======================================================
        VENTUREWIRE --- Thursday, November 2, 2000
======================================================
           Private Company Business News
------ Published Daily by Technologic Partners -------
           http://technologicpartners.com
======================================================

Top Stories:

o Retail Network iVendor.com Reportedly Has Shut Down
o Building Software Firm BuildNet Lays Off 170 Workers
o Sevin Rosen Closes Eighth Fund at $875 Million
o Listen.com Agrees to Acquire Beleaguered Scour.com

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DODADS, GADGETS, AND GIZMOS, OH MY!

Our pockets are overflowing with mobile phones, PDAs, and
two-way pagers, and more products -- from Web pads to picture
frames -- come with Internet connections. Consumer Devices,
one of five expert panels at Technology Outlook 2000, will
sort through the clutter to determine which devices have the
best chances of finding mass-market audiences:

Safi Qureshy, Chairman, AudioRamp
Daniel H. Rimer, Partner, The Barksdale Group
Kent Savage, President & CEO, Netpliance
Michael Slater, President, PhotoTablet

Technology Outlook 2000:
The future of pervasive computing
December 4 and 5, San Francisco
http://www.tpsite.com/tp/conf/to2000/?vw=20001102
A VentureWire investment conference.

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Also in This Issue:

     New Money:
o Web Appliance Firm Qubit Has $16 Million in First Two Rounds
o Zefer Raises $20 Million After Pulling IPO Again
o $1.5 Million for Travel Firm Weekends.com, Part of Round One
o $1.6 Million Series A for Photographer Site Collages.net
o BioTech Firm Biotonix Raises $10 Million in Round One
o Broadband, Wireless Integrator Velagio Closes Its Series A
o Marketing Services Startup Wishoo Closes First Round
o Net Marketer E-poll.com Raises $1.4 Million in Series A
o Software Developer Groundworx Raises $1 Million Seed Funds
o Software Tech Firm Agentware Raises $4.6 Million Series A
o VoIP Firm VocalData Holds Series B Round for $32 Million
o ASP iBelong Secures $22.6 Million in Series B Round
o Music Software Firm CantaMetrix Raises Second Round Funding
o Telephony Firm eStara Raises $15 million in Round Two
o BuyNow Has $15 Million in Series B, Changes Name To Aqueduct
o Healthcare Firm RecoveryCare Gets $5.8 Million Round Two
o Infrastructure Firm Invertix Raises $11 Million Round Two
o Mobile Phone E-Mail Tech Firm Freever Raises $10 Million
o Nano-Particle Tech Firm NanoGram Closes $25 Million Round
o Public Relations Apps Firm Vocus Gets $8.4 Million Round Two
o Mobile Transaction Firm OpenGrid Has $19 Million Round Four
o Online Child Care Firm ParentWatch Gets $10 Million Series D
o Antfactory Takes Stake in Software Service Rave Technologies
o Shaw Ventures Invests in Terawave Communications' Series D
o Knorr Takes Stake in Wireless Advertising Provider Profilium

     New Products:
o Management Software Firm OpenSales Changes Name to Zelerate
o Wireless Firm Integrated Data Now Called Airbiquity

     New Deals:
o Online Beauty Retailer Beautyjungle.com Cuts Staff by 60%
o Web Site for Men, TheMan.com, Closes Doors
o Streaming Audio Firm Savos Drops B2C Service, Lays Off Six
o Network Processor Firm EZchip Inks Deal With IBM

     M&A:
o itemus Acquires Media Firm Shooting Gallery For $56 Million
o Sci-Fi Fantasy/Horror Web Site Fandom Acquires Cinescape
o Separateaccounts.com Buys VIP Private Capital

     New Directors:
o Fiber Optic Firm Global Metro Adds Former AT&T Exec to Board
o Compliance Management Tech Provider Qumas Appoints Chairman
o Investment Marketplace Wofex Adds Advisor to Board
o iRise Names Discovery Ventures Principal Silverman to Board
o Mintera Founder Joins Onex Board of Directors
o Essential.com Names Its CEO and President as Board Chairman

     New People:
o WireConnect Names Technology Ventures EIR as CEO
o Digital Content Creation Tools Firm Boxx Names Chairman
o Net B2B Exchange Buylink Names Ex-Quote.com Head as CEO
o YAFO Networks Names Former Entropic CEO as President and CEO

     VC Personnel:
o Excite Founder McIntyre Named Softbank Venture Partner

     VW Corrections:
o IP Services

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

o Retail Network iVendor.com Reportedly Has Shut Down

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- A business partner of iVendor,
developer of an online retailing network of products,
distributors, and related services, reported that
the firm abruptly shut down earlier this week. R.
Anthony Bell, president and CEO of BellaOnline,
an iVendor client company, told VentureWire that
iVendor.com chairman, president, and CEO Mark Box
telephoned him on Monday to say that the company
was out of business. iVendor did not return repeated
calls for comment. Last November, iVendor.com launched
its online retailing network, which hosts the commerce
portion of a site and handles fulfillment, payment,
reporting, and customer support in exchange for
a fee. The company's most recent funding was $12
million in a second round last year. iVendor.com
has been backed by Compass Technology Partners,
Jacaranda Partners, Labrador Ventures, and SAP Ventures.
The investors could not be reached for comment.
http://www.ivendor.com/
_____________________________________________

o Building Software Firm BuildNet Lays Off 170 Workers

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- BuildNet, which
provides online business software, technology, and
project management tools for the home building industry,
said it laid off 170 employees, approximately 18%
of its 955 member workforce. Last week, the company
withdrew its $230 million IPO, which it originally
filed for in March, citing unfavorable market conditions.
The company's president Bayard M. Atwood also recently
resigned from the company. Over the course of this
year, the company has acquired related companies,
including the UniLink Group and its subsidiary KeyPrestige,
supply chain software firm NxTrend, and home plan
resource company HomeStyles. BuildNet raised a $104.7
million third round this past May and is backed
by BancBoston Ventures, Barnard & Co., Encore Venture
Partners, GE Appliances, GE Capital, Global Technology
Investors Fund at Bessemer Trust, Halifax BuildNet
Investors, John Hancock Global Technology Fund,
J. & W. Seligman, Piedmont Venture Partners, SG
Capital Partners, South East Interactive Technology
Fund, and The CIT Group/Equity Investments.
http://www.buildnet.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sevin Rosen Closes Eighth Fund at $875 Million

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Sevin Rosen Funds, an early
stage venture capital firm, said it has closed its
eighth venture capital fund at $875 million. The
fund will target technologies such as optical networks,
wireless Internet, and electronic commerce infrastructure.
This new fund brings the company's total capital
under management to nearly $2 billion.
http://www.srfunds.com/
_____________________________________________

o Listen.com Agrees to Acquire Beleaguered Scour.com

LOS ANGELES -- Listen.com, which provides a guide
to downloadable online music, said it agreed to
acquire the assets of troubled Scour, which operates
a digital entertainment search engine and file-sharing
service through its Web site. Listen.com has offered
to buy Scour's assets for $5 million in cash and
527,918 shares of Listen.com stock. Scour filed
for reorganization under Chapter 11 in mid-October
in after being embroiled in a legal battle with
the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording
Industry Association of America, and the National
Music Publishers Association over issues of copyright
infringement. Regarding the lawsuit Hillary Rosen,
president and CEO of the Recording Industry Association
of America, released a statement saying "I have
been assured by Listen.com's management that prior
to the acquisition of Scour.com the file exchange
service will be shut down and any resolution of
the lawsuit will depend upon Scour and Listen.com
following through on this commitment." Scour is
backed by the Yucaipa Companies and Michael Ovitz,
founder of Creative Artists Agency. 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.
http://www.listen.com/
http://www.scour.com/

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

o Web Appliance Firm Qubit Has $16 Million in First Two Rounds

DENVER -- Qubit Technology, a provider of Internet
appliance technology, said it raised a combined
total of $16 million in its first and second rounds.
Tyco Ventures and Access Technology Partners  funded
the rounds. The company will use the funds for product
development, marketing and sales, and hiring staff.

http://www.qubit.net/
_____________________________________________

o Zefer Raises $20 Million After Pulling IPO Again

BOSTON -- Zefer, which provides Internet consulting
services, said it raised $20 million dollars in
its latest funding. The funding came from previous
investor GCTR Golder Rauner. Zefer raised the round
after pulling its planned IPO in September, the
second time this year Zefer has failed to go public.
The company withdrew its first filing in May. The
company raised $100 million from GTCR Golder Rauner
in April of 1999 and received its seed funding from
Mosaic Venture Partners. The company said it will
use the funding to support its continued expansion,
following the opening of the company's first European
office in London.
http://www.zefer.com/
_____________________________________________

o $1.5 Million for Travel Firm Weekends.com, Part of Round One

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Weekends.com, an Internet
travel company said it received more than $1.5 million
as part of its first round of financing from parent
company BeastoftheEast.net and individual investors.
The company will use the financing for Web site
development and marketing. The company specializes
in discount flights, last minute cruises, hotel
deals and weekend getaways. Originally a weekend
getaway site aimed at New Yorkers only, Weekends.com
re-launched in September and now caters to a national
audience. The company is still seeking first round
funding.
http://www.weekends.com/
_____________________________________________

o $1.6 Million Series A for Photographer Site Collages.net

NEWTON, Pa. -- Collages.net, an Internet service
for professional event photographers, said it closed
a Series A round of financing with $1.6 million
from B2B-Hive, a venture firm focused on online
businesses, and from individual investors. The company's
services enable photographers to offer clients customized
Web sites for their events. The site launched last
summer. Collages.net also creates and maintains
Web sites for photographers to use in online marketing
efforts for individual studios.
http://www.collages.net/
_____________________________________________

o BioTech Firm Biotonix Raises $10 Million in Round One

MONTREAL -- Biotonix, which provides biomechanical
assessment technology, said it raised $10 million
in its first round of funding from Investissement
Desjardins and Cadence Communications. The company
will use the funds for product development and international
marketing.
http://www.biotonix.com/
_____________________________________________

o Broadband, Wireless Integrator Velagio Closes Its Series A

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Velagio, a provider of advanced
broadband and wireless integration services, said
closed its Series A funding with investments from
GTCR, Greylock and Brience. The amount raised was
not disclosed.
http://www.velagio.com/
_____________________________________________

o Marketing Services Startup Wishoo Closes First Round

INDIANAPOLIS -- Wishoo, a high tech marketing services
startup, said it closed its first round of institutional
funding with an undisclosed investment from Command
Equity Group, an Indiana-based venture capital firm.
The company said it will use the investment to close
several in-process and planned strategic partnerships,
as well as for marketing and sales initiatives and
to expand its staff. Wishoo uses digital photography
to photograph participants at sporting events, business
conventions, and entertainment attractions. The
consumer can later access the picture on Wishoo's
Web site in exchange for personal information. With
the consumer's permission, the information is provided
to event sponsors and their merchant partners, and
may be used later for direct marketing campaigns.
David Haeberle, president and CEO of Command, will
join Wishoo's board of directors. The company is
actively seeking second round funding.
http://www.wishoo.com/
_____________________________________________

o Net Marketer E-poll.com Raises $1.4 Million in Series A

LOS ANGELES -- E-poll.com, an Internet applications
service that provides the entertainment and advertising
industries with Web-based market research tools
and technologies, acquired $1.4 million in Series
A funding from B2B-Hive, a New York incubator. E-poll.com
has been in operation since 1997 under CEO Gerry
Philpott, but the company said B2B-Hive's investment
will enable it to develop into a complete on-line
research firm with institutional backing and guidance,
added features, and expanded personnel. Sam Alfstad,
co-founder of B2B-Hive, is joining e-poll.com's
board of directors. E-poll.com originally received
funding from various individuals, including Bruce
Johansen, CEO of the National Association of Television
Program Executives.
http://www.e-poll.com/
_____________________________________________

o Software Developer Groundworx Raises $1 Million Seed Funds

NEW YORK -- Groundworx Software, a business software
developer that created an ASP platform for ERP services,
said it raised $1 million in its seed round of financing
from individual investors. The proceeds will be
used to complete development of its first suite
of application services developed on the Groundworx
platform, marketing, and business development. The
company is also hoping to raise a Series A round
of funding sometime during the first half of next
year.
http://www.groundworx.com/
_____________________________________________

o Software Tech Firm Agentware Raises $4.6 Million Series A

ATLANTA -- Agentware, a software technology company
that provides an Internet content, commerce and
service syndication platform, said it closed its
Series A round of funding with more than $4.6 million.
BrainWorks Ventures, which invests in technology
companies in the southeast; Clybourn Capital, an
affiliate of Grace Brothers; and individual investors
participated in the round.
http://www.agentware.net/
_____________________________________________

o VoIP Firm VocalData Holds Series B Round for $32 Million

DALLAS -- VocalData, a Richardson, Texas-based company
that develops service delivery softswitches and
service platforms, said it raised a Series B round
of funding for $32 million. The funding brings the
company's total funds raised to $47.5 million to
date. New investors Austin Ventures and Trinity
Ventures co-led the round, which included previous
investors Capital Sourtwest Corp., Chase Capital,
Hickory Ventures, Science Applications International,
and Seed Capital Partners. Austin Ventures general
partner Ed Olkkola and Trinity Ventures general
partner Fred Wang will sit on the company's board
of directors. The company will use the funding for
further product development, and for sales and marketing.
VocalData hardware enables voice services over IP
networks.
http://www.vocaldata.com/
_____________________________________________

o ASP iBelong Secures $22.6 Million in Series B Round

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- iBelong, an application service
provider, said it has secured $22.6 million in its
Series B round of funding led by Moore Capital Management.
Also participating the round were NETinvest Holding,
a Swiss holding company, and Household International.
The company said it will use the funding to deploy
its platform, and to support sales and marketing.
Bobby Mehta of Household International will join
iBelong's board of directors.
http://www.ibelong.com/
_____________________________________________

o Music Software Firm CantaMetrix Raises Second Round Funding

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- CantaMetrix, which provides software
that enables users to search for music based on
classifications like tone, tempo, mood, energy,
rhythm, and similarity to other music, said it secured
its second round of funding from European venture
firm Orn Group, in which musician Eric Clapton is
an investor. Four Seasons Venture, and previous
investor Pillar Management also participated. Financial
details were undisclosed. Orn Group's Arne Naess
and Morten Astrup will join the board of directors.
The company will use the funds to develop and market
its technology and to expand its operations. The
company will release its first product, Music DNA,
which identifies and tracks new Internet MP3 files
and verifies the song's copyright.
http://www.cantametrix.com/
_____________________________________________

o Telephony Firm eStara Raises $15 million in Round Two

RESTON, Va. -- eStara, which develops Internet telephony
products and services for Web-based businesses,
said it raised $15 million in its second round of
funding, led by Banc One Venture Partners. Acon,
a Texas Pacific Group affiliate, and J Net Venture
Partners also invested in this round. The company
will use the funds for technology development, to
expand its marketing and sales team, and for product
roll-out. Burt McGillivray, a partner at Banc One
Venture Partners, David Coxe, a special limited
partner at Banc One, and Keith Meister, co-president
of J Net Enterprises, joined the board of directors.

http://www.estara.com/
_____________________________________________

o BuyNow Has $15 Million in Series B, Changes Name To Aqueduct

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- Aqueduct, which provides
a platform service that offers brand name product
manufacturers online store planning and design,
hosting infrastructure, store management, and electronic
marketing, among other services, said it has secured
$15 million in its second round of funding from
U.S. Venture Partners and Softbank Technology Ventures.
Aqueduct, formerly BuyNow, also announced the change
of its name. The company previously raised first
round funding from incubator ThinkTank.com.
http://www.aqueduct.com/
_____________________________________________

o Healthcare Firm RecoveryCare Gets $5.8 Million Round Two

BOSTON -- RecoveryCare.com, an Internet-based healthcare
company, said it received $5.8 million in its second
round of financing. Investors participating in this
round include Rare Medium Group, Johnson & Johnson
Development, djOrthopedics, and the Walnut Investment
Partners. The company said it will use the funds
to support its Web-enabled suite of interactive
tools, which provide physicians, patients, their
families, and caregivers with personalized support
through educational materials, products, and other
services. Members from Johnson & Johnson, Rare Medium,
and djOrthopedics will receive seats on RecoveryCare's
board. The company has raised $6.5 million to date.

http://www.recoverycare.com/
_____________________________________________

o Infrastructure Firm Invertix Raises $11 Million Round Two

ANNANDALE, Va. -- Invertix, a developer of infrastructure
software products and services that facilitate the
flow of information between the Internet and wireless
devices, said it closed its second round of financing
with $11 million. BlueStream Ventures led the round,
which also included first round investors Telecommunications
Development Fund and NextGen Capital. Invertix said
it will use the funds for domestic and international
deployment of its flagship offering, IM-AnywhereT,
an infrastructure software platform. The company
raised $2.9 million in its first round in March.
Invertix is also backed by Cedar Grove Investments,
Sugar Mountain Capital, and individual investors.

http://www.invertix.com/
_____________________________________________

o Mobile Phone E-Mail Tech Firm Freever Raises $10 Million

PARIS -- Freever, which provides technology that
enables mobile phone users to chat, post messages
on a discussion board, or leave e-mail messages
on other users' phones, said it received $10 million
from ADD Partners and Net Partners. Previous investors
Apollo Invest and CDC Innovation also participated.
The company will use the funds to expand throughout
Europe.
http://www.freever.com/
_____________________________________________

o Nano-Particle Tech Firm NanoGram Closes $25 Million Round

FREMONT, Calif. -- NanoGram, which synthesizes complex
compounds and manufactures extremely small materials
that can be used for energy storage, optical, and
electronic products, said it completed a $25 million
round of financing. NanoGram has developed technology
that enables the manufacture of nanoscale compositions.
Dow Corning, NEC of Japan, ABB of Switzerland, Bay
Partners, Hydro Quebec CapiTech of Canada, France's
Groupe Siparex, Japan's Techno-Venture, SBV Venture
Partners, Fountainhead Capital, XR Ventures, Sands
Brothers, Institutional Venture Partners, Venrock
Associates, and Nth Power Technologies participated
in the round.
http://www.nanogram.com/
_____________________________________________

o Public Relations Apps Firm Vocus Gets $8.4 Million Round Two

LANHAM, Md. -- Vocus, which provides Web-based software
applications for electronic public relations and
external relationship management, said it has secured
$8.4 million in its second round of funding led
by Lazard Technology Partners. Vocus' first round
investors, Edison Venture fund and Carmel Associates,
also participated in the round. Vocus said it will
use the funds to expand its sales and marketing
efforts, as well as expand its product and service
offerings. In addition to the investment, Kevin
Burns, managing principal of Lazard, has taken a
seat on Vocus' board.
http://www.vocus.com/
_____________________________________________

o Mobile Transaction Firm OpenGrid Has $19 Million Round Four

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- OpenGrid, a services provider
for wireless transactions, promotions and messaging,
said it closed its fourth round of funding with
$19 million, led by  Motorola. Commontouch, RS Coinvestment
Fund, National International Holding Company, TeKBanC,
Wafra, PCG Ventures, c3 Investments, Plum Ridge
Capital Management, Rana Investment Company, ATI,
ATV, and chairman of the board Philippe Kahn participated
in the round as well. The company said it will use
the funds to expand business partnerships and continue
development efforts. OpenGrid has developed time
and location sensitive technology that enables businesses
to reach mobile customers with relevant personalized
messages. The company has raised $40 million to
date.
http://www.opengrid.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Child Care Firm ParentWatch Gets $10 Million Series D

NEW YORK -- ParentWatch, an online child care service,
said it has secured $10 million in Series D round
of funding from Oak Street Investments. ParentWatch
said it will use the funds to expand its business,
focus on developing new technology and services,
and to deploy its Internet viewing services into
additional vertical markets. Since its inception
in 1998, the company has raised $30 million in venture
capital. The company said it will hire additional
technology and deployment staff, but lay-off employees
in the non-technology areas. The lay-offs would
involve less than ten employees, ParentWatch said.
The company has secured funding from Arcadia Partners
and individual investors.
http://www.parentwatch.com/
_____________________________________________

o Antfactory Takes Stake in Software Service Rave Technologies

LONDON -- Rave Technologies, which provides software
design, development, and testing services, said
it received funding from strategic investment firm
antfactory. antfactory has taken a 20% stake in
the company. Rave Technologies said it will use
the funds to expand its infrastructure, add senior
management staff, and expand facilities in India
and Europe.
http://www.antfactory.com/
http://www.rave-tech.com/
_____________________________________________

o Shaw Ventures Invests in Terawave Communications' Series D

HAYWARD, Calif. -- Terawave Communications, which
develops next generation technology for optical
access and intra-facility networks, said it received
an undisclosed amount of funding from Shaw Ventures
as part of its Series D round. No further details
were given. The company said it plans to go public
next year. Previous investors in Terawave are Alta
Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, E-TEK Dynamics,
Goldman Sachs, Harmony International Investments,
Lightspeed Venture Partners, Morgenthaler Ventures,
Singapore Telecom, Temasek Holdings, and Walden
Investment Group.
http://www.terawave.com/
_____________________________________________

o Knorr Takes Stake in Wireless Advertising Provider Profilium

MONTREAL -- Profilium, which makes wireless advertising
technology, said it received an undisclosed amount
of financing from Knorr Capital Partner as part
of its first round. Knorr has taken a 10.71% stake
in the company. The company will use the funds to
deploy its technology and start trials in November
or December.
http://www.profilium.com/

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

o Management Software Firm OpenSales Changes Name to Zelerate

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- OpenSales, which provides management
software for online retailers, said it has changed
its name to Zelerate to better reflect its market
strategy. Zelerate was incubated by idealab!, and
is funded by Idealab Capital Partners, and Sanchez
Capital Partners.
http://www.zelerate.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Firm Integrated Data Now Called Airbiquity

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. -- Integrated Data Communications,
a developer of wireless location technology and
mobile data products and services, said it will
change its name to Airbiquity. The company has also
recently launched a new Web site. Airbiquity has
received backing from Acorn Ventures, Broe Growth
Capital, Infospace, Madrona Ventures and individuals.

http://www.airbiquity.com/

======= New Deals =======

o Online Beauty Retailer Beautyjungle.com Cuts Staff by 60%

CHICAGO -- Beautyjungle.com, an online retailer
of beauty products, said it cut 40 employees from
its staff, or approximately 60% of its workforce.
The company said it made the announcement earlier
this week and that Wednesday would be the last day
for the workers. The company said it was making
the cuts to reduce its operating costs as it attempts
to reach profitability, and that it would either
seek a Series C round or seek to be acquired. The
company's last fundraising was a $20 million Series
B round it raised late last year. In that round,
$18 million came from troubled incubator Divine
interVentures, which has had layoffs of its own
recently. Beautyjungle.com is also backed by individual
investors.
http://www.beautyjungle.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Site for Men, TheMan.com, Closes Doors

SAN FRANCISCO -- TheMan.com, which provided a lifestyle
Web site aimed at men aged 25 to 44, has closed.
An announcement on the company's Web site and a
phone message at the company's headquarters confirmed
that the site has ceased operations as of yesterday.
In its statement, the company says all previous
orders placed online would be fulfilled. The company
raised $15 million in November of last year from
investors including Highland Capital Partners and
Infinity Capital.
http://www.theman.com/
_____________________________________________

o Streaming Audio Firm Savos Drops B2C Service, Lays Off Six

NEW YORK -- Savos, which provides content management
and wireless distribution service for streaming
Internet audio programming, announced it is closing
down its consumer division in order to concentrate
on its business-to-business services. Six of its
25 employees have lost their jobs as a result of
the restructuring. The company said it realized
that its business-to-consumer services were not
profitable. Savos secured $2.2 million in seed funding
from individual investors in May.
http://www.savos.com/
_____________________________________________

o Network Processor Firm EZchip Inks Deal With IBM

MIGDAL HAMEK, Israel -- EZchip Technologies, which
has developed a 10-Gigabit/OC-192 network processor,
said it has signed a technology agreement with IBM
intended to speed the introduction of its processors
to market. Under the terms of the agreement IBM
intends to manufacture the EZchip processor using
its semiconductor process technologies. As a result
of the agreement IBM will take a 5% equity stake
in the company. EZchip, a subsidiary of LanOptics,
raised $22 million in its second round of funding
from investors including LanOptics, Star Ventures,
Apax Partners, and Tamar Investments.
http://www.ezchip.com/

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

o itemus Acquires Media Firm Shooting Gallery For $56 Million

TORONTO -- itemus, an Internet operating company,
announced it is acquiring Shooting Gallery, a privately
owned media company, in a share exchange transaction
valued at $56 million. itemus will hold at least
an 80% interest in Shooting Gallery. Prior to the
consumation of the share exchange, itemus expects
to invest up to $7.5 million in Shooting Gallery
in the form of a convertible debenture. Prior to
the acquisition, Shooting Gallery will spin-off
its film, television and music development and distribution
to Shooting Gallery's existing shareholders. Jim
Burns, chief executive officer of itemus Solutions,
will serve as the chairman of Shooting Gallery.

http://www.itemus.com/
http://www.shootinggallery.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sci-Fi Fantasy/Horror Web Site Fandom Acquires Cinescape

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Fandom, a Web site for science
fiction, fantasy, and horror news, information,
and merchandise, said it acquired Cinescape Magazine,
a bi-monthly publication that covers movies, television
and new media for an undisclosed amount. Fandom's
backers include Entertainment Media Ventures, Redpoint
Ventures, RRE Ventures, and Wasserstein Adelson
Ventures, a partnership between Wasserstein Perella
Group and East/West Capital.
http://www.fandom.com/
http://www.cinescape.com/
_____________________________________________

o Separateaccounts.com Buys VIP Private Capital

CARMEL, Calif. -- Separateaccounts.com, a financial
services firm which will provide infrastructure
for banks, online brokers, and money managers to
offer separate accounts to their clients, said it
has acquired VIP Private Capital, a subsidiary of
the publicly-traded Royal Bank of Canada. The merged
entity will operate under the name separateaccounts.com.
 After the merger has been completed, Kevin Freeman
and Erik Davidson, co-founders and co-CEOs of separateaccounts.com,
will assume CEO positions of the merged company.
Royal Bank of Canada will own an indirect equity
stake but will not be involved in the management
or operation of the business. VIP Private Capital's
management team and employees will be absorbed by
Royal Bank of Canada. Grant Rasmussen, president
of VIP Private Capital, will become a member of
separateaccounts.com's advisory board. Separateaccounts.com
is backed by undisclosed individual and corporate
investors.
http://www.separateaccounts.com/

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

o Fiber Optic Firm Global Metro Adds Former AT&T Exec to Board

SILVER SPRING, Md. -- Global Metro Networks, an
international fiber optic communications network
firm, said Robert C. Bicksler was named chief financial
officer and has been added to the board of directors.
Mr. Bicksler was formerly CFO and vice president
of AT&T Canada. The company is funded by Providence
Equity, Columbia Capital, Alta Communications, Telecom
Ventures, and Spencer Trask.
http://www.globalmetro.com/
_____________________________________________

o Compliance Management Tech Provider Qumas Appoints Chairman

CORK, Ireland -- Qumas, a provider of enterprise
compliance management technology designed to assist
industries in complying with regulations, said it
has appointed Brian N. Sweeney as chairman of its
board. Mr. Sweeney is the chairman of Siemens Group
in Ireland and also deputy chairman of Deutsche
Bank/DB Ireland. Qumas is backed by ACT Venture
Capital and Delta Ventures.
http://www.qumas.com/
_____________________________________________

o Investment Marketplace Wofex Adds Advisor to Board

NEW YORK -- Wofex, an electronic global marketplace
for the professional investment community, said
it added Donald E. Fowler to its board of directors.
Mr. Fowler was an advisor to Wofex, and is currently
an investor and advisor to several other early stage
technology companies. Mr. Fowler also serves on
the boards of three publicly traded companies: ECCS,
ADAC Laboratories, and TelCom Semiconductor. Wofax
is backed by Media Technology Ventures and Hewlett
Packard.
http://www.wofex.com/
_____________________________________________

o iRise Names Discovery Ventures Principal Silverman to Board

LOS ANGELES -- iRise, which develops customized
Java-based applications for businesses, said it
appointed Arnold Silverman as the third member of
its board of directors. Mr. Silverman is a principal
of Discovery Ventures, a venture capital firm focused
on investment in software companies. He has served
on the boards of numerous software companies including
Oracle, Business Objects, Informatica, Times Ten,
iOwn and Nishan Systems. iRise is backed by individual
investors Sy Kaufman, founder and managing director
of venture capital for Crosslink Capital; Glen Haney,
former chief executive officer of Dataquest and
a member of iRise's advisory board;  Bob Vanourek,
former chief executive officer of Sensormatic; and
Pitney Bowes, former senior executive at Avery Dennison.

http://www.irise.com/
_____________________________________________

o Mintera Founder Joins Onex Board of Directors

BEDFORD, Mass. -- Onex Communications, a Boston-based
developer of communications components based on
architecture for optical networks and designed to
combine network routing, switching and transmission
capabilities, said Menachem Abraham will be joining
its board of directors. Mr. Abraham is the co-founder,
president, and CEO of optical networking startup
Mintera. Backers for Onex Communications include
 Venrock Associates, Star Ventures, St. Paul Venture
Capital, Seed Fund, and TranSwitch.
http://www.onexco.com/
_____________________________________________

o Essential.com Names Its CEO and President as Board Chairman

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Essential.com, a Web-based
energy and communication marketplace, said it has
appointed Paul R. Lewis, who joined Essential.com
in June as president and chief executive officer,
as chairman of the board. He will replace former
chairman, Akhil Garland, who has resigned from the
board. Mr. Lewis previously served as general manager
of the IBM's global services consulting group. Essential.com
is backed by Soros Fund Management and included
investments from McKinley Capital Partners and Triad
Media Ventures.
http://www.essential.com/

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

o WireConnect Names Technology Ventures EIR as CEO

ATLANTA -- WireConnect, a business-to-business e-commerce
marketplace for the wire and cable industry, said
it appointed Christopher Herschend as its first
chief executive officer. Mr. Herschend had previously
served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Technology
Ventures. Backers for wireConnect include Technology
Ventures and individual investors.
http://www.wireconnect.com/
_____________________________________________

o Digital Content Creation Tools Firm Boxx Names Chairman

AUSTIN, Texas -- BOXX Technologies, a provider of
digital content creation tools for the entertainment
and digital film industries, said that James H.
Moore has joined the company as chairman. Mr. Moore
recently served as president and COO of Crossroads
Systems, a high-technology manufacturer of fiber
channel storage routers for the computer networking
industry. BOXX is backed by First Capital Group
and Capital Southwest.
http://www.boxxtech.com/
_____________________________________________

o Net B2B Exchange Buylink Names Ex-Quote.com Head as CEO

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Buylink, an online
business to business exchange for vendors and retailers,
said it appointed Robert Honeycutt as chief executive
officer. Mr. Honeycutt previously served as chief
executive officer of Quote.com, which was sold to
Lycos last December. Buylink's co-founders, Brian
and Todd Dunning, have acted as co-chief executives
since founding the company in 1996. Brian Dunning
will continue to serve as chief technology officer
and Todd Dunning will retain his position as company
president. Buylink's investors include Hummer Winblad
Venture Partners; Ironweed Capital's Derek Proudian;
Ramsey Beirne Associates; the investment funds of
Silicon Valley law firms, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich
& Rosati and Cooley Godward; and individual specialty
retail executives.
http://www.buylink.com/
_____________________________________________

o YAFO Networks Names Former Entropic CEO as President and CEO

HANOVER, Md. -- YAFO Networks, a designer, manufacturer
and marketer of hardware subsystems for fiber optic
communications networks, said Paul J. Finke has
joined the company as its first president and CEO.
Prior to joining YAFO, Mr. Finke served as president
and CEO of Entropic, a software tools provider for
speech engineers, which was acquired by Microsoft
last November. YAFO Networks' investors include
ADC Ventures, Boulder Ventures, MCI WorldCom Venture
Fund, Mellon Ventures, New Enterprise Associates,
U.S. Venture Partners, and Wheatley Partners.

http://www.yafonet.com/

======= VC Personnel =======

o Excite Founder McIntyre Named Softbank Venture Partner

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Softbank Venture Capital,
an Internet venture capital fund, said it has appointed
Ryan McIntyre, co-founder of Excite, as its first
venture partner. Mr. McIntyre joined Softbank earlier
this year, assisting a managing director in finding
and evaluating investments. Mr. McIntyre will work
closely with Softbank's managing team, serve as
advisor to portfolio companies, investigate and
source more deals, and serve on portfolio company
boards.
http://www.sbvc.com/

======= VW Corrections =======

o IP Services

NEW YORK -- An item on IP Services' new president
and COO, Martin F. McDermott III, contained an incorrect
URL.  The correct URL for IP Services is http://www.ipserv.net


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