December | 2009 | Fusion Corporate Partners

Digital entertainment solutions firm Widevine has raised £15M

December 14, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-285

Business: Widevine
Web: http://www.widevine.com
Location: USA, Seattle, WA
Region: North America
Business description: A provider of digital entertainment solutions. Widevine plays a central role in the delivery of video to Internet-connected retail consumer electronics and the “TV Everywhere” strategies of cable, satellite and telephone companies. Widevine provides digital media solutions for the delivery of digital entertainment to any device.
Category: Technology : Video
Contact: Brian Baker, CEO

Investors: Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA), Samsung Ventures, the venture capital arm of Samsung Group, and a third corporation (second largest satellite provider according to the release).

Amount raised: $15,000,000

Details: Widevine has raised £15M funding from Liberty Global, Samsung Ventures and a third unnamed investor. The company is, funded by Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Charter Ventures, Constellation Ventures, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd (DNP), Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA), PaceSetter Capital Group, Phoenix Partners, Samsung Ventures America (LSE:SMSN.GDR), TELUS (NYSE: TU), VantagePoint Venture Partners, Western Technology Investments and the unnamed corporation.

Link: Press Release

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Cloud based storage company Zecter, maker of ZumoDrive, has raised $1.5 million

December 14, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-288

Business: Zexter (owners of ZumoDrive)
Web: http://www.zumodrive.com
Location: USA, Burlingame, CA
Region: North America
Business description: Cloud based storage company ZumoDrive connects consumers to their content across all of their devices. With our patent pending technology, ZumoDrive allows users to bring all their music, photos, videos, and documents with them even on mobile devices that are limited in capacity.
Category: Cloud, Technology
Contact 1: David Zhao
Contact 2: Kevin West
Contact 3: Vijay Mani

Investors: New investor Ram Shriram, plus original investors Tandem Entrepreneurs and VeriFone CEO Douglas Bergeron.

Amount raised: $1,500,000

Details: Cloud based storage company Zecter, maker of ZumoDrive, has secured a $1.5 million round of lending.

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Flat World Knowledge has raised $2.5 million in funding

December 14, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

Link: paidContent

Related DigiNet articles

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WebMediaBrands acquires Social Times Incorporated

December 11, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-269

Acquirer: WebMediaBrands
ACQ Web: http://www.webmediabrands.com
Location: USA, New York, NY
Region: North America
Description: Global provider of events, education, jobs, and content for business, media, and creative professionals
Category: Media
Contact: Alan M. Meckler, Chairman and CEO http://twitter.com/alanmeckler

Vendor: Social Times Incorporated
Vendor Web: http://www.allfacebook.com/
Location: USA
Region: North America
Description: Social media blogs
Category: Media
Contact: Nick O’Neill, founder

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: WebMediaBrands Announces Acquisition of AllFacebook.com, SocialTimes.com, Social Ad Summit Tradeshow, and New Media School

Link: Press Release

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EQT and GIC acquire Springer from Cinven and Candover

December 11, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-268

Acquirer: EQT and GIC
ACQ Web: www.eqt.se & http://www.gic.com.sg/
Location: Sweden and Singapore
Region: Europe, Asia
Description: “EQT is a group of private equity funds

GIC is a global investment management company established in 1981 to manage Singapore’s foreign reserves. ”
Category: Private Equity, Investment
Contact 1: Conni Jonsson, Managing Partner and CEO, EQT
Contact 2: Paul de Rome, Senior Partner, EQT
Contact 3: Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, Deputy Chairman & Executive Director, GIC
Contact 4: Lim Siong Guan, Group President, GIC

Vendor: Springer Science+Business Media
Vendor Web: http://www.springer-sbm.com
Location: Germany, Berlin
Region: Europe
Description: The Springer Group is the world’s second largest scientific, technical and medical (STM) publisher and a leader in the digitalization of scientific information.
Category: Media
Contact: Derk Haank, Springer’s CEO

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed. Bloomberg reports that the sale will generate cash proceeds of 11.4 million pounds ($18.6 million). EQT will own 82 percent of Springer and the Government of Singapore Investment Corp., manager of more than $100 billion of the city’s foreign reserves, will hold the rest

Details: The Board of Directors of Springer Science+Business Media (Springer Group), composed of Springer executives and representatives of Cinven and Candover, have agreed to accept an offer from and have signed a sales agreement with a partnership of EQT, a private equity investor based in Sweden, and GIC, a Singapore-based co-investor, for all shares of the Springer Group. Furthermore, EQT and GIC have agreed to inject new equity into the Springer Group, to strengthen its balance sheet and decrease the overall cost of funding. A refinancing agreement with a syndicate of banks will give the Springer Group medium-term stability by removing imminent potential refinancing issues.

The acquisition is subject to examination and approval by European, US and national competition authorities. This process is expected to be finished by mid to late January or early February 2010.”

Link: Press Release

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CloudShare Lands $10M in Series B Funding

December 11, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-284

Business: CloudShare
Web: http://www.cloudshare.com
Location: USA, Palo Alto, CA
Region: North America
Business description: A way for organizations to instantly deploy multiple, independent copies of their existing demo or training environments in the cloud.
Category: Technology
Contact 1: Zvi Guterman, CEO of CloudShare
Contact 2: George Zachary, Partner at Charles River Ventures

Investors: Sequoia Capital, Gemini Capital, and Charles River Ventures (CRV).

Round: Round B
Amount raised: $10,000,000

Details: CloudShare, formerly IT Structures, has received $10M in series B financing. The company plans to use the investment to fund product development and expand its go-to-market capabilities.

Link: Press Release

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e5 Global Media to acquire 8 Nielsen media brands

December 10, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-267

Acquirer: e5 Global Media
Location: USA, New York, NY
Region: North America
Description: A new company formed jointly by Pluribus Capital Management, a media private equity partnership, and Guggenheim Partners, a global diversified financial services firm
Category: Media
Contact 1: James A. Finkelstein, Pluribus (will become Chairman of e5 Global Media)
Contact 2: Matthew Doull, Pluribus
Contact 3: George Green, Pluribus
Contact 4: Todd Boehly, Managing Partner, Guggenheim Partners

Vendor: Nielsen Business Media
Vendor Web: http://www.nielsen.com
Location: USA, New York & Los Angeles
Region: North America
Description: 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.
Category: Media
Contact: Greg Farrar, President of Nielsen Business Media

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed. Some media reports say $70,000,000

Details: e5 Global Media has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eight brands from The Nielsen Company. The brands being acquired are AdweekMedia (which includes Adweek, Mediaweek and Brandweek), The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Backstage, The Clio Awards and Film Journal International. E5 Global Media will also acquire the Film Expo business, which includes ShoWest, ShowEast, Cinema Expo International and CineAsia trade shows.

Link: Press Release

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Pageonce raises $6.5M

December 10, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-283

Business: Pageonce
Web: http://www.pageonce.com/
Location: USA, Palo Alto, CA
Region: North America, Middle East & Africa, Europe
Business description: Smartphone personal information management company. Its flagship application, ‘Personal Assistant’ enables tracking personal finance, travel, bills, cell phone minutes and shopping.
Category: Mobile: Technology
Contact 1: Guy Goldstein, Co-Founder and CEO, PageOnce
Contact 2: Liron Petrushka, Chairman, PageOnce
Contact 3: Eitan Bek, partner, Pitango

Investors: The round was led by the leading Israeli Venture firm Pitango Venture Capital and brings the total raised to date to $10M.

Amount raised: $10,000,000

Details: Pageonce has closed a $6.5M new round of venture funding. Pitango Partner Eitan Bek will join Pageonce’s board of directors. Pageonce is backed by Pitango Venture Capital and HillsVen Capital as well as other prominent Silicon Valley angels including Liron Petrushka who serves as Chairman of Pageonce. Pageonce is headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., with a development team in Kfar Saba,Israel.

Link: Press Release

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MOL Global to Acquire Friendster

December 10, 2009 — Fusion DigiNet

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: F231109-266

Acquirer: MOL Global
ACQ Web: http://www.molglobal.com
Location: Malaysia, Kuala Lum
Region: Asia
Description: MOL is a MSC Malaysia Status Company that operates and develops payment systems.
Category: Payments
Contact 1: Tan Sri Vincent Tan, Chairman
Contact 2: Ganesh Kumar Bangah, president and chief executive officer

Vendor: Friendster
Vendor Web: http://www.friendster.com
Location: USA, Mountain View, CA
Region: North America
Description: Leading social network in Asia. With more than 115 million members worldwide.
Category: Social Network
Contact: Richard Kimber, chief executive officer

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: The combined entity will maintain offices in various locations, around the world, including Mountain View, CA (USA), the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Ganesh Kumar Bangah will become the Group Chief Executive Officer of the combined entity while Richard Kimber will become the Non-Executive Chairman.

Link: Press Release