Fusion Corporate Partners

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

• e5 Global Media to acquire 8 Nielsen media brands

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

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

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

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

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.

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:  F231109-287
 
Business:  Flat World Knowledge
Web:  http://www.flatworldknowledge.com
Location:  USA, Nyack, NY
Region:  North America
Business description:  Open source textbooks
Category: Rental
Contact 1:  Jeff Shelstad, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Contact 2:  Eric Frank, Founder and Chief Marketing Officer
  
Investors:  Undisclosed
  
Amount raised:  $2,500,000 
 
Details:  Flat World Knowledge has raised $2.5 million in funding.It raised $8 million in a first round of funding on March 2009.

Link:  paidContent
 
Related DigiNet articles

• BookRenter.com receives $6 million in Series A financing, 23 Nov 09 
• Chegg.com Secures $112 Million to Fund Growth in Online Textbook Rentals, 19 Nov 09    

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