob ads leveraged geographic targeting
63.2 % of AdMob ads leveraged behavioral, demographic or contextual targeting
20.2 % of AdMob ads leveraged handset targeting by manufacturer
9.1 % of AdMob ads leveraged targeting based on device capabilities
3.7 % of AdMob ads were run-of-network ads viewed in over 160 countries worldwide.

VCs Fund Advanced Power Projects, Inc.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

Fremont, California March 18, 2008. Innovative technology by energy leaders to produce reliable electricity and less greenhouse gas is now available for commercialization. Pete Cartwright co-founder and CEO of Advanced Power Projects, Inc. (POWER), has secured support of investors to apply the Simplified Combined Cycle (SCC) process to existing power plants and new alternative energy facilities.

Sequoia Capital, Bay Partners and Redpoint Ventures are funding the new company. Bay Partners and Sequoia Capital led this Series A financing. Aubrey K. McClendon, CEO of Chesapeake Energy Corporation, is also an investor in POWER. Pete Cartwright stated, "The backing of these prestigious investors is a strong endorsement of our team, our technologies and our business plan." As a result of this round, Atul Kapadia from Bay and Mike Goguen from Sequoia will be joining Pete Cartwright and Tom Mason on the POWER Board of Directors.

Cartwright, founder and former CEO of Calpine, has teamed with Tom Mason to create POWER to seek, acquire, and commercialize advanced technologies to reduce the cost of power generation with green results.

Sequoia Capital, Bay Partners and Redpoint Ventures have invested in more than 1000 successful companies including Google, Apple, Cisco and eBay. They are leaders in the venture capital industry's investment in clean energy technologies. McClendon invests in venture capital through McClendon Venture Company, L.L.C., Oklahoma City, OK and Deep Fork Capital, Menlo Park, CA.

Mason, POWER's President, noted, "This investment will facilitate our offering SCC to power plant owners to increase capacity, decrease fuel cost and dramatically reduce emissions in America." He added, "Our customers need to know we have more than technology; we have the team, experience, commitment and resources to deliver."

The SCC technology and POWER's management expertise can help solve the challenges facing the industry: reduction of greenhouse gas and the need for additional generating capacity. The SCC technology was created by Dr. Dah Yu Cheng.

Pete Cartwright is a respected leader in the energy industry with extensive experience in engineering and management, having founded and built the nation's largest independent power producer, Calpine.

Tom Mason served as President of Calpine Power Company and President and COO of CalEnergy. Prior to that, he also held positions with a turbine manufacturer and an electric utility.

Former Calpine executives Ann Curtis and Fred Manuel have joined POWER, along with former GE executive John Redding and attorney Mike Ross.

Offices are located in Fremont, CA, with a regional network to serve customers throughout the country. For more information and POWER, its technologies, people and job opportunities, visit the website at www.advancedpowerprojects.com.

Agitar Software Closes Second Investment Round

Tue, 09 Mar 2004 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- March 9, 2004 -- Agitar Software, the leading innovator of Managed Developer Testing, announced today it has closed venture financing of $12.6 million with New Enterprise Associates as the lead investor. Other firms participating in the second round include Wilson Sonsini Investment Company, Amidzad II, LLC., and Sequoia Capital, which expanded its first-round investment.

"We are excited to expand our board of directors with someone of the stature of Peter Morris." says Jerry Rudisin, Agitar CEO and President. "Agitar is on the way to redefining the economics of software development for both corporations and government organizations," he added. "With such an ambitious mission we will benefit greatly from his insight and experience, and from the backing and resources of New Enterprise Associates."

"Even before meeting Agitar Software, we had identified automation of software quality as an important industry sector with enormous opportunity for innovation," says Peter Morris, General Partner at NEA. "Agitar Software has the breakthrough technology, the customer-validated solution, and the management team to capitalize on the opportunity. NEA is thrilled to become part of this team."

"Financial Engines' advice technology platform delivers investment advice and portfolio management services for over 3.8 million 401(k) plan participants," says Michael Campbell, VP of Engineering at Financial Engines. "We are keenly aware of the importance of software reliability and involving our software developers in the process of ensuring quality. We selected Agitar because it helps us significantly increase our control over software quality, engineering schedules and development costs."

"Since we led the first round of financing 18 months ago, Agitar Software has made tremendous progress," says Doug Leone, Partner at Sequoia Capital and member of the Agitar board of directors. "It has created a world-class product and, more importantly, it is defining a new industry with Managed Developer Testing. Agitar solutions make it possible for the first time for organizations to be in full control of the quality of their software assets. The feedback from early customers confirms that Agitar is addressing a critical need."

Agitar offers a pre-packaged Jumpstart program, to help organizations assess their current testing efforts and implement an effective Managed Developer Testing program. Within days, companies can assess the current quality of their software projects, set testing targets, implement developer testing, integrate existing unit tests, train developers and QA engineers, and set up an automated quality reporting portal. Within weeks they can enjoy the profound benefits of effective Managed Developer Testing.

Agitar Software Secures $10M Financing to Accelerate Technology Development

Tue, 17 Jan 2006 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan. 17, 2006--Agitar Software, the leader in enterprise developer testing, today announced it has secured $10 million in Series C financing. New investor Globespan Capital led the financing round with participation from current investors Sequoia Capital and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). The new financing will be used for additional product development, marketing activities, and continued international expansion.

Venky Ganesan, a managing director at Globespan Capital, joins Agitar's board of directors as part of this investment. "Globespan has chosen to partner with Agitar due to its innovative products, compelling vision, and clear market leadership in the rapidly-growing market for automated developer testing solutions," Ganesan said. "Agitar has barely scratched the surface with its technology and is poised to make a real difference in software development. We are excited to back this team."

"Agitar delivers a remarkable product that brings real business benefit to its customers," said Doug Leone, partner at Sequoia Capital. "The company has made terrific progress, winning more than 100 customers since first shipping its product, and just completing its eighth quarter of sequential revenue growth. Sequoia is delighted to increase its investment in Agitar."

"Since NEA led Agitar's second round financing, we have seen incredible progress in the number of customers, deal size, and demonstrable economic benefits from Agitar's solution," said Peter Morris, general partner at NEA. "Agitar has the breakthrough technology, market momentum, and a world-class team to make the Global 2000 much more effective in writing and enhancing the software on which their business processes and products depend."

Agitar's award-winning Agitator product eliminates most of the manual work associated with developer testing, the practice in which developers test their software as they write it. Agitar Management Dashboard gives development teams precise and objective information about the status of quality at the level of individual code units. The unprecedented level of automation and visibility provided by Agitar's solution makes widespread adoption of developer testing practical for the first time.

"Agitar is thrilled to add Globespan Capital as an investor," said Jerry Rudisin, CEO of Agitar. "Venky and his partners immediately saw our vision, and share our passion for improving how software is developed. The additional capital from Globespan, Sequoia, and NEA will enable us to accelerate the development of our technology and achieve our goal of universal adoption of developer testing because Agitar makes it practical and compelling."

Apnaloan.com announces Sequoia Capital Investment

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

Apnaloan.com Services Pvt. Ltd. (www.apnaloan.com), a leading online market player for consumer loans and credit cards in India announced that it has closed a financing round led by Sequoia Capital India..

Apnaloan.com is India's largest on-line marketplace and information portal for loans and credit cards. It offers on-line calculators, as well as exhaustive content allowing customers to compare the cost of borrowing from various lenders and guidance on better borrowing methodologies.

"Our central philosophy is to be a counselor to the customer and a partner to the participating banks and DSAs. Our content enables the consumer to make an informed choice while lenders are able to use Apnaloan.com as an option that delivers highly targeted prospective consumers to reduce overall origination costs as well as a highly specialized media platform to strengthen their brand relationship with current and future customers," Mr. Roongta said.

Said Harsh Roongta, CEO, Apnaloan.com, "Our goal is to make Apnaloan a dominant consumer media brand and a household utility, delivered via the internet, mobile phone and call center. We will be using this round of capital to help us to significantly improve our consumer offering and provide self service options to our participating lenders."

"We are very pleased to be partners with Harsh and the management team at Apnaloan" said KP Balaraj, Sequoia Capital India Managing Director. "We are excited about the scale of his vision in creating a household media brand for Apnaloan."

Sequoia Capital is among the most active private equity investors in India, having invested in over 30 companies in India in the past few years, including market leaders such as Bharti Telesoft, Idea, Coffee Day, Firstsource, Indiatimes, Shaadi and Travelguru.

Aruba Wireless Networks Raises $20 Million in Second Round Financing

Mon, 22 Sep 2003 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, September 22, 2003 - Aruba Wireless Networks announced today it has secured $20 million in its second round of financing, appointed new members to its senior management team and inked strategic partnerships with two of Japan's technology giants - Fuji Xerox Corporation, Ltd., and Network Value Components. The Company also announced the expansion of its operations into Japan, India and Europe.

The new round of financing was led by Trinity Ventures and included existing investors Sequoia Capital and Matrix Partners. The funds will be used to scale operations worldwide as well as for continued product development. This brings the total investment in the company to $29.5 million. Aruba said it has already begun generating revenue having shipped over 30 WLAN switching systems to 25 customers around the world since it announced general availability of its Wi-Fi switching system in June.

"After looking at the emerging companies in this exciting space, we quickly came to the conclusion that Aruba was best positioned to capitalize on the next phase of infrastructure buildout that comes with deploying large-scale, enterprise Wi-Fi," said Larry Orr, managing partner for Trinity Ventures. Trinity's investment portfolio reflects a who's who in the communications and enterprise systems industries including investments in Crescendo Communications (acquired by Cisco Systems), Extreme Networks, Vitalink Communications and Network Alchemy, Inc. (acquired by Nokia).

New Senior Management
In addition to new financing, Aruba also named new senior managers to its team including Mr. Dominic Orr as executive chairman of the board, Mr. Duston Williams as chief financial officer and Mr. Dave Butler as vice president of Worldwide Sales and Channel Operations. Mr. Orr, 52, will take an active role in Aruba as executive chairman of the board working on global business strategy, strategic partnerships and channel-related initiatives.

Mr. Orr is an industry veteran in the computer networking industry and has held a number of senior management positions with Hewlett Packard, Bay Networks, Hughes Aircraft and Nortel Networks. Mr. Orr was previously the president of Nortel Networks' Intelligent Internet Web Systems business unit. He joined Nortel through its acquisition of Alteon WebSystems where Mr. Orr was the president and chief executive officer.

With 23 years of experience in high tech finance, Mr. Duston Williams, 45, joins Aruba as its new CFO. Most recently, Mr. Williams was the CFO of Rhapsody Networks (acquired by Brocade Communications) and has held CFO positions at Western Digital Corporation and Netigy Corporation.

Also new to Aruba Wireless Networks, Mr. Dave Butler will have worldwide responsibility for directing sales and channel strategy for its new wireless LAN switching products. Mr. Butler, 42, has extensive experience and demonstrable success in building high-growth sales organizations and value-added worldwide channels for networking companies. Mr. Butler's 20 years of experience also includes senior management positions with Inktomi, FORE Systems, Berkeley Systems, Network Systems Corporation and IBM.

As vice president of International Sales at FORE Systems, Mr. Butler was responsible for all aspects international sales operations. There he led the company to dramatic growth in revenue from $41 million to over $235 million in a two year period. Mr. Butler also headed the company's Federal operations growing Federal sales 600 percent.

Wi-Fi Switching Takes Japan By Storm
Fuji-Xerox's Network Business Unit and Network Value Components will deliver Aruba's award-winning wireless LAN switching systems to enterprises throughout Japan. This includes the Aruba 5000 modular Wi-Fi switch (recently taking Grand Prize honors at N+I Tokyo), the Aruba 800 stackable Wi-Fi switch, the Aruba 52 dual-purpose 802.11a + b/g access point and the new RF Director suite of RF management tools. Wi-Fi Certified, Aruba's WLAN switching system is fully-compatible with Japanese Wi-Fi standards.

The agreements solidify Aruba's presence in Asia Pacific and point to strong demand for new WLAN switching technology in Japan. Aruba has also expanded its international operations, opening offices in Japan and extending its software development by opening a facility in Hyderabad, India.

Asia Pacific sales and technical support operations have been established in Tokyo, Japan under the direction of Mr. Takahide Sugimoto, Aruba's country manager for Asia Pacific Sales Operations. Mr. Sugimoto directed Alteon WebSystems' Asia Pacific business. Aruba has also named Albert Benhamou as vice president of Sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Mr. Benhamou managed European sales for both FORE Systems and Loudcloud.

Aruba Wireless Networks Raises $42 Million in Additional Financing

Mon, 26 Jul 2004 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, July 26, 2004 - Aruba Wireless Networks (Aruba) announced today it has secured an additional $27 million in equity financing and a $15 million, fully-committed debt and working capital facility. This brings the total equity investment in the company, since its inception In April 2002, to $59 million.

The new round of financing was led by WK Technology Fund and included existing investors Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners and Trinity Ventures. Aruba will use the new capital to fuel its growth in the enterprise wireless security market by augmenting and accelerating engineering, sales and marketing efforts.

Aruba also said it is generating predictable quarterly revenue and has shipped over 700 WLAN switching systems to more than 300 customers around the world since it announced general availability of its Wi-Fi switching system in June of 2003. New customers include major corporations across nearly all vertical markets such as Ariba, BEA Systems, Dartmouth College, eBay, Leeds University, Legal Services of New York, Microsoft Corporation, Sharp HealthCare, Spring Independent School District, University of Virginia Medical Center and Yahoo, Inc.

"The existence of Wi-Fi is having a profound impact on enterprise security as a whole," said Don LeBeau, president and CEO of Aruba Wireless Networks. "Wireless technology is forcing corporations to rethink their security. Enterprises understand that the model for network security is changing, and that they must change with it."

Corporations are now requesting a security architecture that allows them to secure the network based on who, what, when, where metrics instead of physical network ports or IP addresses. Users are managed and secured based on who they are rather than from where they connect.

"Aruba is at the intersection of two of the world's fastest growing and most important technology markets today - wireless and security - with the only true enterprise-class product available," said Wen Ko, the Chairman of WK Technology Fund. "We're excited to have the opportunity to participate in the continued success of the company."

Aruba markets and manufactures enterprise-class wireless LAN security systems used to build large-scale wireless environments that can be automatically deployed, easily controlled and completely secured from a single point. The Company is credited with pioneering the concept of centralized wireless security and innovating the industry's first and only modular Wi-Fi switching system.

Aruba Networks Raises $25 Million in Series D Financing

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, California - October 24, 2005 - Aruba Networks, the Mobile Edge Company, today announced that it has closed a series D round of funding, securing an additional $25 million in equity financing. The latest round brings the total equity investment in the company to $84 million.

The new round of financing was led by Artis Capital Management, LLC, with additional participation from all existing equity investors including Matrix Partners, Sequoia Capital, Trinity Ventures, and WK Technology Fund. Aruba will use the funds to support expanding operations and increased sales and marketing efforts worldwide.

"Our business continues to grow at an accelerating pace through our direct sales force, channel partners, and OEM relationships, both domestically and internationally. Aruba has now surpassed the 1,000 customer milestone and has recorded nearly 100% quarter-to-quarter growth," said Steffan Tomlinson, chief financial officer for Aruba Networks. "At this juncture, as we expand into new geographies and further develop our current markets, it is essential that we invest in our operations, sales, and marketing activities, further solidifying our market leadership position."

Aruba Networks manufactures and markets a complete line of enterprise-class, highly-secure wireless LAN and mobility solutions including mobility controllers, access points, and mobility software. The company has just introduced the mobile edge, a new networking architecture designed to effectively address three top concerns of IT managers - mobility, security, and convergence. The mobile edge extends the reach of enterprise networks, providing secure access to information and voice services anywhere a user needs them, enabling new applications, allowing organizations to compete more effectively, and bringing about dramatic economic benefits.

"Aruba has solidly established itself as a key player in the networking industry with offerings crossing several dynamic and expanding market segments ranging from WLANs to network security and VoIP to enterprise mobility," said Stuart Peterson, Managing Partner with Artis Capital. "Aruba's large, marquis customer base, industry-leading technology, experienced management team, and strong sales momentum give us great confidence, and we are excited to be a participant in the company's future."

Aruba Networks Extends Leadership in Enterprise-Wide Security with the Acquisition of Network Chemistry's Wireless Security Business

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 12:00:00 PST

Sunnyvale, CA, July 23, 2007 - Aruba Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARUN), a global leader in secure mobility solutions, today announced the acquisition of Network Chemistry's line of award-winning RFprotect and BlueScanner wireless security products. Designed to automatically detect network vulnerabilities, intrusion attempts, and policy violations, the Network Chemistry products are in the forefront of wireless intrusion detection and prevention solutions, and complement Aruba's broad existing line of wired and wireless security products. Aruba plans to integrate the newly acquired products into its secure mobility solutions, as well as provide products and continuing support to existing Network Chemistry customers and partners.

"Aruba has consistently led the industry with respect to client-to-core security solutions, and with this acquisition we have now rounded out our RF Layer 1-2 security offerings," said Dominic Orr, Aruba's president and CEO. "Network Chemistry's products have consistently won accolades for their ability to accurately find wireless network equipment, detect unauthorized devices, and enforce networking policies. By integrating this capability into Aruba's product family we will extend our position at the vanguard of wireless security providers. We look forward to working with, and providing uninterrupted support to, Network Chemistry's large base of existing enterprise and government customers."

Network Chemistry products covered by the acquisition include RFprotect Distributed, RFprotect Mobile, and BlueScanner. RFprotect Distributed is a patent-pending wireless intrusion detection and prevention system that uses a central security engine and purpose-built sensors to automate threat detection, attack prevention, and 'no wireless' policy enforcement. RFprotect Mobile is a portable analyzer for conducting site surveys, security assessments, and incident responses of wireless networks, while BlueScanner is a portable Bluetooth discovery and vulnerability assessment tool.

"This acquisition presents an array of technical and marketing synergies that Aruba can leverage to its advantage," said Paul DeBeasi, senior analyst at The Burton Group. "Wireless intrusion detection by itself is a point solution, but network security requires a system solution. Supplementing its existing security solutions with Network Chemistry's leading wireless intrusion detection technology gives Aruba a comprehensive system solution. Not only will Aruba add value to its security offerings, but it will also expand the base of prospects to which it can market products and services."

AutoNavi has acquired Beijing XingTianDi Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

AutoNavi acquired Beijing XingTianDi Information Technology Co., Ltd on Dec.28, 2006. Beijing XingTianDi has the most advanced industrial equipment and software in China including DMC all-digital aerial photogrammetry system etc, while ranking the first in total production output countrywide. Thus, through the acquisition, AutoNavi became the only digital map supplier in China who obtains "Level A" qualification of aerial photographing surveying & mapping together with aerial photogrammetry data production capacity.

Barracuda Networks Announces Investment from Sequoia Capital and Francisco Partners

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 12:00:00 PST

Mountain View, Calif., Jan. 9, 2006 - Barracuda Networks, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise-class spam firewall solutions, today announced that after shipping product for two years it has closed its first outside investment of $40 million from Sequoia Capital and Francisco Partners. Sequoia Capital, which has provided financing to Cisco Systems, Google, Netscreen, and Yahoo!, is widely viewed as the world's preeminent venture capital firm. Francisco Partners, whose founders include technology investment banking pioneer Sandy Robertson, is a leading private equity firm with tremendous experience in financial and deal structuring.

"Sequoia Capital and Francisco Partners have a wealth of experience from their hundreds of successful companies that will be valuable as we take Barracuda Networks to the next level," said Dean Drako, president and CEO of Barracuda Networks. "We look forward to working together as we continue to grow Barracuda Networks by providing the best security products to protect our customers from spam, viruses, spyware and other threats."

"Barracuda Networks' delivery of powerful and easy to use security solutions to over 30,000 customers, while maintaining profitability, made partnering an easy decision for us," said Sameer Gandhi of Sequoia Capital. "We look forward to the many successes that are sure to come as Barracuda Networks continues to provide comprehensive security solutions."

"Barracuda Networks has quickly emerged to a market leading position in the rapidly growing security appliance market," said David Golob of Francisco Partners. "We are delighted to be partnering with the company as it continues to expand into adjacent markets."

Barracuda Networks flagship product, the Barracuda Spam Firewall leverages a powerful combination of open source spam and virus solutions in conjunction with ten defense layers to provide complete email protection. Prior to the Barracuda Spam Firewall launch in 2003, businesses seeking spam protection were reliant upon complex software or third party filtering services that were expensive and often challenging to manage across the network. The Barracuda Spam Firewall revolutionized the market by providing an affordable appliance-based solution that reduced the load placed on the email server by off-loading both spam and virus filtering.

Barracuda Networks also provides the Barracuda Web Filter, the first true comprehensive anti-spyware and Web filtering gateway appliance, and the Barracuda IM Firewall, the only all-in-one instant messaging appliance. Both product lines illustrate Barracuda Networks' unwavering commitment to providing its customers with effective solutions for the growing number of security threats.

Barracuda Networks Acquires Netcontinuum

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:00:00 PST

Campbell, Calif., Sept. 17, 2007 -- Barracuda Networks, Inc., the worldwide leader in email and Web security appliances, today announced it has completed the acquisition of NetContinuum, the leading provider of Web Application Firewalls. The addition of NetContinuum's award-winning products to Barracuda Networks' product portfolio puts the company in a strong position to expand customer adoption of Application Delivery Controllers (ADC). NetContinuum, whose customer roster includes many Fortune 100 companies, develops solutions that combine Web application security, traffic management and SSL acceleration making it an easy to use solution for protecting Web sites of all sizes.

"NetContinuum is a recognized leader in the ADC market and this acquisition will enable Barracuda Networks to offer easy-to-use appliances that secure Web sites," said Dean Drako, president and CEO of Barracuda Networks. "By combining Barracuda Networks' strengths and sales channel reach with very mature and highly acclaimed NetContinuum products, we are confident that we will deliver industry-leading capabilities to a set of customers who had previously been unable to deploy Web site security solutions."

With more than 50,000 customers worldwide, Barracuda Networks is the global volume leader in integrated network solutions for comprehensive email, Internet, Web and IM protection as well as application server load balancing. Utilizing its established worldwide sales channel, spanning 80 countries, Barracuda Networks will introduce the NetContinuum product line to a broader market.

Assisting E-commerce Providers with Growing PCI Compliance Pressure
Following the launch of the Barracuda Load Balancer in late 2006, and through feedback from Barracuda Load Balancer customers, Barracuda Networks found major security shortcomings in current Web Application Firewall solutions. In addition, as major credit card companies are increasing pressure on their merchants to comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), many e-commerce businesses are seeking solutions to meet requirement 6.6 of PCI DSS calling for either detailed custom application code reviews or installation of a Web application firewall by June 30, 2008.

"We are finding that a large number of e-commerce providers are not protecting their Web sites, leaving their Web sites vulnerable to attacks that gain unauthorized access, steal customer data, or deface the Web site itself," said Stephen Pao, vice president of product management for Barracuda Networks. "Barracuda Networks is skilled in taking complex technology, making it very straightforward and packaging it in an easy to use appliance for businesses of all sizes."

As part of the acquisition, Barracuda Networks plans to maintain support for NetContinuum's existing products as well as to increase investment in product development in the ADC product category. In addition, the majority of NetContinuum's 75 employees have also joined the Barracuda Networks team. Barracuda Networks will continue to work with all NetContinuum sales channel partners, expanding the depth of its worldwide sales reach, and enabling them to provide better service and support to all existing and future customers. Updata Advisors, Inc., consulted with NetContinuum on the transaction.

Beceem Communications Announces C-Round Financing in Excess of $20 Million

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 12:00:00 PST

Santa Clara, Calif., Dec. 12, 2005 - Beceem Communications (www.beceem.com), a leading provider of chipsets for Mobile WiMAX technology, today announced that it has received more than $20 million in C-round financing led by Samsung Ventures America, the US based venture capital investment arm for Samsung Venture Investment Corporation (SVIC). Beceem's existing investors -Global Catalyst Partners, KTB Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Walden International and Vinod Khosla also participated in this financing round. Additional C-round investments came from the AmBex Venture Group and Mitsui Incubase Corp.

"This funding provides Beceem Communications with the financial resources to lead the Mobile WiMAX chipset market with our high performance, power-efficient terminal chipset products and infrastructure baseband solutions," said Shahin Hedayat, CEO of Beceem. "The addition of Samsung Ventures to our funding partners is key to our success as it gives Beceem access to world-class partners and customers through the network of Samsung Ventures."

Beceem is a key contributor to the IEEE 802.16e standards effort and is also instrumental in defining the first Mobile WiMAX profile for the WiMAX ForumT. Beceem will accelerate its chipset product development and expects to be the first Mobile WiMAX chipset supplier to deliver a product that is fully compliant with the Mobile WiMAX profile. The company has already demonstrated its prototype chipsets to leading telecom equipment manufacturers that are participating in the development and deployment of Mobile WiMAX networks.

"Our strategic investment in Beceem represents Samsung's commitment to Mobile WiMAX," said Brian Kang, principal investment manager at Samsung Ventures America. "Beceem is a key player with leading edge solutions for the Mobile WiMAX space and we look forward to providing them with the resources to continue pioneering in the Mobile WiMAX market."

Sequoia Capital Invested US$10M into Bihu

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

Beijing Bihu Technology Co., Ltd. (Bihu) announced days ago that it secured US$10M from Sequoia Capital. This in-game advertising (IGA) deal followed that Shanda Entertainment invested In-game Media, Qiming Ventures invested Captiv8 and Focus Media acquired WonderAd.

Bihu was established by Liujun Li, former GM of Snail Game Entertainment Co., Ltd. Mr. Li said Bihu's IGA -- an independent inter-active advertising system -- can independently realize advertisement embedding & launching without modifying any game program and hacking game program protection. The interface pictures, inner scene pictures, models and game props of any game can be replaced as advertisements.

Sources say IGA operators have increasingly become the new "targets" of large-size media companies. Intel joined hands with several investors last year to invest US$17M in the IGA operator with the same name.

Blue Coat Completes Acquisition of NetCache Assets from Network Appliance

Mon, 11 Sep 2006 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 11, 2006 -- Blue Coat® Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCSI), a leader in secure content and application delivery, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of assets of NetCache business from Network Appliance (NASDAQ: NTAP). On June 23, 2006, Blue Coat announced the execution of an asset purchase agreement to acquire the assets of the NetCache business. The final consideration for the transaction included approximately $23.9 million in cash and 360,000 shares of Blue Coat common stock. The cash proceeds were funded with a portion of the proceeds from the investment by Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital in June 2006.

Blue Coat and Network Appliance have also entered into transition services agreements to continue product availability and support for NetCache customers, including continuing manufacturing services as well as sales, service and support. In connection with the close, Blue Coat received information that will enable the Company to provide updated revenue guidance in early October 2006, including the impact of the NetCache acquisition.

"Blue Coat, along with Network Appliance, is committed to continuing to serve NetCache customers, while providing a seamless transition to the Blue Coat platform," said Brian NeSmith, president and chief executive officer of Blue Coat Systems. "The addition of the NetCache customers further strengthens our ability to be successful in the emerging application delivery infrastructure industry."

Blue Coat to Acquire Packeteer to Offer Comprehensive Solution for WAN Optimization

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 21, 2008 - Blue Coat Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BCSI), the leader in WAN Application Delivery and Secure Web Gateway, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement with Packeteer, Inc. (Nasdaq: PKTR), a leader in WAN optimization and WAN traffic prioritization technologies, under which Blue Coat will acquire Packeteer for $7.10 per share in cash, or approximately $268 million. The acquisition is expected to be accretive on a non-GAAP basis in the second full quarter of combined operations.
The acquisition is expected to deliver the following strategic benefits to Blue coat:

Blue Coat's ability to incorporate key Packeteer® technologies into the Blue Coat® ProxySG® family of appliances to provide increased application understanding and traffic prioritization capabilities Additional revenue from the sales, support and development of the PacketShaper® product Increased penetration of the WAN optimization market with the addition of Packeteer's well- developed global sales distribution channel to Blue Coat's existing channel Expansion of Blue Coat sales opportunities through cross-selling to newly added Packeteer customers Extended leadership for Blue Coat in the WAN optimization market Significant cost savings and revenue synergies through organizational economies of scale "WAN optimization is the starting point for adding the next layer of intelligence to the corporate network," said Brian NeSmith, president and chief executive officer, Blue Coat Systems. "The acquisition of Packeteer will enable us to extend our leadership in solving branch office application performance challenges and addressing security threats by adding an extensive, experienced sales channel, integrating our sales organizations and by reinvigorating the well-regarded PacketShaper product and adding it to our solution set. At the same time, we will begin to aggressively integrate Packeteer technologies with our own to continue building the next critical layer above the router."

Packeteer is a pioneer in network traffic prioritization and shaping and holds an extensive patent portfolio in these areas. Its technologies enable the identification of specific applications over the WAN and will enrich existing Blue Coat application intelligence technology. Packeteer has over 10,000 customers worldwide and an installed base of over 50,000 units. By acquiring Packeteer, Blue Coat will add 50 additional sales teams and over 1,400 channel partners to extend its reach into the WAN optimization market.

"Blue Coat has a proven history of efficiently and effectively integrating technologies and organizations, and can expeditiously add valuable Packeteer assets to Blue Coat solutions and operations upon closing the transaction," said Dave Ct, president and chief executive officer of Packeteer. "We believe our customers and channel partners all benefit from this move which results in having a more comprehensive solution for solving the application delivery challenges through advanced application discovery and the intelligent prioritization, security and control of business traffic across the WAN."

Added NeSmith, "Given the size of our respective global organizations and the complementary nature of our businesses, we will achieve substantial cost reductions and significant economies of scale almost immediately. Adding Packeteer's technology, expertise, channel partners and customer base will give Blue Coat a decisive competitive advantage that will help drive future business."

The acquisition will be effected through a tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Packeteer, followed by a merger between Packeteer and a subsidiary of Blue Coat. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of calendar 2008.

Blue Coat will fund the acquisition through a combination of available cash and an $80 million convertible notes financing.

Merrill Lynch & Co. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Blue Coat in connection with the transaction. Davis Polk & Wardwell served as legal counsel to Blue Coat. UBS Securities acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Packeteer in the transaction, and DLA Piper US LLP served as legal counsel.

Conference Call and Webcast

Blue Coat will host a conference call to discuss the acquisition and related funding today at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time (5:00 a.m. Pacific time). A live Webcast of the call will also be available at http://www.bluecoat.com/aboutus/investor_relations. The live conference call can be accessed by dialing 1 (800) 947-5265 with the passcode 44648746.

Amobee Media Systems closes investment transaction with Telefonica and announces strategic relationship for mobile advertising

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, London and Madrid -- November 28th 2007 -- Amobee Media Systems, the world leader in advertising solutions for mobile operators, today announced that Telefonica has made a strategic minority investment in Amobee. Telefonica joins Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners, Globespan and Vodafone in funding Amobee's next stage of development.

Amobee Media Systems was founded in May of 2005, with the objective of enabling all players in the mobile content and data value chain to generate new revenues from advertising. Its software solution supports digital ad delivery to all mobile content and communication types, including WAP and mobile web, mobile games, mobile video, and mobile messaging.

The Amobee management team, comprised of a strong core of executives with a combination of wireless, advertising, and interactive media experience, have produced a best-of-breed solution, tailor-made for mobile operators The advertising impressions from the Amobee platform occur in a relevant, contextual and non-intrusive manner, thus giving the users control over the engagement.

"We have evaluated a large number of competing platforms for serving ads in the mobile environment. We have chosen to invest in, and partner with, Amobee because we have concluded that it offers the best solution to ad-fund our growing number of mobile data services, while ensuring that our customers get better value as well as a richer mobile experience" stated Russ Shaw, Director of Innovation at Telefonica. " We also believe that Amobee's carrier centric model will generate the highest quality mobile advertising inventory, thus ensuring that advertisers are given a compelling proposition."

"Amobee is quickly becoming a standard for operators to serve contextual, dynamic and relevant ads to their customers" said Zohar Levkovitz, CEO and Co- Founder of Amobee Media Systems. "In less than a year, we have made significant advances and have now generated mobile advertising revenues for tier one operators in several major markets around the world. With Telefonica's investment, Amobee is set to strengthen its position as the world's premier provider of mobile ad-serving solutions".

Mobile advertising represents an unprecedented potential to increase reach for advertisers. According to Pyramid Research, by 2010 one billion new mobile subscribers will join the current base of 2.8 billion. Further, according to Informa, worldwide mobile advertising revenues will rise to $11.35 billion by 2011.

Sequoia Capital buys $20 mn equity in Amalgamated Bean Coffee

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 12:00:00 PST

BANGALORE: The Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company (ABCTL) has announced an equity investment of $20m by venture capital firm Sequoia Capital India. ABCTL chairman VG Siddhartha told ET that there was no intention of spinning off the Cafe Coffee Day division into a separate company.

The investment would be spent on domestic expansion and international operations of ABCTL's food services and coffee business. ABCTL had plans to open Cafe Coffee Day outlets in 10 countries over the next three years. He declined to spell out the percentage share in ABCTL's equity taken by Sequoia.

The funding will see Sequoia Capital India managing director KP Balaraj joining the board of ABCTL. Significantly, ABCTL press release on Wednesday adds, "We are actively looking for well-managed companies in the US and European markets that we can partner with or acquire to help build a diversified, global business.

We see a significant opportunity to build ourselves into a strong market leader in the food services and coffee business globally, and will leverage our dominant position in India to build a strong international presence."

At present, ABCTL's coffee cafe expansion into international markets is routed into the EU through the Coffee Day International company it has registered in Cyprus. The company statement indicates that there could be a dual strategy at work in terms of developing a larger international footprint, with acquisition of food-services and coffee-retailing US and European companies also being considered.

Cafe Coffee Day director Naresh Malhotra has been surveying markets in Germany, Switzerland and eastern Europe for suitable locations. CCD has a presence in Austria.

Mr Siddhartha told ET on Wednesday that the expansion in India and retail operations would not just be confined to the cafe business where Cafe Coffee Day is a market leader in India, but across the board in retailing segments like kiosks (Coffee Day Xpress), vending machines (Coffee Day Take Away), coffee-powder stores (Coffee Day Fresh 'N' Ground) and packaged filter-coffee (Coffee Day FMCG). Sequoia's investment in ABCTL is the second such instance.

Cast Iron Systems, Inventor of the Application Router®, Announces Industry Veteran, Fred Meyer, as CEO

Tue, 08 Jul 2003 12:00:00 PST

Mountain View, CA, July 8, 2003 -- Cast Iron Systems, formerly known as IronHide Corporation, announced the appointment of Fred Meyer as president and CEO. Mr. Meyer previously served as chief strategy officer from TIBCO. In addition, the company has received private funding totaling $8.3 million, led by Sequoia Capital and Norwest Venture Partners, which enabled Cast Iron to bring the first release of its breakthrough application integration technology to the market, and will allow its sales, marketing and development teams to expand.

Cast Iron was formed to address the vast majority of business integration problems that can be solved in the network. These call for simple business processes such as order routing or data record synchronization. These processes may be linked together to form more complex processes but at their core, they are simple. Cast Iron invented the Application Router® with these needs in mind: simple, integrated appliances that can quickly and easily automate a company's business processes. Because it has been designed specifically to solve the most common integration problems, the Cast Iron Application Router® is 50-90% less expensive to buy and maintain than solutions developed using alternative approaches. The Application Router® is inherently self-contained, allowing 'lights out' deployment and reducing administration costs to near zero. Typically, customers report that these cost and time savings result in a payback of less than three months and that implementation time is dramatically reduced.

"We saw in Cast Iron many of the same opportunities that existed when we invested in Cisco in 1987. Just as Cisco transformed the networking market with its hardware device, we believe Cast Iron's revolutionary Application Router® will change the face of the existing application integration market," said Mark Kvamme, Sequoia Capital Partner. Cast Iron's executive team is led by president and chief executive officer, Fred Meyer. Mr. Meyer brings over 16 years of leadership and industry experience to the Cast Iron team. Prior to joining Cast Iron, Mr. Meyer served as TIBCO's chief marketing officer for a number of years before becoming chief strategy officer, where he defined TIBCO's long-term vision. At TIBCO, Mr. Meyer helped to expand the company's leadership in key areas, including web services, B2B, telecommunications, financial services, transportation and logistics.

"We have assembled a unique team for an integration company, with key members from Sun, IBM, Oracle, Borland, Accenture, TIBCO, and Intel providing experience and leadership. I see the Application Router® as the next revolution for application integration. As we deliver our first product to customers, it is clear that the market opportunity is boundless," said Meyer.

Cast Iron's board of directors is comprised of top industry veterans and visionaries. Promod Haque, managing partner of Norwest Venture Partners, is chairman of the board and joins Mark Kvamme, Sequoia Capital Partner, Fred Meyer, president and CEO, Nikhyl Singhal, EVP of products and founder, and George Scott, CTO and founder.

Cast Iron Systems, Inventor of the iA3000™ Integration Appliance, Announces Additional $12 million in Financing

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 12:00:00 PST

Mountain View, CA, January 27, 2004 -- Cast Iron Systems, the pioneer of application integration appliances, announced today it has received an additional $12 million in financing led by INVESCO Private Capital, one of the oldest and most active private equity investors. In addition, Alessandro Piol, a General Partner at INVESCO, has joined the Cast Iron Systems board of directors. Cast Iron Systems' previous investors also participated in the round, including Norwest Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital. To date, Cast Iron has secured $20.3 million in venture capital. The new capital will be used to extend sales and marketing efforts into new markets.

"What we found most interesting and promising about Cast Iron Systems is the company's ability to attract top customers at an early stage, their experienced and savvy management team and its ability to pave the way in the application integration space. We believe their revolutionary product will change the way their customers integrate software," said Alessandro Piol, general partner of INVESCO Private Capital.

"Business-critical data integration is a huge challenge for companies today. Cast Iron Systems' integration solutions are filling a significant market need by radically reducing the cost and complexity of integration projects. With this latest infusion of funds, the company is properly capitalized to execute on an aggressive go to market strategy and pursue future product development," said Promod Haque, managing partner of Norwest Venture Partners.

Cast Iron Systems' executive team is led by President and Chief Executive Officer, Fred Meyer. Mr. Meyer brings more than 17 years of leadership and industry experience to the Cast Iron team. Prior to joining Cast Iron, Mr. Meyer served as TIBCO's Chief Marketing Officer for a number of years before becoming chief strategy officer, where he defined TIBCO's long-term vision.

"We have experienced remarkable enthusiasm for our application router in the marketplace. Our first ten customers have proven the technology works, and the benefits are real.

This additional funding will allow us to expand our sales and marketing organization to capitalize on this untapped segment of the integration market,' said Fred Meyer, President and CEO of Cast Iron Systems.

Cast Iron Systems' board of directors is comprised of top industry veterans and visionaries. Alessandro Piol, General Partner, INVESCO Private Capital joins Promod Haque, (Norwest Venture Partners) Mark Kvamme (Sequoia Capital Partner), Fred Meyer (President and CEO), Nikhyl Singhal (EVP of products and founder), and George Scott (CTO and founder).

Email Intelligence Pioneer Clearwell Systems Announces $12 Million in Funding

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--April 4, 2006--Clearwell Systems, Inc., a pioneer in the Email Intelligence market, today announced that the company has closed $12 million in its second round of funding. Redpoint Ventures led the oversubscribed financing, with participation from existing investor, Sequoia Capital. Clearwell will use the funds to expand its sales force, bolster marketing, and increase its investment in research and development.

"The pain enterprises face when dealing with email discovery and analysis is an overwhelming burden for IT, legal, and compliance teams," said Tom Dyal, a founding partner of Redpoint Ventures. "The cost, time and inaccuracies associated with human review of email have led to high demand for Email Intelligence solutions. Clearwell's early customer traction and superior technology position the company as the leader in a market with massive growth potential."

"Since Clearwell's last round of funding, the company has introduced its product to market, received endorsements from industry analysts, and announced several major customers," said Aaref Hilaly, president and CEO of Clearwell Systems, Inc. "Investment from a leading venture firm is further validation of our vision and momentum. The funds will further grow Clearwell's business and position the company as the leading provider of Email Intelligence solutions for legal, compliance, IT, and customer management."

The Clearwell Email Intelligence Platform provides enterprises with a revolutionary approach to email analysis. Clearwell analyzes the unique properties of email, combines it with organizational data and applies patent-pending linguistic and statistical analysis algorithms to extract intelligence from email messages and attachments. The company's initial solutions focus on regulatory compliance, legal discovery, and customer management, providing actionable intelligence across all business units.

Clearwell Soars Past 100 Customer Mark and Raises $17M in Additional Funding to Fuel Growth

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--August 20, 2007--Clearwell Systems, Inc., the leader in Intelligent E-Discovery, today announced it has surpassed the 100 customer mark and achieved rapid acceleration in its business entering the second half of 2007, with year-to-date revenues already far exceeding the previous year. To fuel its growth, Clearwell has raised $17M in its third round of funding, which it will use to expand its sales team, launch new partnership programs, and bolster research and development. Additionally, Clearwell today announced its E-Discovery Partner Program, which includes partnerships with industry leaders such as EMC, HP and Symantec.

Rapid Customer Adoption
Over 100 enterprises, government agencies and legal service providers have successfully used the Clearwell Intelligence Platform® to reduce the cost, duration, and complexity of e-discovery, achieving a significant return on investment within days of their deployments. A selection of Clearwell's customers include: Alexandra Investment Management, Boeing, BP, Cisco, Constellation Energy, DKR Capital, Del Monte, Department of Health and Human Services / Office of Inspector General, HealthMarkets, KLA-Tencor, Nassau County, NCI Building Systems, Prince George's County, and Transatlantic Reinsurance Company.

Recognition As a Top E-Discovery Software Provider
Capitalizing on the growing demand for in-house e-discovery solutions, Clearwell has become a recognized leader in the e-discovery market, gaining recognition from industry analysts and experts. The company was named a top e-discovery software vendor by Socha-Gelbmann, based on their research for the prestigious 2007 Electronic Discovery Survey.

"The electronic discovery marketplace is increasingly competitive with hundreds of vendors vying for position," said George Socha and Tom Gelbmann, co-authors of the survey, and co-founders of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) Project. "Clearwell has risen rapidly in this crowded market and has emerged as a viable player."

New Funding Fuels Growth
Clearwell also announced the completion of its $17 million Series C round of financing, bringing the total amount of capital it has raised to $33 million. There were several investors in the round, including Duff Ackerman & Goodrich, Redpoint Ventures and Sequoia Capital. The company will use the funding to expand its sales, marketing and partnership efforts to accelerate customer acquisition, and extend its product leadership in analysis and review of electronic information.

Partnership Program Provides End-To-End E-Discovery Solution
Through its E-Discovery Partner Program, Clearwell provides enterprise customers with a comprehensive, end-to-end solution for streamlining the costly and time-consuming e-discovery process. Clearwell integrates with leading archiving and forensics vendors such as EMC, HP and Symantec, to address the entire e-discovery process, from identification, collection and preservation to review, analysis, and production. The net result: corporate legal, security, and forensics teams can significantly reduce the cost, duration and complexity of e-discovery, and gain increased control and visibility over their cases and investigations.

"More and more enterprises are waking up to the fact that they must take a proactive approach to managing electronically stored information, or watch costs spiral out of control," said Aaref Hilaly, president and CEO of Clearwell Systems. "We're seeing an increasing number of companies adopt new e-discovery technologies and processes to reduce costs, increase control, and mitigate corporate risk. This trend, commonly referred to as E-Discovery 2.0, has been a huge factor in our success. Demonstrated by the critical milestones we've reached this quarter, the Clearwell Intelligence Platform is fast becoming the solution of choice for many leading enterprises, government agencies and service providers."

Conformia Closes $7M Series B Financing to Fuel Commercialization of Conformance Software for Regulated Process Industries.

Mon, 01 Mar 2004 12:00:00 PST

Conformia Software Inc., the leader in Product Conformance Management (PCM) software for regulated process industries such as beverage alcohol and life sciences, today announced the close of a $7M Series B financing. Foundation Capital led the round with full participation by Sequoia Capital, the lead Series A investor.

"Conformia is coming off a highly successful 2003, and highlights included our initial product launch, delivery and deployment; the securing of customers in both our key vertical industries - beverage alcohol and life sciences - and the scaling of our product development process," said Joe Prang, chairman and CEO. "The strong support of two top tier venture firms is a clear demonstration of the overall progress of the company. With additional resources and our customer success, we are now funded to significantly ramp up - in turn offering our customers a compelling, high growth opportunity from a stable, well funded supplier."

"Our Series B financing exceeded our goals for the amount of funding and the post money valuation. Nearly tripling our post money valuation for Series B versus Series A is a clear demonstration of the overall progress of the company."

Foundation Capital is known for its established track record of success in enterprise software with previous investments in companies such as CommerceOne, Documentum, Interwoven and Pure Software. Paul Holland, general partner for Foundation and former executive with software firms such as Kana, and Pure Software (Rational) has joined the board of directors. "Conformia enjoys that rare combination of an industry veteran team, addressing a new large untapped opportunity, with a unique approach," says Holland. "We identified compliance / conformance software as a significant growth opportunity and feel Conformia will be a leader in that arena."

Sequoia Capital has its own successful track record of enterprise software investments including Oracle, Documentum and Google. Sameer Gandhi, general partner and Conformia board member, commented "Conformia has made tremendous progress in a short period of time. Its timing to enter and develop the market in its target verticals couldn't have been better."

Consentry Networks Raises $20 Million in Oversubscribed Round

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 12:00:00 PST

Milpitas, CA -- July 10, 2006 -- ConSentry Networks, a leading provider of secure LAN solutions, announced today that it has raised $20 million in its oversubscribed Series D round of funding. Existing investors Accel Partners, INVESCO Private Capital, and Sequoia Capital participated in the new round, joined by new investor Duff Ackerman & Goodrich (DAG) Ventures. ConSentry's total funding now stands at $51 million.

ConSentry will use the funds to build a stronger worldwide presence as demand for LAN control and security solutions gain momentum in Asia and Europe, rapidly approaching the uptake in the U.S. market.

"A lot of funding deals are done in Silicon Valley, but I only see one or two really good investment opportunities a year, and ConSentry is one of them," said John J. Caddedu, managing director of DAG Ventures. "ConSentry is an opportunity we had to be a part of; the LAN security market represents a disruptive technology shift and a multi-billion dollar opportunity, and ConSentry has the innovative technology, market traction, and team to take advantage of it."

ConSentry's LANShield family of products, which enables customers to embed security directly into their LAN infrastructure, provides the full set of security features needed to protect enterprise assets. The LANShield family provides network admission control to restrict who can come onto the LAN, full Layer 7 visibility into all user activities, control over user access to authorized resources through role-based provisioning, and threat control to prevent zero-hour attacks from compromising network availability.

"ConSentry is leading the integration of security and switching in a market that hasn't undergone this scope of change in more than 10 years," said Tom Barsi, ConSentry Networks' president and CEO. "The additional funding will help us capitalize on the LAN security wave and the growing worldwide demand by enterprises for more security and control embedded in their networks."

Consentry Networks Raises $17 Million in Oversubscribed Series C Funding Round

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 12:00:00 PST

MILPITAS, CA -- July 18, 2005 -- ConSentry Networks (formerly Tidal Networks), a secure networking startup poised to redefine how enterprises enforce user access to protect their internal networks, announced today it has has raised an additional $17 million in an oversubscribed Series C funding round. This third round of financing includes previous investors Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital, as well as a new investment from INVESCO Private Capital, bringing ConSentry's total funding to $31 million.

"Through our previous investments in Cisco, NetScreen and 3Com, we've participated in every major discontinuity in networking and security," said Michael Goguen, Partner with Sequoia Capital. " We regard ConSentry as among the few companies with the ability to lead this latest inflection point in secure networking."

ConSentry's unique approach to protecting enterprise LANs has attracted new executive hires:

· Dean Hickman-Smith has joined as ConSentry's vice president, worldwide sales. Previously, he was vice president of emerging technologies at Juniper Networks responsible for driving global sales for the security technology acquisitions and product offerings.

· Franklin Grosvenor is ConSentry's vice president of operations. Previously, he was senior director of manufacturing for the Wireless Networking Business Unit and Mobile Wireless Group with Cisco Systems.

· Sam Farsad joins ConSentry as the company's vice president of engineering after serving as vice president of software engineering with Extreme Networks.

"ConSentry is at the intersection of two of the industry's largest and fastest growing markets today -- enterprise networking and security", said Thomas Barsi, CEO of ConSentry Networks. "ConSentry has built the team and disruptive technology to successfully drive a convergence of this magnitude to reality -- a solution that will make a significant impact on organizations suffering from internal security challenges everyday.

With today's announcement, Esfandiar Lohrasbpour, General Partner with INVESCO Private Capital becomes the newest member of ConSentry's board of directors.

Technology Breakthrough

ConSentry will bring to market a purpose-built system that leverages its breakthrough, patent-pending silicon architecture to continuously identify all LAN traffic and enforce user access to authorized resources and applications at wire-speed, in real-time . As a result, enterprises will be able to enforce granular user access policies, meet regulations, and contain known and unknown malware attacks in real time, all from a single system, leveraging their existing network infrastructure.

The visionary for this new class of technology is ConSentry's Chief Technology Officer Jeff Prince, previously co-founder of Foundry Networks and Centillion Networks.

In order to address user access control, regulatory compliance, threat management and malware containment issues, Fortune 1000 companies are being asked to consider prohibitively costly upgrades to myriad devices including 802.1x switches, intrusion prevention systems, network monitoring tools and more. This is creating an unacceptable level of operational and integration complexity. In order to implement a coherent and realistic LAN security strategy, enterprises are going to need much more cost-effective, simple-to-deploy solutions that deliver superior performance over repackaged perimeter-focused devices.

"Enterprises face a bewildering array of complexity, cost and performance issues as they shift their focus from perimeter security to the vexing problem of protecting their internal LANs," said David Passmore, Research Director at Burton Group. "ConSentry's solution looks promising in addressing regulations, information protection and network availability challenges today."
About ConSentry Networks

ConSentry Networks secures enterprise LANs with a purpose-built system that preserves data integrity, ensures network availability and supports regulatory compliance at disruptive price/performance levels. ConSentry's solution leverages its breakthrough, patent-pending silicon architecture to continuously identify all LAN traffic and enforce user access to authorized resources and applications at wire-speed, in real-time. Backed by blue-chip venture capital firms that include Accel Partners, INVESCO Private Capital and Sequoia Capital, ConSentry is headquartered in Milpitas, California. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.consentry.com.

Dash Navigation Secures $25 Million in Series B Funding

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 12, 2007 -- Dash Navigation Inc., today announced that it has secured $25 million in Series B funding, well positioning the company for the national consumer launch of its Internet-connected automotive GPS device this fall. The round was led by Crescendo Ventures with new investors Artis Capital, ZenShin Capital Partners and Gold Hill Capital as well as additional participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital and Skymoon Ventures. This announcement comes on the heels of the company's successful appearance at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) last month with "Best of Show" wins from CNET and LAPTOP Magazine.

Dash also announced today that is has expanded its board of directors with the addition of two new members, Peter Gotcher and Wayne Cantwell. Gotcher, an independent investor who was previously a venture partner with Redpoint Ventures and IVP, brings to the board a wealth of experience building and managing highly successful technology companies. Previously the founder of Digidesign (now part of Avid), Gotcher currently holds board roles at Avnera, Dolby Laboratories, Line6, Zing and Pandora. Cantwell, a general partner at Crescendo Ventures, has spent the past nearly 20 years in the technology arena in technical, general management and operational roles at companies including InSilicon, Phoenix Technologies, Intel and NEC.

"Dash is in a great position to capitalize on the tremendous growth in the market for navigation devices given its strong team, market expertise and technology innovation," said Cantwell, general partner at Crescendo Ventures. "More importantly, the company is addressing the real issues missing from today's navigation systems -- helping drivers get around traffic and find the places and things that they need right from their cars."

"We've built tremendous momentum over the past several months in preparation for our upcoming national launch," said Dash Navigation Chief Executive Officer Paul Lego. "In addition to securing key partnerships in mapping, traffic and local search, and winning industry awards around product innovation, we now have the funding and additional board expertise to take us to the finish line -- into consumers' cars across the nation."

Dash Navigation Launches to Fundamentally Change Auto Navigation Experience with Backing from Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins

Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Aug. 28, 2006 - Dash Navigation, Inc. (www.dash.net), a Silicon Valley start-up, emerged from stealth-mode today. The company is developing a new consumer product and service that will, for the first time, give drivers timely and relevant local information on their dashboards. Backed by venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital, Dash will unveil its first product on Sept. 26 at the DEMOfall conference.

In 2003 alone, Americans lost 3.7 billion hours of work productivity, quality-time with family and time spent relaxing due to traffic congestion. Dash saves drivers significant time and enables them to find and explore new destinations. Dash will not only deliver real-time and relevant information to the car, but also create a network of drivers who help each other avoid traffic and share information about their destinations.

"If you're a professional who spends hours a day on the road, a commuter stuck in traffic, or a soccer mom juggling schedules, Dash transforms your driving day," said John Doerr, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. "Dash provides the best traffic and local information for your everyday life."

The Dash executive team leverages nearly a century of senior management expertise at successful consumer technology companies, including XM Satellite Radio, TiVo, RealNetworks, Logitech, General Electric, Good Technology, and Marimba.

Dash CEO Paul Lego is a Silicon Valley veteran with more than 20 years of senior management experience, including two successful IPOs. Lego was chief executive officer of Virage (acquired by Autonomy, PLC) and chief operating officer of Digidesign (acquired by Avid Technology, NASDAQ:AVID). Dash President and COO Rob Currie has15 years of experience growing Silicon Valley startups including TiVo, Marimba and Digidesign. Robert Acker, senior vice president of marketing launched XM Satellite Radio and led the RealNetworks consumer music businesses. Paul Lima, vice president of engineering has over 25 years of experience creating best-of-class consumer and wireless products at companies including Good Technology and Logitech. Steve Wollenberg, vice president of business development is a pioneer in the traffic and auto navigation with over 20 years experience partnering with companies like DaimlerChrysler, Delphi Automotive, Palm, and various departments of transportation.

"With over 200 million cars in the U.S. alone, the potential for the Dash network to help commuters is enormous," said Jim Goetz, partner at Sequoia Capital.

"Dash will set a new industry standard for accurate, up-to-date information that helps alleviate the growing problem of traffic congestion in most major cities," added Matt Murphy, partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Dash currently has 44 employees, and has been developing its product, network and service for more than three years. The company has significant engineering experience in both navigation and wireless network technologies, and has several patents already granted, with over 20 additional patent applications filed.

Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital make significant investment in Data Connection and MetaSwitch

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, and London, UK: January 14, 2008. Data Connection Limited (DCL) today announced that leading private equity firm Francisco Partners has led a significant investment round into the company, including its MetaSwitch division. One of the world's largest technology-focused private equity funds with approximately $5 billion in capital under management, Francisco Partners has teamed up with its strategic partner, Sequoia Capital, one of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firms, to provide the financial resources and expertise to help take Data Connection and MetaSwitch to the next level of growth.

"Having recently passed $100 million in annual revenue, it became clear to us that our current growth trajectory would be significantly enhanced by tapping into the experience and resources that major players such as Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital can bring," said Ian Ferguson, Chairman and Founder of Data Connection and MetaSwitch.

The entire existing management team, led by Ian Ferguson, stays in place. In particular, Phil McConnell continues to lead Data Connection's network protocols business, while Graeme MacArthur and John Lazar continue to lead the MetaSwitch division.

"What attracted us to Data Connection and MetaSwitch was their exceptional track record of profitability, combined with the exciting market opportunities for their world-class technology," said Ben Ball, a co-founder of Francisco Partners based in San Francisco.

Deep Shah, a Principal at Francisco Partners based in London, added, "During our due diligence process, we came to realize that the company's real source of strength was its people and culture -- not just the senior management team, but an incredible depth of talent and commitment throughout the organization. Our goal is to help build on that proven successful formula and help the company continue, as a cohesive unit, to deliver superior solutions to its growing customer base."

The Data Connection Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) -- previously the sole shareholder in the business -- retains a major stake in the company. This ownership structure ensures that all current and future employees will continue to share in the success of the company, and retains the core culture of rewarding people equitably, according to their contribution.

Speaking to the benefits of the new structure, Mr. Ferguson commented, "This transaction is good for our employees, who benefit via the EBT, and for our customers, who will benefit from us becoming an even stronger company through the injection of expertise and resources from Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital."

Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisers and Slaughter & May as legal advisers to Francisco Partners and Sequoia Capital. Wachovia Securities acted as financial advisers and Linklaters as legal advisers to Data Connection.

Dianping.com Receives First-round Funding from Sequoia Capital

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

Dianping.com, a well-known Chinese restaurant directory and review website, has received its first-round funding from Sequoia Capital. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Zhang Tao, CEO of Dianping.com, said the Company would start the second-round financing in the third or fourth quarter this year. Dianping.com currently has about 1 million users. Zhang hopes to build the website into a Web2.0 local search and Internet community centered on city life.

Digital Chocolate Secures $13 Million in Series B Funding Led by Sutter Hill Ventures

Mon, 16 Aug 2004 12:00:00 PST

San Mateo, CA, August 16, 2004 Digital Chocolate, Inc., a developer of innovative content for mobile phones founded by personal computer and video game pioneer Trip Hawkins, today announced that it has secured $13 million in Series B funding from four leading venture capital firms.

The Series B funding was led by Sutter Hill Ventures and also included Chengwei Ventures, a Shanghai-based venture capital firm and one of China's first independent venture funds. Digital Chocolate's Series A investors, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital, also participated in the Series B financing. The company previously secured $8.4 million in its Series A funding.

'We are becoming a significant player in the mobile content market, introducing innovative concepts, higher production values and, overall, a wholly new experience on mobile phones,' said Trip Hawkins, founder and CEO of Digital Chocolate. 'This next round of funding validates our vision of what that mobile content can be, and will allow us to explore any and all opportunities to create the kind of experience we envisage and customers will demand.'

Digital Chocolate Secures $22.5 Million in Series C Funding with Six New Investors

Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:00:00 PST

San Mateo, CA, July 26, 2006 Digital Chocolate, Inc., a leading publisher of high-quality, original software for mobile phones, today announced that it has secured $22.5 million in Series C funding led by new investor, late-stage and expansion venture capital fund Bridgescale Partners. Digital Chocolate continues to grow and enhance its relationships with customers and these funds will allow the company to expand further in their bid to become the pre-eminent, pure-play mobile game company.

Digital Chocolate obtained six new venture investors in this round, including Bridgescale Partners, Outlook Ventures, Montagu Newhall, DN Capital, Glynn Capital Management and WHI Capital. Also investing in this round are all the company's previous investors: Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sutter Hill Ventures and Chengwei Ventures. With this closing, Digital Chocolate has raised $43.8 million in cumulative capital.

"We strongly believe in the unique and promising IP position Digital Chocolate has carved out within the mobile gaming space. Original content always plays a critical role as new media industries mature and, as such, we are excited to lead Digital Chocolate's C round funding" said Matthew Cowan, co-founder of Bridgescale Partners.

"Since our inception, Digital Chocolate has focused on developing an extensive lineup of mobile content that is not only innovative, but also offers a high-quality, extremely satisfying mobile gaming experience. This focus has fed our impressive growth and helped us to reshape how the wireless content market perceives mobile gaming by delivering a wholly new experience for mobile phones," said Trip Hawkins, founder and CEO of Digital Chocolate. "This new financing round will allow us to fuel our expansion plan even further. The level of investment interest in this round, by first quality new and existing investors, further validates our differentiating strategy in mobile games".

Founded in December 2003 by software gaming pioneer Trip Hawkins, Digital Chocolate has established itself as the recognized leader in developing and publishing many of the world's most popular original mobile gaming titles. The company's titles consistently receive top ratings and awards from the most influential gaming review press and two of the company's most popular titles, Tower Bloxx and WordKing Poker, were recently awarded 2005 Mobile Entertainment "Game of the Year" Awards.

Digital Chocolate has also been praised for its continued focus on innovation, most recently evidenced by the debut of MLSN Sports Picks, the first game in Digital Chocolate's ground-breaking mobile Social Application series. Since its inception, Digital Chocolate has secured relationships with more than 250 carriers and partners, including Cingular, Orange, Sprint, T-Mobile, 3, Verizon Wireless, and Vodafone and its products are available in over 70 countries around the world.

Discretix announces $20 million third round funding; Sequoia Capital becomes newest Discretix investor

Mon, 08 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

Las Vegas, NEVADA - 8 January, 2007 - Discretix, the leading provider of embedded security solutions for mobile devices and flash memory, today announced it has raised $20 million in third round financing. The round, in which all current Discretix investors participated, also included a major investment by Discretix' newest investor - Silicon Valley venture fund giant Sequoia Capital. Total outside investment now amounts to $29.8 million.

The move is expected to further solidify Discretix' position as a world leader in content protection and embedded security solutions, creating an environment in which mobile applications and services can thrive. In addition, Discretix plans to use this new capital to aggressively pursue content protection solutions for the mobile content and enterprise markets.

"Participation in our third round of funding by Discretix' current investors demonstrates the support the company enjoys for its achievements to-date, as well as an endorsement for its future plans," said Gal Salomon, chief executive officer and founder of Discretix. "We welcome the new support for our business activities from Sequoia Capital, not only for the funds it provides but also as an inflection point for our initiatives in the mobile content space."

Sequoia Capital is one of the technology industry's most storied venture capital firms. It was the first investor of many well-known tech giants including Apple, Cisco, Google, Oracle, Yahoo! and YouTube, and maintains a diversified investment portfolio that reaches into virtually all segments of the high-tech field.

"Discretix is recognized as a global mobile security technology leader. The company is now entering a growth phase that puts it at the heart of one of the fastest-growing segments of the communications industry," said Randy L. Ditzler partner with Sequoia Capital. "We believe Discretix' solutions will be of great value to content providers, as they are today to semiconductor vendors, handset manufacturers and software application providers."

Founded in 2000, Discretix offers an array of hardware-, middleware- and software-based security technologies that are incorporated as an integral part of mobile handheld and cellular devices as well as flash memory. Discretix solutions ensure digital rights management, device management, secure protocols and e-Commerce at the highest levels of protection. In 2004 and 2005, Discretix was ranked the number one provider of encryption semiconductor IP by Gartner. Current venture investors in Discretix include Accel Partners, Pitango Venture Capital, Genesis Partners, SFK, Poalim Ventures, and Eurocom Group.

"Discretix has amassed an enviable record of success in penetrating next-generation hardware designs in all segments of the wireless and flash memory industries, in the U.S. Japan, Asia and Europe," said Kaj-Erik Relander, general partner, Accel Partners."We believe the company is well positioned for continued expansion up the content deployment chain, wherever leading-edge data security and content protection is required."

Edelweiss Capital IPO subscribed 111 times

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:00:00 PST

November 20, 2007 The initial public offer (IPO) of Edelweiss Capital, a diversified financial services company, has received overwhelming response. The issue has subscribed 110.96 times, according to data available on NSE website.

It has received bids for 93 crore equity shares as against 8,386,147 equity shares of Rs 5 each on offer and bids for 4 crore shares at cut off price. Qualified institutional investors and non institutional investors have given strong support to the issue, their reserved portion subscribed 153x and 164x respectively followed by retail investors and employees' reserved portion subscribed 17 times and 10 times, respectively.

Subscription details The price band has been fixed between Rs 725 and Rs 825 per equity share of face value Rs 5. The proceeds of the issue will be used, inter alia, towards enhancement of margin maintenance with stock exchanges, establishment of additional offices and acquisition of office infrastructure, enhancement of existing technological capacity and loan prepayment
Edelweiss Capital provides investment banking, institutional equities, private client broking, asset management, wealth management, insurance broking and wholesale financing services to corporate, institutional and high net worth individual clients.

The book running lead managers to the issue are Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Limited, Citigroup Global Markets India Private Limited and Lehman Brothers Securities Private Limited.

Eons Closes $22 Million In Series B Funding

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston -- March 6, 2007 -- Eons, the 50-plus media company for loving life on the flipside of 50, today announced $22 million in Series B financing led by Charles River Ventures, with participation from new investors Intel Capital and Humana Inc., as well as existing investors General Catalyst Partners and Sequoia Capital. The financing will fuel Eons' accelerating growth as it continues to inspire boomers to see, learn, and be more on the way to the reachable goal of living to 100.

"We're very excited that Charles River Ventures is taking a lead in this round, especially given their proven track record of investing in companies poised to establish a leadership position in emerging markets," said Jeff Taylor, founder and CEO, Eons. "Boomers are ready to play hard on the Web, and Eons is not only changing the way they connect with each other, but also how corporate America reaches this desirable demographic. Our active community, proprietary tools -- such as Eons' search engine cRANKy® -- and expert advice are shaping a new era of activity on the Web for this audience."

Taylor added, "We are equally pleased with Intel Capital's investment as well as the participation from our founding venture backers, General Catalyst Partners and Sequoia Capital, whose continued support is a strong endorsement of our market and our strategy."

"Eons has experienced very strong market interest since its launch just seven months ago," said Austin Westerling, partner, Charles River Ventures. "We are excited about the prospects for Eons as it engages this new generation of spirited 50-plus adults who possess historical levels of purchasing power. Additionally, Eons has assembled a world-class team in a space that is virtually unaddressed by other social networking sites."

The rapid adoption of eons.com reflects the unmet demand among 50-plus online adults for a destination created by and for them. Eons continues to develop intelligence on the hearts and minds of its members through a robust social networking platform and exclusive, database-driven products. Nearly 75 percent of all members, for example, have taken The Eons Longevity Calculator -- a 40-question quiz that predicts longevity and provides personalized health advice. LifeDreams, which allows members to create and tackle a personalized list of life goals, enables Eons to aggregate a master index of intent as Eons matches users' dreams with relevant providers.

"Eons is creatively building communities online to deliver services and benefits to an underserved and growing segment of consumers as they increasingly embrace digital living," said Angela Biever, vice president and managing director, Intel Capital. "We are pleased to work with Eons CEO Jeff Taylor, a proven brand builder."

Taylor added, "In addition to Intel's support, the investment by Humana is significant because Humana joined us as an Eons Corporate Founding Partner when we launched. They have been with us since the beginning, and having Humana help fund our growth sends a strong signal to the marketing community regarding the value of the Eons platform in helping them connect with the largest and most powerful consumer segment ever. You know what's coming ... Boom Boom Boom!"

FunnyorDie.com: Will Ferrell Takes Sequoia Capital Investment

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:00:00 PST

April 16, 2007 -- 11:29 PM PDT -- What an odd mashing of worlds: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company has taken an investment from esteemed venture capital firm Sequoia Capital to launch a new comedy video site.

The first video posted to the new site, FunnyorDie.com, has already been viewed more than 2 million times - it's embedded below, and it's pretty funny. The site will also accept user-generated comedy videos. Creators of popular clips will be "put on a private jet to Paraguay", the founders say. Clips that aren't funny are sent to "die".

The site isn't pretty, but we all know that the content is far more important - LiveLeak isn't the prettiest of sites, either. Sequoia knows how to pick 'em, and you can't go wrong with Will Ferrel's universal appeal.

Gene Security Network Raises $4M Series A Funding

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

PORTOLA VALLEY, CA--(Marketwire - December 5, 2007) - Gene Security Network, Inc. (GSN), a molecular diagnostics company using data informatics to enhance genetic testing, today announced the closing of approximately $4M Series A financing. Participants in the round included: Claremont Creek Ventures, who led the Series A; Sequoia Capital; Huntington Reproductive Center, which is the largest West Coast IVF center; and private investor Marissa Mayer, who is VP of Search Products and User Experience at Google and whose areas of responsibility encompass Google Health.

GSN will use the investment capital to commercialize its proprietary genetic screening technology. GSN has developed a patented technology, termed Parental Support, that enables highly accurate testing for multiple genetic diseases from a single cell. The technology is being clinically tested and commercialized for pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) during in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The service will become available through the leading IVF Centers in the United States in 2008 to help physicians select embryos for implantation during IVF.

"Our technology leverages the data from the human genome project to help parents have healthy babies through IVF, and can substantially impact the emotional and practical response to disease susceptibilities in a family. I am very pleased that Claremont Creek and Sequoia Capital share our vision," said Matthew Rabinowitz, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Gene Security Network. "We have a very experienced and respected group of investors, and the funding will allow us to expedite our clinical trials and commercialization path."

In the process of IVF, a single cell can be extracted from the embryo on day three after fertilization for genetic testing prior to implantation on day five. Since only a single copy of DNA is available from one cell, DNA measurements from conventional PGD techniques are highly error-prone, and the number of loci that can be measured is limited.

"To date, the testing technologies used for PGD have a high error rate on the order of 10%, and are only able to detect a small number of abnormalities simultaneously," said John Steuart, Claremont Creek managing director. "GSN's strategy of using data informatics to enable more accurate testing of multiple genetic factors simultaneously is a novel approach to a problem that laboratory techniques alone cannot sufficiently address."

"In the burgeoning field of genomics, the real need is for more actionable tests that will meaningfully impact outcomes," said Roelof Botha, partner at Sequoia Capital. "The selection of embryos during IVF is unique in its ability to directly impact the outcome for the child and parents. Hundreds of thousands of couples who go through IVF annually will be able to benefit from the emerging information that links genes with disease through Gene Security Network's leading bioinformatics."

GlobalLogic Closes Series C Round for $29.5 Million

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 12:00:00 PST

VIENNA, VA - February 8, 2008 -- GlobalLogic, Inc., the leader in global product development with more than 140 technology partnerships, today announced it has secured $29.5 million in Series C funding. The new funding will be used to execute the company's global merger and acquisitions strategy as it continues to expand worldwide. All of GlobalLogic's existing investors, Draper Atlantic (now New Atlantic Ventures), New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Sequoia Capital India, participated in the C round, with Sequoia leading the round.

"GlobalLogic has been profitable for several years, and we will use these funds for acquisitions that will expand our software R&D center presence in Europe, Asia, North America and Latin America," said Peter Harrison, chief executive officer of GlobalLogic. "Today, we announced our first acquisition of 2008, which we accomplished using some of these funds: Validio Software, a significant global product development company based in Bellevue, Washington, with a substantial software development center in Ukraine," said Harrison.

Validio Software is a U.S.-based software development company with a 320-person development center in Kharkov, Ukraine. The acquisition expands GlobalLogic's .NET expertise and makes GlobalLogic one of the largest technology employers in Ukraine. [Read: GlobalLogic Acquires Validio Software, Expands .NET Expertise and Strengthens European Presence - http://www.globallogic.com/Media/pressReleaseDetail.asp?press/72].

GlobalLogic focuses solely on software product R&D for technology companies, not IT services. Its 2,500 engineers in the U.S., India, China and Ukraine help GlobalLogic's clients develop software products cost-effectively and deliver them to market faster than they could on their own. GlobalLogic services include product testing and quality assurance, product analysis, conceptualization and realization, migration and porting, and product maintenance and support. GlobalLogic's distributed Agile development method and platform, GlobalLogic Velocity, shrinks the software product development lifecycle and ensures that robust, high-quality product releases are delivered on time.

In particular, GlobalLogic delivers full product lifecycle development expertise to its technology clients in domains such as mobile, telecommunications, financial, Web 2.0, SaaS/on-demand, open source, business intelligence, and software QA/test. The company develops across the leading platforms including .NET, Java/Ruby on Rails, BREW, Symbian and many others.

Google Closes Acquisition of YouTube

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., November 13, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has closed its acquisition of YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos. In connection with the acquisition Google issued an aggregate of 3,217,560 shares, and restricted stock units, options and a warrant exercisable for or convertible into an aggregate of 442,210 shares, of Google's Class A common stock. The number of shares of Class A common stock issued and issuable by Google was calculated by dividing $1.65 billion less certain amounts (approximately $15 million) funded to YouTube by Google between signing and closing by the average closing price for the 30 trading days ending on November 9, 2006. 12.5% of the equity issued and issuable in the transaction will be subject to escrow for one year to secure certain indemnification obligations.

"We are excited to have closed the acquisition in order to begin collaborating to offer the best in quality and depth of content, user experience and new business opportunities for our partners," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "YouTube and Google will together provide innovative and exciting services for our users that will add a new dimension to on-line media entertainment. We look forward to working with content creators and owners large and small to harness the power of the internet to promote, distribute and monetize their content."

"Google's expertise, technology leadership, and resources will provide us with the flexibility to innovate and build the best, most entertaining service on the Internet. In the coming months, we will roll out many new exciting features and programs to benefit the creativity and participation of our community," said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. "The community will remain the most important part of YouTube and we are staying on the same course we set out on nearly one year ago. We will continue to gather and listen to its feedback and are looking forward to the many opportunities that lie ahead."

Google Receives $25 Million in Equity Funding

Mon, 07 Jun 1999 12:00:00 PST

Palo Alto, Calif. -- June 7, 1999 -- Google, a start-up dedicated to providing the best search experience on the web, today announced it has completed a $25 million round of equity funding led by Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Google also announced that Michael Moritz, general partner of Sequoia Capital, and John Doerr, general partner of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Buyers, have joined its board of directors. Michael Moritz is currently a director of numerous companies, including Yahoo, eToys, Quote.com, eGroups, PlanetRx, Flextronics, and WebVan. John Doerr was a co-founder of @Home and is a director of several high growth internet companies, including Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Handspring, Healtheon/WebMD, Homeshop.com, Intuit, and Sun Microsystems.

"We are delighted to have venture capitalists of this caliber help us build the company," said Larry Page, CEO and co-founder of Google. "We plan to aggressively grow the company and the technology so we can continue to provide the best search experience on the web."

Google employs several key technologies to generate search results of unprecedented accuracy and quality. These technologies extend Stanford University research into large-scale data mining of the Web. "A perfect search engine will process and understand all the information in the world," said Sergey Brin, Google president and co-founder of Google. "That is where Google is headed."

Google's technology highlights include PageRank, a patent-pending, objective measure of the importance of web pages. PageRank is computed by solving an equation of 500 million variables and two billion terms. Google's innovative user interface includes dynamic summaries, a cached web, and the time-saving "I'm feeling lucky" button.

"Google should become the gold standard for search on the Internet," said Michael Moritz. "Larry and Sergey's company has the power to turn Internet users everywhere into devoted and life-long Googlers."

"Search is extremely challenging, and improvements in the technology are significant," said John Doerr. "One hundred million web searches are performed every day. Quickly finding the right information is critical for web users in many professions. Google revolutionizes search technology and delivers information in a way that focuses on the user."

Google Inc. Prices Initial Public Offering Of Class A Common Stock

Wed, 18 Aug 2004 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - August 18, 2004 - Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today the initial public offering of 19,605,052 shares of Class A common stock, 14,142,135 of which are being sold by Google and 5,462,917 of which are being sold by certain stockholders of Google, at a price of $85.00 per share. The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters the right to purchase up to an additional 2,940,757 shares at the initial public offering price.

The offering was made through an underwriting syndicate led by Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Credit Suisse First Boston LLC, who acted as joint book-running managers. Goldman, Sachs & Co., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Lehman Brothers Inc., Allen & Company LLC, J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., UBS Securities LLC, WR Hambrecht + Co., LLC and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC acted as co-managers.

A copy of the prospectus relating to these securities may be obtained at www.ipo.google.com.

Sony Corporation of America to Acquire Gracenote

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

April 22, 2008 -- New York, NY -- Sony Corporation of America (SCA) announced today that it has signed a merger agreement with Gracenote, Inc. Sony will pay approximately $260 million plus other contingent consideration.

"Gracenote is a global leader in technology and services for digital media identification, enrichment, and recommendation, and these capabilities will be essential to the next wave of innovation in content, services, and consumer electronics," said Tim Schaaff, SCA Senior Vice President, Software. "Sony sees tremendous growth potential in developing Gracenote as a separately run business unit, and by broadly embracing Gracenote's platforms, Sony expects to significantly enhance and accelerate its own digital content, service, and device initiatives."

"We are very pleased to join Sony as its strategic vision is very much in line with our own," said Craig Palmer, Gracenote CEO. "Having a closer connection with the content and digital services community will accelerate adoption of Gracenote technologies, and the relationship will also give us the resources necessary to rapidly expand development of next generation products for the industry."

Gracenote's existing business will continue to operate separately. As a wholly owned Sony subsidiary, Gracenote will continue to develop new technologies in existing as well as new areas of operation. The senior management team will remain with the company.

Sony and Gracenote anticipate that the transaction will close in late May, subject to certain regulatory and other approvals.

Sequoia Capital invests 7.5 mln usd in China cartoon company Greatdreams

Fri, 19 May 2006 12:00:00 PST

BEIJING (AFX) - Sequoia Capital, one of the world's leading venture capital firms, has invested 7.5 mln usd in Hunan Greatdreams Cartoon Media Co Ltd, the cartoon producer said in a statement.

'Greatdreams Cartoon and Sequoia Capital will set up a new company engaging in cartoon derivative products,' said Wang Hong, Greatdreams' chairman.

Wang said the company plans to open 3,000 franchised stores this year, and plans to seek a Nasdaq listing by 2008.

Shen Nanpeng, a partner at Sequoia Capital China, said Sequoia Capital will make a subsequent investment once the initial investment round of 7.5 mln usd is completed.

Shen did not disclose further details.

Hunan Greatdreams Cartoon Media Co Ltd was founded in June of 2004 and specializes in computer animation software, cartoon programmes and cartoon derivative products.

GVK BIO raises Rs.100 crores from Sequoia Capital

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:00:00 PST

Hyderabad November 26, 2007: GVK Biosciences Private Limited (GVK BIO), a leading Pharma & Biotech research and development outsourcing company, today announced that Sequoia Capital a leading global private investment firm has invested Rs.100 crores in GVK BIO.

GVK BIO started operations in 2001 at Hyderabad and within a short span of 6 years; the company has established itself as a leading Contract Research Organization in India.

GVK BIO has been very successful in expanding its services across the Pharma value chain. Currently GVK BIO is the only Indian CRO that provides an integrated service platform ranging from Informatics, MedChem and Biology services in Discovery research to Clinical Research and Data Management services on the Development side and further to Process Research and Custom Synthesis. This service breadth gives GVK BIO an edge, as clients look to grow
their relationships with Indian CROs from a vendor-based relationship to strategic partnerships.

Mr. D.S. Brar, Chairman, GVK BIO said "We are delighted to have Sequoia Capital as our partners. Sequoia has funded and helped build world-class companies and will further assist in GVK BIO's expansion plans". Dimensions Consulting of Gurgaon were the advisors to GVK BIO for the transaction.

GVK BIO intends to use these funds to:
· Expand capacity in Drug Discovery services
· Build a state-of-the-art Campus at Hyderabad on a 25 acre site
· Provide new service offerings in Pre-clinical and Clinical space
· Pursue growth opportunities through mergers and acquisitions
Sequoia Capital has nominated Mr. Sandeep Singhal to the Board of GVK BIO.

Mr. Sandeep Singhal, Managing Director, Sequoia Capital said "We are very excited to be shareholders in GVK BIO. The rapid growth of the company in the last few years has made it a global leader in the CRO market. With the strength of its management and leadership, we believe that the company is on its way to become a dominant force in the life science industry."

HyperRoll Inc. Announces $12.5 Million in Series B Financing

Thu, 03 Oct 2002 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, CA October 3rd, 2002 - HyperRoll, Inc. (www.hyperroll.com) a leading provider of high-speed, high-performance aggregation and analytics engine for the world's leading database systems, announced today that it has completed a $12.5 million Series B financing led by Sequoia Capital and Greylock. Vertex Venture Capital also participated in the financing round, as well as existing HyperRoll investors Microdent Ventures and Denali Ventures. Additional funds will be used to accelerate sales and marketing activities in a market where the company already has customers and exceptional results.

HyperRoll provides a revolutionary database aggregation engine that accelerates RDBMS query response time and/or OLAP building time by more than two orders of magnitude, or more than 100 times. HyperRoll's products transparently integrate with:

Leading RDBMS vendors (Oracle, IBM, MS, Informix, Sybase).
Leading OLAP products (Hyperion- Essbase, Oracle Express, MS-OLAP, etc).
Leading Business Intelligence products (Business Objects, Oracle, Microstrategy, Brio, etc.).
As a result of using HyperRoll's solutions, enterprises gain immediate and significant ROI with near real-time capabilities for complicated query processes.

"HyperRoll's solution has proven to provide a unique value proposition to several Fortune 2000 companies," said Rani Cohen, president and CEO of HyperRoll. "We have saved our customers hundreds of thousands of dollars by allowing them performance that they could not achieve even by buying super-computers. The backing of Sequoia and Greylock in the USA, and Vertex' international network will enhance our ability to launch our sales efforts worldwide and develop applications and integration capabilities with large enterprise software implementations like Billing, ERP and CRM."

Benny Hanigal, partner at Sequoia Capital added:" We are very happy to become investors in HyperRoll. We believe HyperRoll's solution provides unique database querying functionality with widespread applicability. It is rare to see a company at such early stage with such impressive customer enthusiasm and loyalty."

According to Moshe Mor, partner at Greylock: "HyperRoll's recent relocation of its management team to the Silicon Valley will help it tap the sizable US marketplace for IT solutions, and leverage the local presence of its new investors. We're delighted to help HyperRoll grow and lead its market with innovative solutions."

HyperRoll Secures $12 Million in Series C Financing

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 23, 2004 -- HyperRoll, a leading provider of data aggregation software for business intelligence applications, today announced that it has closed its third round of funding for $12 million, bringing the total amount raised by HyperRoll to $27.6 million. New investor Bessemer Venture Partners led this latest round, with existing investors Greylock, Sequoia Ventures, Microdent Ventures and Vertex Venture Capital actively participating. As part of this financing, General Partner Duncan McCallum representing Bessemer Venture Partners will join the HyperRoll board of directors.

"Bessemer invests in and helps build companies that are well-positioned for long-term growth, and we invest only when we're convinced that a company can be an industry leader," said Duncan McCallum, General Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners. "We believe that HyperRoll is one of the most important new companies in the decision support industry, and we look forward to helping the company attain its potential."

"HyperRoll has met several important milestones over the past six months that positioned us favorably for this additional venture investment, including rounding out our management team, closing a number of new Fortune 1000 customers and expanding our market reach through new partnerships," said Michael Bealmear, chief executive officer of HyperRoll. "The market opportunity for HyperRoll technology is substantial; we have only hit the tip of the iceberg. This funding will provide us with the resources to bring accelerated business visibility to a much broader audience."

HyperRoll plans to use the new funding to expand into additional markets as well as fund new sales and marketing activities.

Social Software Start-Up imeem Acquires Desktop Search Firm in Advance of DEMO Debut

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 12:00:00 PST

PALO ALTO, CA -- February 9, 2005 -- imeem, a closely held Silicon Valley start-up that will debut its new all-in-one desktop application at the prestigious DEMO conference next week, announced today it will add desktop search capabilities to its package of services as a result of a recent acquisition. With this acquisition, imeem will allow for IM, Blogging, File Sharing, Photo Sharing and desktop search, all in one integrated package.

imeem said it acquired Vancouver, B.C. firm Candy Labs, developer and creator of the AppRocket, and the builder of new desktop search features that have not yet been fully deployed.

"This acquisition enhances the bundle of services that let consumers easily find and share all the digital files in their library," said Dalton Caldwell, imeem Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer. "I am equally excited that Marek Sliwa & Dustin Mierau have accepted positions with imeem. I believe their skills and design sensibility will greatly improve the imeem product."

imeem gives consumers the first full-featured communications program that provides both instant communications services and integrated publishing features with industrial-grade security and simple user controls. imeem is a free software application focused on creating a fun and trusted environment over the web.

Unlike other instant messaging and social networking products, imeem creates an environment for talking one-on-one, in a community chat group or large interest group and augments the experience with meaningful rich media -- pictures, music, video, links and documents. imeem provides security across its services with both standard and customizable settings. For example, chats cannot be electronically snooped and personal blogs can be shared within the imeem network, with just a close group of friends, or automatically published to the web where they will be globally searchable and anyone can view them.

How does imeem work?

Each imeem member has a personal profile that can be viewed by other members of the imeem network. Each person decides how much of their profile may be seen by others. Within each profile, there are areas for photo albums, personal journals, file folders, links to other people and group links. imeem is the newest and most exciting social application yet, moving past the fad stage of social networking and into the truly useful area of social software.

imeem Acquires Web Music Player Anywhere.FM

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO - Monday, January 28, 2008 - imeem, the leading social media network, today announced the strategic acquisition of Anywhere.FM, a San Francisco-based web music player and Internet radio service. The acquisition of Anywhere.FM brings valuable music uploading capabilities, a rich web music player, and powerful recommendation features that will enhance the imeem experience and help imeem expand its business. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Anywhere.FM desktop uploader enables users to quickly and easily upload their personal MP3 collections to the Web and stream their favorite artists, songs and playlists from any browser. Consumers can upload individual songs or use Anywhere.FM's uploader to upload their entire iTunes, WinAmp, or Windows Media Player libraries, including personal playlists, song ratings and play counts, with a single click. Users' libraries are then accessible through a full-featured web music player complete with smart playlists, visualizers, and dynamic search. Anywhere.FM has also created a sophisticated "Friend Radio" feature that lets users discover new music by streaming playlists their friends and other users have uploaded. In addition, Anywhere.FM's recommendation engine lets users search for people with similar music tastes.

"Anywhere.FM makes it simple for consumers to bring their music to the Web and discover new artists through recommendations and social connections," said Dalton Caldwell, founder and CEO of imeem. "That's a great fit with what we do. Combining Anywhere.FM's expertise with the reach and scope of the imeem community creates some truly exciting possibilities, and we're psyched they're joining our team."

"Since our launch last year, Anywhere.FM has given tens of thousands of consumers the convenience of enjoying their personal music collections from any browser," said Anywhere.FM co-founder Sachin Rekhi. "Our team will now have the opportunity to continue that vision with imeem, and enhance the ability for imeem's community of over 20 million users to share and discover music and video."

Anywhere.FM was founded and launched in 2007, and received funding from Y Combinator. Anywhere.FM's three co-founders, Anson Tsai, Lux Chen, and Sachin Rekhi, will join imeem, working from its San Francisco headquarters.

Infoblox Secures $30 Million To Continue Rapid Growth

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, Calif., (April 25, 2005) - Infoblox Inc., a developer of network identity infrastructure (NII) systems, today announced that it has closed $30 million in equity funding. The round was led and fully subscribed by its existing investors, including Sequoia Capital and Lehman Brothers, underscoring their enthusiasm for the network identity infrastructure market and their confidence in the Infoblox solutions and team.

"Our firm is closely associated with many of the most well-known success stories in Silicon Valley, and we regard Infoblox as among the few companies with the ability to join the ranks of the great," said Michael Goguen, managing partner at Sequoia Capital. "Infoblox brings a very senior team of proven professionals with truly unique technology to a large and fast-growing market. This is a formula for success that we are confident will bring substantial returns to the company's customers, employees and investors."

The funding will be used to extend Infoblox's global presence, develop its channel infrastructure, expedite development and evolution of its technology platform, penetrate new markets, and define the emerging NII market.

Many enterprises are beginning to face a "Network Identity Crisis" caused by the inability of legacy NII systems to effectively support the explosive growth in users, devices, and policies on today's IP networks. NII services, domain name resolution, IP address assignment, authentication, authorization and accounting, and user and device policy delivery -- facilitated by the Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Remote Access Dial-in User Service (RADIUS), and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) -- are essential to maintaining the availability and security of critical services and applications like email, eCommerce, remote access and others.

However, they are generally delivered using systems deployed in an ad-hoc fashion as software applications on standard servers. As the demands on networks grow, network administrators spend increasingly precious and limited resources addressing the management, security, reliability and scalability issues associated with these legacy approaches.

Infoblox's purpose-built network identity appliances provide simple, scalable and secure NII service delivery, enabling organizations to reduce the cost and improve the performance and security of current IP applications. Infoblox appliances also allow easy deployment of new applications, such as wireless access and Voice over IP (VoIP), without NII constraints. Further, Infoblox's technology raises the level of visibility and accountability in NII services needed to meet increasing compliance requirements, like Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPPA.

"Thanks to the vision of our founders, the dedication of our people and the support of our customers, Infoblox has developed a unique approach to solving the Network Identity Crisis," said Robert Thomas, president and CEO of Infoblox. "With this additional round of funding from our investors, we are poised to accelerate the delivery of unique solutions that solve immediate NII-related problems and that can serve as the foundation for tomorrow's advanced IP networks."

Isilon Systems Secures $20 Million in Financing to Further Extend Leadership in Clustered Storage Market

Wed, 25 May 2005 12:00:00 PST

SEATTLE, WA - MAY 25, 2005
Isilon Systems, the premier provider of intelligent clustered storage, has received $20 million in a fourth round of venture capital financing intended to help the company extend its leadership in the clustered storage space and gain an increasing share of the overall storage market. This round of financing was led by Focus Ventures, a leading expansion-stage venture capital firm that invests in emerging technology market leaders. Participating with Focus Ventures in the round of funding are all of Isilon's existing investors, including Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, Atlas Venture and Madrona Venture Group.

The round, which was oversubscribed, will be used to fuel Isilon's continued rapid expansion of its global sales, channels, marketing and business development initiatives. [See separate press release issued today.] Isilon, which has already established itself as the leader in clustered storage, has raised total financing of $59.9 million since its inception in January 2001 and continues to pioneer the burgeoning market of clustered storage.

"What attracts us to Isilon is the company's demonstrated ability to develop innovative products that address a critical market need," said George Bischof, general partner for Focus Ventures. "With its impressive base of world-class customers, Isilon has taken ownership of the clustered storage category and its products are gaining strong momentum in the broader storage market."

Isilon's investors attribute the company's success to solid leadership, a strong understanding of market needs and business demands, and its consistent ability to deliver innovative products. In just 18 months, the company has shipped nearly two petabytes of clustered storage to its rapidly growing customer base, which spans large data-intensive markets such as media and entertainment, digital imaging, life sciences, oil and gas and the Federal Government.

"We are experiencing incredible growth across every key metric of our business and our products have set the bar for innovation in the industry," said Steve Goldman, president and chief executive officer for Isilon Systems. "We are winning new customers at a phenomenal rate and are seeing continued re-orders from our existing customers. This round of funding will enable us to accelerate our innovation, expand distribution and further extend our market leadership."

Isilon recently announced the next generation of its award-winning Isilon IQ clustered storage family - the Isilon IQ 1920, 3000 and 4800 storage systems and the newest version of its award-winning OneFS distributed file system software - which sets new industry standards for performance, scalability, ease of use and reliability. Isilon IQ is the first clustered storage system to scale to more than 150 Terabytes of capacity, deliver three gigabytes/second from a single file system, and support high-performance Infiniband for low-latency, high-bandwidth intracluster communication.

Isilon has been recognized with numerous product and company awards - including most recently being named to the Red Herring 100 Private Companies in North America and receiving a Storage Networking World Award for innovation for customer LexisNexis File & Serve's use of Isilon IQ clustered storage technology.

Isilon Systems Announces Initial Public Offering

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

SEATTLE, WA - December 15, 2006 - Isilon Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISLN) today announced an initial public offering of 8,350,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $13 per share. Isilon and several of its stockholders have granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,252,500 additional shares to cover over-allotments. Isilon's common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "ISLN" and will begin trading Friday, December 15, 2006.

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. acted as joint book-running managers for the offering with Needham & Company, LLC and RBC Capital Markets Corporation serving as co-managers. A copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department, by telephone at 212 761 6775 or by e-mail at prospectus@morganstanley.com, or by contacting Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., 4 World Financial Center, North Tower, New York, New York 10080, by telephone at 212-449-1000.

ITA Software Announces $100 Million in Equity Financing

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:00:00 PST

(Cambridge, MA, January 23, 2006) - ITA Software, Inc., the first company in more than thirty years to provide a new IT platform for the airline industry, today announced $100 million in equity financing. Led by Battery Ventures, the round includes participation from General Catalyst Partners, PAR Investment Partners, Sequoia Capital and Spectrum Equity. The funding will be used to help ITA Software expand upon its success with top travel companies such as Alaska Airlines, Alitalia, Continental Airlines, US Airways, Galileo, Kayak and Orbitz.

"Most airlines still depend on software and systems developed before Woodstock. Since then the industry has been buffeted by deregulation, a string of bankruptcies and the emergence of low cost carriers," said Michael Moritz, partner at Sequoia Capital. "The only airlines that will prosper in the future are those that embrace fresher technology and the Internet. This new approach that ITA Software is championing will strip cost from the industry, allow travel agents to specialize on offering higher value packages and usher in the era of worldwide
self-service."

ITA Software's technology is used daily by millions of travelers. Its shopping ystem searches billions of combinations of flights and airfares in order to deliver better and more comprehensive results for a wide range of travel searches. This dramatically enhances the shopping capabilities of airlines and travel agencies.

"Our success powering the shopping for some of the largest airlines and travel agencies positions us to develop the next generation IT platform for the ndustry," said Jeremy Wertheimer, President & CEO of ITA Software. "As we expand our system to handle reservations, this funding will help us accelerate our partners' transition from legacy mainframes to modern technologies."

Jive Software Receives $15 Million from Sequoia Capital

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:00:00 PST

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jive Software, a developer of award-winning collaboration software, today announced it has received $15 million in funding from Sequoia Capital. Jive Software, which has been profitable since its 2001 inception, will use the funds for product development and to broaden sales and marketing efforts for its flagship products, Clearspace and Clearspace X.

"The collaboration market is on the verge of exploding and, according to industry analysts, is set to reach the $9 billion mark by 2009," said Jim Goetz, Partner, Sequoia Capital. "Given this, our investment in Jive Software was an easy decision as they are the company positioned to lead based on the success of Clearspace, its marquee client list and its experienced management team."

Driven by the rising demand for integrated behind-the-firewall enterprise collaboration software, Jive Software saw a 95 percent increase in quarter-over-quarter sales in the second quarter of 2007. Current Clearspace customers, many of which are Fortune 500 companies, include Nokia, Deloitte & Touche, Delta Airlines and Turner Networks.

"Jive Software is focused on becoming the leader in the enterprise collaboration space, and will achieve this by continuing to develop market-driven products that bring value to enterprises," said Dave Hersh, Jive Software's CEO. "Working with Sequoia Capital gives us the resources to further innovate and address the substantial demand for user-friendly collaboration software that transforms productivity through the use of community tools like blogs, wiki documents, and discussions."

In addition to its recent sales momentum, Jive Software has also received considerable market validation in the past six months via industry awards and recognitions, including:

SoftwareCEO Software Innovation Award: Most Innovative General Business Software for Clearspace
Enterprise Open Source Magazine Reader's Choice Award: Best Open Source Product for Openfire
Portland Business Journal: Fastest-Growing Private 100 Companies
Portland Business Journal: Forty Under 40 (Dave Hersh)
Ernst & Young: Entrepreneur of the Year finalist (Dave Hersh)
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network: Entrepreneurship Awards finalist
Clearspace Delivers Clear Benefits

Clearspace is the first enterprise-class collaboration application to combine the latest content creation tools with community-driven intelligence. By presenting Web 2.0 communication tools in an intuitive and unified way, Clearspace motivates internal teams to post and read blogs, work together on wiki documents and engage in forum discussions. Collaboration and knowledge sharing are encouraged through the use of a ratings system, user rewards, tagging, workflow and RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feeds. Clearspace X is a version of Clearspace designed for collaboration with external audiences, such as customers, partners and suppliers.

Joost Closes $45 Million In Financing

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

New York - May 10, 2007 - Joost, the world's first broadcast-quality Internet television service, today announced that five selected parties have collectively invested approximately $45 million in the company. Each party invested in a minority percentage of the company. This funding will enable Joost (www.joost.com) to accelerate product development, global expansion, localization, and service offerings.

Founded in January 2006 by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, Joost is powered by a secure, efficient, Internet platform that enables premium interactive, advertising-supported, video experiences while providing copyright protection for content owners and creators. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and offers content to viewers for free.

"This funding represents a tremendous vote of confidence in Joost's platform," said Janus Friis, co-founder of Joost. "We've carefully selected these investors from a variety of interested parties, as they are best-in-class in their respective arenas and bring unique assets to Joost that will enable us to significantly accelerate growth and development of the Company."

Index Ventures, a leading European venture capital firm, which invests in impactful technologies that have global reach, led the round with Sequoia Capital, the premier venture capital firm in the world. Sequoia Capital has been the first investor and business partner in companies that make up 10% of the NASDAQ's value. In combination, Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital bring unrivaled expertise and alliances in Europe, Asia and North America.

Danny Rimer, general partner of Index Ventures said, "We are excited to be working with Niklas and Janus once again as we see the same ground-breaking potential in Joost that we saw in Skype. By leveraging proven P2P architecture and assembling a world class management team, they have made a powerful idea simple and brought new services to market in record time. Our investment in Joost signals Index Ventures' continued commitment to investing in impactful technologies."

Roelof Botha, general partner, Sequoia Capital, added, "Feature length video on the Internet has been long on promise and short on delivery for some time. Full screen commercial content delivered online has simply not been compelling for the viewer and has been far too costly for the content owners. Joost allows content owners to reach audiences of any size at any time where the viewer can 'lean back' to enjoy an immersive yet interactive video experience. At the same time, Joost enables brand marketers to efficiently deliver precisely targeted and measurable advertisements. This ability poises the company to expand the video distribution business and capture an enormous market opportunity."

Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Cheung Kong Holdings, invested in Joost through his charitable foundation, the Li Ka Shing Foundation. Mr. Li is a valued partner in Asia. Joost expects to work with Mr. Li and his respective affiliated companies, to expand its distribution in China and other parts of Asia.

Mr. Li Ka-shing stated, "We were excited about the opportunity to invest in Niklas and Janus. With the quality, content, speed and usability of Joost's platform, and the community-targeted service offerings, we expect Joost will revolutionize the Internet television market."

As previously announced, CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS, CBS.A) and Viacom are also content partners, providing channels and programming on Joost.

In addition to its investment, CBS has contributed more than 2000 hours of CBS entertainment, sports and news programming. Entertainment programming offered includes the full CSI franchise, SURVIVOR, NCIS, NUMB3RS and FAT ACTRESS, news content includes THE CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC, FACE THE NATION, clips form THE EARLY SHOW, 48 HOURS, and CBS SUNDAY MORNING and sports content includes COLLEGE FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHT SHOW, NFL TODAY HOT TOPIC, GAME OF THE WEEK, ONE2ONE and GO PRO OR GO HOME.

Also an investor in the round, Viacom is a "Key Launch Partner" providing channels and programming from across all of its properties including: Comedy Central, MTV, VH1 and Paramount Pictures. MTV will offer popular shows, both past and present, including Laguna Beach, Beavis & Butthead, Real World, Punk'd and My Super Sweet Sixteen, while COMEDY CENTRAL will feature episodes from Stella, CCP's and Freak Show. Also, Paramount Pictures will be providing full-length feature films from its catalog of classics and recent releases.

Kayak.com Secures $7 Million in Series B Financing

Tue, 21 Dec 2004 12:00:00 PST

NORWALK, CT - December 21, 2004 - Kayak.com, a website that helps consumers get comprehensive and objective travel information, today announced the completion of a $7 million Series B financing round led by Sequoia Capital, a California-based venture capital firm. Kayak.com is only the third East Coast company Sequoia Capital has funded in the last two years.

The company has now raised a total of $15.5 million to create the next generation of online travel. The additional funding will be used to further product development and expand marketing.

Kayak.com was founded by the creators of Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity in January 2004 to satisfy the demand of internet users for a clear, objective and comprehensive source of online travel information. Web-based services are the foundation of the $55 billion spent on online travel in the U.S today. Yet online travel consumers exhibit limited loyalty, using an average of 2.5 sites and offline agents in their research [1]. Kayak.com addresses consumer frustration by providing comprehensive rates and relevant objective information as well as giving users choice of where to book.

"Beyond the fact that the company has five letters in its name (like Cisco, Apple, Atari and Yahoo!), we chose to invest in Kayak.com because of its founders' deep and genuine desire to provide a better, fairer and impartial travel service for the growing community of internet users," said Michael Moritz, a Partner with Sequoia Capital.

"We are delighted to welcome Sequoia Capital as an investor in Kayak.com," said Steve Hafner, Kayak.com CEO and co-founder. "This financing is a strong validation of our vision, business direction, and management team. Kayak.com now has a far greater financial foundation from which to grow."

Sequoia Capital Invests in Search Marketing Automation Technology - Kenshoo Ltd.

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:00:00 PST

11 December, 2007 - Sequoia Capital and Kenshoo, provider of innovative Search Marketing Automated Solutions, announced a strategic collaboration upon official closing of the institutional funding round.
Kenshoo's flagship product, KENSHOO SEARCH, is an end-to-end SEM platform, which automates the labor intensive process of building and optimizing cross channel search campaigns.

Kenshoo's automated product and approach enables clients to manage multiple cross channel campaigns effortlessly and thoroughly by minimizing customer acquisition costs, increasing traffic, and ultimately generating a higher ROI.

"'Search' is the six letter puzzle facing advertisers and advertising agencies around the world. Mastery of search engine marketing is the biggest single challenge facing any marketer or advertiser. Kenshoo's SEM solutions offer a whole new lease on life for those who are baffled, perplexed or challenged by search - the largest change and biggest opportunity facing advertisers in the past fifty years." Said Mike Moritz, Partner, Sequoia Capital. "Sequoia Capital invested in Kenshoo because of its fresh approach to this task and because the company's battle-hardened software has already paid off in thousands of different search campaigns."

Yoav Izhar-Prato, CEO and co-founder of Kenshoo adds, "We are thrilled to be joining forces with Sequoia, a partner with an unsurpassed track record of successful Internet investments such as Yahoo!, Google, Apple, PayPal and YouTube. Kenshoo is determined to be the leading provider of innovative Search Marketing solutions; Harnessing our in-depth knowledge of the industry, our clients' constructive feedback, technological strengths and continuous innovation- I believe we are well positioned to do so."

Sequoia Capital Invests in In-Text Advertising Market Leader Kontera

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, April 25, 2006 -- Kontera, the leading developer of In-Text Advertising Solutions for web publishers and advertisers, announced today that it has secured its first round of institutional funding from Sequoia Capital.

Kontera's flagship product, ContentLink, is based on patent- pending contextual analysis technology, which increases revenue and ROI for Web publishers and advertisers. ContentLink finds contextually relevant keywords on a publisher's web page in real-time and automatically matches them to relevant ads presented as In-Text sponsored keyword links. Kontera's proprietary In-Text Advertising technology enables web publishers to monetize untapped and incremental ad revenue while providing marketers with a solution that achieves improved ROI over other advertising vehicles because of the relevancy of the ad to the user's online experience and immediate frame of mind. (For a demo of ContentLink, click here.)

Kontera's product family also includes the ContentLink Center, a self-bidding solution for advertisers, and the ContentLink Private Marketplace, a private label self-bidding solution for publishers and their own advertisers.

"By providing In-Text Advertising technology for the growing online content publishing market, Kontera is providing an innovative solution for monetizing the Internet and creating a new media property," said Haim Sadger, Partner, Sequoia Capital. "Sequoia Capital invested in Kontera because its ContentLink In-Text Advertising Solution provides online publishers and advertisers with a proven technology with a verified business model. ContentLink offers online publishers an opportunity to create incremental ad revenue from its existing content, complementing existing banner and pay-per-click advertising programs while solving current problems of ad inventory and web page real estate," added Sadger.

This investment will be used to accelerate the company's rapid growth, enhance product development and expand sales and marketing efforts. The company is also launching several affiliate and market-specific In-Text Advertising solutions in the coming months.

"With online publishers faced with real estate, inventory, and price limitations that hinder their ability to generate ad revenue, In-Text Advertising solutions like Kontera's ContentLink provide a serious advertising revenue stream for publishers while offering marketers a contextually relevant advertising vehicle," said Gary Stein, noted online advertising industry analyst. "I see exponential market growth for In-Text Advertising, and I believe technology-based solutions like Kontera's are best-positioned to take advantage of the tremendous market opportunity."

"With a track record of successful Internet investments which includes Yahoo!, PayPal and Google, we are thrilled that Sequoia Capital recognized our potential and selected to invest in Kontera, "said Yoav Shaham, CEO and founder of Kontera.

Kontera Secures $7 Million in Funding from Sequoia Capital and Lehman Brothers

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, July 5, 2006 -- Kontera, the leading provider of In-Text Advertising Solutions for web publishers and advertisers, announced today that it has secured a total of $7 million in their first round of funding from Sequoia Capital and Lehman Brothers. Kontera's flagship product, ContentLink is an In-Text ad unit, based on a patent pending real-time contextual analysis technology that finds relevant keywords on a publisher's web page and automatically turns them into a link to the most relevant ad from among Kontera's thousands of advertisers. ContentLink enables web publishers to monetize untapped and incremental ad revenue, while providing marketers with a better ROI than with other advertising vehicles. For a demo of ContentLink click here.

With most online publishers serving banners, rich media and pay-per-click advertising, available real estate for serving additional ads is scarce. Meanwhile, the demand for online advertising inventory is increasing, forcing web publishers to turn away ad revenue and reduce their profit. "After our analysis of the media sector, we became aware of two major industry trends - the inventory scarcity problem in online publishing and the explosive growth of user-generated content," said Thomas Banahan, Managing Director, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners. "We invested in Kontera because they have a proven service that offers online publishers an actionable and profitable solution to the problem of inventory scarcity. In addition, because Kontera's content analysis technology works in real-time, it is the monetization solution for the burgeoning user-generated content market."

As the only In-Text Advertising technology which analyzes web content and serves contextually relevant keyword links in real-time, Kontera's solution is uniquely positioned to generate revenue for publishers vis-a-vis the growing user-generated content market including forums, product reviews, blogs and social networking websites.

"As we've all seen, the success of search advertising stems from 'user intent" - the user is clearly interested in the subject they've typed into the search box and you target to that. But beyond the user's search activities, the best way to figure out the user's intent is to analyze the content he or she is consuming. Ads can then be served outside of the text, in the form of text ads, banners, rich media or within the text, in the form of a ContentLink.

The technology behind the ContentLink uses sophisticated algorithms to analyze the content in real-time, figure out the intent of the user on that page, and identify and serve immediately the best keyword-to-ad match available from within Kontera's publisher & advertiser network. And not only is the ad mapped to the user's immediate frame of mind, but it is also 100% user-initiated. They either mouse-over or not," stated Yoav Shaham, CEO and founder of Kontera. "This round of funding will aid Kontera as we grow and become the de facto In-Text Advertising Solution for online publishers, advertisers and users."

Kontera Secures $10.3 Million in Funding

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, Monday, 12 August 2007 -- Kontera, the leading In-Text Advertising solution provider for web publishers and advertisers, announced today that it has secured $10.3 million in their second round of funding from Carmel Ventures with participation by Sequoia Capital and Lehman Brothers. Rina Shainski, General Partner of Carmel Ventures, will be joining the board of Kontera.

ContentLinkSM, Kontera's flagship product, is an In-Text ad unit based on a patent pending real-time contextual analysis technology that finds relevant keywords on a publisher's web page and automatically turns them into a link to the most relevant ad from among Kontera's thousands of advertisers. ContentLink, available with text, images, rich media and video, enables web publishers to monetize untapped and incremental ad revenue, while providing marketers with a better ROI than with other advertising vehicles. To learn more about the ContentLink and ContentLink Rich Media, please click here.

"The field of In-Text Advertising is rapidly growing and enhancing the world of online advertising, which is eager for innovation. We believe that Kontera, with its unique offering and superior technology, is well-positioned to lead in this growing market," said Rina Shainski, General Partner of Carmel Ventures.

With user intent driving the growth of social networking and other forms of user-contributed media, Kontera's solution is uniquely positioned to generate revenue for publishers and improve ROI for advertisers. Only Kontera's In-Text Advertising technology analyzes web content and serves contextually relevant keyword links in real-time.

"Kontera's ContentLink In-Text Advertising is a great way for a web publisher to easily monetize their website without being intrusive or spammy," said GrownUpGeek website and blog founder Randy Brown, "and a great complement for AdSense."

"The Click-Through Rate (CTR) we see with Kontera is phenomenal compared to our other advertising. We usually get about a .3% with most of our pay-per-click advertising campaigns," said TechSmith Advertising Specialist Jennifer Bedford, "but with Kontera's In-Text advertising, we're seeing CTRs upwards of 10%."

"We at Kontera continue to deliver on our vision for the In-Text market by serving ads and information that best match the user's intent as deduced from the content the user is browsing," said Yoav Shaham, CEO and founder of Kontera. "With user intent driving the growth for online activities today, from social networking and widgets to blogging and product reviews, Kontera is the right choice to maximize value for publishers, advertisers and users alike."

"This round of funding will be used to scale our sales, marketing and R&D operations to meet client and market growth," added Shaham.

LitePoint Receives Funding from Sequoia Capital

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, CA ― March 28, 2007 ― LitePoint Corporation, an industry leading provider of advanced wireless test solutions, today announced that it has completed a round of private equity funding from Sequoia Capital. LitePoint Corporation, founded by semiconductor and wireless veterans, is attuned to the design process, systems development, and manufacturing needs of wireless chipset vendors (e.g. Atheros, Beceem, TI), OEMs (e.g. Gemtek, RAFI, Sercom), and consumer electronics systems makers (e.g. AVM, NETGEAR). It accelerates the success of the global consumer electronics industry by providing innovative test solutions to the entire wireless communications industry value chain that shorten time to production, enhance customer support and increase control of brand quality and costs.

LitePoint industry-leading products include IQmax® -- the first one-box WiMAX tester system for R&D and manufacturing, IQview® and IQflex® -- the first integrated WiFi testers for labs and factories, IQnxn® -- the first tester to support up to 4x4 MIMO wireless testing, LitePoint Bluetooth -- the first test solution for Bluetooth 2.0+EDR/WiFi combo device testing, and IQfact® software -- a family of test programs supporting specific wireless chipsets for design verification (DVT) and fast manufacturing testing.

"We invest in companies playing in large and growing addressable markets, with great teams, clear differentiation and unique competencies," says Mike Goguen, Sequoia Capital partner. "LitePoint is at the top of the class in every regard important to us with a unique business model, large and fast growing markets, world-class technology, a superb customer base, and an inspired and driven team of people. While they have doubled in size year over year, we believe they have only scratched the surface of their potential. We have long experience with fast growing companies and will be a strong partner with them during this new high-growth phase."

"When you look at Sequoia Capital's track record, it is second to none," says Benny Madsen, co-founder and CEO of LitePoint. "We only want to be associated with the best, that's how we've run our business from day one. We are very fortunate to work with the people of Sequoia. With their caliber and experience on our side, we are completely aligned on how we think about scaling a business. We are convinced that they will help us be the undisputed best at how we service our customers, how we treat our people, and how we reward our shareholders."

Oracle Buys Automated Applications Controls Leader LogicalApps

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. Oct. 9, 2007 -- Oracle announced today that it has agreed to acquire LogicalApps, a leading provider of automated Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) controls management solutions. The acquisition will strengthen Oracle's GRC application suite by integrating real-time policy enforcement for critical business processes.

LogicalApps delivers out-of-the-box automated application controls in the areas of access, setup and transaction monitoring. Its technology helps enforce proper segregation of duties in enterprise applications, reduces fraud using reventative controls, and provides evidence of a proper control environment. LogicalApps' portfolio of control management solutions is expected to further strengthen Oracle's comprehensive GRC applications suite, which helps customers manage compliance with multiple regulations, control IT and business process risk, and monitor GRC objectives and results.

"Regulatory compliance and the associated risk is a top priority for business executives today," said Oracle President Charles Phillips. "This acquisition underscores Oracle's commitment to building a comprehensive, open and integrated GRC application suite.Companies will now be able to simplify compliance with multiple, complex regulatory requirements while improving business operations."

"Customers will see immediate value with the combination of Oracle and LogicalApps," said LogicalApps Founder, Chris Capdevila. "LogicalApps' solutions are optimized for Oracle Applications and we have hundreds of successful deployments. The integration of real-time policy enforcement into Oracle's GRC application suite will deliver a closedloop solution that manages enterprise-wide GRC processes and proactively mitigates business risk."

The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close by November 2007. Financial details were not disclosed. More information is available at www.oracle.com/logicalapps.

LogicalApps Acquires GRC Product Line from Applimation

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

Irvine, CA -- February 26, 2007 -- LogicalApps, the provider of embedded governance software for enterprise applications, today announced it has acquired the Integra product line from Applimation. Assets acquired in the cash transaction include all of the Integra intellectual property, customer licenses and support contracts, as well as key employees who bring product, development, customer support and domain expertise. The combined technology and market share -- over 300 customers -- solidifies LogicalApps as the undisputed leader of automated controls solutions for the Oracle market.

"By integrating Integra's configuration management, access controls and transaction monitoring features with the real-time preventative and detective controls of ACTIVE Governance, LogicalApps is making the best automated controls solution even better," said Chris Capdevila, founding CEO of LogicalApps. "This acquisition helps us accelerate availability of the leading embedded governance solution across an array of ERP platforms."

The Integra product line will continue to mature and be integrated into LogicalApps ACTIVE Governance family of solutions, which includes user access management, configuration management and transaction monitoring. This integration will create the industry's most robust and flexible solution for automating policy enforcement within enterprise applications to meet governance requirements and maintain sustainable compliance.

"Consolidation in the highly fragmented GRC market is inevitable, and IDC expects vendors to round out their offerings where it makes sense - especially in the area of controls automation." says Kathleen Wilhide, Research Director, IDC.
"Embedding governance is a strategic initiative that requires organizations to automate controls, not just document them. By putting in place the infrastructure to automate and manage the control environment, organizations can mitigate information and compliance risk as well as achieve process optimization in the management of enterprise systems."

"Selling Integra allows Applimation to direct its undivided attention to the Informia software products in the data growth management segment of the market, resulting in greater innovation and more aggressive product development plans that will benefit Informia customers," said Bob Markese, CEO of Applimation. "In addition, the Applimation team felt LogicalApps would provide the best home for Applimation's customers, employees and technology."

ACTIVE Governance is the first solution to embed governance policies and processes directly into the Oracle E-Business Suite. Delivering more than simple documentation and monitoring of controls, ACTIVE Governance prevents control violations from happening by automatically enforcing governance policies in real time. By reducing risks and tracking data and configuration changes, ACTIVE Governance is the only governance software that enables better business processes resulting in greater efficiency and improved financial integrity.

LogicalApps Secures $14 Million in Series A Funding

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:00:00 PST

IRVINE, CA -- October 11, 2005 -- LogicalApps®, the leading provider of business
controls automation software for enterprise applications, today announced it has secured $14 million in growth capital from Sequoia Capital and Mission Ventures. LogicalApps will use the funds to expand sales, marketing and support operations in response to high demand for its compliance monitoring and enforcement solutions.

"We are extremely excited to have high-caliber investors Sequoia and Mission partnering with us to fuel our continued growth," said Chris Capdevila, CEO and co-founder of LogicalApps. "We have grown organically since our inception, doubling revenue and maintaining profitability every year. This new investment will enable us to bring our nique technology for preemptive compliance and granular application controls to a uch larger audience, and accelerate development in related solutions."

"We are impressed by the market traction and strong financial results that LogicalApps as already achieved in the Oracle E-Business Suite marketplace," said Dave Ryan, Managing Partner of Mission Ventures. "LogicalApps has built a marquee list of very satisfied customers by delivering solid products that address real business requirements, and backing that up with world-class customer support."

"LogicalApps shows the characteristics of a true market leader: consistent execution in engineering and sales, efficient resource utilization, and total commitment to the customer's success," said Sameer Gandhi, Sequoia Capital Partner. "After looking at this sector very closely, we are convinced that the LogicalApps team, technology and vision set them apart from their competition. We are very excited to partner with such a promising company in a sector that is poised for rapid growth."

The company's growing customer base includes over 150 blue chip companies that rely on LogicalApps solutions to reduce compliance costs, increase efficiency in business operations and minimize financial loss resulting from errors, misuse and fraud within enterprise business applications.

LogLogic Closes $13.5 Million in Series D Financing

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, CA -- February 6, 2008 -- LogLogic®, the log management leader, today announced it has closed a series D round of funding, securing an additional $13.5 million in equity financing to expand global sales and marketing initiatives and accelerate innovation. This round, which brings the total equity investment in LogLogic to $47.7 million, was led by Focus Ventures and included Sequoia Capital, Telesoft Partners, Worldview Technology Partners and Invesco Private Capital.

As the largest independent vendor in the log management market, LogLogic attributes the industry's hyper-growth to compliance mandates such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) as well as pressures to reduce costs by investing in automated platforms for tracking user activity and business performance. Since its founding in 2002, LogLogic has seen more than 100 percent growth year-over-year in sales of its market-leading log management appliance.

In 2007 alone, LogLogic signed over 160 new customers in the enterprise, mid-market and MSSP channels, bringing its total to more than 400 customers. Last year, LogLogic's channel initiatives brought in key partners including BMC Software, Novell, Arsenal and SecureWorks, further establishing the company's extensive global reach and best-in-class reputation as the log management leader.

"Industry regulations are creating a multi-billion dollar market opportunity for log management solutions," said Kevin McQuillan, general partner at Focus Ventures. "A lot of people want a piece of the pie. The investment opportunity with LogLogic is great -- the company brings a market-leading log management appliance through tier one business partners to customers that require reliable solutions. With 100% year-to-year growth, new customer acquisitions, and a strong channel to leverage, we see LogLogic as a key player in the log management space."

According to recent SANS Technology Institute and Enterprise Strategy Group research, traditional Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) vendors address security, risk and compliance issues that comprise only 30% of log management use cases. By contrast, LogLogic takes a broader market approach by addressing 100% of use cases, including the 70% of non-security-related use cases in business performance management and problem isolation. In addition, LogLogic's open log management platform allows customers and partners to develop their own use case applications through an open web services API. This wide-spectrum ecosystem development model is a big differentiator from competitors including RSA enVision and ArcSight.

"Failure to meet compliance standards carries serious consequences for a company and its C-level executives," said Pat Sueltz, chief executive officer at LogLogic. "Organizations are making log management a priority and they are quickly reaping the benefits, from the sys-admin up the chain of command to the CEO."

LogLogic also announced today the appointment of three new executive vice presidents: Kevin Carroll, executive vice president operations, On Lee, executive vice president engineering and chief technology officer, and Diane Deutsch, executive vice president global human resources. Carroll joins LogLogic with over 25 years of experience leading world-class operations organizations at EMC Corporation, Sun Microsystems and Tyco International.

Lee joins LogLogic from Symantec Corporation where he built the Advanced Concepts Group within Symantec Research Labs to focus on developing new products in emerging areas. Prior to Symantec, Lee held various management and technical positions at Microsoft.

Deutsch joins LogLogic with over 20 years of experience in all aspects of human resources management. She previously served as senior vice president human resources at SurfControl, Inc., vice president of human resources at Chameleon Systems and director of human resources at Nuance, Avaya, Lucent and Octel.

"LogLogic has world class investors and a great team and we continue to add top talent to take LogLogic to the next level. We are expanding our global reach and accelerating our innovation roadmap to continue on our high-growth trajectory," said Sueltz.

Efficient light company, Luxim, raises $21M more

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

Luxim, a Sunnyvale, Calif. company that boats it produces one of the most efficient light sources on the globe -- 144 lumens per watt -- or almost twice as efficient as other sources, has raised $21 million more in financing, we've learned.

The money comes from leading Silicon Valley venture firm Sequoia Capital, as well as Crosslink Capital and DAG Ventures.

Lighting currently consumes almost a quarter of the world's generated power, generating over 700 million tons of carbon dioxide. More efficient lighting is needed to fight global warming, and Luxim is the latest Silicon Valley company to help do that. Its powerful light sources target things like theatrical, architectural, street, retail and wider area lighting. It's also used for medical and analytical instrument lighting, and also projection display.

Sequoia's Pierre Lamond is on the board.

It's LIFI technology combines solid-state electronics and full spectrum plasma emitters (see how it works here.) The company previously raised $40 million.

Kerala's Manappuram Group Raises Rs 70 Crore From Sequoia Capital, India Equity Partners

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

Silicon Valley's slick venture capital funds are doing deals with lesser known companies hailing from small towns. Manappuram General Finance and Leasing (MAGFIL), a company headquartered at Valapad village in Thrissur district of Kerala, will raise Rs 70 crore from Sequoia Capital India and India Equity Partners (IEP), reports Business Standard. Sequoia Capital and IEP will invest Rs 35 crore each in two tranches to fund the publicly-listed Manappuram's expansion plans. The deal is expected to be signed on Friday, BS reports. MAGFIL is a non-banking finance company (NBFC) with a majority of its customers based in Thrissur and surrounding areas.

MAGFIL had informed Bombay Stock Exchange that the company would raise Rs 46.80 crore in working capital from Sequoia and Hudson Equity Holdings, an investment vehicle of IEP, a $300-million private equity fund. They would sell 46,80,000 shares in MAGFIL to Sequoia and Hudson at a minimum price of Rs 100.272 apiece (a premium of Rs 90.272). That's Rs 46.80 crore in first tranche. The group is raising the second tranche of Rs 23.20 crore, where Sequoia and IEP will invest Rs 11.60 crore each.

Mauj Raises $10M

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:00:00 PST

MUMBAI, India -- Mauj Telecom (People Infocom Pvt Ltd), India's leading wireless solutions provider announced an investment of $10 million by WestBridge Capital Partners, Intel Capital and Sequoia Capital. Mauj Telecom is India's top mobile entertainment company focusing on mobile music, gaming, mobile commerce and mobile messaging. Mauj Telecom develops services on all leading platforms including J2ME, Smartphone, BREW, Symbian, SS7 and I-Mode and is partnered with the leading wireless operators and portals worldwide.

Anupam Mittal, CMD of People Group, said, "Today is a big day not just for us but also for the Mobile VAS Industry. We understand this is the largest deal in this space in India and we expect that it will trigger many more. We are especially thrilled that we are backed by WestBridge, Intel and Sequoia. Their support is a testament to what the team at Mauj has been able to envision and build. The capital will be used to grow the business organically and through acquisitions."

Arun Gupta, CEO Mauj Telecom, added, 'This is the first of many important milestones for Mauj Telecom to emerge as a leading Mobile VAS company. With the support of our partners we are confident that we will execute the strategy chalked out. We will use the capital to expand aggressively globally in the areas of Mobile Music and Mobile Gaming.'

Mr. Sandeep Singhal, Managing Director, WestBridge Capital Partners, will join the board of Mauj Telecom. Mr. Singhal said, "Mauj Telecom has built a very strong leading position in the mobile VAS market in a very short period of time. We believe that mobile VAS are poised for rapid growth globally and are excited to be a partner in Mauj Telecom's continued rapid growth and helping them further dominate the market."

"Wireless is experiencing explosive growth in India. Mauj Telecom's focus on Mobile VAS presents an opportunity for significant growth," said Kumar Shiralagi, Director, Intel Capital, India. "Our investment in Mauj Telecom provides Intel Capital with the opportunity to share what we have learned through our investments worldwide as we work together with them to build their business."

Cognizant To Acquire marketRx, A Leading Provider Of Life Sciences Market Analytics

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

October 18th, 2007, Teaneck, NJ - October 18, 2007 - Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSH), a leading provider of global IT and business process outsourcing services, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire NJ-based marketRx, Inc., a leading provider of analytics and related software services to global Life Sciences companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices segments. Cognizant will pay approximately $135 million in cash, which will be funded from current cash reserves.

This acquisition strengthens Cognizant's full-suite of offerings across all areas of the Life Sciences value chain - from Research & Development and Manufacturing to Sales & Marketing Operations. marketRx combines analytics, market research and software services to provide scalable, web-based solutions in three functional areas for Life Sciences companies: Sales Management & Operations, Brand Marketing & Product Management and Market Research. marketRx brings an impressive client base to Cognizant representing a total of 75 Life Sciences customers, including all of the largest 20 pharmaceutical companies and 4 out of the top 5 biotech companies.

"We welcome the marketRx employees and management team to Cognizant. This acquisition expands our capabilities in the analytics segment and broadens our service offerings for the Life Sciences industry, while providing strong synergies with our existing Business Intelligence/Data Warehousing and CRM services," said Francisco D'Souza, president and CEO, Cognizant. �marketRx's proven global delivery model for analytics, deep domain knowledge and proprietary analytics software platform have helped the Company build an impressive client list in the Life Sciences market and yield strong organic growth. We expect to leverage these assets to establish a pre-eminent position in the fast-growing analytics market both in Life Sciences and other industries."

"We are very pleased to join the Cognizant family. The combination of our market leading position in the Life Sciences analytics segment and Cognizant's strengths as a top global services player will allow us to expand our relationships with our Life Sciences clients by providing them with a broader range of outsourced services, and conversely enables us to extend our capabilities to other vertical markets," said Jaswinder (Jassi) Chadha, founder, president & CEO, marketRx, Inc. "We found a great cultural fit between both companies in terms of entrepreneurial spirit, commitments to client satisfaction, strong client retention record, proven high-touch onsite/offshore model and overall vision for the future of the global services industry."

Subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Cognizant Completes the Acquisition of marketRx

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:00 PST

November 16th, 2007, Teaneck, NJ - Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation (NASDAQ: CTSH), a leading provider of global IT and business process outsourcing services, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of NJ-based marketRx, Inc., a leading provider of analytics and related software services to global Life Sciences companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices segments.

Mark Logic Secures $12 Million in Series B Funding

Mon, 21 Jun 2004 12:00:00 PST

SAN MATEO, Calif., June 21, 2004 -- Mark Logic Corporation, developer of the first enterprise-class database designed for unstructured content, has closed $12 million in Series B funding. Lehman Brothers Venture Partners led the financing round, with additional financing from previous investor Sequoia Capital. Tom Banahan, managing director of Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, will join Mark Logic's board of directors.

Mark Logic has developed a platform that enables businesses to quickly extract, analyze and synthesize their content with all the benefits of an enterprise-class database. Vast amounts of unstructured enterprise content is locked in formats like Microsoft Office and Adobe documents, in addition to e-mail and HTML, SGML and XML. Until now, this disparately structured, yet critical information is trapped in formats that do not easily fit in a traditional database model.

Mark Logic's flagship product, Content Interaction Server, brings order to the chaos of unstructured content, providing the platform for a new class of content-centric applications that rapidly extract and transform business-critical content elements from across the enterprise and the Internet. The result allows organizations to create value from existing content, enhance existing revenue streams, create new products and services, and streamline content workflow and business processes.

"Mark Logic has broken through the technology barriers by fundamentally redefining the way people interact with their business content, empowering them to reach deep inside documents and extract immense value," said Banahan. "With deep knowledge of enterprise search and database technology, the company is in the sweet spot of an emerging new market."
"The impact of this technology will reverberate across multiple industries," said Mark Kvamme, partner at Sequoia Capital and Mark Logic board member. "The ability to access, combine and manipulate information locked inside business content is vitally important for all industries, but particularly so for publishing, life sciences, government and financial services organizations."

The funding will be used to support the acceleration in customer adoption by supporting new accounts as well as ramp-up marketing, sales and engineering to address this surge in market demand.

Mark Logic Secures $15 Million in Third-Round Financing

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN MATEO, CA -- July 16, 2007 -- Mark Logic® Corporation, provider of the industry's leading XML content platform, today announced that it has closed a $15 million third-round financing, led and fully subscribed by its existing investors, Sequoia Capital and Lehman Brothers.

The capital will be used to fund the company's continued rapid growth, to expand its presence within its existing strategic markets of media and government, and to fuel new growth initiatives including international, channels, and new vertical market development.

"It's widely acknowledged that 80% of the world's information is unstructured and therefore unsuitable for management by traditional database systems," said Mark Kvamme, partner at Sequoia Capital. "We think that Mark Logic addresses a vast market opportunity and has the potential to become one of Silicon Valley's great companies."

"We're delighted by this vote of confidence from our existing investors and with their enthusiasm for the company's strategy and execution," said Dave Kellogg, chief executive officer of Mark Logic Corporation. "We have multiplied the company's sales eight-fold since I joined three years ago and we are pleased to have these funds in place to finance our future growth."

"Mark Logic combines its unique technology with a skilled team, strong market focus, and consistent execution," said Tom Banahan, managing director of Lehman Brothers Venture Partners

Mellanox Technologies Secures $56M in New Funding

Mon, 11 Feb 2002 12:00:00 PST

Santa Clara, California and Yokneam, Israel, -February 11, 2002- Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., the leading provider of InfiniBandSM silicon, announced today it has secured $56 million in its third round of funding. The round, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, includes both existing and new corporate and financial investors. In addition to Bessemer, new investors participating in the
round include: Banc of America Securities, China Development Investment Bank, Dell Computer Corp, Gemini Israel Funds, Jerusalem Global Ventures, JNI Corporation, Quanta Computers, Sun Microsystems Inc., Walden Israel Venture Capital and additional corporate and private investors. Previous investors also participating in this round of funding include Intel Capital, Raza Venture Management, Sequoia Capital, US Venture Partners and Vitesse Semiconductor.

MellanoxTM is pleased to welcome Rob S. Chandra, from Bessemer Venture Partners, as the newest member of the board of directors, joining Irwin Federman (US Venture Partners), Pierre Lamond (Sequoia Capital), Atiq Raza (Raza Venture Management), and Eyal Waldman (Mellanox).

"We are pleased that Mellanox has garnered such strong funding support that will allow us to continue to play a key role in the growing InfiniBand market," said Eyal Waldman, chairman and CEO of Mellanox Technologies, LTD. "To date Mellanox has shipped InfiniBridgeTM and InfiniScaleTM silicon and reference platforms to about 70 companies. These include Fortune 500 companies and top tier OEMs in the server, storage and communication markets. A number of these customers are moving into production today and we expect them to ramp to high volume quantities in the second half of 2002 and in 2003."

The closing of this round of funding brings the total investments in Mellanox to more than $89 million. Mellanox will use these funds to help develop future generations of 10Gb/sec and 30 Gb/ sec InfiniBand technology product lines, including the next generation of InfiniBand Blade reference designs, based on a fully redundant InfiniBand 4X (10Gb/s) backplane that supports server,
switch, and I/O blades in a single chassis. Such platforms facilitate the development and accelerate the time to market of OEM products based on this reference design. Mellanox's advanced semiconductors and reference designs are enabling the development of server, switching and storage equipment for a unified InfiniBand data center. The InfiniBand architecture offers performance,
price, power, density, availability and manageability benefits to IT managers.

"The market for enterprise clustering, communication and storage equipment in the data center is approaching a key inflection point, through InfiniBand, that will offer tremendous new management and total cost of ownership benefits for IT managers," said Rob Chandra, of Bessemer Venture Partners. "Even during tough economic conditions, enterprises will continue to adopt costeffective
technologies like InfiniBand, which offer significant performance, ease of management and reliability benefits. Mellanox's technology leadership position and their relationships with leading system vendors made Mellanox our choice for investments in this arena."

"Dell believes InfiniBand will be a key technology in the future of industry standard servers, which is why we have supported the InfiniBand architecture since its inception," said Randy Groves, vice president of the Enterprise Systems Group for Dell. "To that end, investments in companies like Mellanox help to ensure a rapid deployment of InfiniBand into future modular
servers."

"As one of the founding members of the InfiniBand Trade Association, Sun recognizes the growing importance of InfiniBand in future server and storage systems architectures," said Brian Sutphin, vice president of Strategic Investments, Sun Microsystems. "We are pleased to support Mellanox Technologies' role in driving the development and evolution of advanced, InfiniBand silicon technologies."

"With industry experts such as IDC and Meta Group predicting more than 7 million InfiniBand server ports by 2005, this is a great technology with a bright and prosperous future," said Neal Waddington, president and CEO of JNI Corporation. "JNI is producing a range of InfiniBand HCA products to fuel this market, based on Mellanox's industry leading silicon."

Meraki Networks Closes Sequoia Capital Series A Funding

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Meraki Networks, pioneer of the first consumer wireless mesh Internet network designed to "unwire the world," announced today it has closed a Series A funding round of $5 million, led by Sequoia Capital. The Series A funding follows funding from angel investors, including Google, also headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.

Meraki was founded in 2006 by Ph.D. candidates from MIT with the goal of bringing affordable wireless Internet access to people around the world. The Meraki team is developing low-cost, easy-to-install and use, wireless mesh technology that enables consumers to cover their homes, apartment complexes and entire communities with powerful wireless Internet access immediately. Meraki's technology enables community-wide wireless mesh Internet networks without the need for much time, money or expertise. Meraki is also experimenting with groundbreaking ways to offer free Internet access to Meraki customers.

"We're thrilled to have our efforts to revolutionize Internet access endorsed by tech leaders like Google and Sequoia Capital," said Meraki Networks CEO Sanjit Biswas. "We're looking forward to helping people build Meraki networks in their communities and around the world."

Google has already deployed Meraki's new wireless mesh network products to enhance the coverage of the community-wide wireless Internet network it offers in residential communities throughout Mountain View.

"Meraki is at the forefront of a new movement to bring powerful wireless Internet connections to homes across the country as well as to underserved and economically challenged neighborhoods from Boston to Bangladesh," said Chris Sacca, head of special initiatives at Google. "Consumers will get an opportunity to get great wireless Internet access in communities that have never experienced what being 'online' is all about."

Meraki offers the Meraki Mini, a sleek 802.11 b/g wireless router that simply plugs into a wall outlet and a Internet connection, and can also work as a repeater for an existing Internet network, extending the wireless range. The Meraki Mini is an inexpensive but high powered way for consumers and communities to start creating their own networks. The Meraki Mini will be for sale from www.meraki.net in the coming weeks for $49.

In a very limited beta program open for just a few weeks last year, Meraki's products became somewhat of a viral sensation, bringing wireless Internet access to more than 15,000 users in 25 countries around the world.

Mellanox Technologies Announces Initial Public Offering

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, CA and YOKNEAM, ISRAEL -- February 7, 2007 -- Mellanox Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX) today announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 6,000,000 of its ordinary shares at a price to the public of $17 per share. All of the ordinary shares are being offered by the Company. Mellanox has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 900,000 additional shares at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. Mellanox's common stock will be listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "MLNX".

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. acted as joint book-running managers for the offering, with Thomas Weisel Partners LLC and Jefferies & Company, Inc. serving as co-managers. A copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering can be obtained by contacting the prospectus departments at Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, (800) 221-1037, or J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., 4 Chase Metrotech Center, CS Level, Brooklyn, NY 11245, toll-free 1-866-430-0686.

A registration statement related to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 7, 2007. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Merlin Securities announces $20mm investment

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco and New York -- Merlin Securities, a broker dealer specializing in technology driven prime brokerage services, announced today that Sequoia Capital has made a $20mm investment in an expansion round of financing.

The investment by Sequoia Capital comes after a year of tremendous growth and recognition for Merlin Securities. In 2007, Merlin was ranked the #1 Prime Broker in surveys of hedge fund managers including the Global Custodian Magazine Survey of Prime Brokers and Institutional Investor's Alpha Awards.

"The investment by Sequoia Capital marks a significant milestone in the evolution of Merlin Securities," said Stephan P. Vermut, Managing Partner of Merlin Securities. "We formed Merlin with a vision of the future of prime brokerage and services to investment managers. The investment by Sequoia Capital validates that vision and gives us the resources to continue to pursue it. We are very excited to be able to leverage their knowledge and expertise to build our business. We could not have asked for a better partner."

Sequoia Capital's Scott Carter said, "We took a close look at the financial technology, prime brokerage and hedge fund spaces and believe that Merlin's model of delivering superior reporting and trading technology combined with outstanding customer service to the hedge fund industry is the way of the future. As the hedge fund industry continues to be dominated by institutional investors, the reporting technologies, dedication to service and tight product integration offered by Merlin will provide an increasingly compelling value proposition."

Founded by industry pioneer Stephan Vermut, the former Founder, President and CEO of Bank of America Prime Brokerage, Merlin Securities provides the hedge fund manager with the most advanced and user-friendly transparency tools. Merlin's award winning products include multiprime, multi-currency, attribution (absolute and relative) and risk solutions for investment managers. Merlin currently boasts over 200 hedge fund clients globally and has exhibited over 100% revenue growth year over year since inception in 2004. Merlin's technology has won several industry awards and was named an InfoWorld 100 company in 2006.

Cisco Announces Definitive Agreement to Acquire Navini Networks

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif. - October 23, 2007 - Cisco® today announced a definitive agreement to purchase Richardson, TX-based Navini Networks, Inc. a leader in the Mobile WiMAX 802.16e-2005 broadband wireless industry. Navini is a pioneer in the integration of "Smart Beamforming" technologies with Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antennas, a combination that improves the performance and range for WiMAX services and lowers the overall deployment and operational costs for service providers.

Navini's WiMAX products will extend Cisco's market-leading WiFi and WiFi-Mesh portfolios, allowing Cisco to uniquely address the rapidly growing markets for broadband wireless services.

The acquisition of Navini will help extend and enhance Cisco's IP Next Generation Network (IP NGN) vision to enable service providers to deliver any service to any device over any network - a vision that Cisco calls the Connected Life. The addition of broadband wireless products based upon WiMAX will complement existing Cisco products and solutions to enable service providers to deliver premium end-to-end Connected Experiences and hasten their transition to becoming Experience Providers.

Cisco also expects that its broadband wireless solution portfolio, that now includes WiMAX products, will play a key role in Cisco's Country Transformation and "Digital Inclusion" initiatives to drive broadband penetration to consumers and business in emerging countries.

"Emerging country service providers are in expansion mode, building out broadband wireless networks and are concerned about deployment costs and the availability of skilled resources," said Brett Galloway, vice president and general manager of the Wireless Networking Business Unit, Cisco. "Around the world broadband wireless networks based upon WiMAX have the potential to add millions of new Internet users who cannot be reached economically using copper or fiber infrastructures. Additionally, WiMAX networks will help drive the transition to open IP-based broadband wireless architectures and accelerate the rollout of new applications and services."

Cisco selected Navini based on its industry-leading product portfolio, unmatched innovation and its real-world commercial deployments with service provider customers worldwide. Navini offers a leading portfolio of broadband wireless WiMAX solutions with comprehensive offerings including base stations, adaptive antenna arrays, management systems, and subscriber modems, which has been sold to more than 75 customers.

Under the terms of the agreement, Cisco will pay approximately $330 million in cash and assumed options. The Navini acquisition is subject to various standard closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of Cisco's 2008 fiscal year. Upon the close of the acquisition, Cisco plans to integrate Navini into its Wireless Networking Business Unit, under the Ethernet and Wireless Technology Group. This will be acquisition No. 124 for Cisco.

Cisco Completes the Acquisition of Navini Networks

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif., - December 19, 2007 - Cisco® today announced that it has completed its acquisition of Navini Networks, Inc., a leader in the Mobile WiMAX 802.16e-2005 broadband wireless industry. Navini is a pioneer in the integration of "Smart Beamforming" technologies with Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) antennas, a combination that improves the performance and range for WiMAX services and lowers the overall deployment and operational costs for service providers.

Navini's WiMAX products will extend Cisco's market-leading Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi-Mesh portfolios, allowing Cisco to uniquely address the rapidly growing markets for portable broadband services. The acquisition will also help extend and enhance Cisco's Internet Protocol Next Generation Network (IP NGN) vision and will help drive broadband penetration to consumers and businesses in emerging countries.

Cisco selected Navini based on its industry-leading product portfolio, unmatched innovation and its real-world commercial deployments with service provider customers worldwide. Navini offers a leading portfolio of broadband WiMAX solutions with comprehensive offerings including base stations, adaptive antenna arrays, management systems and subscriber modems.

Cisco plans to integrate Navini into its Wireless Technology Group, under the Access Networking and Services Group.

Funding to fuel Navini's International Expansion, Research and Development

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 12:00:00 PST

RICHARDSON, Texas - June 29, 2004 - Navini Networks, Inc., the leading provider of non-line-of-sight, zero-install wide-area wireless broadband technology, today announced it has successfully secured an additional $30 million in Series D funding. The round was led by Lehman Brothers Venture Partners. Participating with Lehman Brothers Venture Partners in the round of funding are existing Navini venture investors Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sternhill Partners. The round, which was significantly oversubscribed, will be used to fuel Navini's international expansion and research and development efforts. Today's announcement brings Navini's total funding to date to $115 million.

"In a volatile market, the fact that we were able to secure $30 million in financing speaks volumes not only about Navini's technology and people, but also about our business potential," said Alastair Westgarth, president and chief executive officer at Navini Networks. "The additional financing will allow Navini to add to an already solid foundation as well as to focus additional resources on our international expansion plans and our continual advancement efforts in the area of research and development," Westgarth added.

"Navini is a proven leader in the wireless broadband market," said Stewart Gollmer of Lehman Brothers Venture Partners and newly appointed Navini board member. "Their superior technology, management team and solid customer traction provided a very strong rationale for our investment."

Navini Networks recently announced the expansion and opening of an office in China. The new office, which opened in April of this year, is focused solely on the Asia-Pacific market. "The Asia-Pacific market is very attractive and offers some very appealing opportunities," said Westgarth. "Greg Marzullo, Navini's new vice president of global sales, brings a wealth of international experience and expertise, as well as a singular focus to our business approach. That focus will allow Navini to effectively penetrate the market and positions Navini for continued growth and expansion not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but other international markets as well."

Global Adoption of Navini's Ripwave Wide-Area Wireless Broadband Technology Accelerates

Mon, 07 Apr 2003 12:00:00 PST

RICHARDSON, Texas -- April 7, 2003 Navini Networks, Inc., the leading provider of non-line-of-sight, zero-install, wide-area wireless broadband technology, today announced it has successfully raised an additional $25 million in Series C funding.

The round, one of the largest wireless venture rounds so far this year, brings the company's total funding to over $91 million. Austin Ventures, Granite Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Sternhill Partners, all existing investors in the company, led the new round of financing.

"In the midst of a very challenging economic environment, Navini has raised a sizable round under very favorable terms," said Alastair Westgarth, president and chief executive officer at Navini Networks. "That fact alone further proves the strength of the company's superior technology, valuable employees, solid business plan, and the confidence of the investment community. Given the incredible traction we are having in the global marketplace, this should be our last round of funding," Westgarth added.

Navini plans to use the new funding as working capital to primarily expand global sales and marketing efforts and further its research and development initiatives.

"Navini has clearly demonstrated positive momentum in terms of customer deployments around the world," stated Ed Olkkola, general partner with Austin Ventures and a member of the Navini board of directors. "Accelerating deployments in all geographies proves the Navini system delivers a rational, profitable business model for service providers. On that basis, we are confident of Navini's success and stepped up our commitment to the company in this funding round."

Over the past several months, Navini Networks has announced additional deployments and trials of its Ripwave products with the following companies: BellSouth, Daytona; IBAX, Italy; IntroWeb, The Netherlands; Liberty Technologies, Panama; Rioplex Wireless, Rio Grande Valley; Sprint, Houston; WINTEL, Trinidad and Tobago; and YourInter.Net, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Navini Networks' Ripwave products use advanced smart antenna beamforming technology to deliver multi-megabit broadband data rates up to 8 miles from the base station in an indoor, plug-and-play, non-line-of-sight environment. The company supplies modems in PCMCIA card or small desktop form factors, which can operate in an untethered fashion anywhere within the service provider's coverage area - in a caf across town or a hotel across the country. Advanced base stations and a robust element management system round out the company's offerings to service providers.

Netezza Secures $20 Million in Third Round of Financing

Mon, 28 Jul 2003 12:00:00 PST

Framingham, Mass.--July 28, 2003--Netezza Corporation today announced that it closed a round of financing totaling $20 million from top-tier venture capitalist firms. Led by California-based Sequoia Capital, the series C round includes previous investors Matrix Partners, Charles River Ventures, Battery Ventures and Orange Ventures, bringing the Company's total funding to more than $53 million.

The Netezza Performance Server (NPS) system is the world's first purpose-built, tera-scale data appliance optimized for business intelligence (BI). It delivers 10 to 20 times the performance for large, complex and constantly growing BI efforts at half the cost of existing data warehouse systems. The NPS system combines servers, storage and database into a single powerful and scalable appliance created from the outset to process queries faster--and enable complex data analysis that was not previously possible because of large and fast-growing data sizes.

"Netezza continues to gain momentum in the marketplace, enabling customers to quickly analyze enormous amounts of information to make better, more strategic business decisions that were either too burdensome or just not possible with older systems," said Jit Saxena, co-founder and CEO of Netezza. "The early traction that we are receiving in the market with our customer wins and the enthusiasm we heard from the investment community during this fund raising validate the power of the Netezza value proposition."

Netezza continues to receive widespread industry praise for its innovative technology, leadership and early momentum. Just last month, CEO and Co-founder Jit Saxena was named an Ernst & Young New England Entrepreneur Of The Year. InformationWeek also named Saxena an "Innovator and Influencer for 2003." Netezza CTO and Co-founder Foster Hinshaw was also recently named a "2003 InfoWorld Innovator." Attendees at the Datacenter Ventures Conference held by Technologic Partners last year voted Netezza "most likely to succeed." And a recent IDC Research study called Netezza "a business analytics revolution in the making."

"We are very excited about our investment in Netezza," said Doug Leone, general partner, Sequoia Capital. "The management team has put together an organization that has the potential to be a very large enterprise, given the breadth of the vertical markets that its solutions touch. The testimonials from Netezza's customers confirmed our belief that this company is transforming the marketplace and changing the way enterprises do business."

Co-founded by Jit Saxena and Foster Hinshaw in 2000, Netezza received more than $8 million in series A funding from Matrix Partners and Charles River Ventures. In 2002, the Company received more than $25 million in series B funding from Matrix Partners, Charles River Ventures, Battery Ventures and Orange Ventures. Last year, Ed Zander, the former president and chief operating officer of Sun Microsystems, joined the Company's Board of Directors, and the company's experienced management team includes executives from Sun, Compaq, Cisco and Teradata.

Netezza Secures $15 Million in Fourth Round Financing

Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:00:00 PST

Framingham, Mass.--January 10, 2005--Netezza Corporation today announced that it has secured $15 million in a competitive fourth round of equity financing with the opportunity to obtain an additional $5 million as needed. Led by premier late-stage venture capital firm Meritech Capital Partners, the injection of capital also reflected strong support from Netezza's previous investors, and resulted in a more than threefold increase in the valuation of the company. Since its founding in 2000, Netezza has raised more than $68 million in venture capital.

"Our decision to seek a fourth round of venture funding was driven not only by the explosive growth we've experienced over the past year, but also by the tremendous opportunity in the data warehousing market," explained Patrick Scannell, CFO and Treasurer of Netezza Corp. "With more and more global customers deploying the Netezza Performance Server® (NPS®) data warehouse appliance, we look forward to expanding internationally, penetrating new vertical markets, and building our customer support and sales teams."

Funding from the fourth round will also enable Netezza to broaden the capabilities of its product line even further, as well as build on its remarkable success from the past year. In 2004, Netezza signed substantial agreements with industry leaders, providing multiple NPS systems to companies including CNET Networks, Shoppers Drug Mart and The TJX Companies. Netezza also expanded its product line with the introduction of the 8025 model of the NPS system, which now extends the product line to an even wider range of customers. The company also reported substantial sales increases and staff growth as compared to 2003.

"Netezza's innovative technology, seasoned executive team and exceptional growth exemplify all the characteristics we look for in a late-stage investment," said Rob Ward, managing director at Meritech Capital Partners, who joins Doug Leone of Sequoia Capital as an observer on the Netezza Board of Directors. "Most impressive, however, is the dramatic improvement in speed and usability that Netezza offers over other solutions. The customers told us they didn't believe Netezza's claims until they used the product themselves."

The Netezza Performance Server system is the only data warehouse appliance built specifically to analyze terabytes of detailed data -- 10 to 50 times faster than existing data warehouses, at half the cost. The NPS system stores, filters and processes terabytes of records within a single unit, analyzing only the relevant information for each query. Netezza has placed the CPU power next to the data, allowing the NPS system to speed through processes that would occupy most data warehouse systems for hours, or even days, thereby enabling dramatic increases in productivity across the organization. Customers who have recognized the performance benefits of Netezza's approach include AT&T Wireless, CNET Networks, Epsilon, Orange UK, Premier, Inc., Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation and The TJX Companies.

Netezza Announces Initial Public Offering

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 12:00:00 PST

Framingham, Mass. -- July 19, 2007 -- Netezza Corporation (NYSE Arca: NZ) today announced an initial public offering of 9,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $12 per share. Netezza has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,350,000 additional shares to cover over-allotments. Netezza's common stock will be listed on NYSE Arca under the symbol "NZ" and will begin trading Thursday, July 19, 2007.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated acted as joint book-running managers for the offering with Needham & Company, LLC and Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC serving as co-managers. A copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting either the Credit Suisse Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, telephone 1-800-221-1037, or Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department, by telephone at 212-761-6775 or by e-mail at prospectus@morganstanley.com.

Netezza Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:00:00 PST

Framingham, Mass. -- July 24, 2007 -- Netezza Corporation (NYSE Arca: NZ) today announced that it closed the sale of 10,350,000 shares of its common stock, including 1,350,000 shares of common stock representing the over-allotment option granted to the underwriters, resulting in gross proceeds of $124.2 million, before commissions and expenses, and net proceeds before expenses of $115.5 million.

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated acted as joint book-running managers for the offering with Needham & Company, LLC and Thomas Weisel Partners, LLC serving as co-managers. A copy of the final prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by contacting either the Credit Suisse Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, telephone 1-800-221-1037, or Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, Attention: Prospectus Department, by telephone at 212-761-6775 or by e-mail at prospectus@morganstanley.com.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

NVIDIA Corporation Announces Initial Public Offering of 3,500,000 Shares of Common Stock

Fri, 22 Jan 1999 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 22, 1999 - NVIDIA Corporation(TM) (NASDAQ: NVDA) announced today the initial public offering of 3,500,000 shares of common stock at a price of $12.00 per share. The offering was managed by Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., Hambrecht & Quist LLC and Prudential Securities Incorporated. NVIDIA has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 525,000 additional shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The net proceeds to the Company from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and working capital.

NVIDIA designs, develops and markets 3D graphics processors and related software that provide high performance interactive 3D graphics to the mainstream PC market.

Copies of the prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co., 1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, (212) 761-4000; Hambrecht & Quist LLC, One Bush Street, San Francisco, California 94104, (415) 439-3300; or Prudential Securities Incorporated, 111 8th Avenue, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10011, (212) 776-8190.

Sequoia Capital and The Trelys Funds co-lead additional round of funding for spectroscopy innovator Ometric Corporation

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 12:00:00 PST

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Mar. 6, 2006) -- Spectroscopy innovator Ometric Corporation today announced the closing on an additional round of funding that would enable the company to expand the availability of its innovative SpectrInline Processware technology to a wide variety of industries.

The investment group is co-led by Sequoia Capital of Menlo Park, Calif. and The Trelys Funds of Columbia, S.C., with follow-on funding from AFT Ventures of Columbia, S.C.

Ometric Corporation provides innovative solutions to embed analytical technology into industrial processes. Ometric's SpectrInline Processware utilizes patented Multivariate Optical Computing™ to perform spectroscopy at the speed of light, thus providing real-time, in-line process control and final product testing to a variety of industries, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agriculture, food and beverage, environmental, plastics, oil and gas, and homeland security.

Ometric Chairman and CEO Walter Alessandrini cited the positive response that this new technology has been receiving from industry. "We are not aware of any existing product or technology that compares with the results that our SpectrInline Processware is producing," noted Alessandrini. "We are extremely pleased to have earned the confidence of financial backers like Sequoia and Trelys. Their additional funding will allow us to expand our resources so that we can better meet the growing demand to provide these innovative solutions."

Ometric recently announced breakthrough testing results for tablet formulation using SpectrInline Processware for the pharmaceutical industry. Final tests at the rate of five tablets per second have been performed using SpectrInline Processware. At such speeds, SpectrInline provides for testing of up to 18,000 tablets per hour. On a process line producing 100,000 tablets per hour, six SpectrInline systems can provide 100-percent final product quality control.

Ometric Corporation will provide live SpectrInline Processware demonstrations at the PITTCON® 2006 conference in Orlando, Fla. March 13 -- 16. Ometric will be located at the Orange County Convention Center in Hall D, Booth #5657.

Open-Silicon Inc. Secures $19.5 Million in Funding

Mon, 29 Mar 2004 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, Calif.-- March 29, 2004--Open-Silicon, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company providing a reliable, predictable and cost effective alternative to traditional chip design and supply chain models, today announced that it has closed two rounds of private equity financing bringing total capital investments to $19.5 million. (See related company announcement.)

Open-Silicon's Series B funding came from prominent venture capital firms Norwest Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital, who co-led the company's $8.5M Series A round in June 2003, and new investor, InterWest Partners. Net proceeds from all investments support continued research and development efforts and augment sales and marketing channels in North America and other strategic geographic locations.

"InterWest invests in world class teams that are first to market with dramatic changes for the industries we care about most," said Tom Rosch, general partner at InterWest Partners. Mr. Rosch joins Naveed Sherwani, CEO of Open-Silicon, Pierre Lamond, partner at Sequoia Capital, and Promod Haque, managing partner at Norwest Venture Partners, on Open-Silicon's board of directors. "As a major investor in early-stage start-ups, we see fabless semiconductors--which have driven industries like the internet, DSL and wireless--as core engines of innovation. As we survey the fabless landscape, we have come to believe that rising development and execution costs are putting fabless innovation at risk. Open-Silicon and the OpenMODEL will play a major role in moving the fabless industry forward and continuing its track record of innovation.

Open-Silicon Inc. Secures $10 Million in Growth Financing

Thu, 01 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

MILPITAS, Calif- Open-Silicon, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company providing a reliable, predictable and cost effective alternative to traditional chip design and supply chain models, announced today that it has raised $10 million in a Series D funding round led by led by late-stage and expansion venture capital fund Bridgescale Partners. Previous investors Norwest Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital, InterWest Partners, and Artis Capital Management also participated in this round. Open-Silicon will use the funding to aggressively scale and broaden their development offerings to support their growing customer base.

"Bridgescale specializes in providing expansion capital to late-stage, rapid-growth technology companies. Open-Silicon is fulfilling the market's need for a predictable and reliable ASIC solution and is a leader in predictability and reliability standards in the fabless industry," said Rob Chaplinsky, co-founder of Bridgescale Partners. "We are excited about Open-Silicon's contributions to the industry and look forward to being part of their continued growth."

"Open-Silicon has had phenomenal growth over the past three years," said Dr. Naveed Sherwani, president and CEO of Open-Silicon. "As we scale our business with tier 1 customers, they are asking us to expand our development offerings to complement their growth plans. This funding will enable us to support the needs of this key customer base while continuing to differentiate ourselves in the market."

Open-Silicon Inc. Acquires IP Assets of Zenasis Technology

Mon, 07 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

MILPITAS, Calif.- May 7, 2007 - Open-Silicon, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company delivering a reliable, predictable and cost-effective alternative to traditional chip design and supply chain models, today announces it has acquired the key intellectual property assets of Zenasis Technology. This acquisition expands Open-Silicon's Science of ASICs initiative.

"The focus of Open-Silicon's standardized design methodology is to address the challenges of complex ASIC design in a disciplined manner to produce cost-effective ASICs, with predictable on-time schedules and reliable working first-time silicon results." said Dr. Naveed Sherwani, president and CEO of Open-Silicon, Inc. "By incorporating this new technology, we will be able to optimize our customer's designs for performance, power, and area, and improve their time to market, which will allow them to differentiate themselves in the market. This is exactly what the ASIC market needs."

Most ASIC implementation tools optimize a design at the standard cell level and physical design levels only. The acquired Zenasis technology will enable Open-Silicon to combine the benefits of increased performance and power through design-specific cell creation by concurrently analyzing and optimizing designs at standard cell, physical and transistor levels. ASIC designs with embedded processor cores can greatly benefit from this technology. By using transistor-level design and analysis techniques, embedded processor cores running at the highest frequencies can be realized. For example, a processor core whose frequency would otherwise limit its applicability to specific markets applications due to performance could now be increased by up to 10% to meet broader markets such as video or communication.

"We are excited about the acquisition of Zenasis? hybrid optimization technology, " said Dr. Satya Gupta, vice president of engineering at Open-Silicon. "By incorporating this new technology into our design flow, we will be able to give ASIC customers access to technology enhancements that were previously only available to high-end IDM customers. This technology will help Open-Silicon bridge the performance gap between standard cell based ASIC designs and custom designs."

Palo Alto Networks Raises $18 Million in Series B Financing

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 25, 2007-- Palo Alto Networks today announced that it has secured $18 million in Series B financing. Globespan Capital Partners led the round, with participation from existing investors Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. The new funds bring total financing in the company to $28 million and will be used to expand sales, marketing and engineering initiatives.

Palo Alto Networks also announced today the immediate availability of its PA-4000 Series, a next-generation firewall that enables the identification and policy enforcement of applications flowing in and out of enterprise networks -- regardless of port, protocol or SSL encryption. (See Release: Palo Alto Networks Delivers Next-Generation Firewall for Application Visibility and Policy Control)

Palo Alto Networks is led by top security veterans from companies such as Check Point Software Technologies, NetScreen Technologies, McAfee, Blue Coat Systems, Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks. They include two of the most internationally respected pioneers in security -- Palo Alto Networks Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Nir Zuk and Shlomo Kramer, member of the board of directors. Zuk served as the CTO at NetScreen and is recognized for his role in developing stateful inspection technology while at Check Point. Kramer, a visionary in Internet security and selected by Network World as one of 20 luminaries who changed the network industry, served as co-founder and board member with Check Point.

"The rapid adoption of Web 2.0 tools and applications by business users is redefining the enterprise application landscape," said Venky Ganesan, Managing Director, Globespan Capital Partners. "Security solutions that classify traffic based only on port and protocol are unable to identify and therefore control applications traversing the network. A new approach -- built from the ground up to deal with these new realities -- is required. Nir Zuk and Shlomo Kramer helped create the firewall market. Along with the Palo Alto Networks team, they're revolutionizing the security market again. We're thrilled to come on board as the company launches its product line into the market."

"Globespan Capital Partners has a proven track record of success in guiding emerging companies," said Dave Stevens, Co-founder and CEO, Palo Alto Networks. "We're thrilled to have them join Greylock and Sequoia on our board. With this new financing, our company is well positioned to drive our initial growth phase."

Pangea3 Secures $7 Million Series C Funding from Sequoia Capital

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK, July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Pangea3 LLC, the global leader in legal process outsourcing to corporate in-house counsel and U.S. law firms, announced today that it has closed $7 million in Series C funding, funded by Sequoia Capital India. Sequoia Capital's investment underscores the significant demand among legal departments and law firms for outsourced legal services as a solution to increasing legal fees. Sumir Chadha, managing director of Sequoia Capital India, will join Pangea3's board of directors.

The additional financing will be used to fund the company's expansion and aggressive recruitment of superior quality legal talent in India and in the U.S., increase its service offerings and accelerate its sales and marketing efforts.

"Sequoia has an exemplary track record and we are very excited to join its portfolio of industry leading companies," said David Perla, Co-CEO and Co- Founder of Pangea3. "Sumir Chadha, one of the founding members of Westbridge Capital and a former executive of Goldman Sachs, will make an excellent addition to Pangea3's board of directors."

"Pangea3 is the recognized industry leader in the rapidly expanding legal process outsourcing (LPO) market," said Chadha. "As an increasing number of companies look for solutions to minimize the spiraling fees of outside counsel and law firms, Pangea3's hybrid business model and range of service offerings is the benchmark."

Founded in 2004, Pangea3 has successfully demonstrated that corporations and law firms can increase their efficiency and dramatically reduce legal costs by utilizing legal process outsourcing as a solution. It provides superior quality legal and intellectual property services in the areas of litigation support and document review, contract drafting, abstraction and administration, corporate governance and corporate secretarial services, patent drafting, analysis, competitive intelligence and patent litigation, legal and competitive intelligence research and database technology services.

"As a pioneer in the legal process outsourcing industry, we are pleased with the number of corporations and law firms that have integrated Pangea3 into their organization," said Sanjay Kamlani, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Pangea3. "Over the previous year, Pangea3 has expanded exponentially and has added several new service offerings. The additional funding will allow us to leverage our existing model of world class legal services with U.S. attorney management to take advantage of the increasing number of opportunities in this market. Our vision, to enable lawyers around the globe to revolutionize the way they practice law, is becoming a reality. And we are very excited that Sequoia has recognized the opportunity associated with the successful realization of that vision."

Pangea3 to Open New Facility in Andheri
Pangea3 is proud to announce the recent acquisition of a 16,000 square foot facility in the Andheri district of Mumbai, India. Located in the prestigious Leela Business Park, the new state-of-the-art facility will contain segregated and dedicated document review facilities with independent biometric single entry points, will have a state-of-the-art security infrastructure and will be ISO 27001 certified.

The Andheri office, scheduled to open in September 2007, will house 250 attorneys, scientists, engineers and other professionals, including segments of the litigation, corporate and intellectual property divisions. This marks the third Pangea3 office in Mumbai and the fifth office for the company worldwide.

"This is a very exciting time for Pangea3," said Kamlani. "In June 2006 we added a 5,000 square foot facility in Churchgate to increase our capacity to 175 employees, and this year we will add an additional 250 employees in Andheri. This new facility will be completely designed for Pangea3 and with a particular focus on our litigation division, which is experiencing tremendous growth."

The new facility will complement Pangea3's current Mumbai offices located in Churchgate and Nariman Point.

"These new facilities will allow us to increase our capacity for document reviews and maximize new eDiscovery opportunities," said Kamlani.

eBay Completes PayPal Acquisition

Thu, 03 Oct 2002 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct 3, 2002 -- eBay Inc., the world's online marketplace (Nasdaq:EBAY) (www.ebay.com), today completed its previously announced acquisition of PayPal, Inc. (Nasdaq:PYPL) (www.paypal.com), the global payments platform. At today's meeting of PayPal stockholders, the transaction was approved by holders of approximately 65% of the outstanding shares of PayPal common stock representing more than 99% of the shares voting.
In addition, Peter Thiel announced today that he has resigned as PayPal's CEO. Matt Bannick, eBay's senior vice president, global online payments, will assume all of Thiel's responsibilities.

In accordance with the terms of the transaction as announced on July 8, 2002, eBay acquired all of the outstanding shares of PayPal in a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction using a fixed exchange ratio of 0.39 of an eBay share for each PayPal share. Based on eBay's average closing stock price over the period two days before and after the acquisition was announced, the transaction is valued at approximately $1.5 billion. According to current estimates, the recognized purchase price is also expected to include approximately $17 million for acquisition-related costs.

As the company previously announced, PayPal will continue to operate as an independent brand. eBay's current payment service, eBay Payments by Billpoint, will complete the phase-out of its operations in the first half of 2003. PayPal's gaming business will be phased out by the end of 2002.

Fourth Quarter 2002 Financial Impact
Based on eBay's current expectations, including the phase out of PayPal's gaming business, eBay expects that PayPal will incrementally contribute $60 to $64 million in net revenues in the fourth quarter of 2002. Beginning with financial results for the fourth quarter of 2002, eBay will report Payments as a separate segment. This segment will include PayPal's operating results as well as those of Billpoint until the phase-out of Billpoint operations is complete. Based on current integration plans, Billpoint is expected to generate approximately $6 million in revenues in the fourth quarter of 2002.

eBay expects that the acquisition will incrementally contribute approximately $6 million to eBay's consolidated pro forma net income for the fourth quarter of 2002. As previously indicated, on a GAAP earnings per share (EPS) basis, including approximately $14 million in charges for amortization of intangible assets and stock-based compensation, eBay continues to expect the transaction to be dilutive.

2003 Financial Impact
For the full year 2003, eBay currently expects that net revenues for the Payments segment will be approximately $300 to $310 million which includes net revenues from Billpoint. On a consolidated basis, eBay now expects that net revenues in 2003 will be between $1.77 billion and $1.83 billion. In addition, eBay continues to believe that for the full year 2003, the acquisition will be slightly accretive to pro forma EPS, and will be dilutive to GAAP EPS.

Plaxo Doubles Private Funding

Tue, 18 Feb 2003 12:00:00 PST

February 18, 2003 (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) - Plaxo Inc., which provides a simple and secure way to keep all your contact information up-to-date and complete, announced today an additional $1.8 million in funding, again led by Sequoia Capital. At the same time, Plaxo announced the addition of former Amazon and Netscape executive Ram Shriram to its board of directors.

Led by Napster co-founder Sean Parker, Plaxo has now raised a total of $3.8 million since its founding in 2001. This total includes Sequoia Capital's initial investment of $1.8 million and $200,000 from angel investors in February 2002. The company launched its flagship contact management product, Plaxo Contacts, as a beta version in November.

"With Plaxo Contacts, individuals have found a secure, easy and automatic way to prevent lost or outdated contact information for Microsoft Outlook users," Parker said. "As one of our earliest investors, Sequoia has always seen the potential of Plaxo and the continued support will help ensure we are able to improve and grow the service."

"As with our other investments," said Michael Moritz, Sequoia Capital partner, "Plaxo provides a simple solution to a complex problem -- staying in touch in today's fast-paced world -- that can be widely adopted by millions of people."

Joining Moritz and former Yahoo! president and CEO Tim Koogle on the Plaxo board is Ram Shriram, a former Amazon and Netscape executive. Shriram will assist Plaxo in expanding its service quickly and efficiently, something he accomplished at both Amazon and Netscape.

"I look forward to leveraging my experience with this promising young company," Shriram said. "Plaxo, with its outstanding development team, investors and board of directors, has created a self-explanatory and simple-to-use product that will have great customer adoption."

While at Amazon, Shriram grew the customer base from 3 to 11 million, and had more than 300,000 sites linking to Amazon.com as part of its Associates Program. He was also a member of the Netscape executive team, where he built relationships with partners worldwide to build market share and revenue momentum.

It is estimated that half of the contact information in people's address books is outdated or incomplete. According to the U.S. Postal Service, 37 million families and individuals and 2.4 million businesses in the United States move every year. And a third of all email addresses change annually, as estimated by research firm NFO WorldGroup.

Plaxo Contacts works with PDAs and other devices that synchronize with Microsoft Outlook. It has plans to be compatible with Microsoft Outlook Express and other PIM software in the near future.

Plaxo Inc. Secures $7 Million from Cisco Systems, Sequoia Capital, and Globespan Ventures to Build Critical Internet Network

Mon, 24 May 2004 12:00:00 PST

May 24, 2004 (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) -- Plaxo, Inc., creator of the fastest growing contact management software and network, today announced that it has received a $7 million round of financing, including a strategic investment from Cisco Systems and participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital, Globespan Capital Partners, and angel investors. The investment will be used to expand the Plaxo Network, gaining critical mass and increasing its value exponentially to users.

"We are thrilled that world-class investors recognize the value we're creating and have chosen to help build the Plaxo Network," said Todd Masonis, Plaxo co-founder and vice president of products. "This strategic investment will help move Plaxo into the next phase of the company."

Since the introduction of Plaxo Contacts in May 2003, two million registered members have joined the Plaxo Network, the first robust contacts infrastructure for Internet users. Users join by installing the free Plaxo software in their Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail clients. To date, more than 30 million unique users have accessed the Plaxo Network to instantly update their contact information. It is fast becoming an important new layer of the Internet--like e-mail, instant messaging or Web browsing.

Plaxo is dedicated to keeping people connected by solving the common but frustrating problem of out-of-date contact information. Plaxo is an online service that securely updates, maintains, and provides easy access to contact information. Plaxo generates revenue through its relationship with Yahoo!, by offering Yahoo! Search technology directly from Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, and by selling premium services, such as Plaxo VIP support.

Including this round of funding, Plaxo has raised almost $20 million from Cisco Systems, Sequoia Capital, Globespan Capital Partners, Harbinger Venture Management, and angel investors including Ram Shriram and Tim Koogle.

Plaxo To Acquire Web 2.0 Calendar Start-Up HipCal

Mon, 01 May 2006 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--May 1, 2006-- Plaxo®, Inc., creator of the smart address book, has agreed to acquire innovative start-up HipCal, developer of an award-winning online calendar service. The acquisition will strengthen Plaxo's calendar platform, and extend the company's business model with new revenue-generating offerings.

The HipCal announcement highlights Plaxo's commitment to providing its members with the best tools and services for accessing and managing all of their personal information on any platform, email client, browser, or mobile device. The addition of HipCal's team and technology will dramatically accelerate Plaxo's efforts in the calendar space, bringing lifestyle management tools such as appointment management, iCal publication and subscription, and group calendars to Plaxo members by the end of 2006.

Fraternity Brothers Head to The Valley

Five fraternity brothers originated HipCal while attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), located in Troy, New York. The team quickly realized their online calendar and to-do list was more than a success among friends -- lots of people were using it. They decided to turn school project into a business and HipCal immediately took off -- inside and outside of RPI. In less than six months, the beta grew to thousands of subscribers and garnered awards from both South by Southwest (SXSW) and SEOmoz.org's Web 2.0 Awards.

"Our goal with HipCal was simply to create a calendar that makes sense," said Garret Heaton, co-founder and lead programmer, HipCal. "While we created a fantastic online calendar, as a standalone service, we realized more could be done to achieve its fullest potential. Together with Plaxo, we can give people one central, easily accessible service for all the information they need to organize their personal and professional lives."

"In the less than four years, Plaxo has fundamentally changed the way people think about the address book," said Ben Golub, president and CEO, Plaxo, Inc. "With the addition of the skilled HipCal team, we plan to do for the calendar what we did for the address book. The combined Plaxo/HipCal vision will result in the most complete and convenient solution for accessing and updating all of your personal information, and for helping you to stay organized and in-touch with friends, colleagues, customers, and family."

Today, Plaxo offers a smart, self-updating address book that is accessible from any web-enabled device. Plaxo also provides members with universal access to their calendar, tasks and notes. An enhanced, fully integrated and always-accessible calendar raises the bar on what an address book should do giving Plaxo a distinct competitive advantage because it is the natural tie-in with the address book.

Plaxo will acquire all assets of HipCal, including the technologies, for an undisclosed amount. The five founders will become Plaxo employees, but will continue to maintain the HipCal service until its functionality can be incorporated into Plaxo. Plaxo intends to incorporate all of the existing HipCal functionality into its free service. In addition, Plaxo will develop premium, calendar-related services.

Pontis Secures $15 Million in Equity Financing Led By Sequoia Capital

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:00:00 PST

Glil Yam, Israel, February 12, 2007 -- Pontis Ltd., a developer of software marketing systems for Communication Service Providers (CSP), today announced that it has secured $15 million in equity financing. Sequoia Capital led the funding round, which included investments from current shareholders Evergreen Venture Partners and Accel Partners.

Pontis offers an Integrated Marketing System, a comprehensive system for defining, executing and analyzing targeted marketing offers. With Pontis, mobile, cable, IPTV and fixed-line carriers are increasing revenues and customer loyalty by targeting customers with a rich set of offers including personal communications, targeted service bundles and content packages, real time promotions, contextual recommendations, and personalized advertisements.

"Sequoia is proud to add Pontis to its portfolio of companies," said Shmil Levy, a partner with Sequoia Capital, who joined the Pontis board of directors. "We found Pontis' offering to be unique, innovative and very valuable to the Communication Service Providers (CSP) space. For the first time marketers will be able to introduce new marketing campaigns without dependency on IT departments. The growing success of Pontis is creating a new market category of optimized solutions for marketers."

"We are thrilled that Sequoia Capital shares our vision of helping CSPs create compelling customer offers," said Michael Kerbis, Pontis CEO. "Together with the continuing support from our current investors, Accel Partners and Evergreen Venture Partners, this investment will allow the company to bolster its already-strong position in the burgeoning market of targeted marketing solutions - which cross service platforms and communication channels - for Communications Service Providers."

The proceeds from the funding round will enable the company to shorten the time to market of new products, continue developing its technologies, and focus on expanding its customer base, according to Kerbis.

"Pontis has developed a solution that helps CSPs automate key marketing and sales processes, allowing them to address fine segments quickly and effectively, with the right product and offer," said Kaj Relander, a General Partner at Accel Partners and a member of the board. "Pontis' Integrated Marketing System is quickly becoming the solution of choice for CSPs."

"The combination of this new category, along with Pontis' recent customer wins, helps solidify the company's leadership position in the new market segment it has defined," said Boaz Dinte, a Managing Partner at Evergreen, and a member of the board. "We are delighted with Pontis' progress thus far and are strong believers in this market."

Google To Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion in Stock

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 9, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.

The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google's expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.

"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."

"Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners," said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. "I'm confident that with this partnership we'll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide."

When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google's own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google's technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world's most popular services for video entertainment.

The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.

PowerFile Secures $10 Million in Series B Funding

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 12:00:00 PST

PowerFile, Inc., a leader in online solutions for long-term archiving digital content announced this week that it has secured $10 million in Series B funding. Silver Creek Ventures of Dallas, Texas led the round followed by Sequoia Capital, the initial investor in the Company.

PowerFile has achieved many goals this year, and the closure of this round of financing is a good proof for these achievements. These achievements include general availability of the SA2000 Permanent Storage Appliance, many strategic partnerships in the medical sectors of imaging and video surveillance and many other agreements in the digital home media market.

PowerFile has established the concept of online archiving, performing solutions that syndicate the speed of online access with the economy and reliability of new archiving technology to empower companies of all sizes to efficiently search, manage and permanently save valuable digital data.

"PowerFile has a highly compelling value proposition for the data storage industry," said Mark Masur, General Partner of Silver Creek Ventures. "Regulatory pressures are increasing. Records retention requirements are becoming more complex. That's why companies are looking for an archiving solution that delivers data permanence, fast access, and affordability. PowerFile offers that solution."

"We are thrilled with execution PowerFile has shown since our initial investment in 2004. We welcome Silver Creek in assisting PowerFile to be a major player in the data storage market," said Greg McAdoo, partner with Sequoia Capital. Sequoia Capital was an initial investor in companies such as Network Appliance, Cisco Systems Inc., and Oracle Corp.

"With this latest financing, we continue to pursue our vision and build value for our customers, partners, and investors," said Kirk Dunn, President and CEO of PowerFile, Inc. "We have the resources, the technology assets, the business plan, and the team in place to make our vision a reality."

Provigent Secures $8 Million in Third-Round Funding to Provide SoC Solutions for Broadband Wireless Transmission

Mon, 20 Sep 2004 12:00:00 PST

LOS ALTOS, Calif., September 20, 2004 -- Provigent Inc, a leading provider of system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for broadband wireless transmission, announced today it has closed a third round of financing in the amount of $8 million. With this round the total amount of funding raised stands at $19M. Providing funding in this round was Sequoia Capital (www.sequoiacap.com), along with Provigent's existing investors Pitango Venture Capital (www.pitango.com), Magnum Communications Fund (www.magnum-comm.com), Ascend Technology Ventures (www.ascendvc.com), Delta Ventures (www.delta-ventures.com), and Dr. Andrew Viterbi, co-founder of QUALCOMM (NASDAQ: QCOM).

"Provigent's innovative SoC technology offers system vendors improved performance and flexibility, while benefiting from the economy-of-scale and cost-effectiveness of off-the-shelf silicon," said Mr. Benny Hanigal a partner in Sequoia Capital, who joins Provigent's board of directors. "We believe that Provigent will be a serious player in the transition from home-grown solutions to merchant silicon in the broadband wireless transmission industry" concluded Mr. Hanigal.
Founded in 2000 by Mr. Guy Resheff and Mr. Dan Charash, Provigent is a fabless semiconductor company that provides SoC solutions for the broadband wireless transmission industry. Leveraging proprietary signal-processing algorithms and state-of-the-art semiconductor technology, Provigent develops highly integrated SoC's that provide an unparalleled combination of increased bandwidth, extended range and enhanced flexibility at lower system costs. These advanced SoC's enable manufacturers to develop cost-effective broadband wireless transmission equipment covering the microwave and millimeterwave frequency bands.
"This round of funding will facilitate the growth of Provigent's customer base and accelerate the development of next-generation silicon," said Dan Charash, Provigent's CEO. "By working closely with our customers and by pursuing the industry's most aggressive roadmap of algorithmic innovations and silicon integration, Provigent is ideally positioned to become the leading provider of SoC solutions for the broadband wireless transmission industry."

Provigent Ups 3rd Round of Financing to $10 Million

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 12:00:00 PST

LOS ALTOS, Calif., March 23, 2005 -- Provigent, Inc. a leading provider of system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions for broadband wireless transmission, today announced it has increased the third round funding to $10 million and the total amount raised thus far to $21 million.

The added funding results from a large number of new customers, mainly for the company's recently introduced PVG310 single-chip modem, and for the impressive speed at which Provigent has achieved 20 design wins to date. Market trends also factored into the new funding, as Provigent's off-the-shelf silicon chips are already filling a void in the burgeoning point-to-point microwave radio market by providing equipment vendors with a cost-cutting alternative to developing expensive proprietary ASICs in-house.

Providing the additional funding were all of Provigent's previous third-round investors: Sequoia Capital, Pitango Venture Capital, Magnum Communications Fund, Ascend Technology Ventures, Delta Ventures, and Andrew Viterbi, Co-Founder of QUALCOMM.

"As our 20 design wins reflect the confidence customers have in Provigent's solution, we're heartened that our investors share this confidence, not only in our company and technology but also in a continuing market trend toward merchant silicon," said Provigent CEO Dan Charash. "The new funding will let us further expand our customer base and work with our customers in pursuing the industry's most aggressive silicon roadmap."

Leveraging advanced signal-processing algorithms and state-of-the-art semiconductor technology, Provigent develops highly integrated SoC's that provide an unparalleled combination of increased bandwidth, extended range and enhanced flexibility at lower system costs. By using advanced solutions like Provigent's new PVG310, the company's many customers -- already representing more than a third of the point-to-point radio systems market -- significantly reduce development costs and time-to-market of their new point-to-point radio systems.

"In a very short time, we've seen Provigent make significant strides to becoming a major provider of off-the-shelf silicon to the wireless transmission market," said Nechemia (Chemi) J. Peres, Managing General Partner and Co-Founder of Pitango Venture Capital. "We're very pleased with the way Provigent is serving this growing industry segment and carving out a rewarding niche for itself."

Provigent Secures $16 Million in Fourth-Round Funding

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 7, 2007 -- Provigent, the leading provider of System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solutions for the broadband wireless transmission market, announced today that it has closed a forth-round of financing in the amount of $16 million. Globespan Capital Partners contributed funding to this round joining Provigent's existing world-renowned technology investors; Sequoia Capital, Pitango Venture Capital, Magnum Communications Fund, Ascend Technology Ventures, Delta Ventures, and Dr. Andrew Viterbi, co-founder of QUALCOMM (NASDAQ: QCOM).

"We are very impressed with Provigent's clear market leadership evidenced by a broad customer base which includes multiple first tier OEMs. Provigent's bold approach delivers an unrivaled level of silicon integration and algorithmic innovation with exceptional capabilities and performance to the wireless point to point industry." stated Jonathan Seelig, managing director Globespan Capital Partners. "I am pleased to join Provigent's impressive roster of financial backers and help accelerate its growth as the industry's leading System-on-a-Chip provider".

"We are excited with this vote of confidence by Globespan Capital Partners as well as the continued partnership from all of our existing investors." stated Dan Charash, Provigent's CEO. "This funding fortifies Provigent's market leadership and further accelerates its roadmap of highly integrated mixed-signal chips with unequaled modem and networking capabilities."

Provigent's field-proven, mass production SoC solutions offer significant system level enhancements while lowering overall system cost. With an established economy of scale, significant R&D investments and a focused dedication to the broadband wireless transmission industry, Provigent continues to establish itself as the market's leading SoC provider.

Provigent Ups Fourth Round to $20 Million

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 31, 2008-- Provigent, a leading provider of System-on-a-Chip (SoC) solutions for the broadband wireless transmission market, announced today that it has increased the fourth round funding to $20 million.

Stata Venture Partners investment in the fourth round increased from $1 million to $4 million. In addition to Stata Venture Partners, Provigent's technology investors include; Sequoia Capital, Pitango Venture Capital, Globespan Capital Partners, Ascend Technology Ventures, Magma Venture Partners, Delta Ventures, and Dr. Andrew Viterbi, co-founder of QUALCOMM.

"Provigent's consistently growing and strong customer base is constant validation of its leading position as the merchant silicon provider in this growing market," stated Ray Stata, co-founder and Chairman of Analog Devices. "The company's aggressive execution of initiatives to support next generation wireless communication with Provigent proven technology such as PVG610 and PVG310 influenced the decision to increase Stata Venture Partners investment in the fourth round."

"This successful round of funding will enable Provigent to further accelerate its roadmap and market penetration," stated Dan Charash, Provigent's CEO. "We value the support of all our investors and look forward to Ray Stata's continued involvement and guidance as a member of the Advisory Board."

"Provigent's field-proven, mass production SoC solutions offer significant system level enhancements while lowering overall system cost. With an established economy of scale, significant R&D investments and a focused dedication to the broadband wireless transmission industry, Provigent continues to establish itself as the market's leading SoC provider.

Xceive Completes Series C Financing

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 29, 2005--Xceive Corporation, developer of the world's first fully integrated multi-standard RF-to-baseband transceiver ICs for TVs, PC TVs, set top boxes, mobile phones, and other innovative consumer electronic devices, announced today that it has closed its Series C funding with $14.5 million in investments. Lead investor, Sequoia Capital, will join repeat investors; Alliance Ventures, BA Venture Partners and Ignite Group, in supporting Xceive's plans to expand current activity in research and development, increase production, and continue staffing in strategic geographical locations.

"We are pleased to welcome Sequoia Capital as our newest investor, a well known VC firm recognized worldwide. They have invested in many technology leaders a variety of successful semiconductor companies including Linear Technology, LSI Logic, Microchip, Nvidia and Pixelworks and we are excited they have chosen us as their investment in silicon tuner technology," said Pierre Favrat, president and CEO of Xceive. "Our breakthrough technology is continuing to gain traction and wide acceptance in the market place."

"Advanced design developments in televisions as well as devices such as PCs and mobile phones demand tuner solutions that can address high performance requirements. Xceive's unique technology provides the most advanced solution available," said Mark Stevens, general partner at Sequoia Capital. "Xceive is well positioned to address a significant need that will rapidly increase as the silicon tuner market continues to evolve."

Pure Digital Technologies Completes $40 Million Funding

Tue, 01 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, -- May 1, 2007 -- Pure Digital Technologies, Inc., maker and marketer of next-generation digital video products and one-time-use digital cameras, today announced the completion of a $40 million round of equity funding co-led by AllianceBernstein L.P. and Morgan Stanley Principal Investments (MSPI). Heights Capital Management, Inc. and existing Pure Digital investors Sequoia Capital, Benchmark Capital, Focus Ventures, Crescendo Ventures, Steamboat Ventures, VantagePoint Venture Partners, and Samsung Ventures also participated in the round. San Francisco-based investment bank Savvian represented Pure Digital in the transaction.

The funding coincides with today's introduction of Flip Video, Pure Digital's breakthrough line of simple, pocket-sized digital camcorders, as well as the launch of the company's national television and on-line branding campaign created by DDB Worldwide, a four-time winner of the Clio Agency Network of the Year award.

Flip Video is an ultra-convenient line of pocket-sized, affordable camcorders featuring built-in software that makes it easy for everyday consumers to instantly capture, edit, and share video. Available today at retailers nationwide -- in time for giving gifts to moms, dads and grads -- Flip Video is specifically made for capturing life's spontaneous moments, no matter where and when they happen. Developed with Internet video sharing integrated into the device itself, Flip Video is also the first and only camcorder to upload directly to online video sharing sites, including YouTube.

"Our view is that Pure Digital has strong financials, a smart and viable business model and tremendous demand for its products from retail giants like Target, Best Buy, Costco, CVS/pharmacy, Rite Aid, and Amazon.com," said Jamie Kiggen, Senior Vice President, AllianceBernstein. "We believe that Pure Digital has a unique position in the digital imaging market and welcome the opportunity to be a part of their promising future."

"We are excited to participate in this investment in Pure Digital," said Michael Petrick, Global Head of MSPI. "Pure Digital is a strong company with an excellent management team and great growth potential. The company's Flip Video is well positioned to allow consumers to capture and share video as part of their everyday lives."

Rackspace Acquires Email Hosting Specialist Webmail.us

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN ANTONIO -- Oct. 1, 2007 -- Rackspace® Managed Hosting today announced that it has acquired Webmail.us, the largest provider of business class email hosting with more than 600,000 business mailboxes under management. Together, Rackspace and Webmail.us will focus on providing a comprehensive mail platform and related services to companies of all sizes.

Rackspace's acquisition of Webmail.us highlights the company's investment to transform traditional IT functions into consumable services via the web. As more and more enterprises transition from purchasing in-house IT assets to leveraging service providers, Rackspace plans to offer a suite of hosted IT services that are more reliable and provide better value than traditional IT. Rackspace has already made a seamless expansion into the mail industry, which it views as the first step in giving businesses a chance to solve a persistent and growing challenge with a better solution.

"Web-delivered business-class services remove the IT administration burden from companies that lack large IT staffs and/or want to concentrate more fully on their core business functions," says Melanie Posey, research director, IDC. "Hosting companies that meet this need and expand their portfolios to include key on-demand functionality such as managed messaging can differentiate themselves from competitors. Rackspace's acquisition of Webmail.us illustrates the company's commitment to innovating in the hosted services market and responding to customer demand."

"For years, Rackspace has built Fanatical Support focused on making our customers' web presence reliable and easy to manage. Today, we're expanding our vision and plan to do the same for IT hosting. Messaging and collaboration are Rackspace's first major steps in expanding our product portfolio to include hosted IT services," said Lew Moorman, senior vice president of corporate strategy and product development, Rackspace Managed Hosting. "Webmail.us has developed a world-class product set and shares our deep commitment to customer service. We are natural partners and we will collaborate to strengthen and complement our existing mail portfolio."

"Rackspace already hosts our entire email hosting infrastructure and has been our most critical business associate. Experiencing Fanatical Support first-hand has proven to us that Rackspace is a different kind of company--one that is truly dedicated to its customers," said Pat Matthews, President, Webmail.us. "In working with Rackspace for more than four years, we've realized that our companies share great synergies and visions for the future. Rackspace realizes the market shift towards IT hosting and the mission critical nature of business-class email. This partnership strengthens our ability to serve businesses that rely on email but don't want to manage it themselves."

Rackspace and Webmail.us will join forces to create innovative new products focused on enterprise-class mail functionality. The companies have previously collaborated to offer Rackspace's current Global Messaging Portfolio, including Noteworthy Managed Mail. The Webmail.us company headquarters will continue to be based in Blacksburg, Va.

Rayspan Closes 15 Million Dollar Round of Investment Led by Sequoia Capital

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

San Diego, CA. - Rayspan Corporation has now closed on total funding of $15 million. The most recent round, which was led by Sequoia Capital, will be utilized by Rayspan to further advance the development and commercialization of its breakthrough metamaterial air interface technologies. In addition, Rayspan is expanding its operations beyond San Diego and is now opening branches in Taiwan and Korea.

RingCentral Completes $12 Million Funding Round

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:00:00 PST

Redwood City, CA, September 24, 2007 -- RingCentral, Inc., which allows small businesses to unify and intelligently manage all their phone, mobile, fax and email communications, today announced that Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures have completed a financing round of $12 million.

With the only phone management service developed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses and mobile professionals, RingCentral to date has attracted 40,000 customers, and is signing up thousands more each month.

"Using RingCentral, even the smallest businesses get more functionality than most large business phone systems, at a small fraction of the cost," said Doug Leone, partner, Sequoia Capital. "With 40,000 paying customers, it's clear this company has a winning service."

"This is the next wave of software as a service," said David Weiden, partner, Khosla Ventures. "While Internet, broadband and mobile communications have become pervasive in the past several years, the basic business phone system has not advanced, and that presents a fundamental ."

To further strengthen its executive team, RingCentral recently hired an experienced chief financial officer. Dinesh Lathi brings nearly 15 years of financial and operating experience to the RingCentral executive team. Prior to joining RingCentral as CFO, Lathi was a vice president at eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) where he worked on both the Finance and Trust & Safety teams. Lathi holds a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Harvard.

RingCentral Secures $12 Million Series B Funding, Passes 50,000-Customer Milestone

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

Redwood City, Calif. (Business Wire) March 4, 2008 -- RingCentral announced today it has closed a $12 million series B financing led by DAG Ventures and joined by returning investors Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures.

RingCentral also announced that it surpassed 50,000 active customer accounts. Accounts range from one to many subscribers, typically in small businesses with 20 or fewer employees.

The company will use the new funding to enhance its products and services, build new partnerships and distribution channels and increase awareness among its large and growing target market of small businesses.

Commenting on the investment, Khosla Venture's David Weiden said, "Today few small businesses would set up their own web or email software using onsite hardware, and more and more software is outsourced as a service everyday. RingCentral extends this value proposition to telecom hardware, saving thousands in cost and providing more functionality with an easy to use online service."

RingCentral offers the advanced capabilities of traditional office public branch exchange (PBX) systems plus integrated voice/web applications. Unlike traditional PBX or office phone systems, RingCentral is hosted on the web and is delivered in a subscription-based, software-as-a-service model. Examples of services include:

-Setup and customization in minutes on the web
-Toll-free and local business phone and fax numbers
-Multiple extensions with voicemail
-Call-forwarding to any phone
-Message alerts on cell phones or PDAs
-Greetings recorded by professional voice talent
-Optional voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) lines.

Features such as these allow RingCentral's small business customers to use voice communications in new ways while offering cost-savings, ease of use and better functionality over traditional office phone systems.

"I was the COO of a service organization in my past position and spent thousands of dollars on a phone system. RingCentral's service is certainly an amazing value for the money and offers an easier to use and more innovative option," said Gerard Bottomley, President, Pacific Floor Products, a wood floor distribution company in Eugene, Oregon.

Vlad Shmunis, RingCentral founder and CEO added, "Our strong customer growth coupled with this investment from top VCs underscores that we're reaching a large and underserved market. Before, small businesses were left in the gap between costly enterprise services and insufficient consumer solutions. We're offering a new way for them to get the most out of a critical business tool, their communications."

RockYou! Announces Second Round of Funding

Wed, 16 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

San Mateo, Calif. -- May 16, 2007 -- Rock You!, the leading provider of widgets on the web, today announced forward momentum with funding from Partech International, in conjunction with entering into a settlement agreement with Iconix. With more consumers creating an online identity and community, user generated content and personalization continues to be one of the most talked about and growing trends on the Internet. Founded in 2006, RockYou! serves over 150M widget views per day to over 200 countries.

Partech International led the series B round with existing investors, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Ventures for an undisclosed amount. The funding will enable Rock You! to continue its focus on developing and distributing the company's suite of popular widgets for integration with many of the Web's most trafficked social networking sites, blog networks and photo hosting websites.

"We are thrilled to complete our series B funding led by Partech International," said Dr. Lance Tokuda, CEO and co-founder of RockYou!. "The additional funding will help further our efforts in creating easy to use, engaging and expressive widgets for our loyal user base, as well as provide our integration and content partners with the assurance of a secure and mutually beneficial relationship."

In addition, the company reached an amicable agreement and terms of settlement with Iconix. The companies also finalized the terms and conditions of the disputed source code rights and ownership.

Widgetbox Closes $8 Million in Series B Funding

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, Calif., January 31, 2008 - Widgetbox™, announced today it has closed its series B funding, raising $8 million from investors Sequoia Capital, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, NCD Investors, and private investor, Michael Dearing. The new funding will be used to build products and services for its large and growing community of developers and consumers including the expansion of DevShare, the company's revenue sharing program with developers.

Widgetbox operates the largest distributed community of widget developers and consumers, which includes:
-26,000 widget developers
-33,000 widgets in the gallery at www.widgetbox.com
-12 million daily widget-views
-Distribution across 210,000 domains
-15 percent of Facebook applications and 60 percent of Bebo applications

Commenting on the investment, Sequoia Capital's Jim Goetz said, "Widgetbox and its community are building this business one widget at a time, one domain at a time. Widgetbox's success shows a distributed community of developers and users is a powerful part of the widget ecosystem

In 2007, the company closed its series A funding. The amount of the funding was not disclosed. Investors included Sequoia Capital, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, and Michael Dearing.

Ruckus Wireless Secures $9 Million in Second Round Financing

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 12:00:00 PST

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, September 19, 2005 -- Ruckus Wireless, Inc., formerly Video54, today announced that it has secured $9 million in its second round of financing, which increases total investment in the company to over $14 million since its formation in June of 2004. The proceeds will be used to enhance product development and to scale sales and marketing activities.

Ruckus Wireless develops and markets the only wireless multimedia system that delivers reliable and quality transmission of voice, video and data communications over standard Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) technology throughout the home.

Sutter Hill Ventures and Investor Growth Capital, the venture capital arm of Investor AB of Sweden led the new financing. Existing investors Sequoia Capital and WK Technology Fund completed the oversubscribed round. WK Technology Fund led the $3.5 million first round of financing, while Sequoia Capital and private investors provided the initial $1.5 million of seed money.

Ruckus Wireless has also appointed Wen Ko, founding managing director of WK Technology Fund to its board of directors. In addition to Mr. Ko, the Ruckus board of directors is comprised of a who's who of networking industry veterans including Dominic Orr, chairman and former CEO of Alteon WebSystems, Selina Lo, president and CEO, Gaurav Garg, former founder of Redback Network and partner at Sequoia Capital and Bill Kish, CTO and co-founder of Ruckus Wireless.

In less than one-year of operation, Ruckus Wireless has developed and delivered the industry's next generation of wireless multimedia products, signed an worldwide agreement to license its BeamFlex technology to NETGEAR and announced its first customer shipments to PCCW, Hong Kong's primary telecommunications provider.

SANRAD Secures $8 Million in Funding Round; Sequoia Capital Leads the Round in Backing of IP...

Mon, 02 Aug 2004 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO -- SANRAD Incorporated, a leader in developing and delivering intelligent iSCSI IP SAN solutions, today announced that it has closed a funding round of $8 million with leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital as the principal investor.

The capital raised in SANRAD's latest funding round will mainly be used to continue the company's aggressive market expansion with its IP storage networking solutions into computing environments throughout the world. In addition to expanding sales, marketing and support, SANRAD will also use a portion of the funds to bring future products to market and to facilitate its previously announced development of worldwide headquarters in California's Silicon Valley.

iSCSI technology allows the creation of Storage Area Networks based on IP, and simplifies storage management over distance. Analysts are forecasting that the iSCSI market will grow from $216 million in 2003 to slightly over $1 billion by the end of this year. By 2007, the market is expected to reach almost $5 billion.

"SANRAD has been riding a growing upsurge of sales success in all geographic regions and experiencing greater interest in our solutions from tier one global IT leaders. Our new investment partner, Sequoia Capital, not only provides us with the financial resources needed to capitalize on our forward momentum, but delivers vast experience in growing leading enterprises and adds strategic depth associated with a top level venture capital firm," said Uli Gal-Oz, SANRAD CEO. "The funds raised from Sequoia Capital, a firm that has fueled more than 300 companies to success, underscore the fact that we are poised for rapid expansion and in a position to capitalize on opportunities in the IP storage arena."

"The iSCSI market is one that will help solve the storage and networking problems faced by real-world customers needing a better method of managing their ever-expanding corporate data," said Haim Sadger, Sequoia Partner. "Our investment in SANRAD underlies our core belief that businesses will search out and buy iSCSI products because they can actually solve the pain that many are feeling in trying to stay out from under this avalanche of information."

Satellier LLC., Secures $10 Million in Second Round Equity Funding from Sequoia Capital

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

CHICAGO, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Satellier, a pioneer and global leader
in the development of value-added design support and Building Information
Modeling (BIM) service solutions for the global architecture, engineering,
construction (AEC) industry, announced today that it has raised $10 million
in a second round of venture funding from Sequoia Capital. The investment
accelerates the company's rapid migration to full technology-enabled BIM
services and will facilitate robust global expansion.

Satellier is investing heavily in BIM services, including hiring key
technologists and thought leaders to direct dedicated BIM practice areas
and developing proprietary workshare software with BIM at the forefront.
Expanded service offerings will reach the architecture and engineering
marketplace as well as the construction and owner communities. The company
plans to open three new US offices in the next six months, and a U.K.
office and new delivery centers in India and around the world over the next
24 months.

"Sequoia brings a wealth of skills, resources, and experience to the
Satellier Board, and will assist us in establishing best-practice global
relationships, managing our rapid growth, and helping to accelerate our
transition to the industry's next-generation technology: Building
Information Modeling," notes Michael Jansen, Satellier's Chairman and CEO.

Sumir Chadha, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital India, adds, "As
many professional services from law to architecture are moving offshore, we
look for leading companies in their fields to have the greatest chance of
long-term success. Michael's vision for the future of Satellier, to create
the first ever transnational BIM firm, is poised to change the face of the
AEC industry."

Satellier Acquires Screampoint

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

CHICAGO -- Satellier Inc., the global leader in workshare solutions and pioneer in Building Information Modeling services (BIM) for the architecture, engineering, construction and building owner (AECO) industry, announced the acquisition of Screampoint, the inventor of and leader in 5D Digital City and Digital Building systems.

CEO Michael Jansen, comments, "The investment by Sequoia Capital enabled us to successfully globalize our workshare practice - in addition to our resourcing headquarters in New Delhi, we now have offices in New York City, San Francisco, London, and, very soon, Dubai. Next, we plan to acquire service-enabling technologies to rapidly expand our offerings to the global real estate industry."

"With this acquisition of Screampoint and its innovative 5D environment, we're equipped to offer increasingly advanced BIM services to architects and engineers, and we're creating a new category of digital asset management services for additional clients in the real estate industry - including building owners, governments, and contractors."

Screampoint 5D allows clients to envision, communicate, design, construct, manage, and service their properties more effectively. Clients can visualize and analyze a 3D model of a property, a large real estate portfolio, or an entire city; they can travel though time (hence 4D) for the entire model; and they can embed and retrieve design or business information into the model and all of its assets (hence 5D).

Digital City models are well underway for the governments of Wuhan, the capital city of China's Hubei province; Shanghai, China's largest city; and Guangzhou, the capital city of China's Guangdong Province. Similar models are underway for New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Hong Kong.

HsiaoLai Sean Mei, CEO of Screampoint, adds, "Many people term our solution 'Google Earth Professional' - it allows clients to navigate an interactive model of their real estate at any level of scope and detail, with key information available at the click of mouse, and with real-time visual performance. However you term it, Screampoint 5D provides unparalleled power and great value to governments, owners, developers, designers, contractors, managers, and service providers."

"Screampoint 5D is a natural complement to Satellier's workshare business and BIM pioneering. Whereas Satellier leads the industry in advanced BIM model development, Screampoint 5D provides a BIM integration and analysis platform for all real estate constituencies. On behalf of my colleagues in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and San Francisco, let me say that we are thrilled to become part of the Satellier group of companies and fully subscribe to a total service solution to the real estate industry."

Mei and Jansen are also developing their plans to extend this offering with additional technologies and services for construction.

ScaleMP Maintains Up-Round Valuation and Existing Investor Participation

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

Cupertino, Calif. -- April 1, 2008 -- ScaleMP, a provider of virtualization solutions for high-end computing, today announced that it has received $8 million in new venture funding, bringing the total raised to $26 million. Participation in this up-round funding included all of the existing investors: Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, TL Ventures, and ABS Ventures. This announcement coincides with the official launch of the company and its technology, whose details have also been announced today.

"ScaleMP is revolutionizing the high-end computing market by aggregating multiple industry-standard x86 servers into a single system," said Barry Eggers, general partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, and chairman of the board at ScaleMP. "We have been with the company since the beginning, and continue to be impressed with the expertise and drive of the ScaleMP team. During 2008, I expect the company to build upon its strong customer traction and market momentum, as well as the strategic partnerships that it has already established."

"We are proud of the continued commitment our investors have showed us. This new round of funding will be utilized to broaden our product offerings and expand our sales channels," said Shai Fultheim, founder and CEO of ScaleMP. "Through our worldwide network of partners, systems based on our technology are already installed around the world, serving the Global 5000 customers in verticals such as manufacturing, energy, life-sciences, and financial services."

The ScaleMP aggregation technology allows a server to expand outside a single system boundary, addressing growing end-user requirements for large memory systems or systems with high-core count. The vSMP Foundation aggregation platform is a software-only solution that eliminates the need for extensive R&D or proprietary hardware components in developing high-end x86 systems, and reduces overall end-user system cost and operational expenditures. It utilizes up to sixteen x86 systems to create a single shared-memory system with 4 to 32 processors (128 cores) and up to 1 TB of RAM, providing significantly better price/performance compared to traditional SMP systems and lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to clusters.

Searchme nabs $31 million from Google backer, others

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

Visual search engine Searchme has raised $31 million from early Google backer Sequoia Capital and other investors, according to the company.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company, which has been in development for the last three years, launched a private beta of its search engine on Tuesday. The company also closed on a fourth round of funding worth $15 million led by Lehman Brothers, according to SearchMe CEO Randy Adams. That investment adds to the $16 million the company has raised since June 2005 from Sequoia, Dag Partners, and private investors including actor Will Ferrell. Sequoia also participated in the latest round.

The investment was first reported by AllThingsD.com.

Searchme is a rich visual search engine for Internet users with a high-speed connection. The site lets visitors browse stacks of Web pages--or the images of those Web pages--before jumping off to the site. Visually, it's like the scrolling interface of Apple's Cover Flow for iTunes. Using predictive technology that tracks the word typed into the search box (e.g., Madonna), SearchMe will also suggest categories of content for visitors to browse (e.g., the religious figure or the pop star).

Adams, a longtime entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, said he got the idea for Searchme several years ago, when his then 5-year-old son was having a hard time reading. He wanted to build a search engine that would improve the experience of finding information online.

"In the last seven to eight years, we haven't seen a lot innovation on search results pages," said Adams, who founded Searchme in 2005 with John Holland.

"With Searchme, you can thumb through 30 pages of the Web in the time it takes to read one page of Google," Adams said.

Visual search has been around in some form for years--search engines, for example, have long toyed with thumbnail views of results. But Web surfers typically find text more useful.

What's remarkable about Searchme are its backers, who are seasoned investors in Web search. (Sequoia was an investor in Yahoo and Google.) Clearly, with such a sizable investment, Sequoia and others are looking for new search models that may change the game once again. Rival upstart RedZee shows there's more than one interest in the market.

If successful, visual search engines like Searchme and RedZee could help redefine online advertising when it comes to Web search. Google, of course, has proved that advertisers will spend billions of dollars annually to seed their product ads into search results and pay for each click on a text listing. But Google has yet to entice major brand advertisers to spend billions on graphical ads, paying rates similar to television commercials.

It's easy to see that if people begin to cotton to visual search engines on their Apple TV, for example, brand advertisers like Coke and Nike would likely pay more to insert the equivalent of a two-page magazine ad or video inside the results pages.

Sequoia partner Mark Kvamme, who is chairman of Searchme, was selling such an idea to advertisers in New York City on Tuesday.

"Searchme allows you to bring brand advertising back into search," Kvamme said in an interview.

Searchme plans to make its money from ads, but for now, the site will be advertising-free. It's available only by invitation, but Adams said the company will launch publicly by the end of the month or by early April.

The company's visual engine was built from scratch in collaboration with Adobe Systems and its Flex 3 software. It's not an exhaustive index of Web pages--it searches just more than 1 billion pages, a drop in the bucket for Google, but the company said it's regularly adding sites. The company is concentrating on keeping the experience fast--Adams said that Searchme will load 10 pages in under a second.

The company has 35 employees in its Mountain View, Calif., and San Francisco offices. Search experts working on the site include Eric Glover, a machine-learning specialist previously with Ask.com.

Adams said the company raised $31 million to support the expense of attracting talent in Silicon Valley and afford thousands of servers it takes to render visual search. That said, it still has a lot of money in the bank.

"Search is a difficult thing. Google has set the bar high," Adams said. But, he added, "you can always innovate."

SintecMedia Receives $7M in Funding from Sequoia Capital

Sun, 09 Apr 2006 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK --April 9, 2006 -- SintecMedia, a leading international developer of software for scheduling, sales, traffic and billing systems, announced it has completed a $10M round of private equity funding from Sequoia Capital and from its current investors. SintecMedia designs and delivers next-generation systems that allow broadcasters as well as cable and satellite networks and channels to manage their schedules and to increase their revenues and reduce costs.

"This investment will be used to support the company`s rapid growth in key global markets, accelerate our product development efforts and to support the management of new forms of media and advertising," said Amotz Yarden, SintecMedia's CEO. "Our OnAir operations-management solution has emerged as the state-of-the-art system in our markets and is installed in leading single- and multi-channel broadcast operations in North America, Europe and Asian markets. This funding will enable us to pursue additional markets and technology development opportunities."

"We are very pleased to support SintecMedia in its efforts to expand globally," said Benny Hanigal, Sequoia Capital partner. "In assessing the market needs within the broadcasting and cable industry sectors, we identified that there is a significant need for next-generation technology that will allow users to move beyond their traditional revenue-generation business models and SintecMedia appears to be uniquely-positioned with solid products, new technology, and quality management to deliver on this."

Sipera Secures $13.2 Million From Sequoia Capital, Austin Ventures And Star Ventures

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 12:00:00 PST

Richardson, TX, March 15, 2006 -- Sipera Systems, the leader in pure security for VoIP, mobile and multimedia communications, today announced it has secured $13.2M in series B round funding. The round was led by Sequoia Capital, and includes prior investors Austin Ventures and STAR Ventures. This latest funding brings Sipera's total to $19.5M and will help the company expand operations and extend its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) security solution to wireless operators.

"The increase in VoIP deployments is driving both awareness of and demand for comprehensive VoIP security, which is reflected by Sipera's growth and expanding market opportunity," said Mike Goguen, a Sequoia Capital General Partner. "Comprehensive VoIP security is emerging as a new product category and Sipera has established clear leadership in this segment." Mr. Goguen, who has successfully guided numerous VoIP and security firms such as NetScreen, Redback and Spatial Wireless, will join the Board of Directors for Sipera Systems.

"The recent launch of the Sipera IPCS 310 product was a tremendous success, validating our approach to VoIP security and demonstrating the escalating demand for our solutions," said Seshu Madhavapeddy, Sipera President and CEO. "This new investment, will allow us to expand our operations to support the growing demand for our products and extend our product line into the wireless VoIP market. We look forward to drawing on Mike's deep expertise in VoIP and security."

"Sipera was founded with the mission to build comprehensive security solutions for real-time IP communications applications when VoIP security was barely a concept to most," said Krishna Kurapati, Sipera's Founder and CTO. "Over the last 2 years, the Sipera VIPER lab has done exhaustive analysis of IETF and 3GPP specs and built a catalogue of thousands of vulnerabilities that exist within SIP, UMA and IMS protocols. This research forms the basis of the most comprehensive VoIP security product on the market to proactively address these vulnerabilities. This new round of funding is a testament to our leadership in this space."

Recently launched at VoiceCon Spring 2006, Sipera IPCS products represent the most comprehensive pure security solution for protecting real-time IP communications applications such as VoIP, instant messaging (IM), video and multimedia. The Sipera IPCS 310 is deployed within the network to protect both the infrastructure and end-users from a number of malicious, application-specific attacks and service abuse.

Sipera IPCS products can be deployed in any existing VoIP infrastructure with no need for on-site interoperability testing, due to Sipera's close development and integration work with leading VoIP infrastructure manufacturers. The Sipera IPCS 310 product is not a point-of-failure in the network and is not subject to attack, as it is deployed without an IP address with no network configuration changes -- preserving network integrity and user uptime, for fast ROI.

Sipera Secures $10 Million to Further Advance VoIP/UC Security

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

Richardson, TX, October 2, 2007 - Sipera Systems, the leader in comprehensive VoIP/UC security solutions, today announced it has secured Series C funding of $10 million. The round was led by Duchossois Technology Partners (DTEC), and includes a full participation by existing investors Austin Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and STAR Ventures. The funding brings Sipera's total amount raised to $29.5 million, and will help the company expand sales and support into other geographies; deliver more advanced real-time VoIP/UC security capabilities for the Sipera IPCS product line; and increase the VoIP vulnerability consulting services from Sipera VIPER Lab.

"Since we first introduced the Sipera IPCS 310 in 2006, we've expanded the IPCS product line to enable a broader range of large enterprises and service providers to better secure VoIP and unified communications. The addition of Sipera VIPER Services complements our market leading product offering by helping our customers assess and manage the risk associated with their VoIP/UC networks. Our VIPER consultants leverage the industry's most extensive database of VoIP/UC vulnerabilities, discovered by the Sipera VIPER Lab research team," said Seshu Madhavapeddy, Sipera president and CEO. "This funding will allow us to establish new global partnerships, further enhance our comprehensive security offering, and create a robust real-time communications risk management practice by expanding our VIPER Lab research and consulting services."

"We are excited to lead the Series C round and invest in Sipera," said Tony Seth, DTEC general partner. "With its blue chip customer base in the financial, health care and wireless service provider markets, partnerships with leading VoIP/UC vendors, and patented, best of breed technology, Sipera is the gold standard in a market poised for takeoff." Seth has joined the Board of Directors of Sipera Systems.

VanceInfo Technologies Inc. Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering of its American Depositary Shares

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

BEIJING, Dec. 11 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- VanceInfo Technologies Inc. (''VanceInfo'' or the ''Company'') (NYSE: VIT), an IT service provider and one of the leading offshore software development companies in China announced the pricing of its initial public offering of 7,650,000 American Depository Shares (ADSs) at USD8.50 per ADS. Each ADS represents one ordinary share. The ADSs will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "VIT," and are expected to begin trading on December 12th, 2007 (Eastern Standard Time).

In connection with the offering, VanceInfo has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to 1,147,500 ADSs to cover over-allotments. The net proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures, such as establishing new offices to expand its delivery platform, and funding possible future strategic acquisitions. Citi and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated acted as joint bookrunners for the offering while Jefferies & Company and Susquehanna Financial Group LLLP served as co-managers.

The offering of the securities is made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Citi, Brooklyn Army Terminal, 140 58th Street, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, New York, New York 11220 or Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated., c/o Prospectus Department, 4 World Financial Center, 250 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10080.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has declared VanceInfo's registration statement relating to these securities to be effective. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities law of any such state or jurisdiction.

Sourcefire Secures $15 Million in Series C Funding Led by Sequoia Capital

Tue, 27 Jan 2004 12:00:00 PST

Columbia, Md., January 27, 2004 - Sourcefire, Inc., a world leader in intelligent security monitoring and threat management solutions, today announced that the company has closed a $15 million Series C round of investment that included the participation of all prior investors. Leading the round, Sequoia Capital invested in Sourcefire based on the company's rapid growth, proven management team and products that enable customers to more effectively prevent intrusions and other threats to network assets. This investment significantly increases Sourcefire's cash reserves and will be used to accelerate product development initiatives, international expansion and aggressive marketing programs.
"Sourcefire has proven its ability to serve real customers with real pain points writing real checks that equate to a sizable and growing opportunity," said Sameer Gandhi of Sequoia Capital. "We see, on average, about 20 new ideas per day and make only 8 to 12 new investments per year. Sourcefire distinguished itself from day one through their remarkable progress, product vision, and enormous market potential."

In 2003 Sourcefire proved to be one of the fastest growing security companies in the industry, grabbing market share by delivering Intelligent Security Monitoring solutions that consistently outperformed less sophisticated approaches. With their flagship IDS and RNA (Real-time Network Awareness) network surveillance products, Sourcefire provides customers with an unprecedented level of insight that enables pro-active threat mitigation in advance of intrusion attempts or other malicious behavior. RNA, generally available only since December 22 of last year, is already in use at more than 70 leading commercial, educational and government institutions worldwide.

"The investment from Sequoia Capital is a tremendous validation of Sourcefire's progress and potential," said Wayne Jackson, CEO of Sourcefire. "This capital infusion allows us to remain aggressive while maintaining solid cash reserves and a bulletproof balance sheet. Over the next year, Sourcefire will be even more energized as we build profitability and advance our Real-time Security product family."

Sourcefire Raises $20 Million in Late-Stage Funding

Wed, 24 May 2006 12:00:00 PST

Columbia, Md., May 24, 2006 -- Open source innovator, Sourcefire, Inc., the world leader in network intrusion prevention, today announced that the company has secured $20 million in late-stage funding led by Meritech Capital Partners, a leading provider of late-stage venture capital to premier information technology companies. All previous Sourcefire venture investors, Sierra Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Sequoia Capital, Core Capital Partners, and Inflection Point Ventures also participated in the round. After more than four years of record growth that saw Sourcefire reach key milestones including profitability and positive cash flows, this capital will provide Sourcefire with both a 'bullet-proof' balance sheet and the resources needed to aggressively pursue new market opportunities and product innovations.

"Sourcefire is everything Meritech Capital looks for in a portfolio company," said Mike Gordon of Meritech Capital. "Their combination of innovative technologies, revenue growth, and successful and focused leadership, ensures that Sourcefire will be a long-term industry standout. We are confident Sourcefire will continue to build its momentum and market leadership with diversified, in-demand solutions."

Founded in 2001, Sourcefire is best known for its enormously popular Snort open source intrusion prevention technology. The synergies between Snort and Sourcefire's commercial innovations have made Sourcefire one of the most successful privately-held security companies in the industry having garnered more than sixteen awards for its technology and business success since the beginning of 2005. In December 2005, Sourcefire was the only private company named to the Leaders Quadrant of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Intrusion Prevention System Appliances, 2H05 report.

In 2006, the Sourcefire 3D System has already taken top honors at the annual SC Magazine Awards, being named the Best Security Solution in the U.S., and was named the "Security Product of the Year" at the European NetEvents "Technology Leader" Awards. SC Magazine previously identified the Sourcefire 3D System as "Best IPS on the Market" in its July 2005 issue.

"We believe that this is the perfect time for Sourcefire to broaden its leadership in next generation network security. With this capital infusion we will be able to extend our technology innovations into attractive related markets while continuing to grow worldwide market share," said Wayne Jackson, CEO of Sourcefire. "Our extraordinary team combined with a strong Q1 and accelerating pipeline growth allowed us to attract the venture industry's finest firms before concluding that Meritech represented the ideal late-stage partner."

Sourcefire Files Registration Statement for Initial Public Offering

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:00:00 PST

Columbia, MD. October 25, 2006 -- Open source innovator, Sourcefire, Inc., a leader in network intrusion prevention, today announced that it filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the offering have not yet been determined. Sourcefire and certain of its stockholders are expected to sell the shares to be offered.

The sole lead book-running manager of the offering will be Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated. Lehman Brothers Inc. will serve as co-lead manager and UBS Securities LLC and Jefferies & Company, Inc. will serve as co-managers. When available, a preliminary prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained by emailing prospectus@morganstanley.com, or by contacting the prospectus department at Morgan Stanley, 1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 (212-761-6775).

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

UUSee Announces US $23.5 Million Financing

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

BEIJING, March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- UUSee, the leading Internet television and interactive video operator in China, announced today that it has raised US $23.5 million in new financing. Draper Fisher Jurvetson Growth Fund ("DFJ Growth Fund") and Highland Capital Partners led the round, with Steamboat Ventures joining as a new investor and additional participation from existing investors Sequoia Capital China and SIG. In conjunction with the financing, Barry Schuler of DFJ Growth Fund and Dan Nova of Highland Capital have joined UUSee's Board of Directors.

"This financing represents a further endorsement in our progress to date and the very large market opportunity that has emerged for broadband media in China," stated Zhu Li, CEO and co-founder of UUSee. "DFJ Growth Fund, Highland Capital and Steamboat Ventures are top-tier firms that have relevant expertise, relationships and capital to help us achieve further growth and expand our leadership in the market."

Through its exclusive partnerships with leading Chinese content providers and distributors such as CCTV (China's largest TV broadcaster), Beijing TV and CSAT (China's leading satellite operator), UUSee provides its audience with a vast library of licensed content including popular television programming, news programs, drama series, sports and movies. The company has also partnered with SMG to deliver live Internet broadcasts of world-class premium sports events. UUSee broadcasts nearly 60 channels of live TV programming and 350 channels of commercial video content, along with video-on-demand features, downloading services to mobile devices, and specialized services for Internet cafe users. In addition, approximately 25 regional broadband portals from China Telecom (CT) and China NetCom (CNC) have partnered with UUSee to offer this broadband video programming to their users.

"The company and management team have made significant progress to date securing key partnerships and developing a unique platform that already serves millions of online viewers," stated Dan Nova, Managing General Partner with Highland. "With its proprietary technologies, including a robust peer-to-peer streaming network, UUSee is making online video distribution of licensed content a reality."

UUSee is working with television programmers and broadcasters to deliver their content with new interactive features, including voting, text-messaging and rich media advertising. Brands can advertise on UUSee in multiple ways, using pre- and post-roll ads, banners and text ads, plus more innovative ad units such as picture-in-picture and interactive Flash.

"UUSee is China's leading Internet TV operator and peer-to-peer video network, and we're thrilled to be partners with them," added Barry Schuler, Managing Director of DFJ Growth Fund and former Chairman and CEO of America Online (AOL). "UUSee has developed a large and loyal audience that continues to grow very rapidly. We look forward to helping them become China's most successful broadband media company by forging partnerships with the world's top studios, programmers and advertisers who want to reach this enormous audience."

"We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to invest in China's premier Internet TV and interactive broadcasting operator," said John R. Ball, Founder and Managing Director of Steamboat Ventures. "UUSee is at the forefront of delivering licensed media and entertainment content over the Internet, and we look forward to working closely with the company and its partners."

China Renaissance Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to UUSee on this transaction.

Sourcefire, Inc. Prices Initial Public Offering of Common Stock

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Columbia, MD. March 8, 2007 -- Open source innovator and SNORT® creator, Sourcefire, Inc. (Nasdaq: FIRE), a leader in network intrusion prevention, announced today the pricing of its initial public offering of 5,770,000 shares of its common stock at $15.00 per share (before underwriting discounts and commissions). Of those shares, Sourcefire is selling 5,320,000 shares and selling stockholders are selling 450,000 shares. The estimated net proceeds to Sourcefire are $71.8 million. Sourcefire will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling stockholders. In addition, Sourcefire has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 865,500 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any. The common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "FIRE".

Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated is acting as the sole book-running manager for the offering and Lehman Brothers Inc. is acting as co-lead manager. In addition, UBS Securities LLC and Jefferies & Company, Inc. are acting as co-managers of the offering. A copy of the prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained by contacting Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 1585 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, Attention: Prospectus Department, by calling 212-761-6775 or by emailing prospectus@morganstanley.com.

Sourcefire Acquires ClamAV Open Source Network Anti-Virus Project

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 12:00:00 PST

COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 17, 2007--Open source innovator and SNORT (R) creator, Sourcefire, Inc. (Nasdaq:FIRE), today announced that it has acquired ClamAV(TM), a leading open source gateway anti-virus and anti-malware project. Sourcefire's first acquisition since its Initial Public Offering in March 2007, ClamAV will broaden the company's open source footprint while providing the technology foundation for new products and services that will extend the company's Enterprise Threat Management network security portfolio.

With nearly 1 million unique IP addresses downloading ClamAV malware updates daily across more than 120 mirrors in 38 countries, ClamAV is one of the most broadly adopted open source security projects worldwide. ClamAV has also been recognized as comparable in quality and coverage to leading commercial anti-virus solutions. Most recently, at LinuxWorld this year, ClamAV was one of only three anti-virus technologies to provide a 100% detection rate in their live 'Fight Club' test featuring live submissions from the show audience.

Under terms of the transaction, Sourcefire has acquired the ClamAV project and related trademarks, as well as the copyrights held by the five principal members of the ClamAV team including project founder Tomasz Kojm. Sourcefire will also assume control of the open source ClamAV project including the ClamAV.org domain, web site and web site content and the ClamAV Sourceforge project page. In addition, the ClamAV team will remain dedicated to the project as Sourcefire employees, continuing their management of the project on a day-to-day basis.

In accounting for the transaction, Sourcefire anticipates a one-time charge in the third quarter of 2007 of between $0.09 and $0.12 per share for the immediate write-off of in-process research and development, which will be classified as an extraordinary item. Details of the transaction consideration are not being disclosed.

"This acquisition gives Sourcefire the ability to bring together two of the security industry's most widely adopted open source projects; Snort and ClamAV. This will not only broaden our reach, but will also allow us to extend our product family into a number of intriguing new markets," said Martin Roesch, Founder and CTO of Sourcefire and Creator of Snort. "The success of the ClamAV project is a direct reflection of the talent and dedication of the founding team and the project community. Sourcefire will continue to invest in the ClamAV technology, much as we have with Snort and Snort.org. Sourcefire pioneered the business of balancing commercial solutions with open source innovation, and we intend to apply those same Snort sensibilities to the ClamAV project."

ClamAV has been adopted by network security solution and service providers worldwide and is currently integrated within leading enterprise solutions, including Unified Threat Management Systems (UTM), Secure Web Gateways and Secure Mail Gateways, to identify deeply embedded threats such as viruses, trojans, spyware, and other forms of malware.

"We are very excited to join Sourcefire and we believe that this combination will allow us to deliver increased value to the open source community, as well as Sourcefire's commercial customers," said Tomasz Kojm, ClamAV Project Founder. "Sourcefire is a well respected company in the open source arena, and they really understand how to balance open source community investment with the commercial needs of their customers. This is an exciting development for me, as the project founder, and I look forward to the future growth of the ClamAV technology and community."

Stoke Raises $20 Million in Series C Funding

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 12:00:00 PST

SANTA CLARA, CA, January 22, 2007 - Stoke, Inc., today announced the commercial availability of the Stoke Session Exchange (SSX), an integrated hardware and software solution that enables network operators to deliver multimedia services concurrently over fixed and wireless broadband access technologies. The SSX is the industry's first multi-access convergence gateway designed from inception to solve the security, quality of service and mobility challenges associated with optimizing subscriber sessions within and across different broadband access alternatives. The SSX significantly reduces the cost and complexity of delivering rich, best-connected services and uniquely enables operators to fully realize the economic benefits and competitive advantages of network convergence.

Stoke also announced the closing of a $20 million Series C financing. The oversubscribed, up-round was led by DAG Ventures, and included existing investors, among them Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital.

"Operators are under intense commercial pressure to unlock the multimedia capabilities inherent with broadband connectivity. At the same time, the growing, diverse range of fixed and wireless access technologies is increasing network cost and complexity, and making service delivery more fragmented and problematic," said Randall Kruep, founder and CEO of Stoke. "With the launch of the SSX our mission is clear - to enable operators to offer imaginative new services to subscribers, regardless of their location or device - in the most optimized fashion. In short, to simplify network convergence."

Stoke Session Exchange 3000
The SSX is the only product of its kind purpose-built for scalable, stateful management of secure, reliable, high-quality subscriber sessions over multiple network access types including fixed, cellular, Wi-Fi and WiMAX.

The SSX was architected to enable operators to address the critical challenges of network convergence - such as cost-effective scaling of multi-access subscriber connections, granular session management, and improved service creation and control. The SSX was developed in compliance with leading standards including 3GPP/2, ITU and PacketCable Multimedia (PCMM) specifications.

Highlights of the SSX include:
Multi-Access Intelligent Session Management
The SSX provides comprehensive management of diverse session and tunnel types to unify different kinds of access networks, ensuring services can be deployed consistently to subscribers regardless of location or device. Operators can deploy the SSX for a range of current convergence initiatives with the assurance that the platform can evolve to provide the multi-access foundation required in the future.

Contemporary System Architecture
Stoke's unique architecture distributes control, packet forwarding, encryption and switching functions to every line card. This yields linear scaling of subscribers and high-performance services as well as a low entry cost with "pay as you grow" economics. Programmability in the control and data paths ensures rapid feature development and application versatility. By harnessing merchant silicon, the SSX leverages processing price/performance curves and ensures system longevity through future technology lifecycles.

Enhanced Service Creation and Billing
The SSX has the processing power to unlock the value of multimedia services in a scalable manner. Content awareness, session- and flow-based QoS and service control, and highly dynamic policy management enable operators to offer a wide range of innovative new services and generate very granular accounting records. Providers can now create, track and charge for services based on any combination of bandwidth usage, time, events, or content.

Carrier-Class Foundation
SSX hardware is highly reliable with no single point of failure, and critical components are redundant and hot swappable. Additionally, SSX software employs the latest high availability design principles, making it exceptionally resilient with a modular architecture and features. Stoke has developed middleware that implements self-monitoring and self-correcting capabilities to provide proactive fault recovery.

"As operators around the globe try to maximize the value of existing fixed and wireless access networks and embark on fixed-mobile convergence, IMS, WiMAX and other initiatives, the need for a multi-access gateway like Stoke's is clear," said Stephane Teral, principal analyst, VoIP, IMS, & FMC for Infonetics. "We think the company is well positioned to benefit from a range of near-term carrier projects, and believe they have the right elements in place to become a leader in this new product category."

$20 Million Series C Funding
Stoke received $20M in an over-subscribed Series C financing round, bringing the company's total funding to date to more than $50 million. The latest investment will be used to increase its sales and marketing activities and further advance the development of the product.

"Wireless broadband has become a top priority for operators globally as they race to meet the demand for higher bandwidth, richer applications and always available access from billions of fixed and mobile subscribers," said Matt Murphy, partner at Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers. "This phenomenon will drive one of the largest network upgrade cycles in recent history, and we believe Stoke has the ideal combination of highly differentiated technology, a proven team, and customer focus to capitalize on it."

Sequoia Capital, Nexus invest Rs 120 cr in Unicon Financial

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

New Delhi: Leading foreign private equity investors Sequoia Capital and Nexus India have invested Rs120 crore in local brokerage firm Unicon Financial Intermediaries.

Sequoia Capital and Nexus India have infused the funds in city-based Unicon Financial Intermediaries, which is promoted by former Indiabulls executives - Gajendra Nagpal and Ram Mohan Gupta.

The deal assumes significance amid a meltdown in the domestic stock market, following which some of the financial services firms have seen a considerable drop in the value of their share price.

The company would utilise the funds raised for its expansion plans and is looking to increase the number of its offices to over 160 place across India from about 100 currently, a company release said.

"There is a lot of potential of brokering services in India and the meltdown in the market is a temporary phenomenon. The investments reaffirm foreign investors' faith in the Indian financial services space and its long-term growth prospects," Gajendra Nagpal, CEO of Unicon Financial, said.

"Once the market recovers, the trading turnover will again reach the levels they were in January this year. We aim to take these services to the Tier II and Tier III cities and educate people about investing in stock markets," Nagpal added.

Unicon has a pan-India presence with over 100 branches and franchisee network in about 250 locations. It intends to focus on retail customer acquisition by creating an extensive infrastructure of financial product distribution and expand branch network.

Storwize Secures $9 Million in Latest Funding Round

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 6, 2007 -- Storwize Inc., the only provider of innovative online storage compression solutions, today announced that it has closed a $9 million round of funding with leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. The Series B funding will be leveraged by Storwize to boost the company's ability to meet the soaring demand for its solutions by organizations looking to benefit from its patent pending data compression technology to maximize their network infrastructure at a fraction of their current cost.

The investment by Sequoia enables Storwize to aggressively expand its sales and marketing teams in the US and worldwide to meet soaring demand. The Storwize unique primary data compression solutions, which were first introduced into computing environments around the world at the end of 2005, offer companies significant operating expense reductions such as: fewer hardware devices acquired and under management, reduced network traffic, and less power consumption and floor space. Additional benefits include: storage performance improvements as well as shorter backup and restore windows.

"Our investment strategy is to search out those companies that we believe will have the greatest impact in the industry in which they perform," said Shmil Levy, Sequoia Partner. "We believe Storwize to be that market disrupter and feel that their leadership in the data compression industry is something that will not soon be overcome. Our careful assessment of Storwize and their innovative
take on storage dilemmas facing enterprises today allows us to enter into this partnership with full confidence of their future success."

"We are honored to have Sequoia join as investors after we've navigated a successful company launch where we've already shipped our solutions to customers all around the world ," said Gal Naor, CEO of Storwize. "Unlike other vendors who claim to be coming into the same technology market as we are, Storwize is the only company with a working solution available for purchase today and one that is well proven. As we continue to meet the soaring market demand for this innovative solution, our partnership with Sequoia will help us to scale our production to move up to the next stage of delivering technology that helps customers store as much as five times more data with no performance degradation."

Storwize's third-generation data compression appliances, which feature no workflow changes, no software agents, no drivers and no configuration changes, are available through more than 30 reseller and OEM partners throughout the world, with the company gradually increasing its geographical coverage to meet sales demand. Storwize maintains relationships with its customer base by providing dedicated pre- and post-sale support. The company has applied for 18 worldwide patents, which are pending for its NAS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel applications. Only Storwize offers a real-time, universal, transparent and direct-access solution.

Tutorvista Secures $10.75 Million Second Round Funding

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. December 20, 2006 TutorVista (www.TutorVista.com), the leading online tutoring and test preparation provider, today announced the closing of a $10.75 million round of series B funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Lightspeed contributed $7 million to the round while Sequoia Capital India and Silicon Valley Bank contributed an additional $3.75 million. TutorVista will use this new funding to expand all services and operations across the globe.

"TutorVista is building the next big internet education company, said Ravi Mhatre, general partner, Lightspeed Venture Partners. Lightspeed's investment will enable TutorVista to continue its rapid growth in U.S., U.K. and other countries. We are looking forward to working with the company to meet the educational needs of thousands of students around the world."

"This new round of funding speaks to the innumerable benefits our online tutoring and test-prep services are providing students across the U.S. and around the world," explained TutorVista founder and chairman Krishnan Ganesh. "Not only have we have seen tremendous growth over the past year, but we have noted overwhelming support for our efforts to provide a low cost, high effective solution to many of the problems facing the American education system. This funding will expand our operations to answer the growing demand for online tutoring and test prep."

Launched in 2005, TutorVista's personalized, one-on-one online tutoring and test-preparation services are currently available in the United States and United Kingdom for K-12, college and graduate level students in many subjects and exams. TutorVista's programs are customized to ensure more time is spent targeting students problem areas and enrichment interests to maximize learning, grades and test scores with the available time. Online sessions begin with a diagnostic assessment to identify student strengths and weaknesses, followed by individualized learning strategies. Virtual classrooms are equipped with voice and chat (IM) messaging as well as an electronic whiteboard for interactive use by both student and tutor. Unlike most classroom-style tutor and test prep, TutorVista's one-on-one approach guarantees a high level of individualized attention at a fraction of the cost of most leading test preparation and tutoring companies.

Tutorvista Secures $2 Million From Sequoia Capital India

Mon, 12 Jun 2006 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA June 12, 2006 TutorVista (www.TutorVista.com), a leading online tutoring and test preparation company, today announced it has secured $2 million in series A round funding. The round was led by Sequoia Capital India and includes prior angel investors. The funding will help TutorVista expand operations in the United States and bring affordable high-quality education to more students globally.

"We are excited to partner with the founders and management team of TutorVista to create a global market leader in online education services," said K.P. Balaraj, Sequoia Capital General Partner. "The founders have an ambitious vision of making assisted learning and test preparation services significantly more affordable by leveraging the internet as a distribution and learning medium. As the leading investor in internet and mobile consumer services companies in India, we look forward to working closely with Ganesh and his team to build a great franchise in education services."

K. Ganesh, TutorVista CEO, said, "We have seen a tremendous response to our online tutoring and test prep packages. This funding will allow us to expand our operations to support the growing demand for online tutoring and test preparation. In a short time, TutorVista has shown itself to be innovative in pricing and product offerings in the tutoring and test preparation space. This new round of funding is a testament to our leadership in this space. "

"TutorVista is the answer to some of the most pressing problems in the education sector in this country," said Patricia Perry, TutorVista's Vice President of Sales. "Declining test scores, a shortage of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and lack of individual attention to students has created a crisis situation. One-on-one instruction customized for each student is needed, and
TutorVista offers this at a flat monthly fee. Parents and schools across the country have responded enthusiastically to our educational offerings. "

Launched in 2005, TutorVista is now available in the United States and United Kingdom. TutorVista offers online tutoring that uses voice and whiteboard to bridge the distance between student and tutor. Since the service is open 24/7 and is offered online, students can get tutoring any time and from any location with internet access, freeing parents from the need to drive their children to tutoring centers.

TutorVista was the first to launch a flat price tutoring plan. While traditional tutoring costs $40-$60 per hour, TutorVista charges only $99.99 per month for unlimited online tutoring in all subjects. TutorVista covers all subjects for K-12 and college students. TutorVista test preparation packages for SAT, ACT and other exams are based on one-on-one tutoring and include fulllength
practice tests.

Turin Networks to Acquire Carrier Access

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

Petaluma, CA and Boulder, CO -- December 17th, 2007 -- Turin Networks, Inc., and Carrier Access Corporation (NASDAQ: CACS) today announced a definitive agreement for Turin Networks to acquire Carrier Access for approximately $92.7 million in cash subject to certain adjustments. The addition of Carrier Access' broad portfolio of wireless backhaul and converged access products extends Turin's suite of iConnect-based solutions to the service provider edge.

Under the terms of the agreement, stockholders will receive $2.60 for each outstanding share of Carrier Access' common stock, subject to adjustment. This represents a premium of 14.7% over Carrier Access' 20 day average stock price of $2.27 through December 14th, 2007. The purchase price is subject to adjustment in the event that Carrier Access has less than $63 million in "closing cash," as defined in the definitive agreement.

"The driver for Turin's significant growth over the past year has been carriers' increasing infrastructure investments to accommodate wireless data traffic and expanded Ethernet service offerings", said Henry Wasik, chief executive officer of Turin Networks. "This led us to pursue strategic expansion opportunities that complement our growth drivers and provide our customers with enhanced value. The Carrier Access acquisition leverages our strengths in wireless, as well as converged IP networks, and enables Turin to offer comprehensive solutions that extend to the edge of the service provider network."

The acquisition of Carrier Access by Turin Networks will benefit the customers of both companies. The combination of the two companies creates a powerful, unified solution for mobile backhaul, fixed mobile convergence, and converged business service delivery, and adds strategic technologies such as pseudowires, VoIP, and access routing to the portfolio, accelerating Turin's growth and time to market. The benefits of increased scale will also elevate the company's ability to innovate -- providing the capacity to develop new products that expand upon the existing portfolio of solutions.

Carrier Access, with facilities in Boulder, Colorado and Shanghai, China, has a base of over 100 customers which includes major Tier 1 wireless and wireline carriers, cable operators, enterprises and government agencies. The Carrier Access product portfolio includes solutions that span the wireless backhaul network from the cell-site to the network edge, as well as converged access technologies that enable service providers and enterprise customers to deliver carrier-quality IP voice and data services.

"We believe that this transaction is beneficial to Carrier Access stockholders, employees and to the respective customers of both companies. Turin is a good cultural fit for Carrier Access employees," said Allen Snyder, president and chief executive officer of Carrier Access. "The combined company will have the scale to accelerate Turin's position as a leader in the telecommunications industry. Turin's and Carrier Access' combined product portfolio, broad customer base and expertise are ingredients for success in the marketplace."

Additional Information Regarding the Acquisition
The definitive agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Turin Networks and Carrier Access. The transaction is subject to the approval of Carrier Access stockholders and certain other customary closing conditions. The directors and executive officers of Carrier Access have agreed to vote their shares, which constitute 38.3% of the outstanding common stock of Carrier Access, in favor of the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2008 and is intended to be treated as a taxable purchase of the securities of Carrier Access.

The Turin Networks board was advised by Deutsche Bank and the Carrier Access board was advised by Jefferies Broadview.

Turin Networks Acquires the Product Portfolio and the Majority of the Material Assets of White Rock Networks

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 12:00:00 PST

Petaluma, CA, October 27, 2006 - Turin Networks, a global provider of IP and multiservice optical transport solutions for wireline, wireless, MSO, and private networks, today announced that the company has acquired the product portfolio and the majority of the material assets of White Rock Networks, a provider of next-generation optical transport products for metro networks. This transaction simultaneously expands Turin Networks' product portfolio and carrier customer base to over 300 customers worldwide.

"Turin Networks already has a significant market presence with diverse network operators worldwide who are transitioning to packet-optimized, high-capacity transport networks," said Henry Wasik, president and CEO of Turin Networks. "We look forward to working with our new customers from the former White Rock Networks - which includes major CLECs, ILECs, and MSOs - both to support their existing deployments, and to offer them a combined product portfolio that meets a wider range of their requirements."

White Rock Networks product portfolio consists of the VLX 2020 Optical Transport System, the VLX 2006 Multiservice Access Platform, the VLX 300 and 400 Service Edge Concentrators and the VLXpert EMS.

As consolidation in the carrier space creates ever-stronger entities, and as more bandwidth-intensive applications, such as video streaming, continue to boost Internet traffic, the requirement for increased optical backbone capacity is expanding dramatically. Turin Networks' product portfolio is focused on enabling carriers to support new services and increase transport bandwidth, at the most optimal cost structure.

Storwize Secures $19 Million in New Funding Round

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 9, 2008 -- Storwize Inc., the leader in primary storage data compression solutions, today announced it has successfully closed $19 million in funding from new investors, venture capital firms Bessemer Venture Partners and Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, as well as the Series B investment round leader, Sequoia Capital. The Series C funding will accelerate Storwize's efforts to expand its sales and support organizations, as well as its product management resources, to meet the soaring demand for the company's primary data compression solutions.

The company's innovative primary data compression solutions are successfully deployed to customers worldwide including Fortune 500 companies, international banks and other large enterprises. With this investment, Storwize will significantly increase its sales force coverage in response to worldwide growing customer demand for Storwize solutions following an upswing of recognition and accolades in the industry.

"It is an honor to be supported by three venture firms who have such a level of skills and proven experience. This third round of financing is further validation of the market recognition we are seeing to our leadership in compression solutions for primary storage. It will help extend our capabilities even further in delivering technology that continues to revolutionize storage economics as well as enable us to realize high volume sales," said Gal Naor, CEO of Storwize.

"The strategy behind our investment in Storwize is to constantly look at partnering with companies that are set to have a dramatic impact on the industry they serve," said Shmil Levy, Sequoia partner. "Storwize's proven leadership in the primary data compression market will be a difficult act to follow."

"Storwize successfully addresses the changing economics of enterprise data centers, offering real solutions for enterprise customers who are faced with uncontrolled data growth coupled with soaring operational expenses in today's unstable economic environment," said Adam Fisher, partner, Bessemer Venture Partners. "The Storwize solution is set to offer significant savings for data center scale environments with not only dramatic savings on disk space but also significant savings on all operational expenses such as power, cooling and space."

"Storwize is the leading company today offering a proven solution for primary storage data explosion," said Stewart Gollmer, managing director in Private Equity and a partner in Lehman Brothers Venture Partners. "The company's deep entrepreneurial pedigree as well as their technology competencies matches our firm's interest in supporting ventures with extraordinary potential."

The success of Storwize has been acknowledged by industry leading publications throughout the year with the company receiving several prestigious awards. Storwize recently won the Bronze award in the Storage Networking Equipment category of the Storage Products of the Year award by TechTarget, which is the second straight year the company was nominated. This also marks the second straight year Storwize was named "Emerging Tech Dynamo" by CRN magazine. Other honors this year included being named a "Top 10 Startup to Watch" by storage networking website Byte and Switch, and a "Cool Vendor" by Gartner, a leading analyst firm.

StrongMail Systems Receives Equity Funding from Sequoia Capital and Evercore Ventures

Mon, 15 Mar 2004 12:00:00 PST

Los Angeles, CA -- March 15, 2004 -- StrongMail Systems, an email infrastructure company dedicated to redefining the way businesses create and deliver electronic customer communications, today announced that Sequoia Capital and Evercore Ventures have invested $6 million in the company. Sequoia's Mark Kvamme and Evercore Venture's Sangam Pant have been named to StrongMail's Board of Directors.

StrongMail will use the financing to expand its capabilities to meet the demand of Global 2000 companies who are seeking comprehensive, cost effective solutions for building or improving enterprise-grade email generation and delivery systems.

"Although email has become ubiquitous, its full potential for customer communications and retention, brand extension and revenue generation has not been realized. With this infusion of capital, StrongMail is well positioned to provide comprehensive, cost effective solutions," said Frank Addante, co-founder and CEO, StrongMail Systems. "We are gratified that Sequoia and Evercore recognize StrongMail's leadership role in developing enterprise grade email infrastructure software that will transform the way companies communicate electronically and we are very pleased that Mark Kvamme and Sangam Pant will be joining our board."

email services spending is a billion dollar plus market, fueled by companies seeking superior electronic customer communications that will allow them to decrease traditional business costs while increasing revenue. The market has been hampered by its reliance on expensive, proprietary development and outsourcing. We believe that StrongMail is positioned to establish a much needed industry standard for enterprise-grade email infrastructure software, which will fuel the transition to more cost effective customer communication." said Kvamme, Sequoia.

"Frank Addante brings strong entrepreneurial skills to StrongMail," said Pant, Evercore. "He has an impressive track record for technology innovation, having invented the adMonitor, one of the Internet's top marketing and email delivery software applications for the Global 2000, as well as well as a history of starting and building companies one of which resulted in an initial public offering and two others were acquired. We believe StrongMail has identified a market with huge growth potential."

StrongMail has developed the world's first integrated, comprehensive, enterprise-grade email infrastructure software platform -- StrongMail Enterprise, an email application server. This revolutionary advance simplifies the development and maintenance of complex custom messaging applications and broadly expands the functionality and effectiveness of business email systems.

A flexible solution for building a new electronic customer communication system, integrating or enhancing current systems, StrongMail Enterprise ensures maximum delivery success rates at unparalleled speeds. StrongMail Enterprise systems employ a state-of-the-art message transfer agent combined with sophisticated middleware to simply the development process as well as on-going operations.

This solution enables companies to blend existing assets such as CRM and commerce systems, web sites, content management systems and reporting platforms to create highly sophisticated customer communications.

StrongMail Systems Secures $9.5 Million in Series B Funding

Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:00:00 PST

REDWOOD SHORES, CA -- January 23, 2006 -- StrongMail Systems, the innovation leader in email infrastructure software, today announced that it has closed a $9.5 million round in Series B funding. The round was led by Globespan Capital Partners, with additional financing from existing investors Sequoia Capital and Evercore Ventures. Venky Ganesan, managing director of Globespan Capital Partners, will join StrongMail's board of directors.

The announcement comes on the heels of a record financial quarter for the company, with a 51% increase in customers, including Citrix Online, BrassRing and HouseValues, among others. The funding will be used to expand company operations in response to increasing demand for its products.

StrongMail Systems develops email infrastructure software designed to meet the challenges of today's digital messaging environments. The company's products alleviate common problems such as poor deliverability, low visibility and data integration challenges. This enables businesses to leverage email in increasingly sophisticated ways to improve their bottom line.

"StrongMail embodies one of those rare combinations of talent, uniqueness and timing that provides an excellent investment opportunity for firms like Globespan," said Venky Ganesan, managing director of Globespan Capital Partners. "StrongMail has an acute understanding of the email delivery market, and an elegant solution with a growing list of satisfied customers that speaks to its potential."

StrongMail software includes a message transfer agent (MTA) optimized for email delivery, a message assembly engine for dynamic content, advanced message tracking, and the industry's only Live Updates and self-diagnostic tools for delivery assurance. StrongMail leverages a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) for easy integration with any business system via Web services or SMTP. Available as software or a turnkey appliance, StrongMail exceeds the performance requirements of even the most demanding enterprises and service providers with the ability to assemble, deliver and track over one million highly-dynamic messages on a single, standard server.

"Email and other forms of digital messaging hold enormous potential for businesses today, but most companies don't have the infrastructure they need to take advantage of it," said Sam Cece, CEO of StrongMail Systems. "Our customers use StrongMail software to simplify and enhance their infrastructure so that they can focus more on the value that digital messaging can bring to their business."

Cece continued, "Our Q4 results, coupled with strong financial support from top-tier investors like Globespan, clearly validate our view of the market."

SynapSense Adds On To Series B

Thu, 18 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

Folsom-based SynapSense, a company which is developing wireless instrumentation products for reducing energy costs in data centers, said today that it has added Sequoia Capital in its Series B funding. The company said the second close brings the firm's total raise in this round to $11M. Other investors in the firm include Emerald Technology Ventures, American River Ventures, Nth Power, and DFJ Frontier. Scott MacDonald of Emerald Technology Venture has joined the firm's board as part of the funding.

Bharti Telesoft Raises $13.5M

Sun, 04 Dec 2005 12:00:00 PST

Bharti Telesoft, which provides services and products to several leading telecom companies, said on Monday it had received $13.5 million in a third round of funding.

Investors include Westbridge Capital Partners, a leading Indian venture capital fund; as well as Sequoia Capital and Cisco Systems. Bharti raised $3.1 million in two earlier rounds from the founders and Bharti Enterprises, the leading telecommunications vendor in India.

India
Bharti, a Red Herring Asia 100 company, positions itself as a one-stop shop for major Indian cellular providers, offering messaging, call management, billing, and customer service.

It has also developed mobile point-of-sale technology, rerouted wireless infrastructure to speed delivery of messages, and revised roaming charges to make roaming more appealing to customers.

Bharti Telesoft provides value-added products and services for mobile carriers in different parts of the world. The company's list of blue-chip customers includes France Telecom, Egypt's Orascom, Amsterdam-based Celtel, Philippines-based GlobeTelecom, and Russia's MTS.

France TelecomRussia
As software services giants like Wipro and Infosys Technologies increasingly concentrate on the global market, telecommunications service providers have focused on the booming local market.

Infosys Technologies
While the telecom market is not expected to become saturated for at least another five years in India, companies have been looking to extend their footprint globally. Bharti Telesoft's systems are already being deployed in 25 countries, but the company hopes to increase that reach even further.

India
The company plans to use the investment to fund acquisitions, enhance product development, and expand further internationally.

"This investment will provide an added impetus to achieve our aim of being the leading global provider of innovative products, solutions, and services to the telecom sector," said Bharti Telesoft CEO Sanjiv Mital.

Powerful Benefactors

The company has the advantage of benefiting from strategic guidance from Bharti Enterprises, the No. 1 mobile phone operator in India. Its Airtel brand, a GSM (global system for mobile communications) service, has the largest number of mobile phone subscribers in India.

India
Sequoia Capital made a strategic investment in Bharti Telesoft to help it become more of a global player in the field of mobile value-added services.

"This is the first time we are investing in an Indian company," said Douglas Leone, a partner in Sequoia Capital. "We have been very impressed with Bharti Telesoft and their innovative products, as well as how they have grown their business in various countries.

Sequoia has so far invested in several cross-border companies that have headquarters in the United States or elsewhere but operate mainly in India.

The Healthcentral Network Acquires Foodfit.com, A Leading Online Healthy Lifestyle Destination

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 12:00:00 PST

ARLINGTON, VA- The HealthCentral Network (www.TheHealthCentralNetwork.com) announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of The FoodFit Company founded by Ellen Haas, the former Undersecretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (1993-1997). The acquisition includes www.foodfit.com, a leading healthy eating and active living Web site, which makes healthy food, nutrition and fitness choices easy and enjoyable. In connection with the asset purchase, Ellen Haas will join The HealthCentral Network as founder and president of its FoodFit.com division. The terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed.

The acquisition combines FoodFit's emphasis on healthy living and disease prevention through nutritious cooking, eating, and fitness with THCN's broad array of Web sites devoted to helping individuals manage diseases and chronic conditions on a daily basis.

"FoodFit's extensive library of healthy recipes and its menu planners and nutritional resources are powerful tools that will naturally complement our patient-focused communities," said Chris Schroeder, CEO and President of The HealthCentral Network. "We are thrilled to be joining forces to bring comprehensive lifestyle and nutrition information to our users."

Visitors to THCN sites will now benefit from FoodFit's broad collection of tools designed to assess health and diet habits and make healthy changes, including 2,500 chef-created, seasonal, customizable recipes that emphasize both taste and nutritional value. MyDiabetesCentral.com visitors, for example, will find low-sugar recipes and nutrition guides, CholesterolNetwork.com visitors will see heart-healthy recipes and meal planners, and more.

FoodFit boasts an unparalleled roster of nationally recognized chefs and nutrition experts from around the country, as well as leading public health and nutrition organization partnerships. Ellen Haas and the FoodFit team authored "Fit Food" published by Hatherleigh Press in 2005 and expect to publish "Fast and Fit" in 2007 with Hatherleigh Press.

"Since FoodFit.com's launch in 2000, we have provided our millions of users with credible, trusted and balanced nutrition information, user-friendly tools, and thousands of chef-created recipes and menus," FoodFit founder Haas said. "The marketing reach and traffic of THCN's collection of more than 30 health Web sites will increase the scale of FoodFit's impact - it's a win-win combination that will result in healthier consumers."

FoodFit's 600,000 registered users will gain from THCN's broad health offerings, including top-quality disease prevention and management content and condition-focused communities.

IAC Acquires a Minority Stake in The HealthCentral Network

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK - January 28, 2008 - IAC (NASDAQ: IACI) announced today that it has acquired a significant minority stake in The HealthCentral Network (www.healthcentral.com), a leading collection of health and wellness web properties, reaching 7.7 million viewers.* Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

The HealthCentral Network (THCN) is a collection of over 30 owned and operated condition-specific and healthy living websites that combine authoritative health information with tight-knit communities of people, bringing together patients and experts to share wisdom and personal experience. The move marks a major push into the online health information space, and allows IAC to capitalize on THCN's highly integrated online properties deeply focused on strong consumer-engagement.

"In the online health space, we recognize an underserved market and see an opportunity to help bring consumers the information and services they need," said Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of IAC.

"IAC has a proven track record for bringing consumers what they want and need online," said Chris Schroeder, CEO of The HealthCentral Network. "We are excited to help utilize the company's expertise in search traffic, marketing and advertising to help us expand our operations and continue to make acquisitions in the online health space."

In addition to the minority stake, Barry Diller and Peter Horan, CEO of IAC's Media & Advertising sector, will serve on HealthCentral's Board. In addition to this appointment, Mr. Horan will maintain responsibility for overseeing IAC's health efforts.

"While the internet, as a medium, continues to become more segmented, the ability to target and engage consumers is becoming increasingly important, not only for customer satisfaction, but for attracting advertising dollars as well," said Horan. "THCN has an outstanding business model that is very much in line with IAC's portfolio of media and advertising businesses."

IAC's stake in THCN follows a recent investment in Medem, an integrated suite of web-based physician-patient communication services, made in the first half of 2007. Both initiatives reflect the company's recent foray into the health services category.

Today's move comes after IAC's November 2007 announcement of plans to separate IAC into five publicly traded companies, spinning off HSN, Ticketmaster, Interval International and LendingTree

TokBox Closes $4 Million in Funding Led by Sequoia Capital as it Aims to Make Easy Video Calling an Instant Reality

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

TokBox, a first-of-its-kind consumer video communication product that makes it effortless for anyone, anywhere to make a video call for free, today announced the closing of $4 million in a Series A round from Sequoia Capital and angel investors.

Founded by two young entrepreneurs Serge Faguet and Ron Hose, TokBox (www.tokbox.com/) has developed a product that allows people to easily talk face-to-face with anyone in the world in a single click. There's no registration, download, installation, configuration or any other hassle.

"We've designed TokBox to be a very easy means for video calling and messaging," said TokBox CEO Serge Faguet. "Our goal at TokBox is to make conversations online as rich an experience as the in-person communication we have offline."

"TokBox is capitalizing on a large market opportunity by making it easy for consumers around the world to adopt online video communication," said Sequoia Capital Partner Roelof Botha. "The company's innovation and focus on simplicity enhance the experience for the tens millions of consumers who have already adopted online video chat. And, perhaps more importantly, TokBox's ease-of-use will expand the market opportunity by enabling a brand new group of people to adopt online video chat as a means of communicating with their friends and family around the world."

Angel investors include the founders of YouTube, Netscape and Bebo; top executives at Slide, PayPal and Cisco; as well as the head of the graduate Computer Science program at Stanford University. The company will use the capital from its Series A to support rapid user growth, expand the team, and accelerate its efforts to simplify video communication.

Due to its broad applicability, TokBox has grown rapidly and is already being used in a variety of ways: from college students and their parents communicating face-to-face from around the world, to music artists speaking with their fans on MySpace, to software development teams collaborating remotely. In addition to usage on TokBox.com, users can add a video communication element by embedding TokBox on relevant applications like blogs, social networks, and commerce and community sites.

"Although the concept of live video conferencing has been around for a long time, it has yet to take off because existing solutions have been too complex for the end-user," said YouTube Co-Founder Jawed Karim. "TokBox is the first video communications product to eliminate this complexity, allowing millions of users around the world to easily have face-to-face video conversations."

ICAP agrees to acquire Traiana, Inc.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

(London and New York, 10 October, 2007) - ICAP plc (IAP.L), the world's premier interdealer broker, has agreed to acquire all of the share capital of Traiana, Inc (Traiana). Traiana is a private company and a leading provider of automated post-trade processing services to financial institutions. The agreement is conditional on regulatory approval.

The consideration for 100% of the share capital of Traiana is US$238 million payable in cash and $9 million of ICAP shares that will vest within four years.

The acquisition of Traiana will be initially financed using a new acquisition facility on similar terms to ICAP's existing £350 million facility.

For the year to 31 January 2008, Traiana's annual revenue is estimated to be US$15 million (up 40% on 2007). As with other electronic businesses, Traiana is highly operationally leveraged, with a high percentage of fixed costs. The acquisition is expected to be adjusted earnings enhancing within three years and will have an immaterial dilutive effect on ICAP's adjusted earnings per share in the short term.

Traiana provides global banks, broker/dealers, buy-side firms and e-trading platforms with solutions to automate post trade processing of financial transactions. Its Harmony network is used by over 50 of the world's leading banks and has become the market standard for post-trade processing of FX transactions. Traiana's technology is used to process tens of thousands of deal tickets every day and contributes to the orderly growth of the global financial markets. To date Traiana has invested $90 million to achieve critical mass in its markets.

Traiana's business model is driven by the growth in the number of trades as each trade triggers multiple post trade events and Traiana charges for each event. Traiana has been very successful in operating as a neutral platform in the foreign exchange market and enjoys a great partnership with all the market participants, including ICAP's EBS system. Traiana is committed to continuing to work closely with them all to support their businesses.

This acquisition follows a number of very successful investments ICAP has made in post-trade services in recent years, including TriOptima in 2001 and Reset in 2006. With the expansion of electronic and voice broking there has been an enormous increase in trading volumes. The market has absorbed hundreds of new participants from both emerging and developed markets through prime brokerage relationships -- this in turn has created a huge increase in the pressure on middle and back offices of the banks and other market participants. It is estimated that there are 500 million transactions annually in the OTC markets (ie excluding futures), which cost US$5 billion to process. Improving the efficiency of the whole process allows volumes to increase whilst removing risk and reducing costs to all market participants.

Michael Spencer, Group Chief Executive of ICAP, commented "We are very pleased to have reached agreement to acquire Traiana, the established market leader in the automation of post trade processes in the OTC markets.

Post trade services is an area where technology innovation is creating exciting new business opportunities for ICAP and is an increasingly competitive necessity in growing market share in our broking business. More efficient post trade processing increases the velocity of trading in our markets and facilitates the adoption of electronic trading.

Traiana has shown very significant growth and we now expect this growth to accelerate further, driven by a large increase in the number and size of both momentum and macro players and algorithmic trading in the OTC markets, especially foreign exchange. There are significant further opportunities to expand and additional OTC products are being launched on the network."

Gil Mandelzis, Traiana's Chief Executive Officer, commented "Traiana and ICAP share a vision of providing comprehensive exchange-like post-trade services to the OTC markets. By becoming part of ICAP, Traiana will be better able to serve our existing clients and platform partners and to more rapidly expand the range of post-trade services we provide. By working together we will give our clients and the ability to grow even faster and to provide a higher level of service to their clients."

Following the acquisition, the senior management and founders of Traiana, including Gil Mandelzis, Chief Executive Officer, will remain with the business within the ICAP Group.

Gil Mandelzis will report to Mark Yallop, Group Chief Operating Officer of ICAP plc.

Microchip Technology Becomes an Independent Company

Thu, 16 Mar 1989 12:00:00 PST

Chandler, Arizona, March 16, 1989 -- Microchip Technology Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Instrument Corporation, has signed a definitive purchase agreement with a consortium of investors led by Sequoia Capital of Menlo Park, California, Donald R. Sorchych, Microchip Technology chairman and chief executive announced today.

"After considering a variety of alternatives for Microchip's future and speaking with investment bankers, industrial companies, venture capitalists and other potential investors, an agreement was reached with Sequoia Capital. We are enthusiastic about the level of commitment demonstrated by Sequoia Capital and the other venture partners and the breadth of industry experience that they will bring to Microchip," Sorchych added.

The board of directors of Microchip following the consummation of the transaction will be composed of semiconductor industry veterans Don Valentine and Pierre Lamond of Sequoia Capital; William Harding of J.H. Whitney & Co.; and Sorchych. The investment consortium consists principally of Sequoia Capital, J.H. Whitney & Co., also of Menlo Park, California, and Morgenthaler Ventures of Cleveland. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The transaction is expected to close within 30 days. Microchip Technology, according to Sorchych, will continue in its present locations with existing management and employees.

Microchip Technology's VLSI products include non-volatile memories, microcontrollers, digital signal processors and logic circuits that are sold worldwide. Headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Chandler, Arizona, and there is an assembly and test operation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Minglebox.com gets funding from Sequoia Capital India

Wed, 02 May 2007 12:00:00 PST

Minglebox.com is India's leading social networking site for college communities and young professionals.

2 million messages, over a million people connections and hundreds of thousands of photos, videos and blogs have been generated and

   shared by users so far.

Highly innovative features tailored for Indian internet users

The funding will be drawn in a phased manner in line with business needs.

Bangalore, 2 May, 2007: Minglebox.com, founded by three IIT Delhi alumni, today announced that Sequoia Capital India has committed an investment of $7 million in the company. The co-founders - Kavita Iyer, Sanjay Aggarwal and Sushma Abburi got their business and technology experience with companies like Yahoo, i2, ICICI, Wipro, HLL and Infosys before getting together with a vision to build a world class Indian internet company.

This investment will enable Minglebox to establish its leadership in the Indian internet space by providing its users with innovative features like authentic college communities, streaming music jukebox, live chitchat and a high degree of personalization and security. The funding will also pave way for extensive product development, technology innovation and expansion of market reach.

As part of this investment round, Mr. R. Ramarajex CEO and Co-founder of Sify joins the board of Minglebox. "We are pleased to partner with Sequoia Capital India, a top venture capital firm renowned for backing innovative internet companies. We look forward to working with Sequoia and benefiting from their world class experience and insights at the board level" said Kavita Iyer, CEO and co-founder, Minglebox.com

What sets minglebox apart, is the fact that the product has been tailored for the Indian market. The entire team has worked very hard to create a sense of belonging and make users feel absolutely at home. It's very gratifying to see the rapid rate at which this community is growing.

Minglebox possesses a compelling business model that has the potential to transform the Indian internet space. They are well on their way to creating the most exciting internet company for Indian users" said Sumir Chadha, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital India.

Minglebox.com is rapidly emerging as India's largest online hangout for college communities and young professionals. Since its inception, hundreds of thousands of users have become members of minglebox.

Sequoia Capital Leads $11.5 Million Investment Round, Making SKS the Largest Venture-Backed Microfinance Institution in The World

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:00:00 PST

Mumbai - March 29, 2007: SKS Microfinance, a new generation microfinance institution (MFI), today announced its latest equity investment of US $11.5 million (Rs.50.6 crores) with Sequoia Capital as its lead investor. Other investors include Unitus Equity Fund, Vinod Khosla, Ravi Reddy, Odyssey Capital, and--from a previous round--SIDBI. The funds will provide the stimulus that SKS needs to achieve its ambitious goal to provide financial services to over 5 million poor families by 2010.

Sequoia Capital has a track-record of providing venture capital to the most promising emerging companies and has invested in Google, Yahoo!, and You Tube among others. SKS--known as the 'Starbucks of Microfinance'--is one of the fastest growing MFIs in the world with an outreach of nearly 600,000 women borrowers in 7,200 villages in 11 states of India. In the last year alone, SKS grew by nearly 160 percent and has disbursed nearly 700 crores with a 99 percent on-time repayment rate.

Speaking on the announcement, Vikram Akula, Founder & CEO, SKS Microfinance said, "Today SKS has created a model whereby leading global private equity firms like Sequoia feel confident in channeling capital to the hands of the poor. This is significant because it will encourage more commercial capital to come into microfinance and that will ultimately enable greater financial inclusion for India's 400 million poor people."

SKS works on three inter-linked principles to scale microfinance. This includes using a for-profit methodology to access capital, drawing on best practices from the business world to speed growth, and deploying technology to overcome high delivery costs. SKS blends this rigorous business approach with a strong social mission that includes ensuring that its members continue to hold a significant stake in the company and benefit from profits that the company earns.

"We are delighted to be investors in India's leading Microfinance company. Under Vikram Akula's leadership, the SKS team has successfully adapted and executed the microfinance model all across India. It is wonderful to be an investor in an enterprise that not only makes economic sense but also helps empower the people across our nation. We look forward to working with them in enabling them to become the leading microfinance company in the world." said Mohit Bhatnagar, Operating Partner, Sequoia Capital India.

"Unitus Equity Fund is proud to be involved in what will be seen as a watershed moment in the world of microfinance. There are two billion people around the world who are living on less than $2 a day, and there is huge market potential in helping these individuals to rise up and work towards a better future for themselves. SKS and outstanding entrepreneurs like Vikram Akula are shining examples of sustainable anti-poverty strategies that UEF investors are proud to support." said Chris Brookfield, Director, Unitus Equity Fund.

Sugar Inc. Acquires Style Blog Network Coutorture Media

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:00:00 PST

San Francisco, CA, October 9th, 2007 -- Sugar Inc. announced today that it has acquired Coutorture Media, the leading network of independent style publishers online. Coutorture Media will continue to operate independently at Coutorture.com.

Coutorture Media is an online fashion community of over 230 of the most insightful, inspiring, and well-read style websites and blogs. Its Coutorture.com serves as a hub for the best fashion, streetwear, beauty and fragrance content available online. Network sites are hand picked by the editors to reflect the highest commitment to editorial integrity. Additionally, Coutorture aids traditional media outlets, designers, fashion retailers, and public relations firms in interacting with the wider new media style community.

Following Sugar Inc.'s acquisition of ShopStyle last month, today's announcement further demonstrates the company's commitment to creating the best and most relevant online communities for women. Julie Fredrickson, founder and Editor in Chief of Coutorture Media, will continue in that role at Coutorture. Co-founder Phil Leif will serve as a Senior Engineer at Sugar Inc. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Coutorture has spent the past year and a half building a network of the most well-respected and honored fashion and beauty blogs," said Julie Fredrickson. "Today's announcement begins a new chapter for Coutorture and our member blogs, enabling us to better serve our many talented independent publishers, strengthen our hold on the marketplace, and work closely with Sugar Inc. properties."

Brian Sugar, founder and chief executive officer of Sugar Inc., said, "The addition of Coutorture to our company will provide us with the opportunity to further integrate fashion and technology, while providing readers with access to a network of high-end fashion blogs."

Kayak.com merges with Sidestep.com; secures $196M in financing round

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 12:00:00 PST

NORWALK, Conn. -- Dec. 21, 2007 -- Kayak.com, the world's largest travel search engine, today announced the completion of a $196 million financing round. Kayak.com will use this investment to complete a merger with SideStep, Inc. and to pursue a more aggressive worldwide expansion. As part of this transaction, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital will join Kayak.com's Board of Directors.

"Kayak.com has become the Internet's best destination for clear and objective travel information," said Michael Moritz, Partner at Sequoia Capital. "Kayak.com's merger with SideStep.com reshapes the largest sector in online commerce."

Other participants in the financing round include existing Kayak.com investors General Catalyst Partners and Accel Partners, SideStep investors Norwest Venture Partners and Trident Capital, new investors Oak Investment Partners and Lehman Brothers Venture Partners, and debt lenders Silicon Valley Bank and Gold Hill Capital.

In parallel with the new financing, a subsidiary of Kayak.com will merge with SideStep.com, the Internet's first travel search company. This transaction combines the two biggest brands in travel search, which would make Kayak.com and its affiliate sites the fifth largest travel brand, with more monthly unique visitors than Priceline, every airline except Southwest, and every hotel and rental car brand. Consumers will conduct more than 33 million searches on Kayak.com and its affiliates in January 2008, up from 16 million in January 2007.

Kayak.com intends to maintain both the SideStep.com and Kayak.com brands and will develop and promote each site independently, with key SideStep.com personnel joining Kayak.com's team. The merger will combine best practices of each company, and users of Kayak.com and SideStep.com will benefit from access to more comprehensive rates and availability data, a larger portfolio of products and services and an overall improved customer experience.

"The commercial logic of this deal is obvious," said Steve Hafner, Kayak.com CEO and co-founder. "Kayak.com is a technology company focused on perfecting travel search, and SideStep.com is a media company with in-house sales expertise and user-generated content. By merging, each brand can improve its offering while continuing to focus on its individual strengths. With less than 10 percent overlap between existing Kayak.com and SideStep.com users, each site stands to gain millions of new users."

"Kayak.com's focus on customer service and rapid innovation has led to the best air and hotel search technology on the web," said Paul English, CTO and co-founder of Kayak.com. "Combined with SideStep.com's travel guides and hotel reviews, both sites have a more complete offering for travellers than ever before. As a native Bostonian, I am also personally gratified to finally see an East Coast technology firm purchasing a West Coast
counterpart."

One of the fastest growing sites on the Internet, Kayak.com exploded onto the North American market in 2005 and emerged as a top tier travel site in less than two years. Kayak.com won more awards in 2007 than any other travel site, including several from leading US media such as TIME, Travel + Leisure and Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, as well as UK publications including Sunday Times, The Telegraph and The Observer.

The new financing and the SideStep.com merger will accelerate Kayak.com's international expansion plans. Kayak.com currently has websites in the UK, France, Germany and Spain, and will soon launch in Italy. SideStep.com's website in Ireland and its European affiliates will add to Kayak.com's global business. Kayak.com will also announce several anchor affiliate deals in Europe in the coming months and is currently evaluating opportunities throughout Europe and Asia.

"From its inception as the first travel search engine, SideStep.com believed that consumers would prefer an objective and comprehensive travel shopping experience," said Rob Solomon, CEO of SideStep.com. "Joining forces with Kayak.com will help make this vision a reality for mass market consumers."

Meebo Raises $25 Million

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK, April 30 - Meebo, a popular Web-based service where users can simultaneously sign in to multiple instant messaging accounts, has raised $25 million in new funds from various investors, including Time Warner Inc.

This third round of financing boosts Meebo's kitty to $37.5 million, and CEO and co-founder Seth Sternberg said he plans to use some of it to expand in Asia, where IM is very popular.

Lead investor Jafco Ventures is a Japan-focused venture capital firm, while co-investor KTB Ventures is the U.S. operation of KTBnetwork, Korea's largest private equity firm.

Sternberg, 29, said he also plans to use the money to "turn Meebo into a business," building a sustainable revenue model and arranging advertising partnerships for instant messaging.

"The reality for a consumer internet start-up is that it's very hard to make meaningful revenue until you have scale," Sternberg said.

With its Web site and the chat rooms Meebo places on other sites together seeing 30 million visitors a month -- up about five times from a year ago -- Sternberg said his focus was now on making money off these users.

The company recently hired Carter Brokaw, a former CNET Networks Inc. executive, as its chief revenue officer.

Meebo supports IM programs such as Yahoo Inc's Yahoo Messenger, Time Warner's AOL Instant Messenger, ICQ and Google Inc's Google Talk. Web-based Meebo has taken off by letting people chat without having to install software.

This year, Meebo plans to test more 'social' advertisements across its user base, targeting people who share photos, media and experiences on social networks and IM programs.

"Done right, this is an innovative and powerful solution for marketers," said Rachel Lam, senior vice president, Time Warner Investments, which invests in areas that tie in with the entertainment company's overall operations.

Sternberg hopes to build Meebo chat rooms into the sites of popular Time Warner properties such as People magazine.

TMZ.com, a Time Warner-owned celebrity news and gossip site, will soon launch Meebo rooms where people can chat about TMZ content without leaving the site, Sternberg said.

The start-up has raised previous financing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Sequoia Capital, two of Silicon Valley's best-known venture capital firms.

MarketLive Secures $20 Million in New Capital

Mon, 05 May 2008 12:00:00 PST

FOSTER CITY, CA, May 05, 2008 ----MarketLive, Inc., the leading global eCommerce software and service provider, today announced it has secured a $20 million round of new capital. New investors, JAFCO Ventures and Northgate Capital, join existing investors, Sequoia Capital, Sigma Partners, Globespan Capital, and others, who all fully participated in the round. MarketLive will use the capital to deliver significant value to its customers by advancing its product leadership, funding business-critical infrastructure, and adding enhanced services.

"The eCommerce market is rapidly growing and what impressed us about MarketLive is how well they are outpacing that growth," said Joe Horowitz, General Partner at JAFCO Ventures. "In our view MarketLive has all the ingredients for great success, in addition to being in an attractive market, their products map very well to the present and future needs of their customers and they have an exceptionally strong management team."

Investors were drawn to MarketLive's momentum in the fast-growing eCommerce solutions market, which will experience nearly 20% growth in 2008 according to Forrester Research.* In the past 12 months, MarketLive added 33 new brands to its portfolio and launched 56 new sites. The MarketLive Performance Index(TM: 99.23, +0.34, +0.34%), a quarterly report of aggregate performance across the MarketLive installed base, reveals retail sites built on the MarketLive eCommerce Suite achieve optimal business performance in key areas such as search, conversion, and revenue per visit. Many MarketLive merchants are outperforming the industry by achieving 24% growth in sales, a 59% increase in conversion rates, and 30% more traffic from search engines.

"MarketLive's seasoned management team understands how to meet the growing demands of its customers," said Sameer Gandhi, Partner at Sequoia Capital. "We are excited about MarketLive's future and confident the company is well positioned to capitalize on the opportunity the market presents."

Terry Austin, President and CEO of MarketLive, added, "We have the right vision for growth, a broad and loyal customer base, and a unique mix of eCommerce expertise and technology that sets us apart in this growing market. We are pleased to welcome new investors to our team, and look forward to working with them to grow MarketLive to its fullest potential."

FireEye Secures $14.5 Million in Series C Funding to Combat Growing Botnet Problem

Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:00 PST

MILPITAS, Calif.--May 12, 2008 --FireEye, Inc., the leader in global anti-botnet protection, today announced $14.5 million in new venture capital funding from a suite of blue-chip investors led by DAG Ventures with Juniper Networks, JAFCO Ventures, SVB Capital, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) and Sequoia Capital also participating. The new investment marks the company's third round of funding totaling $35.5 million. FireEye will leverage the new funding to further develop the company's botnet protection solution and key sales and marketing initiatives.

"We are dedicated to addressing the growing threats of botnet-related cybercrime affecting businesses and consumers daily," said Ashar Aziz, founder and CEO of FireEye. "This latest round of funding validates that we are at the forefront in delivering a world-class botnet protection solution and are successfully executing against our company vision."

Botnets are armies of infected and remotely controlled computers, or bots, which are employed by cyber criminals to exploit consumers and businesses for profit. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the annual loss due to computer crime is estimated at $67.2 billion for U.S. businesses. By coordinating hundreds of thousands of infected PCs into a highly efficient botnet, cyber criminals can execute a wide range of malicious attacks from denial-of-service (DoS) extortion and consumer identity theft to phishing schemes and government espionage. The increase in user-generated Web content and the popularity of Web 2.0 applications in the enterprise such as Web-based e-mail, social networking and SaaS CRM provide botnet hackers with new vectors for infiltration. Preventative measures such as FireEye's Botwall solution are essential in discovering and stopping botnet infections before they put resources, information and people at risk.

According to John J. Cadeddu, managing partner, DAG Ventures, "In today's economy, we are very selective in our investment decisions. FireEye is a true visionary in addressing fundamental security challenges that threaten to unravel the Internet economy. The company has been exemplary in fulfilling its vision and we are pleased to add them to our portfolio of savvy tech innovators."

FireEye was founded in 2004, by Ashar Aziz, a twenty-year veteran in the security industry. Prior to founding FireEye, Aziz founded Terraspring, a datacenter automation and virtualization company acquired by Sun Microsystems. Prior to that, he was a distinguished engineer at Sun for a dozen years. The company's officers include David Butler, vice president of business development; Bahman Mahbod, vice president of engineering; and Zane M. Taylor, vice president of operations. Recently the company expanded its security brain trust with the addition of two renowned security experts and technologists, Dr. Fengmin Gong as chief security content officer and Dr. Stuart Staniford as chief scientist. These newly appointed security experts bring more than 30 years of security expertise and have published numerous technical papers on security vulnerabilities.

"FireEye has all the ingredients for success including a solid leadership team, innovative technology and growing customer base," said Promod Haque, managing partner, NVP. "The company is well positioned to capture the market and become the category leader in the botnet security space."

Comcast Buys Social Network Pioneer Plaxo

Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, May 14 - Comcast Corp has agreed to acquire pioneering Web start-up Plaxo Inc, which was first to turn address books into social networks and laid the foundation for Friendster and Facebook.

Terms were not disclosed. But a source close to the deal said Comcast, the top U.S. cable TV company and No. 2 broadband Internet supplier, is paying from $145 million to $175 million, based on meeting performance targets in the next few years.

Plaxo is famous in Silicon Valley for being early to see a business opportunity in users' e-mail address books, but only belatedly joining the social network craze that followed.

Comcast will use Plaxo to offer social network links across Comcast-connected devices from TVs to digital video recorders to, eventually, wireless devices, thanks to a new partnership with Sprint, Clearwire and Google.

Plaxo joins the fast-growing Comcast unit that includes Comcast.net, video entertainment site Fancast, movie site Fandango and video publishing company thePlatform.

"Every social network is better the more end points you can connect with," said Sam Schwartz, executive vice president of Comcast Interactive Media. "Plaxo will offer users the ability to share with friends on all Comcast screens going forward."

To foster loyalty, Comcast is seeking ways to connect its 24 million users across its TV, phone and Internet platforms. It has worked with Plaxo for a year on integrating its e-mail and voicemail via a service called SmartZone for Comcast's 14 million-plus high-speed Internet subscribers and more than 4 million digital phone subscribers.

Plaxo Chief Executive Ben Golub said joining Comcast would bring the virtues of social networks not just to existing Web users but to television viewers, who might decide what shows to watch based on what their friends on Plaxo recommend.

"We intend to deliver on a vision of making "social media" a natural part of the lives of regular people, not just early-adopters," Golub said.

CALL IT A COMEBACK

Plaxo was founded in 2001 by two Stanford engineering students, Todd Masonis and Cameron Ring, and Napster co-founder Sean Parker, who was pushed out in 2004 by Plaxo's financial backers, only to become the founding president of Facebook.

Plaxo kept users in touch by automatically sharing data between their address books. But it irritated its fanatical early users with notifications whenever friends updated details -- giving Plaxo a reputation as an accidental spammer.

In the last three years, Plaxo made a comeback by focusing on partnerships with big Internet companies to help synchronize address books and calendars with other Internet services.

Besides Comcast, it works with Microsoft Outlook, Google and Yahoo services, Apple Macintosh computers, Mozilla Thunderbird e-mail and many mobile phones.

"Being first, the pioneers sometimes get the arrows," said Venky Ganesan, a managing director of Globespan Capital Partners and a member of Plaxo's board of directors since 2003. "I think of Plaxo as a great redemption story."

The company changed course a year ago to introduce its own full-scale social network akin to Facebook. Rather than linking address books, Plaxo Pulse links users via shared interests based on what they write or the photos and video they share.

Plaxo was once a lone voice for opening up social networks so users could share data from site to site, assuming they had permission. Google, MySpace and others have since followed.

"We went from being derided by Internet users to becoming the champion of what the Internet community wants in terms of openness and data portability between sites," Ganesan said.

The company now counts 20 million members of the Plaxo network, up from 5 million three years ago. About a third of those members came through a partnership with AOL.

Plaxo says it has 30 million more potential accounts from Comcast, which offers online address books as part of its Web mail service. Plaxo Pulse has signed up "several million users" in the past year.

The company had early funding from Sequoia Capital and investor Ram Shriram. Over the years, Plaxo took in a total of about $28 million in venture capital funding from Sequoia, Globespan, Cisco and DAG Ventures.

SCIOinspire Acquires SOLUCIA, Inc.

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PST

Hartford, CT - June 3, 2008 - SCIOinspire, Corp., a premier provider of healthcare cost-containment services, announces its acquisition of SOLUCIA, Inc., which provides care management analytics, actuarial and management consulting, development and evaluation of care and disease management programs, and related technology applications for health plans, employers and care management companies. The acquisition further expands SCIOinspire's knowledge and analytics offerings, dedicated to reducing administrative and clinical costs, recovering revenue, and optimizing business practices across the healthcare payer value chain through highly flexible and customizable delivery models.

SOLUCIA, Inc., a healthcare analytics company based on an actuarial platform, offers traditional actuarial services in product design, pricing and trend analysis, and is recognized as a pioneer in care management financial analytics. In addition to its care management program design, evaluation and enhancement services, SOLUCIA brings unparalleled expertise in predictive modeling and risk analysis. The firm, founded in 1998, offers a number of proprietary software packages:

ProGuideTM, which automates care management programs and provides care management financial analytics;
ProSpectTM, which automates opportunity assessment and pricing for care management programs;
ProFormanceTM, which automates outcomes measurement and savings reporting for care management programs; and
Lost Time Cost ModelTM, which provides a methodology for calculating the impact of lost-time and employee-benefits cost on employment, as well as providing a base for the estimation of absence cost.
"SOLUCIA is highly regarded as a thought leader and pioneer in care management financial analytics," says Siva Namasivayam, Chief Executive Officer for SCIOinspire. "We are pleased to be partnering with these forward-thinking professionals to create cutting edge solutions for our clients. I am confident our combined expertise will prove to be a major force in the care management arena."

"There is no doubt that controlling healthcare costs is a top priority for every insurer, employer and provider," says Ian Duncan, President and Founder of SOLUCIA, Inc. "But the complexity of the healthcare system makes measuring the success of cost reduction efforts challenging, to say the least."

Duncan, author of the forthcoming book Financial Management of Care Intervention Programs from Actex Publications, notes that both SOLUCIA and SCIOinspire recognize how vital it is to develop reliable and credible methods for care management outcomes measurement. "We are dedicated to the science of outcomes measurement, and the use of outcomes to improve program operations and results," he says. "With SCIOinspire's resources, we can now provide complete healthcare data management and analytics outsourcing solutions to healthcare payers."

Namasivayam notes that the acquisition of SOLUCIA, Inc. advances SCIOinspire's stated objective of offering a wide array of knowledge and data-driven tools and services to help healthcare payers save money on every major aspect of cost management and revenue recovery. Utilizing innovative and efficient service delivery methods, SCIOinspire combines the expertise of clinical and analytical resources with advanced software applications to improve and manage business processes.

SatNav secures $7 million from Sequoia Capital

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PST

June 13, 2008: Hyderabad-based IT products company SatNav Technologies has recently attracted investment of $7 million (approximately Rs 29.96 crore) from one of the leading venture capital players Sequoia Capital. The investment will be used to enhance the product portfolio of SatNav besides boost the depth of the company's map content which is the backbone of all its products.

Speaking at a press conference, Amit Prasad, founder and managing director of SatNav said, SatGuide is a famous navigation solution. It is available on Windows OS mobiles, PDAs, PNDs (personal navigation devices), laptop and desktop and on Non-Windows OS phones. "We want to launch the navigation solution on other platforms like Symbian, Linux, Palm, Blackberry etc. Also we are working on different modes of delivery like GPS, GSM, CDMA and GPRS", he said. This investment from Sequoia should see the company through for the next 12-18 months. If there is any further need, the VC firm is committed to infuse more funds, he added.

He said, "SatGuide will continue to lead in India and will increase the points of interests (POIs) and area of map coverage significantly. The POI categories related to navigation will be increased to 44 including missing roads, flyovers, one ways, gap in medians on surface roads and under the flyovers. It will also increase the number of cities to over 72 by the end of the year".

Maxscend Raised $8M to Aggressively Pursue China Terrestrial DTV Market

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PST

SHANGHAI, June 23 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Maxscend Technologies, a leading DTV/mobile DTV chip solution provider, announced that it raised $8M for its second round financing. The lead investor is Infotech Pacific Ventures. As a well-known early stage venture capital firm, Infotech has invested more than 30 high-tech companies since its inception in 2000. Among its portfolio companies, five of them have gone public successfully, including Vimicro International Corporation, the first Chinese IC company that went public on the Nasdaq. Sequoia Capital, the primary investor of Maxscend's first round financing, also participated in this round.

Roger Li, general partner of Infotech commented: "IC design is one of the key fields that Infotech focuses on. We have been engaging closely with Maxscend Technologies for over one year. Each time when I visited Maxscend's office, I was always deeply impressed by the team-work spirit and enthusiasm of the staff. These people created lots of milestones for Maxscend, and build up the great confidence that our investor team have in Maxscend. With the rapid development of the market, we believe firmly that Maxscend will achieve tremendous success in near future."

"As the early stage investor of Maxscend Technologies, Sequoia Capital prides itself in assisting and witnessing Maxscend's fast growth since the company's inception in 2006", said Fan Zhang, Founding Managing Partner of Sequoia Capital China. "We believe that Maxscend will continue to endeavor to achieve the goal of becoming the top IC enterprise around the world."

Zhihan Xu, CEO of Maxscend Technologies said: "At the downturn of IC industry in China, Maxscend won acknowledgement from multiple investors, this is definitely important recognition of our achievement and potential. I'd like to take the opportunity to express our appreciation to Infotech and Sequoia Captial who believe in and support us generously. 2008 is the crucial year of the development of terrestrial DTV for China, Maxscend is fully prepared and ready to contribute to the fast development of the industry.

LinkedIn Secures $53M of Funding

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 PST

Mountain View, CA -- June 18, 2008 -- LinkedIn Corporation, creator of the world's largest professional network, today announced that it has secured $53 million in funding led by Bain Capital Ventures with additional reinvestment from the company's existing investors including Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners, and Bessemer Venture Partners. This fourth and largest round of funding is based on the company's rapid member growth, multiple business lines and future opportunity. LinkedIn's current revenue streams include advertising, subscriptions, job listings and corporate hiring solutions. The company is in the process of launching several new lines of business.

"LinkedIn's strong global growth and solid business model are the foundation of this investment", said Dan Nye, Chief Executive Officer of LinkedIn. "In this global economy and information age, LinkedIn serves an invaluable purpose. Today's professionals turn to LinkedIn to find valuable information, opportunities and advice, and to present themselves on the Internet in a credible and professional way."

Over 23 million professionals use LinkedIn to solve business problems, manage their professional relationships and control their professional identities online. LinkedIn members represent more than 170 industries, 150 countries, and include executives from all of the Fortune 500 companies. Regarded as the premier online professional networking destination, members experience the benefits of purpose-driven networking by finding new ways to interact and do business.

"Unlike other online networks, user engagement on LinkedIn actually increases over time, a strong testament to the ongoing value that LinkedIn members derive from the experience. Our investment in LinkedIn is based on the company's opportunity, solid and diversified business model, smart strategy for growth and strong management team," said Jeffrey Glass, Partner, Bain Capital Ventures. "We look for companies that offer sustainable return on our investment with many multiples, and we expect LinkedIn will deliver by being essential to millions of professionals around the world."

Challenge Games Secures $4.5 Million Financing from Sequoia Capital

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

AUSTIN, Texas - July 10, 2008 - Challenge Online Games, Inc. (Challenge Games), developer of the popular Duels online fantasy game, today announced it has secured $4.5 million in Series A funding from Sequoia Capital, which has a long history of investing in market-leading gaming companies - including being the original investor in Atari, Electronic Arts and nVidia. Challenge Games also announced it signed a multi-year licensing deal with MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM), the interactive media and Internet company of Major League Baseball. The funding and licensing deal will support expansion of the short-form, browser-based online game titles developed by Challenge Games, including a new kind of collectible card-based web sports game called Baseball Boss, which the company launched today.

As part of the agreement with the MLBAM, Baseball Boss allows players to collect and trade virtual online baseball cards, which can be used to build teams and challenge other gamers or historical teams to fantasy baseball games. Like traditional baseball cards, the online cards available in Baseball Boss include player statistics and photos. Baseball Boss currently allows gamers to collect and trade virtual baseball cards of players from the 1907 and 2007 baseball seasons - with new seasons to be released over the coming months.

"Both casual and hardcore gamers alike have few choices when it comes to finding challenging quick-fix gaming experiences that are high-quality and engaging," said Roelof Botha, venture capitalist with Sequoia Capital. "But when I found and played Duels for the first time, I was hooked. It's clear Challenge Games is filling a major opportunity in the gaming market."

Duels and Baseball Boss are the first titles developed by Challenge Games. They're free-to-play online games that combine the collectibility and trading associated with collectible card games (CCGs) and sports cards with the competitive aspects of massively multi-player games (MMORPGs) and the ease of access of community Web 2.0 applications. They are also unique in their asynchronous, short-form design, which allows them to be played in 5-15 minute increments rather than in long marathon sessions.

"With nearly 250,000 loyal Duels gamers in its first ten months and a fantasy sports world worth $2 billion, we're just beginning to skim the surface of the growing market for short-form online games," said Andrew Busey, founder and CEO of Challenge Online Games. "We're excited to have the support of one of the top venture capital firms as well as MLB Advanced Media as we continue to bring together the best of the old and new gaming worlds."

Duels and Baseball Boss are free to play. Gamers can collect items and cards within the game and trade them with other players. They can also sign up for VIP memberships for a small subscription fee, which provides additional benefits such as the ability to buy card packs and special items for enhanced gaming experiences.

To play Baseball Boss, visit www.baseballboss.com. To play Duels, visit www.baseballboss.comwww.duels.com or http://apps.facebook.com/duelsfb. For more information on Challenge Games, visit www.challengegames.com.

MEVIO Secures $15 Million in Funding to Support Rapid Growth and Move into Vertical Entertainment Networks

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, July 9, 2008 -- MEVIO today announced that it has secured $15 million in a Series C funding round led by Crosslink Capital and including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital, Sherpalo Ventures and DAG Ventures. MEVIO will use the investment to continue expansion of its broadband entertainment offering and to launch new vertical entertainment networks that offer advertisers a "brand-safe" platform to reach audiences on the scale and frequency offered by traditional broadcast networks.

With a top 20 comScore ranking in both music (May, #10) and Multimedia (May, #16), MEVIO has had an explosive year of growth, witnessing dramatic increases in unique monthly visitors, page views, video streams and registration. In the last six months alone, MEVIO launched a new online entertainment network, doubled the amount of media it delivers, re-branded the company (formerly PodShow) and introduced a growing lineup of top shows that generate over 50 million views per month, strictly from MEVIO's wholly-owned properties and without the benefit of integration of an ad network. With this funding round, MEVIO expects accelerate its growth with particular focus on offering premium brands the opportunity to reach and engage online audiences safely and effectively.

"The first wave of online video was a total failure for brand advertisers," said Ron Bloom, co-founder and chief executive officer, MEVIO. "In order to attract the billions of dollars of brand advertising spending that is still dedicated to television programming, online companies will have to provide audience and frequency at a scale to compete with traditional broadcast, and build it around brand-safe content that is relevant and entertaining. MEVIO is building that network."

In May of 2008, the company attracted over 9 million unique monthly visitors, up over 800 percent in the last twelve months. For the second quarter of 2008, MEVIO estimates page-views to exceed 140 million, up over 1,800 percent quarter over quarter. With the launch of its vertical entertainment networks, the company is exploring syndication opportunities that management believes will dramatically enhance MEVIO's already impressive reach.

"From distribution and licensing, to format and delivery, to basic underlying business models, the entertainment industry is continuing to undergo a dramatic shift as the Web evolves," said Jim Feuille, Crosslink Capital. "MEVIO's rapid growth, both in audience and programming, is testament to its focus on delivering a vision for entertainment that cannot be found elsewhere on the Web. We look forward to helping MEVIO continue to execute on this vision."

"We have always focused on high-quality, episodic content and have always questioned the relevance of single-clip video upload models for brands," said Adam Curry, co-founder and president of MEVIO. "MEVIO is building a full-scale entertainment network that incorporates all of the positive elements of traditional media along with the benefits of scale and insight offered by the Internet."

Sequoia Capital Invests In Appirio To Accelerate The Adoption Of On-Demand

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

San Mateo, Calif. -- July 21, 2008 -- Appirio (www.appirio.com), the leader in delivering products and professional services that help businesses accelerate their adoption of on-demand solutions, today announced it has secured Series B financing of $5.6 million. The funding was led by Sequoia Capital, the investment firm behind Google, Yahoo!, LinkedIn, and PayPal. This round of financing follows a Series A investment earlier this year, which brought in $1.1 million from salesforce.com and angel investors.

Appirio, founded in 2006, has a proven track record of delivering both products and professional services using Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) technologies from industry leaders such as Google and salesforce.com. Appirio's service offerings have helped many large enterprises and forward-thinking companies to lower operational costs and improve business agility through on-demand systems that better meet the needs of their business. Appirio also offers a growing product portfolio that "connects the clouds" between Google, Salesforce and Amazon, enabling customers of all sizes to more easily adopt and extend these on-demand solutions within their organization.

"The rapid advancements in web platforms are what makes Appirio's business model so powerful," said Jim Goetz, a partner at Sequoia Capital. "Appirio is combining products and professional services so that customers can derive more value from the $300 billion they currently spend to acquire, customize and build business solutions. Appirio has that rare combination of vision and pragmatism that defines leaders who use innovation to disrupt a very large market."

"Sequoia Capital has a reputation for identifying new market categories and the companies that will lead them, and we're excited to have their support as we capture this opportunity," said Chris Barbin, CEO of Appirio. "Their investment will allow Appirio to help more companies realize the potential of cloud computing to impact their business."

Proving the Model
In the last year, Appirio has seen revenue grow by more than 400 percent, the team more than quadruple in size, and in less than three months, more than 1500 customers in 80 different countries adopt its products. Appirio's customers now range from Global 1000 companies in telecommunications, high-tech and healthcare, to mid-size companies looking to move entire business processes to the cloud, to sole proprietorships who benefit from Appirio's growing number of product offerings. With the business model proven, Appirio plans to use the additional funding to further invest in service and product offerings that accelerate the shift of the market to on-demand.

Appirio was founded by a team of "reformed" enterprise software executives to address the unique challenges companies face when adopting on-demand solutions. The company was the first to partner with the two leading on-demand platform providers - salesforce.com and Google - offering professional services to help customers quickly, safely and successfully adopt these platforms. Appirio was also the first to develop products that connect and extend Google Apps and Salesforce. These products allow users to easily synchronize calendars and contacts, collaborate on marketing campaigns, find documents or store them in the cloud, and create and share customized CRM dashboards.

"Appirio is an experienced and successful partner that understands how to help large businesses embrace cloud computing," said Dave Girouard, president of Enterprise for Google. "With additional funding, Appirio can more quickly grow to support the increasing demand from businesses looking to benefit from Software-as-a-Service."

PopularMedia Gets $8 Million Third Round For Social Media Tools

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

PopularMedia, a developer of social media marketing tools, has raised an $8 million third round led by DAG ventures, along with past backers Sequoia Capital and Steamboat, reports VentureWire, via VentureBeat. The company raised $4.25 million last year, though its totals haven't been publicly announced. Offerings include tools to make content go viral, or to let any site offer the ability for users to find friends from their email's address book. The SF-based company's latest product is SocialNotes, a comment and feedback widget.

TutorVista.com gets $18-m PE funding

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

NEW DELHI: TutorVista.com, the consumer online education services company, has raised $18 million from PE player Sequoia Capital and LightSpeed Venture Partners to fund its expansion into a hybrid (online-offline) education model.

In addition, the company is in talks with strategic investors to raise another $15 million independently, for which it has filed an application with the FIPB. The two-and-a-half-year-old company acquired the Bangalore-based Edurite last November, and the current ramp up focuses on Edurite Tutorial, physical brick-n-mortar centers where students get scripted lessons through technology and teachers act as mere facilitators. Earlier, the company had planned to roll out several key initiatives like enhancing the Edurite product and services portfolio and also venture into new fields.

"So six months back, when we looked at opportunities in India, we decided that we cannot apply the global model here," says K Ganesh, CEO and founder of TutorVista.com, a company operating from 23 Indian cities with over 800-plus teachers who sit at home and teach over 10,000 students worldwide, largely in the US.

India's low internet penetration was a stumbling block and so TutorVista.com decided to follow the hybrid model. "The propensity of Indians to spend on education is one of the highest in the world," says serial entrepreneur Ganesh. What Edurite got to the table was content and technology that reached the masses domestically with a presence in over 600 schools. Neraly half of the Kendriya Vidyalayas use Edurite content, for instance."When we acquired Edurite, there were 120 people, and today after six months, there are 230 of them," claims Ganesh.

The company plans to take its Edurite Tutorial brand forward by standardizing education across geographies. That is, the physical centers will offer the same tech-driven content to students from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Fifty such hybrid centers are already in place since its launch last month. "We'll have 300 centres in the next one year," adds Ganesh.

Though Ganesh's acquisition calls for an online-offline amalgalm, globally, the online education industry is pegged at over $16 billion. Of this, the supplemental education, or assisted learning market, stands at a whopping $8 billion. With broadband penetration, voice over internet technology and lowering of PC prices, this market is poised to grow.

TokBox Raises $10 Million

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

August 7, 2008 - TokBox, a first-of-its-kind web-based video communication service that offers consumers free and effortless video calling, today announced the closing of a $10 million Series B financing round led by Bain Capital Ventures. Sequoia Capital, which led the Series A investment in TokBox, also invested in the new round. TokBox will use the new funding to build out its executive team and drive continued expansion of the company's user base both in the U.S. and worldwide.

In recent months, TokBox has added new features and functionality to enhance the consumer experience, including integrating its video capabilities into Facebook chat and providing an easy-to-use downloadable version of the application. The company also recently announced the appointment of Nick Triantos, technology veteran and video expert, as CEO.

"Consumers are in love with TokBox, and use it to keep in touch with friends and family around the globe," said Triantos. "We're proud of the service we've created and how easy it is for anyone to use TokBox. We are grateful that a world-class venture firm like Bain Capital Ventures also sees our potential, and are thrilled to have them join Sequoia Capital as investors in TokBox."

Since launching in October 2007, TokBox has grown rapidly and is already being used in a variety of interesting ways -- from people staying in touch with distant relatives and friends chatting during school holidays to online dating and job search. In addition, TokBox gives users the tools to add a video communication element to their blog, social networking or commerce and community sites profile by embedding the unique application directly into the page.

"TokBox has an impressive and very loyal and energetic user base," said Scott Friend, Venture Partner at Bain Capital Ventures. "The company is executing well and its service offers consumers a variety of great features that strongly differentiate TokBox from competitors. We are excited to be investing with our partners at Seqouia in a company we believe has the potential to be the next 'big thing' in web communication."

"Tokbox is uniquely positioned as a leader in the burgeoning consumer video communications market," said Roelof Botha of Sequoia Capital. "Their ultra-simple user interface sets a new bar for ease-of-use for consumers to hold video calls with their friends and family around the world. We're very happy with their growth to date, which is why we are enthusiastic to participate in their Series B investment."

For more information about TokBox, please visit www.tokbox.com.

Amobee Media Systems Raises Additional Equity Capital

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

Amobee Media Systems, the world leader in advertising solutions for mobile operators, today announced that Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) and Cisco Systems have made strategic investments in the company. These market leaders join the company's existing investors who also participated in this round -- Telefonica (NYSE: TEF), Vodafone (NYSE: VOD), Accel Partners, Globespan, and Sequoia Capital -- to deliver the promise of mobile advertising to operators worldwide. This investment comes in the wake of a global alliance with Telefonica, and successful deployments with Vodafone in multiple markets including Italy, Spain, and Czech Republic.

"Amobee is establishing a mobile advertising ecosystem to better serve operators," said Zohar Levkovitz, CEO of Amobee Media Systems. "By engaging with Cisco, one of the most deployed vendors of operator solutions globally, and Motorola, a leading handset manufacturer worldwide, Amobee is creating the most complete mobile advertising solution enabling operators to deploy the most effective advertising offerings for their market."

The Amobee media system establishes a new revenue stream for mobile operators who can offer their ad-enabled inventory to agencies and advertisers seeking to buy, deploy, and monitor campaigns across all mobile channels. The Amobee system also ensures that mobile customers are getting the most relevant advertising experience.

Using a single, telco-grade ad serving solution, Amobee dynamically inserts relevant ads into all mobile entertainment and communication channels, including video, music, messaging, games, and WAP. Due to this operator-centric approach, Amobee has enabled mobile advertising campaigns for world-renowned brands like Acura, Coca-Cola, Canon, Fox Searchlight, Mercedes, and more, in partnership with major operators like Telefonica and Vodafone.

"Advertising is about to open on billions of mobile screens around the world and Amobee Media Systems has made this possible. With Amobee, today's mobile operators can become tomorrow's media companies -- offering a rich diet of information, entertainment and amusement to consumers everywhere," said Mike Moritz, Partner at Sequoia Capital. "Fifteen years ago -- before companies like Yahoo! and Google -- there was barely any advertising or commerce on the internet. Today, the same is true on mobile. Thanks to Amobee, that is about to change."

Additionally, Amobee announced that mobile industry veteran Gary Schofield has joined the executive team as President and Chief Operating Officer.

With more than 20 years of operational management experience in both the enterprise and consumer markets, Schofield has specialized expertise and focus in the communications industry, particularly mobile and online. At Amobee he will be responsible for all facets of the company's business.

"Amobee has rapidly developed a reputation as a market-leading company with exceptional industry expertise and a distinct passion for excellent technology innovation," said Schofield. "In my new role, my objective is to further extend the company's global footprint, operational excellence and market position."

Most recently, Schofield was President of Networks at Digital Chocolate, a leading publisher and developer of mobile and online digital content. In this role, he was responsible for all business units across the company's global operations. Throughout his tenure, he consistently led the company to significant year-over-year growth.

Rackspace Prices Initial Public Offering

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN ANTONIO--Rackspace Hosting, Inc. (NYSE: RAX) today announced the initial public offering of 15,000,000 shares of its common stock at a price of $12.50 per share. Rackspace will offer 12,700,000 shares of its common stock in the offering and the selling stockholders will offer an additional 2,300,000 shares of common stock in the offering. Rackspace and the selling stockholders have also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 shares to cover over-allotments. Rackspace's common stock will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RAX" on Friday, August 8, 2008.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and Merrill Lynch & Co. are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. W.R. Hambrecht + Co., LLC, Jefferies & Company, Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC, RBC Capital Markets Corporation, JMP Securities LLC, Signal Hill Capital Group LLC, and E*TRADE Securities LLC are the co-managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

Copies of the final prospectus for the offering may be obtained from Goldman, Sachs & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 85 Broad Street, New York, New York 10004, by facsimile at 212-902-9316 or by e-mail at prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com; from Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Prospectus Department, One Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010, telephone 800-221-1037; or from Merrill Lynch & Co., 4 World Financial Center, New York, NY 10080, telephone 866-500-5408.

Palo Alto Networks Raises $27 Million in Series C Financing

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

SUNNYVALE, Calif., August 18, 2008--Palo Alto Networks today announced that it has secured $27 million in Series C financing. Lehman Brothers Venture Partners led the oversubscribed round, with participation from existing investors Globespan Capital Partners, Greylock Partners and Sequoia Capital. The new funds will be used to support the company's rapid growth by further expanding sales, marketing and customer service initiatives.

The financing round follows a year of tremendous momentum, in which Palo Alto delivered its award-winning PA-4000 next-generation firewall to market and redefined how enterprises think about infrastructure security. The company has amassed an impressive and growing list of customers, and has also been awarded numerous industry accolades, including the most recent Best of Interop Grand Prize.

"The Palo Alto Networks team has already shown they have what it takes to shake up the market and deliver the next-generation firewall that enterprise customers require for their most critical element of the security infrastructure," said Thomas E. Banahan, Managing Director, Lehman Brothers Venture Partners. "We are excited to be a part of the company and look forward to building on their impressive success to date."

"We are extremely excited to have Lehman Brothers Venture Partners join our team of distinguished investors," said Lane Bess, CEO, Palo Alto Networks. "With this new financing we look forward to scaling the company's operations and offering our innovative security solutions to a rapidly expanding number of enterprise customers worldwide."

Sequoia Capital invests Rs1200 mn to Cotton County Retail

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

Cotton County Retail, a Ludhiana-based textile firm has been reinforced with Rs1200 million from private equity firm Sequoia Capital India.

While talking to the media Mr Sachin Sahni, Vice President of Cotton County Retail stated, "We have received Rs1200 million from Sequoia Capital India which we will use to fuel our expansion".

This investment will be used to strengthen market leadership of its Cotton County brand and its foray into newer segments. Accessories in the men segment has already been launched while another plan to launch a premium offering and plus size clothing in men's wear is underway. The women's wear and kids segment would also be explored in the future.

Like any other enterprise in the business, Cotton Country aims at expanding its retail presence in the domestic as well as international market. Mr Sahni informed that, "Presently, we have more than 500 exclusive brand outlets in over 350 cities and have decided to foray into overseas market through franchisee in the UAE. Besides, we also plan to increase our network to over 1,000 stores and anticipate a Rs5000 million turnover by FY'10".

The company's unique selling proposition is its ability to offer the largest range of 100 percent cotton garments at affordable prices and sell cotton suits at price competitive rates.

Correlix Ltd. Raises Additional $8 Million in Financing Round Led by Sequoia Capital

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:00:00 PST

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Correlix Ltd.
(http://www.correlix.com/), a leader in Latency Intelligence(TM) solutions
that monitor and analyze trading execution and market-data flows in real
time, today announced the closing of an $8 million Series B financing round
led by Sequoia Capital, a leading venture capital player which was joined
by existing investors Genesis Partners, Blumberg Capital and Xenia
Ventures. Correlix will use the new financing to further enrich its Latency
Intelligence solutions and to expand globally to meet the demands of its
growing, global customer base.

Shawn Melamed, CEO said, "One of the most pressing issues impacting
global capital market firms is how to increase speed and reduce latency
when executing trades or obtaining market data in order to be competitive
in the market. Our customers use our product to monitor, measure and
analyze latency at each critical step of their flows to gain confidence
that orders are executed with the least possible latency and that the
market data is as fresh as possible. Sequoia Capital has a reputation for
identifying new and growing market categories, and for identifying and
supporting the innovative companies that will lead them. We are excited to
have their support and backing as we capture this opportunity."

"The advancements in the deployment and usage of automated trading
systems make the Correlix value proposition a critical ingredient for every
trader, fund and exchange looking to remain competitive in this demanding
new reality," said Yuval Baharav, a partner at Sequoia Capital. "Correlix
has developed a unique technology, enabling its customers to quickly deploy
high-resolution latency monitoring tools, achieve better results than
current tools, and preserve the required flexibility in their architecture
and business processes. In a market where every millisecond is translated
into tens and hundreds of millions dollars, the additional edge, created by
Correlix's technology, will make the difference between a successful
transaction and failed one."

Challenge Games Secures $10 Million Financing

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:00:00 PST

AUSTIN, Texas, Sep 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Challenge Online GamesTM, Inc. (Challenge Games), developer of the popular online fantasy game Duels and the new fantasy baseball and card collecting game Baseball Boss, announced it has secured $10 million in Series B funding. The round is being led by Globespan Capital Partners with participation from Series A investor Sequoia Capital as well as existing investors.

Duels and Baseball Boss are the first titles developed by Challenge Games. They're free-to-play online games that combine the collectibility and trading associated with collectible card games (CCGs) and sports cards with the competitive aspects of massively multi-player games (MMORPGs) and the ease of access of community Web 2.0 applications. They are also unique in their asynchronous, short-form design, which allows them to be played in 5-15 minute increments rather than in long marathon sessions.

"Challenge Games is addressing a real need in the market," said Eugene Yoo, Vice President at Globespan Capital Partners. "Short form, free-to-play, web-based games have the potential to pull new consumers into the category. And the engaging gameplay of their titles appeals to the active casual and hardcore gamer as well."

"We believe this funding further demonstrates that we are bringing innovation and value to the gaming industry," said Andrew Busey, founder and CEO of Challenge Online Games. "This funding will help us accelerate the growth of our business through the development of new games, explore partnership opportunities and potentially acquisitions."

Duels and Baseball Boss are free to play. Gamers can collect items and cards within the game and trade them with other players. They can also sign up for VIP memberships for a small subscription fee, which provides additional benefits such as the ability to buy special items and cards to enhance the gaming experience.

To play Baseball Boss, visit www.baseballboss.com. To play Duels, visit www.duels.com or http://apps.facebook.com/duelsfb. For more information on Challenge Games, visit www.challengegames.com.

Red Hat Advances Virtualization Leadership with Qumranet, Inc. Acquisition

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:00:00 PST

Raleigh, NC - September 4, 2008 - Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced the acquisition of Qumranet, Inc. The acquisition includes Qumranet's virtualization solutions, including its KVM (Kernel Virtual Machine) platform and SolidICE offering, a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), which together present a comprehensive virtualization platform for enterprise customers. In addition, Qumranet's talented team of professionals that develop, test and support Qumranet solutions, and its leaders of the open source community KVM project, will join Red Hat.

This acquisition advances Red Hat's efforts to transform the virtualization market and drive comprehensive virtualization technology and management solutions into every system, from servers to desktops, on both Linux and Windows. Red Hat can now deliver what virtualization-only vendors cannot: a comprehensive solution integrated with the operating system, which can drive down IT costs while simultaneously enhancing the flexibility and responsiveness of IT infrastructure.

This acquisition adds to Red Hat's differentiated and comprehensive solutions portfolio for the virtual enterprise, enhancing the opportunities for customers to improve the productivity and reduce the cost of IT infrastructure. Red Hat's solution components include:

The industry's leading open source operating system, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, with built-in virtualization

An embedded hypervisor which supports all major operating systems

A consistent management platform for both virtual and physical systems, uniting servers, desktops, storage and networks

A defining cloud and grid management solution

Advanced, high-speed inter-application messaging

High availability clustering solutions

Integrated security infrastructure

These solutions will leverage the power of the open source innovation model, which permits the delivery of new capabilities faster, more reliably and with greater security and stability. All of the components of these solutions will also be delivered within an open framework to help promote plug-and-play compatibility with customers' existing infrastructure and third-party software.

Red Hat customers enjoy highly responsive, flexible and cost-effective IT infrastructures, said Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO at Red Hat. This acquisition furthers our capability to widen the gap between open source and proprietary infrastructure software. Put simply, Qumranet's KVM and VDI technologies are at the forefront of the next generation of virtualization. They represent an opportunity to raise the bar and meet the market's demand for virtualization solutions.

The Qumranet acquisition also extends Red Hat's virtualization solutions for managing Windows desktops. SolidICE is a high-performance, scalable desktop virtualization solution built specifically for virtual desktops, not simply a retrofit from server virtualization solutions. SolidICE is designed to enable a user's Windows or Linux desktop to run in a virtual machine that is hosted on a central server. It is based on the industry-leading Simple Protocol for Independent Computing Environments (SPICE) protocol, which overcomes key barriers to VDI adoption, including a superior user experience enabled by the SPICE protocol capabilities.

With this acquisition, Red Hat has clearly positioned itself as a competitor within the Virtual Desktop market, said Michael Rose, Research Analyst at IDC. KVM not only represents a competent platform for hosting virtual desktops and other workloads, but protocols such as SPICE will increase the performance that users can expect to experience from their server-based computing environments, making the platform viable for a larger set of users.

Red Hat is a global leader in innovative technologies and has collaborated enthusiastically with us since the very beginning, said Benny Schnaider, CEO at Qumranet. I, along with the entire Qumranet team, am pleased to be joining Red Hat to create market-leading virtualization solutions. Qumranet's technologies, when combined with Red Hat's business, product and channel capabilities, will be well-positioned to provide virtualization solutions that really meet customers' business needs &mdash for the server and the desktop. And, equally important, Red Hat's commitment to open source means that our technologies can be shared, improved and enjoyed by the entire open source industry.

Under the terms of the transaction, Red Hat paid approximately $107 million in cash for Qumranet, a privately held company. The acquisition is not expected to contribute materially to revenue in the fiscal year ending February 28, 2009, but should add up to $20 million in revenue in the following year. Red Hat expects Qumranet operating expenses will be approximately $3.5-4.5 million per quarter before non-cash stock-based compensation expense, amortization expense and other charges resulting from the closing of the acquisition. The transaction is expected to be dilutive to FY09 GAAP earnings by $0.05 to $0.06 per diluted share and to FY09 GAAP cash flow from operations by $0.03-$0.04 per diluted share. UBS Investment Bank acted as the sole strategic advisor to Red Hat in this transaction.

Sequoia Capital Invests in CERNET-Koncept to develop China Campus Channel

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:00 PST

Beijing, China, August 1, 2008- CERNET Koncept, the holder of exclusive rights to provide digital media services and advertising to China's university students, have recently closed a Series A round with Sequoia to expand their next generation services to Chinese Campus Channel and allow advertisers a unique new media channel to effectively reach youth in China.

Established in 2007, CERNET Koncept is a joint venture between CERNET (The China Education and Research Network, which is itself a cooperative between the Ministry of Education and Chinese Government) and Koncept Group, Ltd (a developer and provider of digital media platform, content and marketing). This joint venture provides a large scale communications, educational and entertainment services to Chinese universities, which is now open to advertisers as a way of reaching this valuable youth audience.

CERNET Koncept is a 'closed' IT service private Intranet that runs across China reaching over 1,6002000 universities and 2025 million + Chinese students. As well as its primary role in providing educational material, CERNET Koncept provides value added services including an instant messaging service, e-mailphonecommunication services, a social networking site and access to large amounts of entertainment content available to students only from the Cdream platform. These elements will now be available for advertisers to reach this audience.

According to the Ministry of Education statistics, there are about 27 million university students in China in 2007 and by 2010 the number of university students in China will reach 30 million. A research conducted by Sinomonitor International in 2007 shows that, every university campus student's average consumption spend is 11,860 Yuan per school year; Total annual university student consumption is nearly 300 billion RMB. The Chinese University Campus has become the battleground for all marketers and business to capture this valuable demographic and future economic engine of China.

Silicon Laboratories Completes Acquisition of Integration Associates, Diversified Mixed-Signal Company

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

Silicon Laboratories Inc. SLAB today announced it has completed the acquisition of Silicon Valley-based Integration Associates, an innovator in analog-intensive, highly integrated ICs, for $80 million net, taking into consideration Integration Associates' net assets. Integration Associates adds a diverse portfolio of connectivity, wireless and power solutions and nearly 100 engineers to Silicon Laboratories.

"This acquisition accelerates our entry into the short-range wireless market, expands our power portfolio and adds complementary IP to augment R&D investments underway," said Necip Sayiner, president and chief executive officer of Silicon Laboratories. "In addition to the products and revenue the company brings to Silicon Labs, we believe the Integration team is a strong technical and cultural fit, and we're also gaining a design center in Silicon Valley, a strategic location for technical recruiting."

The dilutive impact of the transaction in 2008 is expected to be offset by better than anticipated performance in Silicon Laboratories' existing business. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in 2009. Integration's products will be sold under the Silicon Laboratories brand and supported by Silicon Laboratories' global sales and support network.

Trulia Secures Additional $15M Investment

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:00:00 PST

SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- July 10, 2008 -- Trulia.com, the best place to start your real estate search, announced today that it has secured an additional $15 million in funding. Deep Fork Capital LLC led the financing with existing prior lead investors Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners and Fayez Sarofim and co also participating. Trulia will use this round of funding to further its development of new products and services for homebuyers, agents, brokers and advertisers and to expand their advertising services for the recently launched Trulia Advertising Network http://www.trulia.com/network/ and self service offering, Trulia Pro. Trulia.com has raised a total of $33m in Venture Capital.

Trulia is now helping approximately 5 million unique visitors per month find information on homes for sale http://www.trulia.com/ using custom search criteria and, according to comScore, now ranks as the seventh most trafficked real estate site on the Web (April 2008) with annual growth of over 325%. Trulia has partnered with thousands of real estate brokers and agents http://www.trulia.com/voices/ across the U.S. and provides market trends and neighborhood data at the hyper-local level, as well as Trulia Voices, a real estate Q&A community http://www.trulia.com/voices/, that enables consumers and professionals to exchange information about their local markets.

"The housing slump has permanently altered how people search for real estate and their thirst for information," said Pete Flint, co-founder and CEO of Trulia. "This additional capital will help us take advantage of this opportunity and continue our accelerated growth. This market is also a unique time to help real estate brokers and agents transition their marketing effort and services online. In the coming year we plan to roll out world class products that will continue to transform the online real estate experience."

In addition to Trulia's user growth, the company has seen rapid increase and engagement in its current features.

· Approximately 5 million unique users visit Trulia monthly
· About 100,000 real estate professionals are registered users on Trulia
· Trulia has more than 3 million real estate listings nationwide
· Trulia has over 70 million property records providing constantly-updating comparable sales

IT Structures Raises $5 Million in Financing Round Led by Sequoia Capital

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:00:00 PST

Tel Aviv, March 31, 2008 - IT Structures the leader in utilizing virtualization to accelerate marketing and sales results, today announced the closing of $5 million Series A financing round. This round was led by Sequoia Capital, a leading venture capital firm which was joined by existing investors Gemini Israel Funds. IT Structures will use the new financing to continue technology innovation and to accelerate, its marketing, sales and customer support efforts in response to the demand for its service, and its growing base of global customers.

"During such difficult economic times, delivering sales and marketing results is a particularly pressing issue for many software solution and appliance vendors", said IT Structures co-founder and CEO, Zvi Guterman. "IT Structures helps our customers do just that, while holding or even lowering their costs of sales. Our investors saw the innovative way we are using virtualization and on-demand computing to change the 50-year old process of physically installing software on an enterprise's servers to run an evaluation or proof-of-concept project. That coupled with integrated prospect communication, collaboration and sales analytics are the innovations our backers saw as industry changing. We are excited to have Sequoia's support in addition to the continued support of Gemini".

AdMob Raises $15.7 Million

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:00:00 PST

The VC firm that warned its portfolio companies of tough times ahead led a Series C investment round in mobile ad network provider AdMob.

Sequoia Capital led the $15.7 million round with existing investor Accel Partners. The round is intended to fund AdMob's global expansion.

AdMob reports strong growth over the past year, more than tripling the number of ads served on a monthly basis to 4.5 billion in September.

AdMob plans to boost growth by hiring local staff in key markets and adding new language interfaces, with an emphasis on Western Europe, India, South Africa and Japan. It also will increase investment in its mobile technology platform, expand offerings for both publishers and advertisers and grow the AdMob sales and development teams in the United States.

AdMob also announced its publisher network now includes more than 6,000 partners worldwide. New publishers in 2008 include MySpace and MovieTickets.com.

"AdMob is well capitalized and has achieved cash flow positive results, giving them a unique opportunity in this difficult economic climate to aggressively capture market share," said Jim Goetz, partner, Sequoia Capital, in a press release. "They have some of the same qualities that we saw in Google, Yahoo!, YouTube and Apple, including their exceptional team and powerful technology platform."

Renhe Commercial Holdings IPO

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:00 PST

HONG KONG, Oct 22 (Reuters) - China's Renhe Commercial Holdings Co Ltd rose 4.4 percent in its trading debut in Hong Kong on Wednesday in an IPO unlikely to inspire other listing hopefuls to venture into a global market that has all but shut to newcomers.

Renhe (1387.HK), which develops underground shopping malls, raised $435 million, although its initial public offering was undersubscribed even after the company cut its offer price, forcing existing shareholders to make up the difference.

Numerous companies have shelved plans to raise billions of dollars by going public, and little improvement is expected anytime soon. Investors shun risk these days, and companies that want to list would be forced to accept rock-bottom valuations to get their deals done.

"The general market has to improve worldwide, but that is a tall order," said Francis Lun, general manager of Fulbright Securities in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index .HSI ended 5.1 percent lower, taking its losses to around 49 percent this year.

Renhe's listing is just the third to be completed since late July in the once-thriving Hong Kong market. In the United States, no company has gone public since the week of Aug. 3 through last week, a stretch that is the longest since 1980 when such data was collected, according to Thomson Reuters data.

With debt financing expensive and hard to come by in the global credit crunch, capital-hungry companies face dwindling financing options. In Asia, several small firms have defaulted on debt or gone into liquidation in recent weeks.

"Company stocks are falling a lot, which is making it difficult for their major shareholders to borrow money from banks using their stocks as collateral," said Alex Huang, vice president at Mega International Securities in Taipei, which saw its first IPO this week since July 10.

"We'll have to wait for the stock market to pick up to see an improvement in IPOs, probably not before the second quarter of next year," he said.

Sequoia Capital Invests in CERNET-Koncept, Ltd. To Develop China Campus Channel

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:00:00 PST

BEIJING, Nov 06, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CERNET Koncept Ltd., the holder of exclusive rights to provide digital media services and advertising to China's university students, have recently closed a US $6.5 million Series A round with Sequoia Capital to expand their next generation media services to Chinese Campus Channel and allow advertisers a unique new media channel to effectively reach youth in China.

Established in 2007, CERNET Koncept is a joint venture between CERNET (The China Education and Research Network, which is itself a cooperative between the Ministry of Education and Chinese Government) and Koncept Group, Ltd. (a developer and provider of digital media platform, content and marketing). This joint venture provides a large scale communications, educational and entertainment services to Chinese universities, which is now open to advertisers as a way of reaching this valuable youth audience.

"CERNET Koncept has a first mover opportunity to deliver quality services to the millions of Chinese Students on the CERNET network," said Shauna Xie, Vice President with Sequoia Capital China. "Advertisers are now able to target their spending more effectively to reach this large audience."

"With the support of Sequoia Capital, we are now able to expand our Communications, Educational and Entertainment offerings to our users," said Kuang Peng, CEO of CERNET Koncept, Ltd. "Advertisers now see the value of our complete mixed media platform to reach this important demographic."

CERNET is a private Intranet that runs across China reaching 2000 universities and more than 27 million Chinese students. As well as its primary role in providing educational material, CERNET Koncept provides value added services including an instant messaging service, communication services, a social networking site and access to large amounts of entertainment content available to students only from the Cdream platform. This platform is now available for advertisers to reach this coveted audience.

A research conducted by Sinomonitor International in 2007 shows that, every university campus student's average consumption spend is 11,860 Yuan per school year; Total annual university student consumption is nearly 300 billion RMB. The Chinese University Campus has become the battleground for all marketers and business to capture this valuable demographic and future economic engine of China.