Fusion Corporate Partners

LivingSocial raises $5 million to expand group-shopping deals

January 7, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Posted in ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Seesmic acquires social network posting service Ping.fm

January 5, 2010 — 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: F231109-288

Acquirer: Seesmic
ACQ Web: http://www.seesmic.com
Location: USA, San Francisco, CA
Region: North America
Description: Enables management of Twitter and Facebook accounts from desktop and mobile apps
Category: Technology, App, Social Network
Contact: Loic Le Meur, Founder & CEO

Vendor: Ping.fm
Vendor Web: http://www.ping.fm
Location: “USA, Tulsa, OK
Region: North America
Description: Enables updating of multiple social network posts from one place
Category: Technology, App, Social Network
Contact 1: Adam Duffy, co-founder
Contact 2: Sean McCullough, co-founder

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: Seesmic acquires ping.fm. Ping’s angel investors become shareholders and advisors Joi Ito, Reid Hoffman who was already a Seesmic shareholder and Mohamed Nanabhay.

Link: Seesmic Blog

Posted in ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Apple acquires mobile ad network Quattro Wireless

January 5, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Vendor: Quattro Wireless
Vendor Web: http://www.quattrowireless.com
Location: USA, Waltham, MA
Region: North America
Description: mobile advertising company, empowering advertisers and publishers to reach and engage their target audiences across mobile web, application and video platforms
Category: Mobile, Advertising
Contact: Andy Miller, CEO and co-founder

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: Apple acquires Quattro Wireless. Co-founde Quattro Wirelees Andy Miller becomes Apple’s Vice President, Mobile Advertising. For now all services remain unchanged and client and support teams will remain the same

Link: Quattro Blog

Related DigiNet Article

Apple has acquired music retailer Lala.com

Posted in ~North America. Leave a Comment »

HMV acquires live events and media business MAMA Group in a deal valued at £46M

January 5, 2010 — 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: F231109-286

Acquirer: HMV
ACQ Web: http://www.hmvgroup.com
Location: United Kingdom, London
Region: Europe
Description: Specialist retailer of Music, DVD/Video, Computer Games and Related Products
Category: Retail
Contact: Simon Fox, Chief Executive

Vendor: MAMA Group PLC
Vendor Web: http://www.mamagroup.co.uk
Location: United Kingdom, London
Region: Europe
Description: Public company focused on music and media businesses and comprised of three divisions: Live Music,Artist Services and Consumer services.
Category: Media, Events
Contact 1: Dean James, Co-Chief Executive
Contact 2: Adam Driscoll, Co-Chief Executive

Aprox. Value: £46,000,000

Details: HMV Group plc and MAMA Group Plc have announced that agreement has been reached on a recommended cash offer to be made by HMV to acquire all of the issued and to be issued Ordinary Shares of MAMA not already owned by HMV. The Offer will be 5.4 pence per MAMA Share in cash and values the entire issued share capital of MAMA at approximately £46 million on a fully diluted basis. The Offer representsa premium of approximately 23.4 per cent. to the middle market price of a MAMA Share at the close of business on 4 December 2009 and a discount of approximately 1.8 per cent. to the closing price of 5.5 pence per MAMA share on 22 December 2009.

Link: Press Release

Posted in ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Lyceum Capital has acquired energy procurement and compliance specialists McKinnon & Clarke for £22M

January 5, 2010 — 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: F231109-285

Acquirer: Lyceum Capital
ACQ Web: http://www.lyceumcapital.co.uk
Location: United Kingdom, London
Region: Europe
Description: Private Equity
Category: Private Equity
Contact 1: Daniel Adler, Partner
Contact 2: David Harland, Partner

Vendor: McKinnon & Clarke
Vendor Web: http://www.mckinnon-clarke.co.uk
Location: United Kingdom, Fife, Scotland
Region: Europe
Description: European energy procurement and compliance specialists.
Category: Energy, Procurement
Contact 1: Sandy McKinnon, Founder
Contact 2: Simon Northrop, CEO

Aprox. Value: £22,000,000

Details: Lyceum Capital has taken a significant majority stake in McKinnon & Clarke. The company employs 87 people in Scotland and a further 286 across an international network of offices. The growth plan will focus on new opportunities in international markets and aims to treble the £22.7 million turnover during the next few years. Sandy McKinnon will retain a minority share in the business and CEO, Simon Northrop, will continue to lead the company. Daniel Adler and David Harland from Lyceum Capital will join the board. Debt funding was provided by HSBC.

Link: Press Release

Other deals in the sector

Posted in B2B Services, Energy & Environmental Services, Procurement, ~Europe. Leave a Comment »

Thomson Reuters acquires Discovery Logic

January 5, 2010 — 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: F231109-284

Acquirer: Thomson Reuters
ACQ Web: http://www.thomsonreuters.com
Location: USA, New York, NY
Region: North America
Description: Information for decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets
Category: Data provider
Contact: Keith MacGregor, Executive Vice President of the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters

Vendor: Discovery Logic
Vendor Web: http://www.discoverylogic.com
Location: USA, Rockville, MD
Region: North America
Description: Provider of customizable analytics and decision support solutions for scientific research
Category: Scientific
Contact: Mike Pollard (will continue with the business as Vice President and General Manager of Discovery Logic after the acquisition)

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: From the Thomson Reuters – “The acquisition of Discovery Logic will enhance current research analytics offerings and provide increased decision support and workflow solutions to academic, government, non-profit and commercial professionals.” The company becomes part of the Healthcare & Science business of Thomson Reuters.

Link: Press Release

WebMediaBrands acquires tradeshow business 3rd Power

January 5, 2010 — 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: F231109-283

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 Twitter

Vendor: Charles Edward Hudson/3rd Power LLC
Vendors Websites: http://www.thirdpowerllc.com : http://www.socialgamingsummit2009.com : http://www.vgsummit.com : http://www.igsummit.com
Location:
Region: North America
Description: 3rd Power’s main assets are three social media tradeshows (Social Gaming Summit, Virtual Goods Summit and iGames Summit), as well as several new tradeshows to be launched in 2010.
Category: Events
Contact: Charles Edward Hudson (now a consultant to WebMediaBrands)

Aprox. Value: Undisclosed

Details: WebMediaBrands Inc. (Nasdaq: WEBM),has acquired all of the equity of 3rd Power LLC from Charles Edward Hudson

Link: Press Release

Related DigiNet Article

WebMediaBrands acquires Social Times Incorporated

Posted in ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Nuance Acquires SpinVox to expand their Voice-to-Text Business

January 3, 2010 — Fusion DigiNet

Vendor: SpinVox
Vendor Web: http://www.spinvox.com
Location: United Kingdom, Marlow
Region: Europe
Description: Provider of speech and imaging solutions for businesses and consumer.
Category: Mobile, Technology
Contact 1: Christina Domecq, Founder
Contact 2: Daniel Doulton, Founder

Aprox. Value: $102.5 million, comprising $66 million in cash and $36.5 million, or approximately 2.3 million shares, in Nuance common stock.

Details: By integrating SpinVox’s carrier services with Nuance’s advanced speech recognition platform, Nuance will further accelerate the growth of its voice-to-text business and scale to meet the needs of a growing, global customer base.

Links: The SpinVox blog Press Release

Posted in ~Europe, ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Social media monitoring firm viralheat raises $75,000

January 3, 2010 — 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: F231109-314

Business: viralheat
Web: http://viralheat.com
Location: USA, San Jose, CA
Region: North America
Business description: Social media measurement platform
Category: Media monitoring
Contact: Raj Kadam, CEO Twitter

Investors: Undisclosed

Amount raised: $75,000

Details: Social media monitoring firm viralheat raises $75,000 in debt funding

Link: Regulatory Filing

Posted in ~North America. Leave a Comment »

Cloud communications firm Twilio raise $3.7M

January 3, 2010 — 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: F231109-313

Business: Twilio
Web: http://www.twilio.com Twitter
Location: USA, San Francisco, CA
Region: North America
Business description: Provides a web-service API for businesses to build scalable communications apps that make and receive phone calls.
Category: Telecommunications, Technology
Contact 1: Jeff Lawson, co-founder
Contact 2: John Wolthuis, co-founder
Contact 3: Evan Cooke, co-founder

Investors: The round was lead by Albert Wenger of Union Square Ventures who will become a board director.

Amount raised: $3,700,000

Details: Twilio raise $3.7M to expand product development, sales, and marketing efforts. Albert Wenger of Union Square Ventures will become a board director. Also joining the board is Dave McClure of original March 09 seed funder Founders Fund. David Cohen, Chris Sacca, Manu Kumar, Mitch Kapor, and other angel investors also participated in the seed round.