======================================================
        VENTUREWIRE --- Thursday, September 14, 2000
======================================================
           Private Company Business News
------ Published Daily by Technologic Partners -------
           http://technologicpartners.com
======================================================

Top Stories:

o Inktomi To Buy Webcast Firm FastForward for $1.3 Billion
o Bertelsmann Announces $1 Billion New Venture Capital Fund
o Algorithmics Closes $60 Million Round Two, Buys Sentry
o Artisan Entertainment Launches $50 Million Venture Unit
o Credit Security Firm Privista Has $17 Million First Round
o Technologic Names Investors' Choice at Internet Outlook

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Also in This Issue:

     New Money:
o $6.7 Million Round One for Broadband Service Firm Optranet
o $2 Million Seed Funding Launches Broadband Application Firm
o Academic Quiz Site Crania Mania Raises $1 Million Series A
o Motorola Invests in Security Firm SecureOps' First Round
o Financial Services Firm Pax Secures $67.5 Million From MDP
o Portal Software Provider OnePage Gets $12.5 Million Series B
o Allrecipes.com Cooks Up Second Round for $6.5 Million
o Andersen Consulting Invests in Wireless Enabler Everypath
o Epoch Gets $27 Million From Williams Communications
o FoodMarketplace Raises $6.1 Million in Round Two from HP
o MontaVista Software Receives Equity Investment From Intel
o Net Service Management Tech Firm Circadence Gets $51 Million
o Web Vault Developer b4bpartner Raises $1.8 Million  Series B
o E-Commerce Developer Raises $12 Million In Series B Funding
o E-Commerce Software Developer Lost Wax Raises $3.5 Million
o Expense Reporting Web Software Firm Replicon Gets $2 Million
o Healthcare IT Firm iMedica Secures $12 Million Third Round
o Linux Network Technology Firm Linbox Raises $2.1 Million
o MTI Invests in Network Software Management Tool Developer
o Trading Platform i2i Secures $16 Million in Series C Funding
o U.K. Incubator Brainspark Bets $1.2 Million on Two Ventures
o B2B Grain Marketplace CyberCrop Raises Additional Funds
o eHatchery Invests in Net Security Firm Primitive Root

     New Products:
o Wireless Tech Firm mDiversity Launches, Names New CEO
o Digital TV Firm Cinema Entertainment Group Announces Itself
o New Venture Group Daedalus Venture Group Launches

     M&A:
o 724 Solutions Buys Monitoring Tech Firm in $53 Million Deal
o PCsupport Buys Computer Self-Help Directory Firm MyHelpDesk
o Covad International Acquires Loop Holdings For $50 Million
o Internet Telephony Provider Quicknet Acquires Equivalence

     New Directors:
o Union Pacific's Holding Company, Fenix, Names Two to Board
o HealtheCare Now Definity Health; Bain Exec, Others on Board
o Storage Networking Firm Troika Networks Names Board Chair

     New People:
o Former Budget Rental Exec Named President and CEO of eRIDE
o Analytics Software Firm I-Impact Appoints New CEO
o Online Marketing Firm MediaPrise Appoints CEO, COO, and CTO
o Petroleum Exchange petroWEB Names New President, CEO

     VC Fund News:
o Vestar Capital Opens First European Office in Paris

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

o Inktomi To Buy Webcast Firm FastForward for $1.3 Billion

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- Inktomi, a publicly traded
Internet infrastucture company, said it has signed
an agreement to acquire San Francisco-based FastForward
Networks, a developer of software for the distribution
and management of live broadcasts over the Internet.
Inktomi, which made a minority investment in FastForward
earlier this year, will exchange approximately 11.9
million shares, valued at about $1.3 billion, for
the rest of the firm. FastForward, which also had
backing from Bowman Capital, America Online, Enron,
Real Networks, Sun Microsystems, Accel Partners,
and Andrew Ludwick, former CEO of Bay Networks,
will operate as Inktomi's media division. The division
will be led by FastForward co-founder, president,
and CEO Abhay Parekh. All employees of FastForward
Networks will join Inktomi.
http://www.fastforwardnetworks.com/
http://www.inktomi.com/
_____________________________________________

o Bertelsmann Announces $1 Billion New Venture Capital Fund

HANOVER -- Bertelsmann, the global media corporation,
said it is launching a new venture capital fund
with capital holdings targeted at DM 2.2 billion
($1 billion). The new fund, eBertelsmann, will become
the largest fund investing in media and the Internet
in Europe, according to the company. The company
said the fund will support Bertelsmann in developing
or acquiring businesses in relevant new media and
technology markets, in the development of new services
for existing corporate divisions, and to bolster
the existing Bertelsmann e-commerce group. Other
venture activities of Bertelsmann's corporate divisions,
incluing G+J Ventures, Random House Ventures, BMG
Ventures, and RTL New Media, will be complemented
or replaced by the new fund. The strategic aspect
of the integration of funds coincides with a retooling
of the company structure resulting in the concentration
of new media ventures within their respective corporate
divisions instead of operating separately as a multimedia
wing. Venture capital activities within Bertelsmann
include Bertelsmann Ventures, Venturepark Incubator,
and Bertelsmann Valley.
http://www.bertelsmann.com/
_____________________________________________

o Algorithmics Closes $60 Million Round Two, Buys Sentry

TORONTO -- Algorithmics, a developer of financial
risk management software, said it closed a second
round of funding worth $60 million. The funding
was provided by American International Group, Morgan
Stanley International, CIBC Capital Partners, and
Royal Bank Capital Partners. The company said it
will use the funds for strategic acquisitions, product
development, and debt payment. Algorithmics also
said it has acquired Sentry Financial Systems, a
supplier of collateral management software. Terms
of the transaction, which was financed through Algorithmics'
second round, were not disclosed. Algorithmics previously
raised $37 million from Ontario Teachers' Pension
Plan Board and VenGrowth Investment Fund.
http://www.sentryfin.com/
http://www.algorithmics.com/
_____________________________________________

o Artisan Entertainment Launches $50 Million Venture Unit

NEW YORK -- Artisan Entertainment, which produces
films and other entertainment, said it launched
a new media business unit, Artisan Digital Media,
which will include iArtisan, an investment fund.
iArtisan will invest up to $50 million in companies
that provide tools and enabling technology for rich
media content development and delivery. The new
unit will lead or co-lead investments in Series
A and Series B rounds in both seed and institutional
rounds of funding. The new division is backed by
Audax Ventures, Grove Street Advisors, and other
unnamed investors.
http://www.artisanent.com/
_____________________________________________

o Credit Security Firm Privista Has $17 Million First Round

ATLANTA -- Privista, creators of Web-based privacy
and credit management tools, said it raised $17
million in its first round of funding led by 2M
Technology Ventures. Warburg Pincus Equity Partners
and  Vector Development, an Internet accelerator,
also participated in the round. The company said
it will use the funds to hire additional staff,
develop its technology, and increase sales and marketing.
Warburg, Vector, and 2M Technology Ventures will
each take a seat on the company's board of directors.
Privista also said it appointed Eric Gertler, the
co-founder of Bigvine and former president and COO
of the magazines U.S. News & World Report, Fast
Company, and the Atlantic Monthly, as its president
and CEO.
http://www.privista.com/
_____________________________________________

o Technologic Names Investors' Choice at Internet Outlook

SAN FRANCISCO -- Technologic Partners, the publisher
of VentureWire, named the ten Investors' Choice
winners at its Internet Outlook conference held
here. The winners were picked by audience voting
and a panel of investors and industry observers
including Stewart Alsop, general partner at New
Enterprise Associates, Alex Baluta, principal at
Robertson Stephens, and Steve Jurvetson, managing
director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson. The winners,
in alphabetical order, are Bluelight.com, DoDots,
Firedrop, Google, GuruNet, iSyndicate, Octopus,
Responsys.com, Vitessa, and Vividence.
http://www.technologicpartners.com/

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

o $6.7 Million Round One for Broadband Service Firm Optranet

PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Optranet, which develops access
equipment designed to enable differentiated, broadband
IP services, said it closed its first round of financing
with $6.7 million. The round was led by Norwest
Venture Partners, with participation from other
investors. The funding will be used for product
development and general company growth.
http://www.optranet.com/
_____________________________________________

o $2 Million Seed Funding Launches Broadband Application Firm

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- SiteBurst, an Internet infrastructure
company providing broadband applications and services,
said it raised $2 million in seed funding. Investors
in the round included current and former executvies
from PictureTel, 2Wire, Excite@Home, Hill Holliday,
Amazon, snapfish, and Macromedia. Other investors
include professors from Harvard Business School.
The company said it is using the funds to further
develop its platform and services. SiteBurst provides
technology intended to increase the capacity of
narrowband sites to provide broadband applications.
http://www.siteburst.com/
_____________________________________________

o Academic Quiz Site Crania Mania Raises $1 Million Series A

LOS ANGELES -- CraniaMania, an online site that
offers real-time academic competitions for secondary
school students, said it secured $1 million in its
Series A round from individual investors Kevin Hall
of Crescent Venture Investors and Norwest Venture
Partners and Brian Little, a founding general partner
of Forstmann Little & Company. The company said
it will use the funds to expand its management team,
enhance its Web site, and for a national advertising
campaign.
http://www.craniamania.com/
_____________________________________________

o Motorola Invests in Security Firm SecureOps' First Round

MONTREAL -- SecureOps, a network security consulting
firm, said One Motorola Ventures, Motorola's strategic
venture capital investment arm, invested an undisclosed
amount in its first round and has taken a minority
stake in the company. The company plans to use the
funds for expansion and product development. SecureOps
provides network security services and technology
to businesses, including information system audits,
network architectural analysis, and managed services.
http://www.secureops.com/
_____________________________________________

o Financial Services Firm Pax Secures $67.5 Million From MDP

CHICAGO -- Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP), a private
equity investment firm, said it has made an investment
of $67.5 million in Pax Clearing, a full service
options and stock clearing firm. Pax said it will
use the investment to continue to grow its customer
base, develop its technology platform, and expand
its trading-related financing business. Pax provides
clearance, execution and financing services to options
market traders who trade in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia
and San Francisco.
http://www.paxclearing.com/
_____________________________________________

o Portal Software Provider OnePage Gets $12.5 Million Series B

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. -- OnePage, a provider of content
aggregation and portal software, said it raised
$12.5 million in a Series B financing round led
by Vulcan Ventures, the investment organization
of Paul G. Allen. Existing investors Texas Pacific
Group, Allen & Company, Oscar Capital Management,
and individual investors participated in this round
as well. The company said the funds will be used
to fund technology development and sales and marketing.
The company also announced that Michael Agostino,
of  Vulcan Ventures, has joined OnePage's board.
OnePage received $12.5 million in an initial round
of venture funding led by Vulcan Ventures and Texas
Pacific Group. The company has raised a total of
$25 million in funds.
http://www.onepage.com/
_____________________________________________

o Allrecipes.com Cooks Up Second Round for $6.5 Million

SEATTLE -- Allrecipes.com, a community-based recipe
Web site that includes recipes, food preparation
tips, and culinary ware, said it raised $6.5 million
in its second round of funding. Nevis Capital Management
and Sugar Mountain Capital funded the round, which
included individual investors Michael Brochu, president
and CEO of Primus Knowledge Solutions; Larry Murphy,
former executive vice president and chief strategic
officer for the Walt Disney; and board member Fred
Warren, co-founder of Brentwood Associates. The
company will use the funding to enhance its technology,
recruit additional staff, and for partnership and
sponsorship activities. Allrecipes.com said it plans
to expand its staff from 50 to 65 before the beginning
of next year.
http://www.allrecipes.com/
_____________________________________________

o Andersen Consulting Invests in Wireless Enabler Everypath

NEW YORK -- Andersen Consulting, a global management
and technology consulting firm, said its venture
capital unit, AC Ventures,  has made an undisclosed
investment in Everypath, a provider of technology
that allows businesses to translate Internet content
into a form that can be accessed on wireless devices.
In addition to the investment, Andersen Consulting
said it will work with Everypath to market its product.
Last month, Everypath raised $60 million from investors
including Amerindo Investments, Asia Tech Management,
Comdisco, Dain Rauscher Wessels, Deutsche Bank Alex
Brown, E*Trade, Liberate, Raza Ventures, Redwood
Ventures, Robertson Stephens, Sevin Rosen Funds,
Texas Pacific Group, U.S. Venture Partners, Wasserstein
Parella Ventures, and WR Hambrecht.
http://www.everypath.com/
_____________________________________________

o Epoch Gets $27 Million From Williams Communications

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Epoch Internet, a provider
of Web hosting and e-commerce services, said it
secured $27 million from Williams Communications,
an international provider of telecommunications
services and products for the carrier marketplace.
Epoch will also purchase $128 million worth of long-haul
network capacity from Williams Communications over
the next 20 years as part of the deal. Epoch said
it will use the investment to develop its Web-hosting
services. Epoch announced on Tuesday it has partnered
with IBM to provide 35 start-ups with Internet access
and hosting services. Epoch has received venture
backing from Prime New Ventures and undisclosed
investors.
http://www.epoch.net/
_____________________________________________

o FoodMarketplace Raises $6.1 Million in Round Two from HP

LOS ANGELES -- FoodMarketplace.com, a provider of
Internet-based supply chain technology for the foodservice
industry, said it raised $6.1 million in its second
round from Hewlett-Packard. The company plans to
use the funds for expansion and hiring staff. FoodMarketplace
said the technology and financing will allow it
expand its commercial and non-profit activities
that include Resourcelink, a program that allows
food manufacturers to donate excess inventory to
qualified charities over the Internet. FoodMarketplace.com
is the parent company of FoodSamples.com, SurplusFoods.com,
and operating manager of Resourcelink.org.
http://www.foodmarketplace.com/
_____________________________________________

o MontaVista Software Receives Equity Investment From Intel

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- MontaVista Software, which
develops a Linux operating system for embedded applications,
said it received an equity investment from Intel
Capital. The amount of the investment was undisclosed.
The equity investment ensures that MontaVista will
use Intel's microarchitecture technologies and microprocessors.
http://www.intel.com/
http://www.mvista.com/
_____________________________________________

o Net Service Management Tech Firm Circadence Gets $51 Million

BOULDER, Colo. -- Circadence, developer of online
service management technology, said it received
$51 million in its series F round from new investors
Hewlett-Packard, PSINet Ventures, Global Crossing,
and Hikari Tshushin and previous investors Deutsche
Telekom and Microsoft. The company said it plans
to use the funds for product development and international
expansion.
http://www.circadence.com/
_____________________________________________

o Web Vault Developer b4bpartner Raises $1.8 Million  Series B

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- b4bpartner, a developer of
an integrated personalized Web vault and electronic
signature technology for financial service institutions,
said it has received $1.8  million in its Series
B funding round led by PSINet Ventures, the corporate
venture unit of PSINet.  The company said it also
received funding from individual investors.
http://www.b4bpartner.com/
_____________________________________________

o E-Commerce Developer Raises $12 Million In Series B Funding

NEW YORK -- Prefer Network, a business-to-business
e-commerce facilitator, said it raised $12 million
in its Series B round. The round was led by Desai
Capital Management and included investments from
Series A investors Prospect Street Ventures, Draper
Richards, eCom Partners, and Pennell Venture Partners.
New investors Stonehenge Capital, BNY Capital Markets,
Foster Management, and Rick Black also contributed
to the round. The company said it would use the
funding to expand current operations, support increased
marketing, and further deploy the company's product
and transactional database capabilities.
http://www.prefernetwork.com/
_____________________________________________

o E-Commerce Software Developer Lost Wax Raises $3.5 Million

LONDON -- Lost Wax, a developer of software for
e-commerce applications, said it raised GBP 2.5
million ($3.5 million) from individual investors.
The company said it will use the funds for expanding
sales, increasing its managerial staff, and developing
marketing strategies. The company has raised $7
million to date. The company said it intends to
expand its staff from 80 to 120 over the next six
months.
http://www.lostwax.com/
_____________________________________________

o Expense Reporting Web Software Firm Replicon Gets $2 Million

CALGARY, Alberta -- Replicon, a provider of Web-based
software for time and expense reporting, said it
completed a $2 million private placement round led
by BDC Venture Capital, which contributed $500,000.
The round also included investments from other undisclosed
investors. Replicon said it will use the funds to
grow sales and for general expansion.
http://www.replicon.com /
_____________________________________________

o Healthcare IT Firm iMedica Secures $12 Million Third Round

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- iMedica, the creator of
a wireless, pen-based electronic charting, coding
and prescription product for healthcare professionals,
said it has raised $12 million in its third round
of funding. North American Venture Fund led the
round, which included CDI Bank and China International
Investment Co., China Century Venture Capital, Global
Vision Venture Capital, and Quanta Venture Capital.
The Biotechnology Development Fund of Palo Alto,
ECICS Ventures of Singapore, and Itochu Finance
Corp. of Japan also joined in the round. The company
said it will use the funds to support its operations
and marketing efforts. iMedica said it also plans
to double its engineering, administrative and customer
service personnel in the next three months.
http://www.imedica.com/
_____________________________________________

o Linux Network Technology Firm Linbox Raises $2.1 Million

PARIS -- Linbox, which invented Linbox network architecture
and designs Linux Network Computers, said it raised
$2.1 million from institutional investors including
EuropatWeb and Financiere de Brienne. The company
said it will use the funds to develop its range
of professional services for schools, small organizations,
and corporate networks. The company's technology
provides an open approach to Linux network computing
based on diskless standard desktop computers and
full featured servers.
http://www.linbox.com/
_____________________________________________

o MTI Invests in Network Software Management Tool Developer

YORKSHIRE, U.K. -- Chevin Software Engineering,
a vendor of network management software, raised
$4.2 million in a recent funding round, according
to investor MTI. MTI, which provides capital investments
to early-stage companies, was the sole investor
in the company. The company said the investment
will be used for marketing. Ernie Richardson, of
MTI, will join the Chevin Software Engineering board
of directors as a result of the investment.
http://www.chevin.com/
_____________________________________________

o Trading Platform i2i Secures $16 Million in Series C Funding

NEW YORK -- Boston-based Industry to Industry (i2i),
which provides an online business-to-business trading
platform, said it raised $16 million in its Series
C funding. Swiss investors Bank J. Vontobel and
Friedli Corporate Finance co-led the round, which
included a small, unnamed institutional investor.
Friedli Corporate Finance principal Peter Friedli
will sit on the company's board of directors. The
company will use the funding to enhance its technology
and sales infrastructure. i2i is also backed by
Philadelphia-based SAP.
http://www.i2i.com/
_____________________________________________

o U.K. Incubator Brainspark Bets $1.2 Million on Two Ventures

LONDON -- Brainspark, which focuses on incubating
new technology businesses, today said it made investment
totalling  more than $1.2 million. The incubator
invested $560,000 in a spin-off from an undisclosed
rail industry company and Diamond Technology Partners,
a Brainspark partner company. The project represents
the first time the company has been involved in
a spin-off. The new venture will create a community
for technical specialists with revenues generated
from the company's marketplace activities. The second
investment of $700,000 launches Que Pasa, which
will develop new media ventures for the dance and
club music niche market. Que Pasa said it will launch
its first online venture, a dance music and culture
site called Burnitblue.com, later this year.
http://www.brainspark.com/
_____________________________________________

o B2B Grain Marketplace CyberCrop Raises Additional Funds

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- CyberCrop.com, a business-to-business
online marketplace for grain producers and buyers,
said it raised an undisclosed amount of funding
from Internet Capital Group, which also participated
in the company's  Series A and Series B rounds.
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The company said the funds will be used to deliver
its new features and to support existing features
such as wireless and instant messaging for counters
and contracts, FOB bids, best bid calculation, and
counteroffers. CyberCrop has received funds in earlier
rounds from Venture Law Group .
http://www.cybercrop.com/
_____________________________________________

o eHatchery Invests in Net Security Firm Primitive Root

ATLANTA -- eHatchery, a technology incubator, said
it has made an undisclosed investment in Primitive
Root, an Internet security infrastructure company.
The start-up will initially provide network performance
optimization and Web site protection against lethal
hacker attacks such as distributed denial of service.
EHatchery's institutional investors include Idealab!,
United Parcel Service, Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette,
and Cox Enterprises.
http://www.ehatchery.com/

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

o Wireless Tech Firm mDiversity Launches, Names New CEO

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- mDiversity, a developer of technology
to increase the capacity, coverage and data throughput
of wireless networks, said it has launched. The
company also named former Intel Japan president
Bill Howe as chief executive officer. mDiversity's
flagship product, which is currently in development,
combines macrodiversity with its own patented distributed
architecture and proprietary software. mDiversity
has raised $11 million in venture capital funding.
 http://www.mdiversity.com/
_____________________________________________

o Digital TV Firm Cinema Entertainment Group Announces Itself

LOS ANGELES -- Cinema Entertainment Group (CEG),
a new entertainment media company, announced itself.
CEG said it plans to launch an interactive digital
television channel dedicated to film sometime next
year. Users of the channel will be able to access
information and to shop for products and merchandise
while watching a program. CEG is backed by individual
investors and is in the process of raising first
round funds.
http://www.cinemaentertainment.com/
_____________________________________________

o New Venture Group Daedalus Venture Group Launches

BURLINGTON, Mass. -- Daedalus Venture Group, a Boston-based
venture research and advisory group, announced its
launch. The goal of the group, led by principals
Doug Ingram and Adam Needles, is to provide its
clients with tools and advice that assist them in
making strategic equity placements in the communication
technology industry. Backed by individual investors,
Daedalus also provides subscription-based research
products, as well as advisory services for specific
private equity clients.
http://www.daedalusgroup.com/

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

o 724 Solutions Buys Monitoring Tech Firm in $53 Million Deal

TORONTO -- 724 Solutions, an Internet infrastructure
software developer, said it acquired Chicago-based
Spyonit.com, a developer of Web-based monitoring
and notification technology, in a deal worth approximately
$53.4 million. Spyonit was acquired for $2 million
in cash and 1,041,616 shares of 724 common stock.
Spyonit's chief executive officer Dick Costolo will
remain part of the executive staff. Spyonit is funded
by undisclosed individual investors.
http://www.spyonit.com/
http://www.724.com/
_____________________________________________

o PCsupport Buys Computer Self-Help Directory Firm MyHelpDesk

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- PCsupport.com, an online
technical support provider, said it has acquired
MyHelpDesk.com, a provider of online computer self-help
directories, for 1,500,000 shares of its common
stock valued at $3 million. MyHelpDesk is funded
by Corning Technology Ventures, General Investment
and Development, RKB Capital, and Spark Ventures.
http://www.pcsupport.com/
http://www.myhelpdesk.com/
_____________________________________________

o Covad International Acquires Loop Holdings For $50 Million

BARCELONA, Spain -- Covad Communications, a broadband
service provider, said it made its first investment
in Europe with the acquisition of Loop Holdings
Europe, which holds shares for Loop Telecom. The
acquisition which will be worth ultimately $50 million
provides Covad with a 70% stake in the Spanish telecommunications
firm. The acquisition was made through Covad's investment
body Covad Communications International. The company
said it will have three seats on the Loop board
of directors following the acquisition. Covad intends
to enhance the Loop management team and provide
its technology to extend the Loop Telecommunications
network to cover the entire Iberian peninsula. Loop
offers broadband services and is backed by individual
investors including Antonio Mendoza Zabala, Spanish
industrialist.
http://www.loop.es/
http://www.covad.com/
_____________________________________________

o Internet Telephony Provider Quicknet Acquires Equivalence

ATLANTA -- Quicknet Technologies, a provider of
low-density Internet telephony products, said it
purchased Australia-based Equivalence, a supplier
of voice and video-over-IP software. Financial terms
of the transaction were not disclosed. Equivalence
is also developer of the OpenH323 Project, which
aims to create the open source implementation of
teleconferencing protocol. Quicknet has incorporated
the OpenH323 stack into its flagship software product,
the Internet SwitchBoard 4.0 and will provide commercial
support for software and product developers seeking
to use OpenH323 in their projects. Quicknet Technologies
investors include Rare Medium Group and Psion PLC.
http://www.quicknet.net/

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

o Union Pacific's Holding Company, Fenix, Names Two to Board

DALLAS -- Fenix Enterprises, a holding company formed
by railroad giant Union Pacific to incubate its
portfolio of technology and assets, said it has
appointed Fred Vierra, former CEO of Tele-Communications
International (TCI) and Terence V. Milholland, CTO
of Electronic Data Systems (EDS), to its board of
directors. Prior to joining TCI, Mr. Vierra was
president and COO of United Artists Entertainment
Co. He is now chairman of Velocom, a broadband communications
company. Before Mr. Milholland joined EDS, he spent
21 years at The Boeing Company, where he held a
number of executive positions. Fenix companies include
Nexterna, an Omaha-based wireless data communications
company; Transentric, a St. Louis-based supply chain
management company; Timera, a Boulder-based time,
attendance and scheduling software company; and
a soon-to-be-named broadband telecommunications
company. Fenix is backed Union Pacific and said
it is looking for strategic funding. Telephone 404-879-9262.

_____________________________________________

o HealtheCare Now Definity Health; Bain Exec, Others on Board

MINNEAPOLIS -- HealtheCare, which enables consumers
to establish a personal health care account with
their employers, said it changed its name to Definity
Health and named its board of directors. The name
change is intended to better reflect the services
and benefits offered by the company. The company's
board includes Albert S. Waxman, chairman of Psilos
Group Managers; Michael E. Dougherty, founder and
chairman of the Dougherty Financial Group; Thomas
F. Madison, MLM Partners president and CEO; Corbette
S. Doyle of Aon Healthcare Alliance CEO; Philip
H. Loughlin, principal of Bain Capital; Tony Miller,
Definity Health's CEO; and Craig Swanson, CFO of
Definity Health. The company is backed by Alta Partners,
Aon, Bain Capital, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.,
Merrill Lynch KECALP, and Psilos Group Managers.
http://www.definityhealth.com/
_____________________________________________

o Storage Networking Firm Troika Networks Names Board Chair

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. -- Troika Networks, which
provides storage networking and clustering for online
business applications, said it has appointed Peter
D. Behrendt as chairman of its board of directors.
Mr. Behrendt was most recently chairman, president
and CEO of Exabyte. He joined the  Troika board
in January. Troika is backed by Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Ventures, Dyna Funds Ventures, New Enterprise Associates,
and Winward Ventures.
http://www.troikanetworks.com/

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

o Former Budget Rental Exec Named President and CEO of eRIDE

SAN FRANCISCO -- eRIDE, a ground transportation
company that offers wireless-enabled service for
ground travel at major airports, said it has named
Bill Lanier president and CEO. Mr. Lanier takes
over from interim CEO Joe Meyer, a co-founder of
eRIDE. Mr. Meyer will continue to lead the company's
fundraising, business development, and marketing
efforts in his role as chief marketing officer.
Prior to joining eRIDE, Mr. Lanier served as vice
president of North America operations for Budget
Car and Truck Rental. He also held various management
positions at the Hertz Corporation and served as
a vice president at Avis Rent A Car. ERIDE completed
a several million dollar Series A round in the first
quarter and is raising its Series B round. Investors
in eRide include Draper Richards, Asset Management
Ventures, Staenberg Private Capital, Arba Seed Investment
Group, and Dotcom Ventures.
http://www.eride.com/
_____________________________________________

o Analytics Software Firm I-Impact Appoints New CEO

SAN FRANCISCO -- I-Impact, a provider of online
business impact analytics software, said it has
named Marc E. Barach, its chief marketing officer,
as the company's new CEO. Prior to joining I-Impact,
Mr. Barach was involved in the establishment of
InsWeb, where he was responsible for managing the
online insurance marketplace's traffic generation
programs. Prior to InsWeb, Mr. Barach served as
vice president of marketing at Charles Schwab &
Co. I-Impact is backed by Apax Partners,  Gemini
Israel Fund, and Vertex Venture Group.
http://www.i-impact.com/
_____________________________________________

o Online Marketing Firm MediaPrise Appoints CEO, COO, and CTO

AUSTIN, Texas -- MediaPrise, a brand resource marketing
software and server provider for multi-channel marketing,
announced it named co-founder Anurag Kumar as the
company's first chief executive officer. The company
also said it appointed co-founders Mohandas Warrior
and Steven Keys as chief operations officer and
chief technical officer respectively. MediaPrise
recently closed its series A round with $10 million
from lead investor Austin Ventures.
http://www.mediaprise.com/
_____________________________________________

o Petroleum Exchange petroWEB Names New President, CEO

DENVER -- Web-based petroleum exchange PetroWEB.com
said it appointed Dave Noel to the positions of
president and CEO. Mr. Noel, former IHS Energy Group
president and CEO, succeeds company co-founder Darcy
Vaughan. Mr. Vaughan will remain with the company
as the chairman of the board. Company backers include
GE Capital Structured Finance Group.
http://www.petroweb.com/

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

o Vestar Capital Opens First European Office in Paris

PARIS -- Vestar Capital Partners, a U.S.-based private
equity firm, said it opened its first European office
in Paris. Robert Rosner, a founding partner of Vestar,
will head up Vestar Capital Partners Europe as its
president. Vestar currently manages a committed
equity capital pool of approximately $4 billion,
with the ability to invest as much as $500 million
in any single transaction. Vestar Europe said it
plans to establish additional offices with local
professionals in local markets such as Milan and
Frankfurt in order to build a pan-European presence.
Since its founding, Vestar Capital has been a leading
or majority shareholder in companies such as Celestial
Seasonings, Prestone Products Corporation,  and
Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Telephone 212-351-1601.


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