From: venturewire@venturewire.com
To: jdasovic@enron.com
Date: 2000-09-20 06:40:00+00:00
Subject: VentureWire, Wednesday, September 20, 2000

======================================================
        VENTUREWIRE --- Wednesday, September 20, 2000
======================================================
           Private Company Business News
------ Published Daily by Technologic Partners -------
           http://technologicpartners.com
======================================================

Top Stories:

o Hitachi Spins Off Fiber Optic Firm With $450 Million Backing
o notHarvard, Renamed Powered, Drops Lawsuit Against Harvard
o Ex-Lucent Exec To Head Content Delivery Firm XOsoft
o Individuals & St. Paul VC Form Sixth Satellite Fund Quatris
o Listen.com Acquires Audio Entertainment Firm WiredPlanet
o Sprint President & COO Joins Transportation.com's Board

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Also in This Issue:

     New Money:
o Net Consultant eRunway Raises $13.5 Million First Round
o Net Infrastructure Firm Storigen Has $9 Million Round One
o CRM Firm PAR3 Communications Has $5.7 Million First Round
o Employee Health ASP AtBalance Gets $1.5 Million in Round One
o Music Portal HardRoad Raises $450,000 in Seed Funding
o Network Security Firm Vinciv Has $2.75 Million Round One
o Rental Site Rentanything Raises $3 Million in Seed Round
o Web Training Tech Firm Tcert Raises $1.5 Million First Round
o B2B Audio Firm SoundEffective.com Raises Series A Funds
o Bride Site BrideSave Raises First Institutional Round
o Demand Management Firm Demantra Gets $19.5 Million Round Two
o Linux Firm MontaVista's Initial Round Two Lands $23 Million
o Wireless Tech Developer Qsent Secures $20 Million Round Two
o AlphaBlox Gets $33 Million in Strategic Funding
o AlterEgo Networks Holds Series B Financing for $27.8 Million
o Canadian Commerce Services Firm Borderfree Gets $7.4 Million
o Digital Avenue Raises $2 Million  To Begin Second Round
o Networker Amino Communications Gets $5.6 Million Round Two
o OSS Provider Step 9 Secures $15 Million in Second Round
o Wine Info Site WineAccess Raises $3 Million in Second Round
o DigiLens Secures $40 Million in its Fourth Round of Funding
o Licensing Site IPnetwork.com Gets $20 Million in Round Two
o Online Eyecare Resource Sightstreet.com Raises $7.5 Million
o Mead Invests in Forest Products Exchange ForestExpress
o Revit Raises $24 Million in First Part of Third Round
o WhereNet Closes $20 Million Series D, Names New CEO
o Web Testing Firm Atesto Launches with Less Than $5 Million

     New Products:
o Staubach Co. Launches Real Estate and Online Investor Firm
o IT Trading Platform Provider SolutionHub.com Launches

     M&A:
o Hollywood Stock Exchange, Predict It Merge with $10 Million
o Marketing Services Provider Indimi Acquires DailyRating.com
o TV, Radio Ad Sales Site BuyMedia Acquires Tapscan Divisions
o Web Capital Ventures Acquires IT Firm RDC Consulting

     New Directors:
o Online Bank CompuBank Appoints Stark Capital CEO to Board
o Sports Commerce Firm eFANshop Names Board Member
o SG Cowen Exec Joins Mobile Tech Firm Equinox Solutions Board

     New People:
o IBM Spin-off Delphion Names Former Savvis Executive Its CEO
o Yack.com Co-founder Is CEO of Mobile Tech Firm Informano
o Apparel Industry Firm The Thread Names President Interim CEO
o Board Member Named CEO of IP Storage System Pirus
o Focus One Media Group Appoints Advertising Veteran as CEO
o Former Alcatel VP To Head Small Biz Broadband Firm ShareGate
o Internet Printing and Mailing Service ELetter Selects CEO
o Video and Audio Conferencing Firm Video-On Hires New CEO
o Web App Architecture Firm MTW Names Its President, CEO
o Former Clear Channel Director Named President of nTunes
o Healthcare ASP Global Telemedix Names CEO

     VC Fund News:
o Media Firm Hanley-Wood to Fund Housing Industry Net Startups
o Publicly Traded Measurement Firm X-Rite Forms Venture Fund

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======= Top Stories =======

o Hitachi Spins Off Fiber Optic Firm With $450 Million Backing

TOKYO -- Electronics giant Hitachi said it will
spin off its fiber optic components business unit
into OpNext Japan, a subsidiary of new U.S. company
OpNext, which provides fiber optic components for
data and telecommunications applications. Clarity
Group, a partnership between U.S. equity firm Clarity
Partners and Japanese trading house Marubeni Group,
said it would invest $450 million into the new company
within the next year. Hitachi will retain majority
control of the new company. OpNext will use its
new funding for research and development, to enhance
its manufacturing capabilities, and for sales and
marketing. Masaaki Hayashi, president and CEO of
Hitachi's telecommunications and information infrastructure
systems group, will serve as chairman of OpNext.
Clarity Partners managing general partner David
Lee will be co-chairman of the company. OpNext will
be based in New Jersey.
http://www.opnext.com/
_____________________________________________

o notHarvard, Renamed Powered, Drops Lawsuit Against Harvard

AUSTIN, Texas -- notHarvard.com, an online education
firm, said it changed its name to Powered following
a trademark infringement suit Harvard University
filed against the company earlier this summer. notHarvard,
which prior to Harvard's action sought protection
for its name from a Texas court, said it retracted
its lawsuit against the university. Harvard University
couldn't be reached for comment. notHarvard said
the change had nothing to do with Harvard's lawsuit
and it was already well into the process of changing
its name when the Ivy League school filed its suit.
The company said that the name notHarvard was simply
"an internal code name that just stuck."  The company
previously argued that the "not" in its name clearly
distinguished it from Harvard University. The company
said  it will officially take the new name in about
60 days. notHarvard, which enables companies to
offer free online courses to their clients, is backed
by Austin Ventures, Barnes & Noble.com, CenterPoint
Venture Partners, Impact Venture Partners, Merrill
Lynch Kecalp, Sanchez Capital Partners, and TL Ventures.
http://www.powered.com/
_____________________________________________

o Ex-Lucent Exec To Head Content Delivery Firm XOsoft

MORRISTOWN, N.J. -- XOsoft, which provides content
delivery technology, said it named Lance Boxer,
who previously served as group president of Lucent
Technologies' Communications Software Group, as
the company's new president and chief executive
officer. Mr. Boxer replaces company founder Leonid
Shrilman, who remains chairman and chief technology
officer. The company is backed by JK&B Capital,
Goldman Sachs, Draper Fisher Jurvetson Gotham, Neurone
Venture Capital, Seed Capital, ComVerse, and Janney
Montgomery Scott.
http://www.xosoft.com/
_____________________________________________

o Individuals & St. Paul VC Form Sixth Satellite Fund Quatris

MINNEAPOLIS -- St. Paul Venture Capital, along with
four individual investors, announced the formation
of the Quatris Fund, which will create and seed
early stage companies in the IT, software and Web
service industries. The new fund will focus on start
ups in Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. St. Paul
Venture Capital has committed $15 million to Quatris,
making it the firm's sixth satellite fund. The four
individuals, Steven Goldstein, Erwin Kelen, John
Rollwagen and Gary Smaby, will co-manage the fund.
They will also continue to operate as private investors
and may provide initial seed capital for the development
of an idea before the fund invests. St. Paul's other
satellite funds are Annapolis Ventures, Flying W
Ventures, Perspective Capital, Upper Lake Growth
Capital, and Windamere Ventures.
http://www.stpaulvc.com/
_____________________________________________

o Listen.com Acquires Audio Entertainment Firm WiredPlanet

SAN FRANCISCO -- Listen.com, provider of a guide
to online music, said it acquired WiredPlanet, which
provides personalized audio streaming entertainment.
Listen.com said it will absorb WiredPlanet and retain
most of its employees. Futher details of the acquisition
were not disclosed. Listen.com is backed by Altos
Ventures, Attractor Ventures, August Capital, Austin
Ventures, the Barksdale Group, BMG Entertainment,
EMI Recorded Music, Hambrecht & Quist, Index Ventures,
Sony Music, Trans Cosmos, Universal Music Group,
Warner Music Group, and individual investors. WiredPlanet
is backed by Amicus, Angel Investors, Arba Investment
Group, and New Millennium Partners.
http://www.wiredplanet.com/
http://www.listen.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sprint President & COO Joins Transportation.com's Board

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Transportation.com, an online
transportation marketplace for shippers, carriers,
and private fleet operators, said it named Ronald
T. LeMay to its board of directors. Mr. LeMay is
president and chief operating officer of Sprint.
He is also, along with his son Lance LeMay, a founder
of Kansas City, Mo.-based venture capital firm October
Capital. Transportation.com said Mr. LeMay plans
to invest in the company through October Capital
at a future date. Since 1994 Mr. LeMay has served
as a board member of Yellow Corp., which has taken
an equity stake in Transportation.com; he will leave
the Yellow Corp. board for the Transportation.com
board seat. Yellow Corp., TL Ventures, and EnerTech
have provided a total of $30 million in first-round
financing. In addition to Mr. LeMay, Transportation.com's
board of directors includes William Zollars, chairman,
president and CEO of Yellow Corp.; Robert Keith,
managing general partner of TL Ventures; and Scott
Ungerer, managing director of Entertech Capital
Partners. Transportation.com has headquarters in
Irvine, Calif., and has a technology center here.
http://www.transportation.com/

======= New Money =======

o Net Consultant eRunway Raises $13.5 Million First Round

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- eRunway, an Internet consulting
and software development firm, said it secured $13.5
million in a first round of funding led by Sigma
Partners, which contributed $10 million to the round.
The remaining funding came from individual investors.
Bob Davoli, managing partner at Sigma Partners,
joined the company's board, which now has five members.
The funds will be used for expansion and product
development.
http://www.erunway.com/
_____________________________________________

o Net Infrastructure Firm Storigen Has $9 Million Round One

LOWELL, Mass. -- Storigen Systems, a developer of
Internet infrastructure technology for the delivery
of next-generation Internet content and managed
services, said it received its first round of financing
totaling $9 million from Battery Ventures, Charles
River Ventures, and OneLiberty Ventures. The company
said it will use the funding to develop scalable
content delivery systems for ISPs. Previous funding
came from individual investors
http://www.storigen.com/
_____________________________________________

o CRM Firm PAR3 Communications Has $5.7 Million First Round

SEATTLE -- Timberline Venture Partners, a venture
capital firm, said it has invested $2 million in
PAR3 Communications, a developer of CRM technology,
as part of the company's $5.7 million first round
of funding. Draper Fisher Jurvetson also participated
in the round. PAR3 was founded in 1999 as AlertOnline.
PAR3's technology allows businesses to communicate
with their customers via telephone, e-mail, pager,
Internet, fax, instant messaging, or wireless device.
http://www.par3.com/
_____________________________________________

o Employee Health ASP AtBalance Gets $1.5 Million in Round One

NEW YORK -- AtBalance, an ASP that provides employee
fitness and health information, services, and training,
said it secured $1.5 million in its first round
of funding from Asian Appraisal and individual investors.
The company will use the funding for product deployment,
recruiting additional staff, and for corporate operations
and marketing. AtBalance raised a seed round of
$145,000 from individual investors. The company
provides services to mid and large-size companies
and employees.
http://www.atbalance.com/
_____________________________________________

o Music Portal HardRoad Raises $450,000 in Seed Funding

SEATTLE -- HardRoad.com, a music/road trip portal
aimed at college students, said it raised $450,000
in seed financing from individual investors and
launched its beta site. The site features six reporters
who rove the country filing dispatches, music reviews,
and MP3's from the bands they see.
http://www.hardroad.com/
_____________________________________________

o Network Security Firm Vinciv Has $2.75 Million Round One

LANHAM, Md. -- Vinciv, which is developing a network
security system for the distribution and protection
of digital content, said it received $2.75 million
in a first round funding led by Apollo Management,
which contributed $2.5 million. The company also
received funding from individual investors. Robert
Katz and Eric Zinterhofer of Apollo Management were
added to the company's board of directors, bringing
the total to five. Vinciv said it will use the funds
for additional product development. Vinciv was formerly
known as eInnovations.
http://www.vinciv.com/
_____________________________________________

o Rental Site Rentanything Raises $3 Million in Seed Round

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Rentanything.com, an online marketplace
for the rental of products and services, said it
received $3 million in its seed round from Virginia
Turezyn, Infinity Capital managing director; Phil
Schlein, venture partner at U.S. Venture Partners;
Edward Penhoet, venture partner at Alta Partners;
Harris Barton, Champion Ventures managing partner;
and Broderbund chairman and president Doug Carlton.
The company plans to use the funds to continue developing
its Web site.
http://www.rentanything.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Training Tech Firm Tcert Raises $1.5 Million First Round

ATLANTA -- Tcert, a creater of Web-based training
systems, said it received $1.5 million in its first
round of funding from MOL.com Berhad. The company
plans to use the funds for staffing and product
development. Located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
MOL.com invests in emerging IT and Internet companies
throughout the world and is affiliated with Softbank,
Japan, which has an 11.17% stake in the firm.
http://www.tcert.com/
_____________________________________________

o B2B Audio Firm SoundEffective.com Raises Series A Funds

BELLMORE, N.Y. -- SoundEffective.com, a business-to-business
provider of licensable music and audio content,
raised an undisclosed amount in its Series A round
of financing from individual investor Jason Klein.
The company plans to formally launch its second
beta site later this year. SoundEffective.com anticipates
that it will raise an additional $2.5 million before
it closes its first round of financing October 27,
2000.
http://www.soundeffective.com/
_____________________________________________

o Bride Site BrideSave Raises First Institutional Round

WHEELER, Texas -- BrideSave.com, which operates
an online shopping site for future brides to purchase
wedding gowns and accessories, said it raised an
undisclosed amount of funding in its first insititutional
round. Jump.Net Ventures and individual investors
funded the round. The company will use the funding
to acquire and develop new technology and for further
Web site development. BrideSave.com provides information
and planning services, in addition to online shopping.
http://www.bridesave.com/
_____________________________________________

o Demand Management Firm Demantra Gets $19.5 Million Round Two

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Demantra, which provides collaborative
demand management products and services, said it
raised $19.5 million in its second round of funding.
Formula Ventures led the round, which included the
Challenge Fund, Intel 64 Fund, Shamrock Holdings,
UBS Capital, and Vanenburg Group. Formula Ventures
principal Nir Linchevski and UBS Capital's Kevin
Smith will join the company's board of directors.
The company will use the funding for business-to-business
strategies and for sales and marketing. The company
also said it made an agreement with the Intel 64
Fund to provide services to the Itanium 64-bit platform.
http://www.demantra.com/
_____________________________________________

o Linux Firm MontaVista's Initial Round Two Lands $23 Million

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- MontaVista Software, which
develops Linux operating systems for embedded software
applications, said it received $23 million in its
second round of funding. WR Hambrecht and Intel
Capital have co-led the round, which includes Alloy
Ventures, RRE Ventures, and US Venture Partners.
The company said a large corporation may make a
significant investment in the round in the near
future. The company will use the funding for product
development, sales and marketing, and investing
in Linux technologies.
http://www.mvista.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Tech Developer Qsent Secures $20 Million Round Two

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. -- Qsent, an Internet-based company
that provides transaction-based products for wireless
service providers, businesses, and portals, said
it closed its  $20.5 million second round co-led
by Oak Investment Partners and Voyager Capital.
The company will use the funds to expand its product
line, which includes iQradio, a radio station database,
and iQtaxi, a transportation reservation system
for taxis, sedans, and limousines. Qsent closed
a first round of funding in March through investors
Auxier Asset Management and Voyager Capital.
http://www.qsent.com/
_____________________________________________

o AlphaBlox Gets $33 Million in Strategic Funding

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- AlphaBlox, which offers
an analytical application delivery platform for
Internet commerce, said new investors DB eVentures
and Deutsche Asset Management invested $33 million
in the company as part of a strategic investment.
The company plans to use the funding for expansion.
In June, AlphaBlox merged with San Francisco-based
Halfbrain.com, a developer of browser-based applications.
http://www.alphablox.com/
_____________________________________________

o AlterEgo Networks Holds Series B Financing for $27.8 Million

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- Wireless infrastructure
company AlterEgo Networks said it secured $27.8
million in its Series B funding, bringing its total
fundraising to $35.6 million. The Mayfield Fund
led this round, which included Canaan Partners,
Granite Ventures, Rembrandt Venture Partners, Aether
Systems, Interwoven, Macromedia, and individual
investors. The company will use the funding for
international growth, hiring additional staff, business
development, and for corporate operations. AlterEgo's
individual investors include John Chambers, CEO
of Cisco Systems; Gene Eidenberg, principal of Hambrecht
& Quist and Chairman of InterNAP; Ken Goldman, CFO
of Excite@Home; David Hayden, founder and chairman
of Critical Path; Ed Kozel, former chief technology
officer of Cisco and now general partner of Open
Range Ventures; Robert Shaw, former CEO for USWeb/CKS
and now CEO for Silicon Valley Internet Ventures;
and Frank Quattrone, managing director of Credit
Suisse First Boston.
http://www.aego.com/
_____________________________________________

o Canadian Commerce Services Firm Borderfree Gets $7.4 Million

TORONTO -- Borderfree, which provides services to
Canadian consumers and small businesses purchasing
products on U.S. Web sites, said it raised over
C$ 11 million ($7.4 million) in its second round
of funding. The round included investments from
Mosaic Venture Partners, Brightspark Ventures, and
the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board. The company's
service provides customers with a guaranteed total
price including exchanges, tariffs and duties, and
shipping and handling. The company also manages
deliveries and returns of items purchased through
the service. The company said it will use the capital
for technological infrastructure development, strategic
partnerships and marketing activities, and continue
its plans for global expansion. The company said
it intends to expand its services to include the
United Kingdom and others in 2001. Rick Nathan,
managing director of Brightspark, occupies a seat
on the company's board of directors as a result
of the funding.
http://www.borderfree.com/
_____________________________________________

o Digital Avenue Raises $2 Million  To Begin Second Round

LONDON -- Digital Avenue, which provides entertainment
content and applications for wireless technologies,
raised SEK 18.6 million ($2 million) in a first
closing of its second round. The round is expected
to close at $2.5 million. Investors in the first
closing were undisclosed. Previous investors in
the company include Nordic Asset Management, Tore
Aksel Voldberg, Peter Stordalen, and Torstein Tvenge.
The company said there will be no board seats taken
as a result of the second funding round.
http://www.digital-avenue.net/
_____________________________________________

o Networker Amino Communications Gets $5.6 Million Round Two

LONDON -- Amino Communications, a designer and developer
of network enabled technologies, said it raised
GBP 4 million ($5.6 million) in its second round
of funding. The investment was coordinated by Peel
Hunt and was comprised of undisclosed institutional
and individual investors. The company said it would
use the funding to expand its customer base and
further develop its technology used to design network
enabled devices for specific markets. There will
be no board seats taken as a result of the investment.
http://www.aminocom.com/
_____________________________________________

o OSS Provider Step 9 Secures $15 Million in Second Round

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Step 9 Software, a provider of Web-enabled,
pre-integrated operational support systems for communications
service providers, said it raised $15 million in
its second round of financing. Signal Equity Partners
led the round with participation from NewSpring
Ventures, Washington Dinner Club, and previous investors
Rowny Capital and eMedia Club. The company said
it will use the funds to continue deployment of
its product, iCustomer. Tim Bradley, managing partner
and co-founder at Equity Partners, and Janet Paroo,
managing partner of NewSpring Ventures, have joined
the board of directors.
http://www.step9.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wine Info Site WineAccess Raises $3 Million in Second Round

NARBERTH, Pa. -- WineAccess, an online database
of wine-related information, received $3 million
in its second round from investors Mellon Banks
Mellon Ventures, Safeguard Scientifics' Pennsylvania
Early Stage Partners, and RAF Industries. The company
plans to use the funds for continued development
of its Web site. The company raised $6 million from
the same investors in 1999. WineAcceess offers a
database of over 250,000 wines, wine-tasting groups,
member reviews of wines, and other services.
http://www.wineaccess.com/
_____________________________________________

o DigiLens Secures $40 Million in its Fourth Round of Funding

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- DigiLens, a developer of optical
display technologies, said it received $40 million
in its fourth round of funding. New investor Crescendo
Ventures led the round, which included new investors
BCI Partners and Vision Capital as well as previous
investors Alta Partners, Amadeus Capital Partners,
Apex Investment Partners, Citigroup Investments,
Foresight Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Development,
Keystone Ventures, Noro-Moseley, and Science Applications
International. The company will use the funding
to expand its U.S. and European operations and for
technology research and development.
http://www.digilens.com/
_____________________________________________

o Licensing Site IPnetwork.com Gets $20 Million in Round Two

NEW YORK -- IPnetwork.com, which provides transaction
and information services to licensing and event
sponsorship industries, said it received $20 million
in a second round of financing led by Communicade,
the Internet investment arm of Omnicom Group. Other
investors include Chase Capital Partners, Merrill
Lynch, Fenway Partners, LGT Capital Management,
and Wharton Capital Holding, and Sir Ronald Grierson,
former director of S.G. Warburg and Co. Previous
investors TL Ventures, Craig McCaw, Reed Hundt,
Jay Alix, Jon Moulton of Alchemy Partners and Chris
Brody of Vantage Venture Partners also contributed
to the funding.
http://www.ipnetwork.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Eyecare Resource Sightstreet.com Raises $7.5 Million

NEW YORK -- Sightstreet, which provides the opthalmic
industry with education, information, and e-commerce
services, said it has secured $7.5 million from
Boston Ventures. The company said it will use the
investment to support the marketing and continued
technological development of sightstreet.com. A
subsidiary of Jobson Publishing, Sightstreet.com
offers ophthalmic professionals access to eye care
products and services.
http://www.sightstreet.com/
_____________________________________________

o Mead Invests in Forest Products Exchange ForestExpress

ATLANTA -- ForestExpress, which operates a business-to-business
electronic marketplace for the forest products industry,
said paper products giant Mead invested in the company.
David Poole, director of e-business strategy for
Mead, will join the company's board of directors.
ForestExpress was founded by Georgia-Pacific, International
Paper, and Weyerhaeuser Company.
http://www.forestexpress.com/
_____________________________________________

o Revit Raises $24 Million in First Part of Third Round

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Revit Technologies, developer
of a computer-aided design system for architects
and building design professionals, said it raised
$24 million in its third round of funding, which
is still open. New investor Dassault Systemes has
invested in the round, which also includes previous
investors Atlas Ventures and North Bridge Capital
Venture Partners. The company will use the funding
for international market expansion and product development
and launch.
http://www.revit.com/
_____________________________________________

o WhereNet Closes $20 Million Series D, Names New CEO

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- WhereNet, a company that
designs, builds, and markets wireless supply chain
visibility services for locating, tracking, and
managing supply-chain resources, said it closed
a $20 million Series D funding round. The company
also announced it promoted current president Dan
Doles to president and CEO and Robert Lumpkins,
vice chairman of Cargill, has joined WhereNet's
board of directors. WhereNet is backed by Ford Motors,
Sun Microsystems, Bay Partners, Crescendo Ventures,
Crosspoint Venture Partners, Foundation Capital,
RWI Group, and individual investor Ed Shea.
http://www.wherenet.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Testing Firm Atesto Launches with Less Than $5 Million

FREMONT, Calif. -- Atesto Technologies, which provides
automated Web testing services, said it launched
 with under $5 million in funding. The company said
it closed its first round of financing in June.
Argus Capital, Draper Richards, Labrador Ventures,
Staenberg Capital, and Wilson Sonsini Ventures provided
the funding. The company said it will use the funding
to develop its services, enhance its Web infrastructure,
and for sales and marketing.
http://www.atesto.com/

======= New Products =======

o Staubach Co. Launches Real Estate and Online Investor Firm

DALLAS -- The Staubach Co., an international real
estate strategy and services provider founded by
former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach,
said it created eStaubach Partners, which will develop
Internet-based real estate products and services
and fund companies that provide related products.
The new company, which will be independent and based
in Vienna, Virginia, has raised over $2 million
in its first round of funding. The Staubach Co.
is a minority investor in eStaubach Partners, which
is funded by individual investors from the real
estate industry. Telephone 703-448-3555.
_____________________________________________

o IT Trading Platform Provider SolutionHub.com Launches

WASHINGTON -- SolutionHub.com, which provides a
platform for buying and selling software and IT
services that aims to simplify the request-for-proposal
process, announced its launch. The company received
its first round of funding from individual investors.
http://www.solutionhub.com/

======= M&A =======

o Hollywood Stock Exchange, Predict It Merge with $10 Million

NEW YORK -- Publicly traded Predict It, which provides
interactive prediction applications focused on sports
and financial markets, said it agreed to merge with
Hollywood Stock Exchange, operator of a Web site
that enables users to participate in an entertainment-related
virtual stock exchange. The new company, called
HSX, will be public and will receive $10 million
from a group of investors including Citigroup Investments,
Commonwealth Associates, Dawntreader Fund, Genesys
Angelbridge Fund, SBS Broadcasting, Keystone Venture
Capital, Verus International, and individual investors
Robert H. Lessin and Hollywood Stock Exchange co-founders
Michael Burns and Max Keiser. Hollywood Stock Exchange
is backed by Keystone Venture Capital, NBC, Travelers
Insurance, and XL Ventures.
http://www.predictit.com/
http://www.hsx.com/
_____________________________________________

o Marketing Services Provider Indimi Acquires DailyRating.com

NEW YORK -- Indimi, a provider of direct marketing
services and online information and entertainment
for consumers, said it has acquired DailyRating.com,
a company that which offers free, interactive e-mail
to track and chart aspects of consumers' lifestyles,
for an undisclosed amount. DailyRating founders
Calvin Tarlton, CEO, and Lance Lovette, COO, will
remain at the company, overseeing its services for
Indimi at Indimi headquarters in New York. Indimi
was formed from the merger of Ad Tools and Infobeat
and is backed by Sony and individual investors.
http://www.dailyrating.com/
http://www.indimi.com/
_____________________________________________

o TV, Radio Ad Sales Site BuyMedia Acquires Tapscan Divisions

BURLINGAME, Calif. -- BuyMedia, which provides services
that enable media buyers to purchase television
and radio advertising via the Internet, said it
acquired the TvScan and Cablescan divisions of Tapscan,
which provides TV stations and cable systems with
sales software. Financial terms of the deal were
not disclosed. TvScan and Cablescan media sales
software will become part of BuyMedia's product
line. TvScan and Cablescan will maintain offices
in Birmingham, Ala., under the BuyMedia name. BuyMedia
is backed by Internet Capital Group, Rosewood Venture
Group, and The Darwin Group.
http://www.buymedia.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Capital Ventures Acquires IT Firm RDC Consulting

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Web Capital Ventures, which
provides businesses with venture capital, consulting
and incubation services, said it has acquired the
Los Angeles-based IT firm RDC Consulting, which
specializes in online business infrastructure consulting.
The financial terms of the acquisition were not
disclosed. Web Capital said it will retain RDC's
management and employees and that it intends to
hire additional consultants. Roland Cooper, RDC's
founder and CEO, will retain his position as the
head of the wholly owned subsidiary. RDC has received
financing from individual investors. Web Capital
Ventures was known as Web Capital Group until March,
when it merged with its wholly-owned subsidiary,
3wVentures.com.
http://www.webcapitalventures.com/

======= New Directors =======

o Online Bank CompuBank Appoints Stark Capital CEO to Board

HOUSTON -- CompuBank, an online bank, said it has
appointed George Stark to its board of directors.
Mr. Stark is the president and chief executive officer
of Stark Capital Management and senior managing
director of Burnham Securities. CompuBank recently
closed its first round of financing at $36 million.
Its investors include Softbank Finance, GE Financial
Assurance, Goldman Sachs, and Marsh & McLennan Capital.
http://www.compubank.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sports Commerce Firm eFANshop Names Board Member

DALLAS -- eFANshop, which operates commerce sites
for the sale of sports-related merchandise in partnership
with established Web sites, said it has appointed
Ray Clark, the founder and CEO of the Dallas-based
sports marketing agency The Marketing Arm (TMA)
to its board of directors. Mr. Clark, who sold TMA
last year to Omnicom, will be the eighth member
on the board. eFANshop is backed by i2b Ventures
and Icarus Investments.
http://www.efanshop.com/
_____________________________________________

o SG Cowen Exec Joins Mobile Tech Firm Equinox Solutions Board

Lexington, Mass. -- Equinox Solutions, a mobile
technology provider, said it has appointed John
L. Kelly to the its board of directors. Mr. Kelly
is COO of SG Cowen Securities, an investment banking
firm and securities brokerage. Mr. Kelly is also
a member of the management committee of SG USA,
which oversees the corporate and investment banking
activities of Societe Generale Group in the United
States. Equinox recently raised $4.375 million in
its first round from Meyer Duffy Ventures.
http://www.equin.com/

======= New People =======

o IBM Spin-off Delphion Names Former Savvis Executive Its CEO

LISLE, Ill. -- Delphion, which provides services
for the intellectual property marketplace, said
it named Woody Ritchey as its first chief executive
officer. Mr. Ritchey was most recently executive
vice president for international sales and operations
for Savvis Communications. He has also served as
president and general manager of Invisix and has
held management positions with Motorola's cellular
infrastructure group. Delphion spun off from IBM
in May with $35 million in funding from Internet
Capital Group. IBM still holds equity in the company.
http://www.delphion.com/
_____________________________________________

o Yack.com Co-founder Is CEO of Mobile Tech Firm Informano

EMERYVILLE, Calif. -- Informano Networks, a provider
of hardware, software, infrastructure and support
for mobile devices and technologies, said it named
Jasbir Singh as chief executive officer. Mr. Singh
was the co-founder and former chief technology officer
at Yack.com, an Internet program guide. Mr. Singh
was an original investor in Informano, which was
founded by Farhan Memon, also a co-founder of Yack.com
and current executive vice president. Informano
is backed by individual investors and Cybermine
Internet Incubator.
http://www.informano.net/
_____________________________________________

o Apparel Industry Firm The Thread Names President Interim CEO

NEW YORK -- The Thread, an online global sourcing
network for the apparel, textile, footwear and accessories
industries, said its president Jack Listanowsky
has been named the company's interim chief executive
officer. He will also continue as company president
while the company searches for a CEO. Mr. Listanowsky
was formerly chief sourcing and production officer
for The Limited, the clothing and accessories retailer,
and was vice president of manufacturing and operations
for Liz Claiborne for 15 years. The Thread is backed
by undisclosed individual investors.
http://www.thethread.com/
_____________________________________________

o Board Member Named CEO of IP Storage System Pirus

ACTON, Mass. -- Pirus Networks, a carrier-class
storage and IP networking company, said it named
Richard Napolitano, who was a member of the board,
as its new chief executive officer and president.
Founder Richard Corley will become the company's
executive vice president. Mr. Napolitano previously
was a general partner in Alchemy Angels, a venture
investment and management consulting company. Pirus
Networks is backed by Bessemer Ventures, Charles
River Venture Partners and several individual investors.
http://www.pirus.com/
_____________________________________________

o Focus One Media Group Appoints Advertising Veteran as CEO

NEW YORK -- Focus One Media Group International,
a Geneva-based marketing communications service
company, said it has appointed Chuck Kushell as
its chief executive officer. Mr. Kushell joins Focus
One from the advertising company Hill, Holliday,
Connors, Cosmopulos/NY, where he served as president.
Prior to Hill, Holliday, Mr. Kushell was senior
partner and chief operating officer of Cliff Freeman
& Partners. He has been a member of Focus One's
board of directors since September 1999.  Focus
One Media Group is backed by A/S Skaufoss, a venture
capital firm based in Oslo, Norway, the Geneva-based
HPI Holding, and individual investors. Telephone
212-614-4541.
_____________________________________________

o Former Alcatel VP To Head Small Biz Broadband Firm ShareGate

RENO, Nev. -- ShareGate, a developer of broadband
service gateways for the small business and home
office markets, said it named Marilyn Suey, formerly
vice president of marketing at Alcatel, as its president
and CEO. ShareGate founder Debashis Bagchi serves
as chairman of the board. The company's backers
include Blueprint Ventures, Advent International,
and Amtech.
http://www.sharegate.com/
_____________________________________________

o Internet Printing and Mailing Service ELetter Selects CEO

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- ELetter, an Internet-based printing
and mailing service, said it has appointed Jim Gagnard,
the former president and CEO of Diffusion, a customer
relationship management (CRM) applications provider,
as its chief executive officer. Manish Mehta, Eletter's
founding president and CEO, will become chairman.
Before he joined Diffusion, Mr. Gagnard was president
and chief executive officer of Arizona-based Avalon
Software, a client/server enterprise resource planning
software firm for the medical device community.
Eletter is backed by Artemis Ventures, Bowman Capital
Management, Canaan Partners, and Trident Capital.
http://www.eletter.com/
_____________________________________________

o Video and Audio Conferencing Firm Video-On Hires New CEO

BOULDER, Colo. -- Video-On, which provides video
and audio conferencing services, said it has appointed
John D. Field as its president and chief executive
officer. Mr. Field joins Video-On after serving
as president and CEO of International Telecommunications
Network, a Denver-based international communications
management consulting firm, where he worked with
Franklin Telecommunications and FNet, a voice-over
IP service provider. Mr. Field, who will also join
the board of directors, succeeds James McQuaid,
who is now a company director. Video-On is backed
by Wind Point Partners.
http://www.video-on.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web App Architecture Firm MTW Names Its President, CEO

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- MTW, which provides Web-related
application architecture and development services,
said it has appointed Ed Ossie as its new chief
executive officer. Mr. Ossie, who has been the company's
president for the past four years, will assume the
CEO post replacing Richard E. Mueller, MTW's founder,
who remains on the company's board of directors.
Prior to MTW, Mr. Ossie spent 19 years at Texas
Instruments, where he co-founded TI's Software business.
MTW is backed by the Halifax Group, which holds
a 45% stake in the company.
http://www.mtwcorp.com/
_____________________________________________

o Former Clear Channel Director Named President of nTunes

RALEIGH, N.C. -- nTunes.com, which designs CD and
DVD commerce sites for radio stations that match
the look and format of the station's Web page, said
it named Brian Parsons, former director of Internet
technology for publicly traded Clear Channel, as
its new president. nTunes is a division of nSyndicate,
an Internet commerce syndication company that provides
private-label storefronts and distribution channels
to vertical markets. nSyndicate is backed by Cherokee
Ventures and a group of undisclosed individual investors.
http://www.nsyndicate.com/
http://www.ntunes.com/
_____________________________________________

o Healthcare ASP Global Telemedix Names CEO

WESTFORD, Mass. -- Global Telemedix, a healthcare
ASP for Web-based clinical connectivity, said it
has appointed Ronald D. Geraty, M.D., as CEO of
the company. Dr. Geraty served most recently as
president & CEO of American Imaging Management,
a radiology benefits management firm. Dr. Geraty
replaces Global Telemedix Founder William S. Kazman,
who will continue to serve as the firm's president
and chief technology officer. Dr. Geraty will also
join the Global Telemedix board of directors. Global
Telemedix is backed by Egan-Managed Capital, Johnson
& Johnson Development, Kestrel Venture Management,
and the Massachusetts Technology Development Corporation.
http://www.globaltelemedix.com/

======= VC Fund News =======

o Media Firm Hanley-Wood to Fund Housing Industry Net Startups

WASHINGTON -- Hanley-Wood, a media company that
specializes in the housing industry, said it has
formed a new investment fund called ihousing. The
ihousing fund will invest in Internet companies
targeting the home building and remodeling industry.
To date, ihousing has invested in five companies:
ChannelLinx, provider of Internet commerce technology
tools for the housing industry; USBuild, an online
commerce platform where large-volume builders can
buy direct from manufacturers; DTE, a telecom company
that provides local and long-distance service to
new-home buyers; AEC Direct, a Web site serving
the commercial construction industry; and Improvenet,
an online locator service linking homeowners interested
in remodeling with contractors. The company said
the average investment will depend on the company
and will invest in at least five more companies.
http://www.hanley-wood.com/
_____________________________________________

o Publicly Traded Measurement Firm X-Rite Forms Venture Fund

GRANDVILLE, Mich. -- Publicly traded X-Rite, a provider
of measurement devices, systems, and processes,
said it plans to invest in a new strategic venture
capital fund, called X-Rite Ventures. The new fund
will invest in companies that develop and manage
new technologies related to X-Rite business. Along
with X-Rite, Peter M. Banks, former president and
CEO of ERIM International, and James A. Knister,
formerly CFO at Donnelly Corp., are also partners
in X-Rite Ventures. Mr. Banks and Mr. Knister act
as managing partner and partner, respectively. X-Rite's
products and services are used for a variety of
applications including corporate branding, medical
diagnostics, and image reproduction.
http://www.x-rite.com/

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