======================================================
        VENTUREWIRE --- Tuesday, October 31, 2000
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           Private Company Business News
------ Published Daily by Technologic Partners -------
           http://technologicpartners.com
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Top Stories:

o Trinity Ventures Closes $540 Million Fund Trinity VIII
o Sun Microsystems to Invest $100 Million in Wireless Firms
o Textbooks Retailer Bigwords.com Closes Down
o Internet Consultants Concrete Lays Off 15% of Staff

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Also in This Issue:

     New Money:
o Network Deployment Firm PowerUp Lands $12 Million Series A
o Optical Networking Firm Aura Raises $16 Million in Round One
o Broadband Firm Ionex Raises $150 Million in Second Round
o Colocation Facility Firm DigiPlex Has $205 Million Round Two
o PeoplePC Launches European Unit with $50 Million VC Funding
o Pihana Pacific Raises $190 Million For Data Center Expansion
o Web Marketing Firm Sandy Bay Closes $6.5 Million First Round
o Wireless Device Tech Firm Mi-Co Adds $2 Million to Series A
o VantagePoint Participates in BeeLine's $22 Million Round Two
o Fiber Optic Firm Cierra Photonics Gets $40 Million Series B
o Optical Components Designer MPI Gets $40.9 Million Round Two
o PC Telephone Firm Dialpad Closes $50 Million Second Round
o Platform Provider RedKnife Closes Round Two with $18 Million
o Streaming Tech Firm AppStream Closes $35.5 Million Round Two
o App Processor Firm Intensys Has $7 Million Second Round
o Auction Platform Firm Bidpath Gets $9.5 Million in Series B
o E-Marketplace Developer Living Systems Raises $10 Million
o IT Services Firm HiFive.net Raises $4.5 Million in Series B
o IT Services Provider Quartet Gets $10 Million Second Round
o JEGI Capital Invests in Broad Daylight's Series B Round
o MPLS Networking Firm Vivace Closes $83 Million Third Round
o Synchronization Firm FusionOne Closes $80 Million Mezzanine
o Broadcast Manager Reliacast Gets $35 Million Third Round
o Cellport Systems Secures $22.5 Million in Series C Round
o Fiber Optic Firm Picolight Has $38.9 Million Third Round
o GE Equity Invests in Product Development Firm Alibre
o General Bandwidth Closes $47 Million in Third Funding Round
o International Parts Raises $4.5 Million in Series C Round
o MedSource Gets $40 Million Led by Brown Brothers
o Online Documents Firm eOrignal Gets $9 Million Round Three
o Web Software Firm Framework Gets $6.25 Million From Intel
o AdCtrl, Swedish Online Ad Monitoring Firm, Raises $988,000
o B2B Procurement Firm PartMiner Gets $37.5 Million Late Funds
o Web Consultants Wisdom Information Raises $1.5 Million

     M&A:
o Family Portal MyFamily.com Acquires ThirdAge Media
o Incubator ExpertEyes Buys U.K. Expansion Firm Growth Phase
o Wireless Computing Firm MindSurf Acquires Education Site
o Kids Media Company JP Kids Buys Defunct Teen Site React.com
o Online Chemical Exchange ChemConnect Buys Chem Brokerage UCB
o PentaSafe Acquires Security Policy Firm Baseline Software
o Thayer Capital Partners Sells Vacation.com to Amadeus
o Worldly Information Network Buys Three Financial Newsletters
o Belgian Multimedia Firm BarcoNet Acquires The industree
o Marketing Services Group Acquires Loyalty Firm Perks.com

     New Directors:
o Nupremis Names Former Sprint PCS CEO as Board Co-Chair
o Silicon Technology Firm VxTel Appoints Alcatel COO To Board
o Fulfillment Service Firm NationStreet Adds to Board

     New People:
o Zagat Survey Names Amy B. McIntosh as its First CEO
o Former Lucent Exec to Head Switching Platform Company Taqua
o Home Improvement Technology Firm OpenShelf Names New CEO
o Online Photo Firm Zing Promotes COO, CEO Now Chairman
o Kellogg Exec Now European Food Industry B2B efoodmanager CEO

     VC Fund News:
o Avalon Equity Partners Forms $63 Million Fund
o StoneGate Launches STEP-Note Interim Capital Program

     VC Personnel:
o Norwest Venture Partners Names Ex-Andersen Exec Principal
o Charles River Ventures Names Ex-Novera Chief as Partner, CMO
o Itochu Names New Director of Venture Investment
o Zero Gravity Names Former Infoseek Exec as Managing Partner

     VW Corrections:
o Candescent Technology

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

o Trinity Ventures Closes $540 Million Fund Trinity VIII

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Trinity Ventures said it closed
Trinity VIII, a $540 million fund investing in early-stage
software, communications, and online business companies
that provide Internet infrastructure and services.
New investors in the fund include Goldman Sachs,
Grove Street Advisors for CalPERS, Hamilton Lane,
a fund managed by Harbourvest Partners, and Portfolio
Advisors' fund of funds. Trinity VIII brings the
firm's capital under management to more than $1
billion. Trinity's portfolio includes Extreme Networks,
Network Alchemy, and Santera.
http://www.trinityventures.com/
_____________________________________________

o Sun Microsystems to Invest $100 Million in Wireless Firms

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Sun Microsystems said its
strategic investment group will invest an additional
$100 million of venture funding in wireless companies
over the course of the next year as part of a strategy
to develop wireless applications and networks. Possible
sectors the company may fund in the future include
colocation services, streaming video, and security.
Sun Microsystems has invested $500 million to date
in venture capital and has backed such wireless
technology companies as Everypath, Nuance, and WhereNet.
http://www.sun.com/
_____________________________________________

o Textbooks Retailer Bigwords.com Closes Down

SAN FRANCISCO -- BigWords.com, an online retailer
of college textbooks, has ceased its operations.
According to message on the its Web site, BigWords
closed on October 20. The site indicated that orders
placed after the 20th would not be charged nor shipped
and orders placed before that date were cancelled.
The company raised $30 million in January from Attractor
Investor Management, Media Technology Ventures,
St. Paul Venture Capital, TransCosmos USA, GeoCapital
Partners, and 21st Century Internet Partners.
http://www.bigwords.com/
_____________________________________________

o Internet Consultants Concrete Lays Off 15% of Staff

NEW YORK -- Concrete, an Internet consulting group
formerly known as Concrete Media, said it laid off
approximately 20 people, or 15%, of its staff. The
company cited a change in client profile as the
reason for the layoffs, stating that it will now
focus on Fortune 500 companies. The company said
employees that were let go were in its corporate
and support areas. Concrete is backed by Warburg
Pincus Ventures and Wit Capital.
http://www.concreteinc.com/

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

o Network Deployment Firm PowerUp Lands $12 Million Series A

RICHARDSON, Texas -- PowerUpNetworks, which configures
and deploys network infrastructure components, said
it raised $12 million in its Series A round of financing
led by HO2 Partners. Other investors included STARTech
Dallas, BancBoston Ventures, CenterPoint Ventures,
InterWest Partners, and VentureLink Holdings. Individual
investors Dennis Gorman, retired Sevin Rosen partner;
Berry Cash, a venture capitalist; and L.J. Sevin,
co-founder of Sevin Rosen, also participated in
the round. The company said it will use the funds
to launch its Rapid Network Deployment product.
http://www.powerupnetworks.com/
_____________________________________________

o Optical Networking Firm Aura Raises $16 Million in Round One

NASHUA, N.H. -- Aura Networks, an optical networking
company that provides service providers with metro
access optical Ethernet technology, said it has
secured $16 million in its first round of funding
from Sierra Ventures. Aura said it will use the
funding for general growth. Sierra partners Jeff
Drazen and Stefan Mezu will take seats on Aura's
board of directors.
http://www.auranetinc.com/
_____________________________________________

o Broadband Firm Ionex Raises $150 Million in Second Round

DALLAS -- Ionex telecommunications, a provider of
broadband communications services over a digital
network, said it has secured $150 million in its
second round of funding led by AEA Investors and
VS&A Communications Partners. Other investors include
Texas Growth Fund, Raymond James Capital, BNY Capital
Partners, and Weiss, Peck & Greer. Previous investor
Gilbert Global Equity Partners also participated.
Ionex said it has raised over $425 million in 11
months. The company said it will use the funds to
accelerate its growth and expand its services to
36 markets by the end of 2001.
http://www.ionexnow.com/
_____________________________________________

o Colocation Facility Firm DigiPlex Has $205 Million Round Two

ZURICH -- DigiPlex, a European provider of carrier
neutral colocation facilities, said it raised EUR
237 million ($205 million) in its second round of
funding. Previous investors Carlyle Group, Providence
Equity Partners, Carrier1, and iaxis provided $50
million in equity funding and Deutsche Bank, Goldman
Sachs, and CIBC provided a debt financing of $155
million. The company previously raised $155 million
in January. The company said it would use the funding
to continue to support the internal infrastructure
of its facilities in its existing colocation sites
and to acquire new sites throughout Europe.
http://www.digiplex.com/
_____________________________________________

o PeoplePC Launches European Unit with $50 Million VC Funding

SAN FRANCISCO -- PeoplePC, a publicly traded company
that provides computers, technical support, and
online services for a monthly subscription, said
it launched a European affiliate with $50 million
in venture capital investment. Media and communications
company Vivendi and Softbank invested the $50 million
for a 35% equity stake in the European subsidiary.
Softbank and Vivendi invested through the joint
venture incubation unit @viso. PeoplePC Europe has
offices in London, Munich, and Paris.
http://www.peoplepc.com/
_____________________________________________

o Pihana Pacific Raises $190 Million For Data Center Expansion

HONG KONG -- Pihana Pacific, which provides neutral
co-location facilities, said it raised $190 million
in its second round of funding. The round was led
by Goldman Sachs with additional investments from
Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Private Equity, LoneTree
Capital, Mori Building, and Hewlett-Packard. The
company's founding investor, Columbia Capital, also
contributed to the round and remains the largest
equity shareholder in the company. The company said
it will use the funding to build new carrier neutral
data centers in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore,
and Australia. The company has operations in Honolulu
and will open a Los Angeles facility later in the
year.
http://www.pihana.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Marketing Firm Sandy Bay Closes $6.5 Million First Round

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Sandy Bay Networks, which provides
Web sites with fully hosted online marketing services,
said it raised $6.5 million in its first round,
led by Egan-Managed Capital. Previous investors
Venture Investment Management and MDT Advisers also
participated. Mike Shanahan, Egan-Managed Capital's
managing partner, has joined the board of directors
as a result of the investment. The company will
use the funds to develop its marketing products
and services.
http://www.sandybay.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Device Tech Firm Mi-Co Adds $2 Million to Series A

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- Mi-Co, a developer
of handwriting recognition and transmission technologies
for wireless devices, said it received an additional
$2 million from Canopy Group as part of its Series
A round of funding, bringing the total raised to
date to $3.5 million. The company will use the funds
toward the commercial launch of its instant messaging
products Mi-Notepad and Mi-Messages, which are in
limited release.
http://www.mi-corporation.com/
_____________________________________________

o VantagePoint Participates in BeeLine's $22 Million Round Two

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- VantagePoint Venture Partners
said it participated in the $22 million second-round
financing of BeeLine Networks, a Mountain View,
Calif.-based developer of secure data transmission
technologies for the Internet. Other details of
the investment were not released. Beeline has also
received funding from Infinity Capital and PacRim
Venture Partners.
http://www.beelinenetworks.com/
_____________________________________________

o Fiber Optic Firm Cierra Photonics Gets $40 Million Series B

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Cierra Photonics, which produces
wafer scale integration technology for fiber optic
components, said it has secured $40 million in its
Series B round of funding led by Worldview Technology
Partners. The Mayfield Fund, Soros Fund Management,
Chase Capital Partners and RWI Group also joined
in the round. The company said it will use the funds
to expand its manufacturing capabilities and accelerate
product development.
http://www.cierraphotonics.com/
_____________________________________________

o Optical Components Designer MPI Gets $40.9 Million Round Two

OTTAWA -- MPI MetroPhotonics (MPI), which provides
research, design, and high-capacity optical components
for metropolitan telecommunications networks, said
it has raised CDN 62.5 million ($40.9 million) in
its second round of funding. The company declined
to disclose the names of the investors in the round,
but said Yorkton Securities, a technology investment
bank which managed the financing, provided some
funding. Metrophotonics said it will use the funding
to purchase semiconductor manufacturing equipment,
hire additional staff, and move to its own headquarters
next year. The company raised $5.24 million in its
first round arranged by GroomeCapital, which is
also an investor in the company.
http://www.metrophotonics.com/
_____________________________________________

o PC Telephone Firm Dialpad Closes $50 Million Second Round

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Dialpad, which provides services
that enable users to make telephone calls from personal
computers, said it raised $50 million in its second
round of funding led by previous investor Serome
Technology. Previous investors CMGI @Ventures and
Sterling Payot and new investors Citizens Capital
and Mokwon Assets Management also participated.
Serome Technology will take a seat on the company's
board of directors. The company will use the funding
to expand its services and deploy communications
services to enterprise small and home-based business
customers. The company also said it appointed Brad
Garlinghouse, formerly a general partner with CMGI@Ventures,
as its chief executive officer.
http://www.dialpad.com/
_____________________________________________
o Platform Provider RedKnife Closes Round Two with $18 Million

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- RedKnife, which provides a
platform for trading community integration, collaboration,
and management services, said it completed its second
round of funding with $18 million led by new investor
Draper Fisher Jurvetson. New investors Sierra Ventures
and Advanced Technology Ventures also participated
in the round. Draper Fisher Jurvetson director Raj
Atluru,  Advanced Technology Ventures general partner
Jos Henkens, and Sierra Ventures general partner
Steve Williams will all join the company's board
of directors. RedKnife is also backed by incubator
WingSpring. The company has raised $20.5 million
to date.
http://www.redknife.com/
_____________________________________________

o Streaming Tech Firm AppStream Closes $35.5 Million Round Two

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- AppStream, which provides ASPs
with software streaming technology, said it closed
its second round with $35.5 million from Deutsche
Bank Alex Brown, Intel Capital, Sun Microsystems,
and individual investor Qualcomm co-founder Andrew
Viterbi. This round includes a $26 million investment
announced in August. The company plans to use the
funds for product development and rollout, marketing,
and to expand its company and sales team.
http://www.appstream.com/
_____________________________________________

o App Processor Firm Intensys Has $7 Million Second Round

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Intensys, an application processor
company, said it raised $7 million in its second
round of financing led by RWI Group. The Rahn Group,
individual investor Donald L. Lucas, and previous
investor Telos Venture Partners also participated
in the round. The company said it will use the funding
to complete its first stage of product development
and increase marketing. Jonathan Barek, a principal
with RWI Group, will take the fourth seat on the
company's board. Intensys has developed an application
processor for the color processing required for
color-rich Internet appliances, digital still cameras,
printers, and digital video cameras. The company
has raised $9 million to date.
http://www.intensys.com/
_____________________________________________

o Auction Platform Firm Bidpath Gets $9.5 Million in Series B

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Bidpath, which provides a universal
platform and electronic infrastructure technology
for the auction industry, said it raised a total
of $9.5 million in its planned $12 million Series
B round. VentureWire previously reported round co-leader
Venture Strategy Partners investing $4.5 million.
The company said the other lead investor is eFund,
which is investing the remaining $5 million. Daniel
Kranzler of eFund will join Venture Strategy Partners'
Matt Crisp on the company's board of directors.
Previous investor Timberline Venture Partners, an
affiliate of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, has also invested
in the round. The company will use the funding for
scaling its infrastructure and service deployment
to auction firms. Bidpath expects to make its final
Series B funding announcement in approximately two
weeks.
http://www.bidpath.com/
_____________________________________________

o E-Marketplace Developer Living Systems Raises $10 Million

NEWTON, Mass. -- Living systems, which develops
software for the creation of online marketplaces,
said it raised $10 million in its most recent round
of venture capital funding. The round included investments
from zouk ventures and Equity Bridge Finanz, a subsidiary
of German investment bank WestLB. The German company
intends to use the funds to expand into the North
American marketplace through increased sales and
marketing. The company has also said Esther Dyson,
chairman of EDventure Holdings, will take a seat
on the its board of directors.
http://www.living-systems.com/
_____________________________________________

o IT Services Firm HiFive.net Raises $4.5 Million in Series B

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- HiFive.net, a provider of Web-based
IT management services for VARs and service partners,
said it completed its Series B round of financing
with $4.5 million. Convergence Partners, Red Rock
Ventures, and Viventures contributed to the round.
The company said it will use the funds for marketing
and to develop its Virtual Operations Center, a
service center for small and midsize businesses.
http://www.hifive.net/
_____________________________________________

o IT Services Provider Quartet Gets $10 Million Second Round

TORONTO -- Quartet Service Corp., which provides
small and mid-size enterprises with information
technology and communication services, said it has
secured $10 million in its second round of funding
led by Latitude Partners. The round also included
undisclosed institutional and corporate investors.
The company said it will use the funds for expansion.
Tom Eisenhauer, managing partner at Latitude, will
take a seat on Quartet's board of directors.
http://www.quartetservice.com/
_____________________________________________

o JEGI Capital Invests in Broad Daylight's Series B Round

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Jordan Edmiston Group venture
capital affiliate JEGI Capital said it invested
an undisclosed  amount in the Series B round of
funding of Broad Daylight, which provides businesses
with applications that enable the delivery of question-and-answer
content for Web sites. The round is still open and
the amount the company hopes to raise is so far
undisclosed. JEGI Capital general partner Kent Hawryluk
will sit on Broad Daylight's board of directors.
Broad Daylight will use the funding for sales and
marketing and for developing partnerships. Broad
Daylight is backed by Angel Investors, Computer
Associates, Nexus Group, Softbank Venture Capital,
and individual investors.
http://www.broaddaylight.com/
_____________________________________________

o MPLS Networking Firm Vivace Closes $83 Million Third Round

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Vivace Networks, a developer
of multi-protocol label switches for network applications,
said it raised $83 million in its third round of
funding led by Meritech Capital. Other investors
included J.P. Morgan Investments, Putnam Investments,
and previous investors Foundation Capital, Sutter
Hill Ventures, and Redpoint Ventures. This round
brings the company's total funding to $118 million.
The company will use the funding to expand its engineering
team and for product development.
http://www.vivacenetworks.com/
_____________________________________________

o Synchronization Firm FusionOne Closes $80 Million Mezzanine

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- FusionOne, a developer of software
and services for exchanging data across multiple
devices and applications, said it has secured $80
million to close its mezzanine round of funding.
Sources close to the company had previously said
the round would close at $100 million. The new investors
in the round included OppenheimerFunds, Essex Investment
Management, Graham Partners, J. &W. Seligman, Kemper
Small Capitalization Equity Fund, the KVS-Small
Cap Growth Fund managed by Scuder Investments, Pyramid
Technology Ventures, Temasek Capital, and Wit SoundView.
3Com, Access Technology Partners, Chase Capital
Partners, Flatiron Partners, Hewlett-Packard, and
seed investor El Dorado Ventures also participated.
FusionOne, which has raised $140 million to date,
said it will use the funds to provide resources
needed to enhance its platform, continue to drive
subscribers to its synchronization services, and
deploy synchronization-enabled technology to its
partners.
http://www.fusionone.com/
_____________________________________________

o Broadcast Manager Reliacast Gets $35 Million Third Round

HERNDON, Va. -- Reliacast, a provider of software
for audience management during Web-based live, interactive,
and entertainment events, said it received $35 million
in its third round of funding led by SCP Private
Equity Partners and Generation Partners. Other investors
include Sun Microsystems, and previous investors
Viridian Capital Partners, Main Street Advisors,
Thomas Weisel Partners, and First Union Capital
Partners. Nick Troiano, principal at SCP Private
Equity, and Mark Jennings, managing director of
Generation Partners, joined the company's board
of directors. The company will use the funds for
product development and to expand its sales, marketing,
and engineering staffs.
http://www.reliacast.com/
_____________________________________________

o Cellport Systems Secures $22.5 Million in Series C Round

BOULDER, Colo. -- Cellport Systems, which provides
in-vehicle wireless communications and telematics
systems, said it raised $22.5 million in its Series
C round of funding led by Cisco Systems. Other investors
include Rock Creek Capital, Alignement Capital Partners,
and GLQ Entrepia. The company said it will use the
funds to accelerate the development of its IP-based
telematics products for the automotive and transportation
industries. Also, a portion of the funding will
expand applications for the company's universal
hands-free platform. Cellport has also received
funding from AT&T Wireless Services, Flanders Language
Valley Fund, and @Road.
http://www.cellport.com/
_____________________________________________

o Fiber Optic Firm Picolight Has $38.9 Million Third Round

BOULDER, Colo. -- Picolight, which develops laser-based
fiber optic transceiver components and subsystems,
said it raised its third round of funding for $38.9
million. Pequot Private Equity Fund III led the
round, which included new investors Cisco Systems
and Corning and previous investors Bank of America
Ventures and Charles River Ventures. Pequot Private
Equity Fund III general partner Michael Karfopoulos
will sit on the company's board of directors. The
company will use the funding for accelerating the
manufacturing of fiber optic components,  research
and development, and sales and marketing. Picolight
develops products for the telecommunications and
storage networking industries. The funding brings
the company's total capital raised to over $53 million.
http://www.picolight.com/
_____________________________________________

o GE Equity Invests in Product Development Firm Alibre

RICHARDSON, Texas -- Alibre, which provides collaborative
product development services for global manufacturers
and their supply chains, said GE Equity has made
an undisclosed equity investment in the company.
In addition to the investment, Alibre said signed
a multi-million dollar contract with GE Power Systems
that enables GE to utilize Alibre's collaborative
product development technology.  Allibre is also
funded by Bain Capital, Rho Management Capital,
CenterPoint Ventures, and Compaq Computer founder
Ben Rosen.
http://www.alibre.com/
_____________________________________________

o General Bandwidth Closes $47 Million in Third Funding Round

AUSTIN, Texas -- General Bandwidth, a carrier-class,
voice-over-broadband gateway manufacturer, said
it completed a $47 million third round of funding
led by Thomas Weisel Partners that includes an investment
from SBC Venture Capital, an SBC Communications
Company. Previous investors Sevin Rosen Funds, Sequoia
Capital, Oak Investment Partners, Venrock Associates,
Trellis Partners, CIT, and HLM Management also participated
in the round. General Bandwidth will use this latest
round of funding to expand in Europe and Canada
and to finance the research and development of its
VoBroadband technology, which provides multiple
independent voice lines over a single broadband
connection. The company has raised $83 million within
the last year.
http://www.generalbandwidth.com/
_____________________________________________

o International Parts Raises $4.5 Million in Series C Round

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- International Parts, an online
auto parts locator, said it completed its Series
C round of financing with a total of $4.25 million.
Investors included Interprise Technology Partners
and Advantage Financial. The funding will be used
to fuel the expansion of the online business including
sales, marketing, and supporting its e-commerce
enterprise, ezfindparts.com.
http://www.ezfindparts.com/
_____________________________________________

o MedSource Gets $40 Million Led by Brown Brothers

SAN FRANCISCO -- MedSource Technologies, a provider
of contract manufacturing and supply chain management
services for medical device and equipment manufacturers,
said it completed a $40 million private placement
from Brown Brothers Harriman & Co through its 1818
Fund III and principals of Kidd & Company, the company's
founders. Brown Brothers invested $35 million, and
the company's three co-founders from Kidd & Company,
including Richard Effress, chairman and CEO, invested
the remaining $5 million.The 1818 Fund joins Whitney
& Co. as a major private equity investor in MedSource.
The company said it will use the funds to support
continued revenue growth and infrastructure development
and future acquisitions and strategic initiatives.
http://www.medsourcetech.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Documents Firm eOrignal Gets $9 Million Round Three

BALTIMORE, Md. -- eOriginal, a company which creates
technology to produce unique, legally enforceable,
insured electronic source records and negotiable
electronic originals for e-commerce transactions,
said it completed a $9 million third round of funding.
eWhiteBread Partners 2000, The Caroline Hunt Trust
Estate, and Renaissance Capital Growth & Income
Fund III participated in the round. The company
is also backed by Intel, GE Capital, Hat Creek Partners,
and  Rosewood. The company will use the funds to
support product development and expansion into new
markets. eOriginal has raised $31.5 million to date.
http://www.eoriginal.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Software Firm Framework Gets $6.25 Million From Intel

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Framework Technologies, a provider
of Web-based project communications software, said
it received $6.25 million from the Intel 64 Fund
and Technology Link Capital as part of its third
round of financing, bringing this round's total
to $31.25 million. The company will use the investment
to support sales, marketing, and client services
expansion. Framework has raised $52.25 to date.
The company is also backed by Thomas Weisel Capital
Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Chase Hambrecht
& Quist, Charles River Ventures, and Norwest Venture
Partners.
http://www.frametech.com/
_____________________________________________

o AdCtrl, Swedish Online Ad Monitoring Firm, Raises $988,000

COPENHAGEN -- 2M Invest, a Danish venture capital
firm, said it invested SEK 10,000,000 ($988,000)
in Swedish technology firm AdCtrl. AdCtrl develops
technology that enables the monitoring and measurement
of advertising within digital media. The company
said it will use the funding for marketing. Palle
Viby Morgensen, investment director of 2M Invest,
will become chairman of the company's board of directors.
Telephone +45-33-32-39-38.
_____________________________________________

o B2B Procurement Firm PartMiner Gets $37.5 Million Late Funds

NEW YORK -- PartMiner, a provider of business to
business procurement services to the global electronic
components industry, said it has secured $37.5 million
in late-stage funding from previous investors Cahners
Business Information, IHS Group and Onex Corp.
PartMiner said it will use the funds to further
grow the company and its online marketplace, the
Free Trade Zone. The company is also backed by Agile
Software, Boston Ventures, Broadview Capital Partners,
Generation Capital Partners, Goldman Sachs, Impact
Ventures Partners, Integral Capital Partners, Seacoast
Capital and Vulcan Securities. The company said
it has secured a total of $115 million in private
equity.
http://www.partminer.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Consultants Wisdom Information Raises $1.5 Million

LIVINGSTON, Scotland -- Wisdom Information Technologists,
which provides consulting and development services
for medium-sized businesses, said it raised GBP
1 million ($1.5 million) in its most recent round
of funding that was exclusively funded by Murray
Johnstone's Murray Venture Capital Trust 3. The
company said it will use the funding for staffing,
training, and marketing. Wisdom also announced the
appointment of Colin Stewart as non-executive director
and Fred Shedden as chairman of its board of directors.
http://www.wisdomit.co.uk/

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

o Family Portal MyFamily.com Acquires ThirdAge Media

SAN FRANCISCO -- MyFamily.com, an online network
of content and resources related to families, said
it has agreed to acquire ThirdAge Media, a media
and direct marketing network for baby boomers. ThirdAge
will be integrated into the MyFamily suite of sites,
where it will retain the ThirdAge moniker and will
offer information and resources for adults 45 years
and older. The terms of the deal were undisclosed.
ThirdAge president and CEO Jim Barnett will become
president and COO at MyFamily.com, while ThirdAge
founder and chair Mary Furlong will become chief
officer of strategic relations. Deborah Wolter,
vice president of AT&T Strategic Ventures and a
ThirdAge Media board member, will join the MyFamily.com
board of directors. Last June, the company acquired
RootsWeb.com, a genealogy Web site. MyFamily.com
is backed by CMGI @Ventures, Eastman Kodak, America
Online, Compaq Computer, Tango, Intel Capital, Group
Arnault, Pivotal Asset Management, and Amerindo
Investment Advisors. ThirdAge is backed by CBS,
Hollinger International, Media One, Merrill Lynch,
and Softbank Technology Ventures.
http://www.thirdage.com/
http://www.myfamilyinc.com/
_____________________________________________

o Incubator ExpertEyes Buys U.K. Expansion Firm Growth Phase

LONDON -- ExpertEyes, a European incubator that
targets U.S. Internet software and service companies,
said it acquired Growth Phase Europe, which provides
international expansion services to emerging high-tech
companies. Details were undisclosed. The company
hopes to help U.S. companies that want to expand
to Europe. ExpertEyes provides advice and funding
to companies it incubates.
http://www.experteyes.com/
http://www.gpeurope.com/
_____________________________________________

o Wireless Computing Firm MindSurf Acquires Education Site

BALTIMORE -- MindSurf, a provider of mobile computing
infrastructure for K-12 students, teachers, and
parents, said it acquired HiFusion, a Web site that
provides filtered, age-specific content and communication
tools to students, parents and teachers, for an
undisclosed amount. The new combined company will
be called MindSurf and will keep its technology,
marketing, and communication team in Virginia, where
HiFusion was headquartered. Ira Fishman, HiFusion
CEO and co-founder, will stay with the company's
executive team. The acquisition is part of MindSurf's
strategy to expand its services nationwide. MindSurf
is funded by Sylvan Ventures, Aether Systems and
minority partner Critical Path. HiFusion is backed
by individual investors.
http://www.mindsurf.net/
http://www.hifusion.com/
_____________________________________________

o Kids Media Company JP Kids Buys Defunct Teen Site React.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- JP Kids, a children's media company,
said it purchased react.com, an online destination
for teens, from Parade Publications for an undisclosed
amount. React.com shut down in June and retained
no staff members. Along with Yahoo!, JP Kids is
jointly developing Yahooligans! as a multiple media
franchise for television, film, books and the Internet.
JP Kids is backed by outside individual investors.
http://www.jpkids.com/
http://www.react.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Chemical Exchange ChemConnect Buys Chem Brokerage UCB

SAN FRANCISCO -- ChemConnect, an Internet exchange
for chemicals, plastics, and industrial gases, said
it has acquired U.S. petrochemical broker Universal
Chemical Brokerage (UCB). UCB brokers may now provide
online and offline brokering services through ChemConnect's
exchange, while UCB clients will have the option
of posting their own buy and sell offers. ChemConnect
is funded by  Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley Dean
Witter, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), Weiss,
Peck & Greer, CMEA Ventures, Highland Capital Partners,
and Vulcan Ventures. UCB is self-financed.
http://www.chemconnect.com/
_____________________________________________

o PentaSafe Acquires Security Policy Firm Baseline Software

HOUSTON -- PentaSafe Security Technologies, which
provides software for IT auditing and security management
companies, said it will acquire Baseline Software,
publisher of an information security policy guide,
for an undisclosed sum. Baseline Software's offices
in Sausalito, California will serve as the publications
arm of PentaSafe Security Technologies. All the
company's staff will be retained. Baseline founder
Charles Cresson Wood will stay on as an independent
consultant and will also provide content for Pentasafe
publications. Backers for PentaSafe Security Technologies
include Lehman Brothers Venture Capital Group, Dell
Ventures, Enron Net Works, EnTrust Capital Frontier
Fund, Pyramid Technology Ventures, Quest Software,
H&Q's Access Technology Partners, and Austin Ventures.
http://www.pentasafe.com/
_____________________________________________

o Thayer Capital Partners Sells Vacation.com to Amadeus

WASHINGTON -- Thayer Capital Partners, a Washington,
D.C-based private equity firm and controlling shareholder
of travel portal Vacation.com, said it will sell
Vacation.com to Madrid-based Amadeus, a provider
of distribution systems and technology for the travel
and tourism industries, for approximately $90 million
in cash, warrants, and the assumption of nearly
$30 million in debt. Thayer Capital Partners will
obtain a warrant position in Amadeus. Vacation.com
is backed in part by Thayer Capital Partners.
http://www.vacation.com/
_____________________________________________

o Worldly Information Network Buys Three Financial Newsletters

NEW YORK -- Worldly Information Network, which provides
international financial information online, said
it has acquired three financial newsletter companies:
Global Investing, Gerald Perritt's Mutual Fund Letter,
and Prudence & Performance. The financial terms
of the acquisition were not disclosed. Worldly Information
Network, the producer of worldlyinvestor.com and
lionShares.com, is backed by CDC financial, IBM
Retirement Plan Trust, Toronto Dominion Capital,
and Wheatley Partners.
http://www.worldlyinvestor.com/
_____________________________________________

o Belgian Multimedia Firm BarcoNet Acquires The industree

KORTRIJK, Belgium -- BarcoNet, a provider of multimedia
distribution services for broadband and broadcast
applications, said it will acquire The industree,
a broadband data communications company, for a total
of 5 million shares. As part of the deal, BarcoNet
will also assume EUR 3.5 million ($2.9 million)
in The industree liabilities. The transaction is
expected to close sometime early next year. Backers
for The industree include Simac Techniek, Atlas
Venture, and Crescendo Ventures. BarcoNet is splitting
off from the publicly traded Barco Group and plans
to list on the Brussels/Euronext stock exchange
in mid-November.
http://www.industree.nl/
http://www.barconet.com/
_____________________________________________

o Marketing Services Group Acquires Loyalty Firm Perks.com

NEW YORK -- Publicly traded Marketing Services Group,
whose marketing services include direct and database
marketing, telemarketing, Web development, and online
ad sales and consulting, said it acquired 80% of
Perks.com, a provider of online loyalty programs,
in an exchange of shares. Terms of the deal were
not disclosed. Perks was backed by Chase H&Q, New
Millennium Partners, Wasatch Ventures, and Zone
Ventures.
http://www.perks.com/
http://www.msginet.com/

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

o Nupremis Names Former Sprint PCS CEO as Board Co-Chair

BOULDER, Colo. -- Nupremis, which provides outsourced
managed server and storage services and managed
enterprise applications for Internet businesses,
said it named Andrew Sukawaty, president and COO
of Callahan Associates International, as co-chairman
of its board of directors. Before joining Callahan,
Mr. Sukawaty served as president and CEO of Sprint
PCS. He will serve as co-chair along with current
board chairman Richard J. Callahan, CEO and founder
of Callahan Associates. Nupremis is backed by Blackstone
Group, Callahan Associates International, the Edward
P. Bass Group, Investcorp, Compaq Computer, and
Angelo, Gordon & Co.
http://www.nupremis.com/
_____________________________________________

o Silicon Technology Firm VxTel Appoints Alcatel COO To Board

FREMONT, Calif. -- VxTel, which provides silicon
products for broadband communications carrier networks,
said it has appointed Krish Prabhu to its board
of directors. Mr. Prabhu, the sixth person on the
VxTel board, is chief operating officer of Alcatel
and CEO of Alcatel America. VxTel is backed by Bowman
Capital Management, Sequoia Capital, Telesoft Partners,
Raza Ventures, Capital Research and Management Co.,
Essex Investment Management, Robertson Stephens'
Bayview 2000, and U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. ADC
Ventures, Applied Micro Circuits, Clarent, Intel
Communications Fund, Juniper Networks, Mitsui Comtek,
Tellabs, UTStarcom, Virata, and Vitesse Semiconductor
have also invested in VxTel.
http://www.vxtel.com/
_____________________________________________

o Fulfillment Service Firm NationStreet Adds to Board

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. -- NationStreet, a fulfillment
service provider for Internet-based businesses,
catalog merchants, and brick-and-mortar retailers,
said it will appoint former Fidelity Investments
CFO Denis M. McCarthy, currently a private consultant,
as the sixth member of its board of directors. NationStreet
investors include Internet Capital Croup, UPS's
Strategic Enterprise Fund, Kestrel Venture Management,
and individual investors.
http://www.nationstreet.com/

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

o Zagat Survey Names Amy B. McIntosh as its First CEO

NEW YORK -- Zagat Survey, which provides survey-based
dining, lodging, and leisure information online
and in published guides, said it named Amy B. McIntosh
as its first chief executive officer. Ms. McIntosh
was most recently group president of Internet and
data services with Verizon. She worked as the leader
of Bell Atlantic's DSL business before the company
became Verizon. She also served as president of
consumer data services with Bell Atlantic, and served
in positions with American Express and Bain & Co.
Zagat Survey founders Tim and Nina Zagat will serve
as co-chairmen of the firm. Zagat is backed by Allen
& Co., General Atlantic Partners, Kleiner Perkins
Caufield & Byers, and individuals.
http://www.zagat.com/
_____________________________________________

o Former Lucent Exec to Head Switching Platform Company Taqua

HYANNIS, Mass. -- Taqua Systems, which develops
Class 5 switching platforms for voice and data network
convergence, said it named Robert Steinkrauss as
president and CEO. Mr. Steinkrauss replaces co-founder
David Michaud, who resigned two months ago but remains
on the board of directors. Mr. Steinkrauss most
recently served as vice president and general manager
of Lucent Technologies'  WAN Systems group. Taqua
is funded by Amerindo Investment Partners, Bessemer
Venture Partners, Bowman Capital Management, Charles
River Ventures, Columbia Capital, Dain Rauscher
Wessels, Elijah Asset Management, Hambrecht & Quist,
Pivotal Asset Management, Soros Private Equity Partners,
and Vulcan Ventures.
http://www.taqua.com/
_____________________________________________

o Home Improvement Technology Firm OpenShelf Names New CEO

SAN FRANCISCO -- OpenShelf.com, a provider of business
applications to the home improvement industry, said
it appointed Keith Scott as chief executive officer
and board member. Mr. Scott was most recently CEO
and president of Bindco, a provider of manufacturing,
fulfillment, and backend Internet services for electronics
manufacturers. Former CEO Andrew D. Ive will remain
with the company as vice president of business development.
OpenShelf is backed by Vector Development and Red
Rock Ventures.
http://www.openshelf.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Photo Firm Zing Promotes COO, CEO Now Chairman

SAN FRANCISCO -- Zing Network, an online photo service
and digital imaging infrastructure provider, said
it promoted chief operating officer David Ezequelle
to president and CEO. Mark Platshon, who previously
held those titles, has been named chairman. Mr.
Ezequelle joined Zing in August after serviing as
entrepreneur-in-residence at Alloy Ventures, a Zing
backer. Zing is also backed by Sony Electronics
and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
http://www.zing.com/
_____________________________________________

o Kellogg Exec Now European Food Industry B2B efoodmanager CEO

NEW YORK -- efoodmanager, a European business to
business marketplace and technology provider for
the food industry, said it has appointed Joel Oberman
as its new chief executive officer. Mr. Oberman
was previously the European regional director for
Kellogg, and has held global and European management
roles with PepsiCo, Cambell's Soup and Haagen-Dazs.
efoodmanager is backed by Technologie-Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft
(tbg), a subsidiary of Deutsche Ausgleichsbank and
Atlas Ventures.
http://www.efoodmanager.com/

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

o Avalon Equity Partners Forms $63 Million Fund

NEW YORK -- Avalon Equity Partners said it has formed
a new equity fund with $63 million. The fund will
target media and communications investments in the
U.S. Avalon's managing partners are David W. Unger,
former chairman of Avalon Cable and Benjamin E.
Brandes, formerly of ABRY Partners. To date, the
company has invested $10 million from the new fund
in four companies: ICE Cable Holdings, a cable company
in Colorado; US Cable, a cable company in Paramus,
New Jersey; Neighborhood.com, a community-oriented
Web site that sells exclusive sponsorships to real
estate agents; and Executrain, a chain of business-to-business
outsourcing training schools.
http://www.avalonequity.com/
_____________________________________________

o StoneGate Launches STEP-Note Interim Capital Program

BOSTON -- StoneGate Partners, a full service private
equity investment banking firm which provides capital
to expansionary-stage private companies, said it
has initiated a new program, STEP-Note, that will
provide interim capital to venture-ready companies
in the process of engaging an institutional round
of funding. StoneGate, which targets companies in
the information technology, telecommunications and
health sciences sectors, said STEP-Note allows the
company's network of individual investors to invest
in rounds beyond the seed stage. Similar to a bridge
funding, the investments will offer companies capital
to cover operating expenses while waiting for a
larger institutional venture round to close.
http://www.stonegatepartners.com/

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

o Norwest Venture Partners Names Ex-Andersen Exec Principal

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Norwest Venture Partners said
it added James R. Lussier as venture partner and
Matthew D. Howard as principal. Prior to joining
Norwest, Mr. Lussier managed Andersen Consulting's
electronics technology practice for North America,
and was a member of the firm's e-commerce group.
Mr. Howard previously held a number of senior positions
with Cisco's IOS organization and its Internet business
unit. Norwest manages $1.1 billion in investments
and has raised more than $1.4 billion since its
inception.
http://www.norwestvp.com/
_____________________________________________

o Charles River Ventures Names Ex-Novera Chief as Partner, CMO

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Charles River Ventures, an early-stage
venture capital firm, said Dave Power will join
the firm as a partner and chief marketing officer.
Mr. Power was the president and CEO of Novera Software,
a provider of software for integrating enterprise
information with Web applications that was backed
by Charles River Ventures. Novera was acquired by
publicly traded business integration software firm
TSI Software in October of last year in a deal worth
approximately $47 million.
http://www.crv.com/
_____________________________________________

o Itochu Names New Director of Venture Investment

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Itochu Technology, a subisidiary
of the Itochu company group providing technology
development, marketing, and consulting, said it
named Frank Thibodeau as its director of venture
investment. Mr. Thibodeau, formerly of Crosspoint
Venture Partners, founded companies including WorldPages
and managed Zona Research. Itochu Technology has
backed companies including Excite, Siebel Systems,
and BroadVision.
http://www.itochu.com/
_____________________________________________

o Zero Gravity Names Former Infoseek Exec as Managing Partner

SAN FRANCISCO -- Zero Gravity Venture Partners,
an Internet technology investment firm, said it
named Zara Haimo as managing partner. Ms. Haimo
was previously vice president of Japanese operations
at Web TV Network, and was also a co-founder of
Infoseek.
http://www.zgigroup.com/

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

o Candescent Technology

NEW YORK -- An item in Friday's Venture Wire about
Candescent's development deal with Sony understated
the amount of funding Candescent has raised overall.
The company has received more than $600 million.

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