Definition 6 has acquired the assets of Leach Communications

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website

ACQUISITION 
FDN Database Reference:  F231109-273
 
Acquirer:  Definition 6
ACQ Web:  http://www.definition6.com
Location:  USA, Atlanta
Region:  North America
Description:  Interactive marketing agency
Category:  Advertising, PR
Contact:  Michael Kogon, founder and CEO
 
Vendor:  Leach Communications
Vendor Web:  http://www.leachcommunications.com
Location:  USA, New York, NY
Region:  North America
Description:  Public relations and Web services firm
Category: PR
Contact:  Alfred Leach, founder and president
 
Aprox. Value:  Undisclosed
 
Details:  Definition 6 has acquired the assets of Leach Communications. The transaction enables Definition 6 to integrate public relations into its delivery of integrated interactive marketing services. Upon completion of the transaction, Alfred Leach, LEACH founder and president, will lead Definition 6’s National Public Relations & Communications discipline.
 
Link: Press Release

Online TV advertising analytics firm Ace Metrix has raised $6M

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-293
 
Business:  Ace Metrix
Web:  http://www.acemetrix.com
Location:  USA, Los Angeles, CA
Region:  North America
Business description:  Online television advertising analytics
Category: Advertising, Market research
Contact:  Steve Goldman, co-founder and CEO
 
Investors:  Led by Leapfrog Ventures  . Existing investors Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and Palomar Ventures also participated in the funding.
 
Round:  Round B
Amount raised:  $6,000,000  
 
Details:  Ace Metrix has raised $6.0 million in a B round of financing, led by Leapfrog Ventures. The new funds will be used to expand sales and marketing of the company’s online television advertising effectiveness measurement service.Pete Sinclair, co-director at Leapfrog Ventures, will join the board of directors of Ace Metrix.

Link:  Press Release

Social game firm Zynga raises $180M from Russian investor DST

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-292
 
Business:  Zynga
Web:  http://www.zynga.com
Location:  USA, San Francisco, CA
Region:  North America
Business description:  Social gaming company
Category: Online Games
Contact 1:  Mark Pincus, Founder and CEO
Contact 2:  Andrew Trader, co-founder
 
Investors:  Previous investor Digital Sky Technologies (DST) is leading a group of investors. DST is a Russian investment firm.
 
Amount raised:  $180,000,000  
 
Details:  D.S.T. will invest directly in Zynga while also buying stock from shareholders, including the company’s employees. The move is aimed at giving employees and shareholders of the prominent start-up a way to cash out before an initial public offering. Previous investors include Kleiner Perkins, Avalon Ventures, Foundry Group, Union Square Ventures and Institutional Venture Partners.

Link:  New York Times
  
Related DigiNet article

KongZhong Corporation is to acquire Shanghai Dacheng Network Technology for $80M

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
ACQUISITION 
FDN Database Reference:  F231109-272
 
Acquirer:  KongZhong Corporation
ACQ Web:  http://ir.kongzhong.com
Location:  China, Beijing
Region:  Asia
Description:  Mobile Internet company in China
Category:  Mobile
Contact 1:  Leilei Wang, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Contact 2:  Jay Chang, Chief Financial Officer 
 
Vendor:  Shanghai Dacheng Network Technology Co., Ltd
Location:  Chiana, Shanghai and Beijing
Region:  Asia
Description:  Developer of three-dimensional (3D) massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Their  newest 3D online game is Loong
Category: Online games
Contact 1:  Zhen Yang, chief executive officer and founder
Contact 2:  Jay Chang, Chief Financial Officer

Aprox. Value:  Based on Dacheng’s 2010 net profit after tax (NPAT), as calculated under US GAAP, the Company would pay up to US$80.0 million, in a mix of cash and the Company’s ordinary shares, to Dacheng’s shareholders.

The the key terms and features of the transaction are available here
 
Details:  KongZhong Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Shanghai Dacheng Network Technology Co., Ltd. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2010.

Prior to the closing of the transaction, Dacheng will engage in a reorganization whereby an offshore holding company will be established, and Dacheng will enter into certain contractual arrangements with such holding company and/or its subsidiaries. The Company will purchase 100% of the outstanding equity interest of such holding company upon the completion of the reorganization.
 
Link: Press Release

Rentrak to acquire Nielsen EDI

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
ACQUISITION 
FDN Database Reference:  F231109-271
 
Acquirer:  Rentrak Corporation
ACQ Web:  http://www.rentrak.com/
Location:  USA, Portland, OR
Region:  North America
Description:  Media measurement and research company
Category:  Market Research
Contact 1:  Bill Livek, Chief Executive Officer, Rentrak
Contact 2:  Ron Giambra, Executive Vice President, Rentrak 
 
Vendor:  The Nielsen Company / Nielsen EDI
Vendor Web:  http://www.nielsen.com
Location:  USA, New York & Los Angeles
Region:  North AmericaDescription:  Global information and media company with leading market positions in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online intelligence, mobile measurement, trade shows and business publications.   Nielsen EDI provides measurement, information and research solutions for the motion picture industry
Category: Media, Market Research
Contact:  Eric Weinberg, President, Nielsen Entertainment
  
Aprox. Value:  Undisclosed
 
Details:  Rentrak Corporation and The Nielsen Company have announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Rentrak will acquire Nielsen EDI from The Nielsen Company. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2010, is subject, in some jurisdictions, to consultation with employee representative bodies and other regulatory requirements. As part of the transaction, Nielsen will also enter into a long term data license agreement with Rentrak for continued access to certain box office sales information for certain of its existing products and services that currently use or feature such data.Nielsen EDI will be integrated into Rentrak’s AMI division.
 
Link: Press Release

Related DigiNet article

AlikeList (social-local platform/local business reviews) has received $5 million in funding

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-289
 
Business:  AlikeList
Web:  http://www.alikelist.com
Location:  USA, Sunnyvale.CA
Region:  North America
Business description:  A social-local platform for listing, referring and discovering trusted local businesses
Category: Social Network : Directory
Contact 1:  Jim Delli Santi, co-founder and CEO
Contact 2:  Mark Law, vice president of product development
Contact 3:  Tony Thomas, General Partner, Syncom
Contact 4:  Stan Smith, Principal, Syncom
 
Investors:   Syncom Venture Partners 
 
Round:  Round A
Amount raised:  $5,000,000
 
 
Details:  AlikeList has received $5 million in Series A funding from Syncom Venture Partners. The financing will be used for product development, to build the AlikeList user base and to expand the company’s executive team. Concurrent with the funding, Syncom’s General Partner Tony Thomas and Principal Stan Smith will join AlikeList’s Board of Directors. Also, Mark Law will head up product development.

Link:  Press Release

Real-time urban guide, Tellmewhere raises €550,000

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-290
 
Business:  Tellmewhere
Web:  http://tellmewhere.com
Location:  France, Paris
Region:  Europe
Business description:  Real-time urban guide powered by users across the globe. Tellmewhere works as a web and mobile service, available for free on the iPhone and on Android. The comapny was founded in January 2007 and has share capital of € 120 515
Category: Search : Directory
Contact 1:  Gilles Barbier, CEO, Co-Founder (Twitter)
Contact 2:  Romain Ehrhard, Co-Founder (Twitter)
 
Investors:  Led by Stephane Romanyszyn, founder and CEO of entreparticuliers.com  

Amount raised:  € 550,000
  
Details:  Real-time urban guide, Tellmewhere, has raised €550,000 bring total funding to €1,400,000.

Link:  TechCrunch Europe

Online patent validation company Article One Partners raises over $3M

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-291
 
Business:  Article One Partners
Web:  http://www.articleonepartners.com/
Location:  USA, New York, NY
Region:  North America
Business description:  Article One Partners is a global online community that legitimizes the validity of patents.

Category: Database, IP
Contact 1:  Paul DiGiammarino, President
Contact 2:  Ray Felts, Chief Operating Officer
 
Investors:  General Catalyst Partners and other undisclosed  

Round:  Round A
Amount raised:  $3,000,000 (more than) 
 
Details:  Article One Partners has closed a Series A round of private equity funding that coincides with the appointment of Paul DiGiammarino as President and Ray Felts as Chief Operating Officer. With the completion of this round, Article One has raised more than $3 million. Through its founding sponsorship of the Startup 2009 NYC competition, General Catalyst Partners has become an investor as well.

Link:  Press Release

UBM acquires Virtual Press Office for $6.5m

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
ACQUISITION 
FDN Database Reference:  F231109-270
 
Acquirer:  United Business Media Limited on behalf of PR Newswire
ACQ Web:  http://www.prnewswire.com
Location:  USA, New York, NY
Region:  North America
Description:  Communications and marketing services, enabling organizations to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide.
Category:  Media
Contact:  David Levin, Chief Executive Officer 
 
Vendor:  Virtual Press Office
Vendor Web:  http://www.virtualpressoffice.com/
Location:  USA, Montclair, NJ
Region:  North America
Description:  VPO is the market-leading provider of communications and marketing services to live event organisers, exhibitors and attendees. VPO was established in 1996 and now serves more than 500 tradeshows and conferences and 10,000 customers worldwide. VPO provides a range of tools and services designed to support all aspects of event marketers’ tradeshow communications, from building online press kits to direct email marketing, to social media outreach and analysis through its recently launched EventBuzz social media analytics capability.
Category: PR : Communications
Contact 1:  Peter Brand, chief executive officer
Contact 2:  Tom Cherry, chief operating officer
 
Aprox. Value:  An initial cash consideration of $6.5m, with a further performance-related consideration of up to $3.5m payable over three years. (VPO is expected to generate revenue of around $2.2m in 2009)
 
Details:  United Business Media Limited today announces that it has acquired Virtual Press Office (VPO) from its private shareholders on behalf of PR Newswire. VPO’s co-founders, Peter Brand, chief executive officer, and Tom Cherry, chief operating officer, will join PR Newswire to lead the integrated Global Events team.
 
Link: Press Release

Search technology/targeted ad firm, Grapeshot has raised £1.5 million

The Fusion Team have completed over 70 digital and media transactions for its private, corporate and private equity clients. For more information contact pkelly@fusioncorp.co.uk or visit our website
 
FUND RAISING 
Database Reference:  F231109-286
 
Business:  Grapeshot
Web:  http://www.grapeshot.co.uk
Location:  United Kingdon, London & Cambridge
Region:  Europe
Business description:  Grapeshot has a technology that can go into a page and pick out the significant words. Instead of manually assigning categories to different parts of the publisher’s site, which is a very time consuming process, Grapeshot has an automatic way to unpick the right words in a page and effectively target advertising to that context.

Category: Search, Advertising
Contact:  Dr. Martin Porter, founder and Chief Scientist
 
Investors:  IQ Capital Partners http://www.iqcapitalfund.co.uk  Tim Schoonmaker (Odeon Cinemas CEO and Emap board member) and a group of angel investors.
  
Amount raised:  £1,500,000
 
Details:  Grapeshot has raised £1.5 million. Tim Schoonmaker, joins the Grapeshot board.

Link:  paidContent