Thursday, October 1, 2009E-Z Data Acquired By EbixPasadena-based E-Z Data, a developer of customer relationship management (CRM) tools for the financial services and insurance industry, has been acquired by Ebix in a deal worth $50.35M. According to Ebix, the firms closed the transaction today. E-Z Data develops CRm tools used by insurance companies, general agents, banks, investment dealers, agents, and financial advisors, and was headed by Dale Okuno. Ebix said that it will pay $25.35M in cash, plus $25M in common stock of Ebix for E-Z Data.
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Katharion Acquired By GFI SoftwareLos Angeles-based Katharion, a developer of hosted email filtering services, has been acquired by GFI Software, a provider of managed web and email security services. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. According to GFI, the buy will allow it to offer hosted email filtering, anti-spam, and anti-virus serviecs.
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OpenCandy Links With Software PublisherSan Diego-based OpenCandy, which is developing products to help software publisher increase downloads and sales of their products, said Thursday that it has signed up PDF software firm PrimoPDF as a customer. According to OpenCandy, PrimoPDF is using the firm to help users discover other compelling applications when their software is being installed. The deal will generate revenue for PrimoPDF, which is a free tool that allows users to create PDF files on Windows machines. OpenCandy is headed by (More info...)
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Solarmer Raises $4.3MEl Monte-based Solarmer Energy, which is developing flexible solar power technology, has raised $4.3M in an equity funding round, according to a filing by the firm today. Source of the new funding for the company was not disclosed. The investment came from three investors, according to the filing. Solarmer is a spinout of UCLA, and is applying its photovoltaic technology to create solar power panels which can be incorporated into fabrics, for consumer electronics, and other applications where fl (More info...)
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Insights and Opinions: The Great VC Ice Age Is ThawingFor our Insights and Opinions section today, we have an article from Mark Suster of GRP Ventures, who talks about the great "VC Ice Age" triggered in September of 2008, and how it's started to thaw (a little bit).
When venture capitalists scale back investing activities it can be very swift and leave many companies that are in the process of fund raising hung out to dry. Just ask anybody who was trying to close funding the fateful week of September 11, 2001 or even March 2000. I would argu (More info...)
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Liquid Environmental Solutions Gets $20MSan Diego and Dallas-based Liquid Environmental Solutions, a provider of non-hazardous liquid waste collection and treatment, has received $20M in an investment from Los Angeles private equity firm Craton Equity Partners. According to Craton Equity Partners, the funding will go to expand operations and geographic reach. Craton Equity is focused on clean technology investments. Liquid Environmental gathers grease trap waste from restaurants, fast food chains, and others.
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RotoHog Confirms FundraisingLos Angeles-based RotoHog, developer of online fantasy sports games headed by Kelly Perdew, has confirmed that the firm's recently $2M funding came from Mission Ventures. In an open letter to customers earlier this week, Perdew said the funding from Mission will help the company grow as a brand. RotoHog currently has deals to provide white-labeled fantasy football games to Sporting News, NBA.com, Military.com, the Los Angeles Times, ProFootballWeekly, and others. This publication had reported on (More info...)
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Nexus DX Raises $15MSan Diego-based Nexus DX, a stealth mode, biotech firm, has raised $9.0M in a venture round, according to a regulatory filing from the firm this week. Details on the funding have not been announced. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers as well as Bay City Capital now have representatives on the board of directors of the firm. Nexus DX is headed by James Merselis, who has previously served at Alverix, HemoSense, Micronics, as well as Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics.
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Q3 Southern California Venture Deals Around $879MA quick analysis by socalTECH of our tracking of venture capital deals in Southern California finds that there was around $879M in venture funding activity here in Q3. The information--gleaned from funding announcements, regulatory filings, and other sources--are not far off from socalTECH's totals from last quarter, which totaled up around $932M in investment activity. The biggest are for venture activity in the quarter was Biopharmaceuticals, which was $299.13M of the quarterly total.
San D (More info...)
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JumpStart Expands Virtual WorldTorrance-based Knowledge Adventure, which owns the JumpStart brand of educational software titles, said Thursday that it has launched a new virtual world targeted at 5 to 8 year olds. According to the firm, the world--called MarineLand--is an extension of its existing JumpStart 3D Virtual World. JumpStart has been building up a portfolio of online, virtual worlds targeted at various age groups, including one for 3-5 year olds, another for 5-8 year olds called AdventureLand, and also has plans fo (More info...)
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Prism VentureWorks' Nye Joins Medical Device FirmVenture capital firm Prism VentureWorks apparently has lost its last link to Southern California's venture market, as the firm's Los Angeles-based General Partner, Gordie Nye, has left the firm to join a medical device company in Northern California. According to Pleasanton-based Zeltiq Aesthetics, Nye has joined the firm as its new CEO. Zeltiq said that Nye will remain a director on some of Prism's portfolio firms. Prism had shut down its Los Angeles offices earlier this month, saying that Nye (More info...)
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Placebase Acquired By AppleLos Angeles-based Placebase, a developer of interactive mapping and mashup tools, has quietly been acquired by Apple Computer, according to a report from Computerworld. No details or announcement of the buy--which apparently happened in July--have been announced by either firm. Placebase operated Pushpin.com, and online mapping web site, and was headed by Jaron Waldman.
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ViaSat Buys WildBlue CommunicationsCarlsbad-based ViaSat, a developer of wireless and satellite communications systems, announced this morning that it has acquired WildBlue Communications, a provider of satellite broadband services. ViaSat said it will pay $568M in cash and stock for WildBlue, as part of bid to accelerate the firm's growth. As part of the acquisition, ViaSat said that Liberty Media will add a representative to the board, and Intelsat, Tennenbaum Capital Partners, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, (More info...)
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StyleSpot.com Launches Celebrity Fashion SiteLos Angeles-based StyleSpot.com said this morning that it has launched a new, celebrity fashion website, focused on providing photos of celebrity events and sightings along with shopping information to styles. The new site was created by Alex Amin and Rafi Gordon, who most recently were the founders of FilmTracker, which is now owned by the New York Times.
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VMIX Confirms $2M RaiseSan Diego-based VMIX, which provides online video hosting and management, has confirmed that it has raised $2M in a Series B-1 financing, the firm said this morning. The funding had first been reported by this publication Tuesday. According to VMIX President and CEO Mike Glickenhaus, the new funding will go towards accelerating growth plans and for expansion into new markets. The funding came from the company's existing investors, Enteprise Partners, Mission Ventures, JK&B Capital, and ATA Ventu (More info...)
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