Investments

Sling Media Founder Backs Web TV Index Clicker

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 5, 2009 - 8:40am.
Los Angeles - Clicker, an index of TV shows and other video available online, has received an investment from Sling Media founder and former CEO Blake Krikorian, who has also taken a seat on the company's board.

Web Video Index Blinkx to Raise $8.1 Million in Share Offering

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 3, 2009 - 7:25am.
San Francisco - Blinkx, the provider of a searchable index of Web videos, announced on Tuesday that will raise $8.1 million through an offering of shares representing 10% of the company.

Greylock Closes $575M Fund; Names LinkedIn's Hoffman Partner

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 2, 2009 - 10:47am.
San Mateo, Calif. - Greylock Partners, a venture capital firm focused on the technology sector, said on Monday that it has closed a new $575 million fund.

Netflix to Raise $200 Million in Notes Offering

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 28, 2009 - 10:17am.
Los Gatos, Calif. - Netflix (NASD: NFLX), the online DVD rental service, said on Wednesday that it plans to raise $200 million through a notes offering.

Samsung, Handmark to Fund Mobile Game Development

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 27, 2009 - 9:45am.
Kansas City, Mo. - Handmark, a distributor of mobile applications and services, announced on Tuesday that Korea's Samsung Electronics has launched a new Global Venture Fund, which will invest in companies and individuals "with innovative, market-changing game ideas for next generation Samsung mobile phones."

NIH Grants to Help Develop "Facebook for Scientists"

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 27, 2009 - 8:35am.
Washington - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $12.2 million in grants to seven universities as part of a project to create what's being called the "Facebook for scientists."

Eisner's Vuguru Gets Rogers Investment, Will Spin-Off Tornante

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 26, 2009 - 6:20am.
Los Angeles - Vuguru, the two-year-old new media studio launched by former Disney head Michael Eisner's Tornante Company, announced on Monday that it has secured an investment from Canadian broadcaster and publisher Rogers Media, and will spin-off as an independent company. The deal also sees Rogers entering a long-term agreement to be the exclusive Canadian distributor of future Vuguru projects.

Report: Investments in U.S. Venture-Backed Firms Stall in Q3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2009 - 8:21am.
Washington - Following an uptick in the second quarter, investments in U.S. venture-backed companies stalled in the third quarter, putting 2009 on track to be the worst investment year since 2003, according to new data from Dow Jones VentureSource.

Abu Dhabi Invests in Music Video Portal Joint Venture Vevo

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2009 - 8:19am.
New York - Vevo, the music video portal joint venture between Sony (NYSE: SNE) Music and Universal Music Group, has received an investment from Abu Dhabi Media Company, All Things D reports. While terms of the deal were not disclosed, the report cites a source who says the joint venture was valued at $300 million for the deal.

CIA's In-Q-Tel Backs Social Media Monitor Visible Technologies

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 19, 2009 - 8:06am.
San Francisco - In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), has paid an undisclosed sum for a stake in Visible Technologies, a firm that provides social media monitoring services, Wired.com reported.

Survey: Venture Capital Fundraising Down Again in Q3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 13, 2009 - 11:11am.
New York - Fundraising by venture capital firms in the third quarter of 2009 were at the lowest level since the first quarter of 2003, according to statistics just released by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).

Private Equity Fundraising Continues Steep Decline in Q3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 9, 2009 - 7:08am.
New York - U.S. private equity fundraising dropped 70% in the third quarter, with firms closing just 72 funds worth $25.2 billion, according to new figures from Dow Jones Private Equity Analyst.

Report: Venture-Backed Exits Continue Slow Pace in Q3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 6, 2009 - 9:16am.
Arlington, Va. - Venture-backed company exit activity showed little signs of life during the third quarter and fell far short of historical norms, according to a new report by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).

Battery Ventures Plans to Raise $750 Million for New Fund

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 5, 2009 - 7:44am.
Waltham, Mass. - Venture capital firm Battery Ventures plans to raise $750 million for its newest investment fund, the firm's ninth, according to a report by PEHub.com.

Report: U.S. Liquidity Markets Show Signs of Life in Q3

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 2, 2009 - 7:21am.
San Francisco - While capital raised from initial public offerings (IPOs) hit the highest level in two years, the number of venture-backed mergers and acquisitions continued to lag during the third quarter, according to new figures from Dow Jones VentureSource.

NPR Gets $3 Million to Launch Local Online Journalism Venture

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on October 2, 2009 - 6:46am.
Washington - National Public Radio (NPR) announced on Friday that it will launch a new online local journalism venture, funded with $3 million from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Knight Foundation.

Gannett Prices $500 Million Notes Offering

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 30, 2009 - 10:04am.
McLean, Va. - Gannett (NYSE: GCI), the publisher of USA Today and 83 other daily newspapers, said that it has priced $500 million of notes that it plans to sell to institutional investors.

WSJ: Twitter Close to Raising $100 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 24, 2009 - 6:01am.
New York - Twitter is close to raising as much as $100 million in new funding from as many as seven investors, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the deal. That is double the $50 million figure that several recent reports indicated the company was in the process of raising.

Palm to Increase Size of Offering; Expects $313.1 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 24, 2009 - 5:47am.
Sunnyvale, Calif. - Smartphone maker Palm (NASD: PALM) has increased the size of its previously announced public offering, and now plans to sell 20 million shares at $16.25 each.

In-Q-Tel Backs Streaming Video Firm KZO Innovations

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 18, 2009 - 7:31am.
Reston, Va. - KZO Innovations, a developer of streaming video technologies, said on Thursday that it has landed an unspecified investment as part of a larger technology development agreement with In-Q-Tel, the venture fund backed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).