Thursday, March 29, 2007Gemstar-TV Guide Acquires Aptiv DigitalGemstar-TV Guide International has acquired Aptiv Digital, a Burbank-based firm that provides software for set-top boxes, in a deal worth $16M in cash. Los Angeles-based Gemstar said Thursday afternoon that it is acquiring Aptiv for its solid engineering team and because its products, services, and capabilities will be highly complementary to Gemstar's products and services. Aptiv develops interactive program guides which operate on Motorola and Scientific Atlanta television set-top boxes.
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SenoRx Prices IPOAliso Viejo-based SenoRx has priced its IPO, saying today that it will offer 5,500,000 shares of its common stock at $8.00 per share. SenoRx will trade on the Nasdaq Global Market as "SENO". The firm's IPO is being underwritten by Bank of America Securities, Citigroup Markets, Cowen and Company, and Canaccord Adams. SenoRx is developing medical diagnostics for breast cancer, and is venture backed by CIT Venture Capital, DeNovo Ventures, Domain Associates, Mayfield, and MPM Capital.
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Xponent Photonics Beams In $23MMonrovia-based Xponent Photonics, which manufactures surface mount photonic components, has raised $23M in what the firm says is a Series 3 funding. The round was led by American River Ventures, and also included existing investors Arcturus Capital, Eastward Capital, El Dorado Ventures, HOYA Holdings, Samsung, US Venture Partners, and Walden International.
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AutoGenomics Finds $12MCarlsbad-based AutoGenomics, which develops automated molecular diagnostic testing products, has raised $12M in a Series C financing round. The firm said that the investments came primarily from non-institutional investors. The funding will go towards expanding manufacturing, and increasing sales and marketing.
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Zaadz Gets Seeded By Whole Foods CEOLos Angeles-based Zaadz, and online web site focused on social networking and creating a community around social entrepreneurship and personal empowerment, has received seed funding from John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods. Brian Johnson, founder of Zaadz, disclosed the funding in his blog Wednesday. Amount of funding was not disclosed. Johnson is the former founder of eteamz.
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Make It Work In Marketing Deal With VerizonSanta Barbara-based Make It Work, a provider of in-home computer support services, has scored a major win with Verizon. Verizon announced Wednesday night that its customers who need help integrating its FiOS TV and Internet services now have the option of on-site support from Make It Work. The marketing agreement gives homeowners the option to call in Make It Work for help with multimedia networking, including connection of Verizon's FiOS service with home theaters or multiple computers. Accordi (More info...)
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Investment Group Buys Pacific Title & ArtHollywood-based Pacific Title & Art Studio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeguard Scientifics, has been acquired for $23M, according to Safeguard. Safeguard said today it sold the provder of film services to an investment group led by Celerity Partners, Ticonderoga Capital, and venture capitalist William Daniels. Safeguard said that it sold the company because it is in a business segment the firm no longer considers core to its strategy. Pacific Title is a provider of post-production services t (More info...)
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Eisner's Prom Queen Debuts On MySpaceLos Angeles-based MySpace said today that it is in a partnership to debut Michael Eisner's Prom Queen, the new web mysery series being developed by Vuguru, Eisner's Internet studio. MySpace said that each episode will launch on the show's official profile on MySpace twelve hours before being released on any other website. Prom Queen includes over 80 episodes of 90 second long short form videos. Vuguru is the new media studio formed earlier this month by Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company.
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Entropic Scores Win With ActionTecSan Diego-based Entropic Communications has been selected in a design from Actiontec Electronics, as part of a new client side coax network adapter product. Actiontec Electronics said that its new product is based on Entropic's c.Link broadband access chip, and will be used to devlier high definition video and IPTV to cable subscribers in Asia. Entropic Communications is a provider of coax networking products.
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Kontrib Takes On Multilingual Social BookmarkingLos Angeles-based Language Weaver, a software company which develops enterprise software focused on automated language translation, is announcing today that it has established a new, consumer-focused business unit called Kontrib. The new unit has rolled out Kontrib.com, a new digg-style social bookmarking web site that combines social submission of news with the firm's automated translation capabilities. The user-generated news site allows postings to be viewed in English, Spanish, French, and A (More info...)
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NextWave Wireless Scores $355M In Private PlacementPublicly held NextWave Wireless, a provider of mobile broadband and wireless multimedia technology, said late Wednesday night that it has raised $355M in a private placement. The San Diego-based firm said it sold 355,000 shares of senior convertible preferred stock at $1,000 per share. Investments include $50M each from NextWave Wireless Chairman and CEO Allen Salmasi and Douglas Manchester, a member of the firm's board of directors. Other investors were not disclosed.
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