Silicon Valley Wire

Cupertino-Based Apple Acquires Sweden's C3 Technologies

Cupertino, Calif. -- Hoping to decrease its reliance on a Google Maps application, Cupertino-based Apple has acquired Swedish 3D mapping company C3 Technologies, the blog 9to5Mac reported. Citing unnamed sources, the blog said that C3 CEO Mattias Astrom, CFO Kjell Cederstrand, and lead product manager Ludvig Emgard are now working within Apple's iOS division. The trio, along with other team members, continues to work in Sweden for a new division called Sputnik. C3's technology uses missile targeting technology to render photo-realistic 3D maps. The company was originally spun out of aerospace and defense company Saab in 2007.
http://9to5mac.com/2011/10/29/apple-acquired-mind-blowing-3d-mapping-company-c3-technologies-looking-to-take-ios-maps-to-the-next-level/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

San Francisco's ABS Capital Closes New $500 Million Fund

San Francisco -- ABS Capital Partners, a Baltimore-based private equity firm with West Coast operations in San Francisco, said on Monday it has closed a new $500 million fund, its seventh overall. The fund, known as ABS Capital Partners VII, is the firm's first since 2009, and came in $100 million above initial projections. ABS, which now has raised $2.5 billion since its inception in 1990, said it will continue its focus of investing in later-stage companies in the business and education services, health care, media and communications and technology sectors. "Despite the mixed economic headlines, we still see many businesses with sizeable growth opportunities that are looking for a partner to help them to capitalize and reach that next level in their business," said John Stobo, managing general partner. ABS has exited more than 70 companies, including Liquidity Services Inc., Neustar, Innovation Interactive, Cobalt Group, Metastorm and Restaurant Technologies.
http://www.abscapital.com
http://www.abscapital.com/news/abs-capital-partners-closes-seventh-fund-at-500-million/

Mountain View-Based 500 Startups Names Fall Class

Mountain View, Calif. -- 500 Startups, a Mountain View-based seed fund and startup accelerator with offices in Ashburn, on Monday announced the latest 34 companies taking part in its boot-camp-style program. The fall class includes five Bay Area startups: Central.ly, which connects social media profiles for small business owners; GoVoluntr developer of a social platform that connects volunteers, nonprofits and businesses; LoveWithFood, developer of a service to find culinary deals and samples; MeMeTales, developer of a mobile game reading platform for kids; OneSchool, developer of a free mobile app that connects students to the people, places and things around them; Tiny Review, operator of a reviews site for neighborhood businesses; and WeddingLovely,a developer of tools and directories to promote small and independent wedding vendors. The complete list is available at the link below.
http://500.co/2011/10/31/500-accelerator-zombies/

Milpitas-Based GlobalFoundries Names Ajit Manocha as CEO

Milpitas, Calif. -- GlobalFoundries, a Milpitas-based semiconductor foundry, on Monday named Ajit Manocha as its permanent CEO, after he had held the title on an interim basis since June. "The board worked diligently to review and interview a number of outstanding candidates who had excellent qualifications to become our CEO," said Jim Norling, chairman of the company's board. "In the end, we decided the best candidate is in-house." Manocha previously served as the executive vice president of worldwide operations at Spansion, as well as the executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer at NXP (formerly Philips Semiconductors). http://www.globalfoundries.com
http://www.globalfoundries.com/newsroom/2011/20111031.aspx

Santa Clara-Based Aviat Networks Names Ned Hayes Jr. as CFO

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Aviat Networks, a Santa Clara-based developer of wireless transmission systems, on Monday named Ned Hayes Jr. as its senior vice president and CFO. Hayes spent the past five years as the CFO of Pillar Data Systems, which recently was acquired by Oracle. He previously was the executive vice president and CFO of Quantum, as well as the president and CEO of DirecTV Broadband. He succeeds John Madigan, who had served as interim CFO since August. Madigan will return to his roles as vice president, corporate controller and principal accounting officer. The news comes three months after Aviat promoted Michael Pangia to the role of president and CEO, succeeding Chuck Kissner, who is now chairman.
http://www.aviatnetworks.com   
http://investors.aviatnetworks.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=619247

WSJ: San Jose-Based Brocade May Again Be Seeking Buyer

San Jose, Calif. -- Two years after trying and failing to find a buyer, San Jose-based Brocade Communications Systems, a maker of networking equipment, may be renewing its efforts, The Wall Street Journal reported. Citing people familiar with the matter, the paper said that boutique investment bank Qatalyst Partners, who Brocade originally hired in 2009, has been "trying to drum up fresh interest" in the company. The Journal reported that U.S. private equity firms may be the most likely suitors, with companies like HP and Dell having acquired rival networking firms in recent years. The news sent shares of Brocade up 1.5% Friday on the Nasdaq.
http://www.brocade.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203554104577002641085030320.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

Palo Alto-Based Accel Raises $93.6 Million in Two Side Funds

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Accel Partners, the Palo Alto-based technology venture capital firm, has raised $93.6 million through a pair of new side funds, it revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm has raised $59.9 million for Accel Growth Fund II Strategic Partners, as well as another $33.7 million for Accel XI Strategic Partners. Accel has raised nine major U.S. funds, and currently has $3 billion dollars under management.
http://www.accel.com
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1527382/000152738211000002/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1527391/000152739111000002/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

Milpitas-Based SanDisk to Repurchase $500 Million in Stock

Milpitas, Calif. -- SanDisk, the Milpitas-based developer of flash memory storage technology, said its board has approved a plan to repurchase up to $500 million in company stock over the next five years. Under the program, the company will purchase shares both in the open market and privately negotiated transactions, based on factors such as market conditions. The news helped drive shares of SanDisk up nearly 3% in Friday's trading on the Nasdaq.
http://www.sandisk.com
http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/press-room/press-releases/2011/2011-10-27-sandisk-announces-$500-million-stock-repurchase-program

Palo Alto-Based HP Reverses Course, Will Keep PC Business

Palo Alto, Calif. -- More than two months after first announcing plans to potentially sell or spin off its PC unit, Palo Alto-based HP said on Thursday that it has decided to keep its Personal Systems Group (PSG) as part of the company. "HP objectively evaluated the strategic, financial and operational impact of spinning off PSG," said Meg Whitman, the company's newly installed president and CEO. "It's clear after our analysis that keeping PSG within HP is right for customers and partners, right for shareholders and right for employees." HP said its evaluation revealed the deep level of integration across its operations, such as supply chain, IT and procurement, and the extent to which the unit contributes to the company's overall brand value. "Finally, it also showed that the cost to recreate these in a standalone company outweighed any benefits of separation," HP said. PSG generated revenues totaling $40.7 billion for fiscal year 2010.
http://www.hp.com/investor/PSG-Decision
http://h30261.www3.hp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=71087&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1622848&highlight=

San Jose-Based Prysm Lands $100 Million in New Funding

San Jose, Calif. -- Prysm, a San Jose-based developer of digital display technology, said on Thursday it has landed $100 million in new funding to begin volume production of its Laser Phosphor Display (LPD) technology, which allows for life-size digital experiences from any viewing angle. Identities of the investors were not disclosed. The company, which now has attracted more than $135 million since its inception, said its displays are already in use by brands such as American Eagle Outfitters and People's United Bank in Boston, as well as CNBC's Mad Money with Jim Cramer and Dubai Sports TV. "We are now in volume production and investing in training and support for our solutions in major markets around the world," said founder and CEO Amit Jain.
http://www.prysm.com/
http://www.prysm.com/news-and-info/press-releases/886/

San Mateo-Based 4Info Raises $14 Million in Funding

San Mateo, Calif. -- 4Info, a San Mateo-based developer of mobile advertising technology, said on Thursday it has raised $14 million in a new round from Paul Allen's Vulcan Capital, Mitsui Global Investment and previous backers Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Gannett, Mezzanine Capital and U.S. Venture Partners. The company will use the proceeds to expand its newly formed AdHaven division, which offers a mobile audience platform. "It is time for the mobile advertising industry to catch up with the targeting and data capabilities that media buyers demand from online advertising," said Zaw Thet, the CEO of 4Info. "This is the future of mobile."
http://www.4info.com
http://www.adhaven.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111027006155/en/4INFO-Raises-14-Million-Paul-Allen%E2%80%99s-Vulcan

PBS to Air Steve Jobs Documentary Next Wednesday Night

Arlington, Va. -- PBS said it will air a one-hour documentary on iconic Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on Wed., Nov. 2 -- about four weeks after his death at the age of 56 following a long bout with pancreatic cancer. The program, entitled "Steve Jobs -- One Last Thing," will air locally on KQED and KVIE. PBS said the show takes an inside look at the man and the major influences that helped shape his life and career, and features interviews with, among others, Ronald Wayne, the co-founder of Cupertino-based Apple with Jobs and Steve Wozniak; Ross Perot, who invested in NeXT Computer when Jobs was running out of money; and Walt Mossberg, principal technology columnist for The Wall Street Journal, who interviewed Jobs every year from 2003-2010. In a never-before-broadcast interview from 1994, Jobs expounds on his philosophy of life. "You tend to get told that the world is the way it is, but life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact; and that is that everything around you that you call life was made up by people no smarter than you," he said. "Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
http://www.pbs.org/about/news/archive/2011/steve-jobs-one-last-thing/

San Francisco-Based CrowdOptic Lands $500,000 in Funding

San Francisco -- CrowdOptic, a San Francisco-based developer of technology designed to monitor and track what crowds are looking at and what they're photographing and sharing during a live event, said on Wednesday it has raised $500,000 in a new round of funding, led by Bowman Capital. The company said it will use the proceeds to accelerate product development in the area of mobile-powered technology for live events, as well as to expand the event security features of its platform. CrowdOptic last month introduced an analytics platform, which alerts event producers in real time to sudden shifts and anomalies in crowd attention patterns, and supports real-time advertising, broadcasting and communication during live events. The company said it has seen strong demand for security applications of its technology used to enhance crowd surveillance and intelligence during live events.
http://www.crowdoptic.com/
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/crowdoptic-raises-funding-to-expand-security-features-of-analytics-platform-for-live-events-132606663.html

San Mateo-Based Sociable Labs Raises $7 Million in Second Round

San Mateo, Calif. -- Sociable Labs, a San Mateo-based developer of on-site social commerce software, said on Wednesday it has raised $7 million in its second round of funding, led by Battery Ventures. Previous backer Javelin Venture Partners also participated. The company, which was seed funded by Facebook through its fbFund, has developed tools that allow consumers to make online shopping decisions based on the guidance of their social networking friends. "Business-to-consumer social campaigns aren't the solution for retailers to increase sales from social," said Nisan Gabbay, the founder and CEO of Sociable Labs. "Instead, retailers must create ways for consumers to effectively do the selling for them on their sites - where the vast majority of consumers go when they are ready to shop." Clients include Rue La La, BackCountry.com, HauteLook, Chegg and Active.com.
http://www.sociablelabs.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sociable-labs-emerges-from-stealth-with-7-million-in-series-b-financing-led-by-battery-ventures-132608018.html

Google Offers Launches in San Jose, Three Other Markets

San Jose, Calif. -- Google Offers, the new daily deals entry of Mountain View-based Google, on Wednesday launched in San Jose, as well as three other cities. The service, already available in Oakland and San Francisco, is taking aim at market leaders Groupon and LivingSocial, emailing subscribers daily offers of at least 50% off from local businesses. It currently is available in 19 U.S. markets, with 23 more launching in the coming weeks. The initial deal in San Jose is $30 worth of food and drinks at Sonoma Chicken Coop for $15. Other markets launching on Wednesday included Baltimore, Minneapolis and San Diego. https://www.google.com/offers/
http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2011/10/google-offers-beta-launches-in.html#!/2011/10/google-offers-beta-launches-in.html

Local Companies Abound in New Deloitte Technology Fast 500

San Francisco -- Say Media, a San Francisco-based provider of publishing technology and media services to independent content creators, is the highest-ranked local company in the newly released Deloitte Technology Fast 500, an annual ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecom, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America, based on their percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2006-2010. Say Media came in at No. 11, with revenue growth of 18,592%. Eight other local companies -- Sunnyvale-based Pharmacyclics (No. 31), Mountain View-based Alexza Pharmaceuticals (No. 34), Berkeley-based Sensys Networks (No. 35), Palo Alto-based Box (No. 36), San Mateo-based Oodle (No. 40), Palo Alto-based Anacor Pharmaceuticals (No. 44), Emeryville-based LeadQual (No. 46) and Mountain View-based LinkedIn (No. 49) -- also ranked among the top 50. The complete list is available at the links below.
http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_US/us/Industries/technology/technology-fast500/89225738ab4cb210VgnVCM3000001c56f00aRCRD.htm (Main page)
http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedStates/Local%20Assets/Documents/TMT_us_tmt/TMT_us_tmt_2011%20Technology%20Fast%20500%20Winners%20Brochure_102411.pdf (PDF list)

Google Donates Chromebooks to Walter Reed, Other Military Hospitals

Mountain View, Calif. -- The American Red Cross said on Wednesday that patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center will now have a new way to communicate with friends and family following a donation of 100 Chromebooks by Mountain View-based Google. Patients will be able to check out the notebook computers, which retail starting at $349, through the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces offices, located at the hospital. "Many of these men and women are far from home," said Sherri Brown, senior vice president of Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces. "The Chromebooks will provide patients and families with a means to keep in touch, as well as an opportunity for patients to continue relationships with other families they met while at Bethesda." The Red Cross also has partnered with Google to distribute an additional 500 Chromebooks to Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Womack Army Medical Center, Navy Medical Center San Diego and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.94aae335470e233f6cf911df43181aa0/?vgnextoid=6b41ba4c77733310VgnVCM10000089f0870aRCRD

Netflix Stock Plunges Following News of Subscriber Defections

Los Gatos, Calif. -- Shares of Netflix plunged 35% on Tuesday, a day after the Los Gatos-based company revealed it lost 800,000 U.S. subscribers during the third quarter following a price increase and the separation of its DVD rental and streaming video services. The company, which now has 23.8 million U.S. subscribers, also warned of more anticipated subscriber defections. "We greatly upset many domestic Netflix members with our significant DVD-related pricing changes, and to a lesser degree, with the proposed-and-now-canceled rebranding of our DVD service. In doing so, we've hurt our hard-earned reputation, and stalled our domestic growth," CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells wrote in a letter to shareholders. Shares of Netflix closed down $41.47 to $77.37, after trading at nearly $300 in July.
https://account.netflix.com/MediaCenter/Press
http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NFLX/1463878843x0x511281/1683a2ad-795c-42e5-b136-2690fe0981ad/Investor%20Letter%20Q3%202011.pdf (Letter to shareholders)

San Francisco-Based PlayJam Lands $5 Million in First Round

San Francisco -- PlayJam, the San Francisco-based developer of a social games platform for TV, said on Tuesday it has landed $5 million in its first round of funding. Investors included GameStop Digital Ventures, Adobe Ventures, Endeavour Ventures, London Venture Partners and several individuals from the game industry. PlayJam operates a TV games platform that is distributed through connected TV brands including Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony. Consumers can access casual and social games by touching a button on their remote. The company said it will use the funding to fuel further growth into the Asian and U.S. markets. PlayJam recently announced content partnerships with brands such as Slingo, Puzzler and Relentless, the company behind the Buzz franchise.
http://www.playjam.com
http://www.playjam.com/file/style/konsort/pdf/PlayJam%20Secures%20$5m%20Series%20A%20Funding.pdf (PDF)

Sunnyvale-Based Adesto Technologies Raises Third Round of Funding

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Adesto Technologies, a Sunnyvale-based developer of memory technology, said on Tuesday it has raised an unspecified amount in its third round of funding, led by Altis Semiconductor. The company's previous backers also contributed. Adesto was founded in 2007 to commercialize Conductive Bridge RAM (CBRAM) memory technology for a wide range of standalone and embedded memory applications. Adesto said that the investment from Altis also includes a licensing deal, which will allow Altis to offer the company's technology to its clients.
http://www.adestotech.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111025005250/en/Adesto-Technologies-Closes-3rd-Funding-Led-Altis

San Ramon-Based Rootstock Lands Investment Cross Atlantic Capital

San Ramon, Calif. -- Rootstock Software, a San Ramon-based developer of cloud-based manufacturing applications, said on Tuesday it has landed a new investment from Cross Atlantic Capital Partners. Financial terms of the deal, which also included funding from salesforce.com, were not disclosed. Rootstock said its tools are designed to help mid-market manufacturers cut costs, improve processes and increase revenue with minimal IT infrastructure investment. The two-year-old company, whose app is now available on the salesforce.com AppExchange, now serves more than 25 clients in North America.
http://www.rootstocksoftware.com
http://www.rootstocksoftware.com/rootstock/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=161:pr25oct11&catid=1:rootstockpressreleases&Itemid=85

S.F.-Based Doremus and Venables Take "Best in Show" at W3 Awards

New York -- A pair of San Francisco-based firms, Doremus and Venables Bell & Partners, took Best of Show at the sixth annual W3 Awards, a competition sanctioned by the International Academy of the Visual Arts that honors "creative excellence on the web." Doremus won for its video for Corning, entitled "A Day Made of Glass," while Venables won for its online video for Audi, entitled "Startled Smart." The complete list of winners in the Best in Show, Gold and Silver categories is available at the link below.
http://www.w3award.com/winners/
http://doremussf.wiredrive.com/r/p/?presentation=499c361393276ecdf7c06f4ae3c8c019 (Doremus submission)
http://staging.venablesbell.com/awards/2011/audi/categories.html (Venables submission)

Redwood Shores-Based Oracle to Acquire RightNow Technologies

Redwood Shores, Calif. -- Oracle, the Redwood Shores-based maker of business hardware and software systems, said on Monday it will acquire Montana-based RightNow Technologies, a provider of cloud-based customer service, in a deal worth approximately $1.5 billion. Oracle will pay $43 a share under the deal, which is expected to close either late this year or early next. RightNow's cloud-based service is designed to help clients improve their customer service across call centers, the web and social networks. Oracle said the acquisition will bolster its growing slate of cloud services, and called the addition of RightNow "a very important addition to Oracle's Public Cloud."
http://www.rightnow.com/
http://www.oracle.com/rightnow .
http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/519740 

WSJ: Google in Early-Stage Talks About Possible Deal for Yahoo

Mountain View, Calif. -- In a move that would likely draw significant antitrust scrutiny, Mountain View-based Google is in early-stage talks to acquire the core business of Sunnyvale-based Yahoo, The Wall Street Journal reported. Citing a person familiar with the matter, the paper said that Google has been in discussions with at least two private equity firms about financing such a deal. Meanwhile, Microsoft also has been in talks about a potential joint deal for Yahoo, along with Silver Lake Partners and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, The Journal said. The latest news comes days after reports surfaced that AOL head Tim Armstrong has been meeting with some of the company's largest shareholders trying to drum up support for a possible sale to Yahoo.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203911804576649121183551678.html?ru=yahoo&mod=yahoo_hs

Mountain View-Based Appcelerator to Acquire Palo Alto's Particle Code

Mountain View, Calif. -- Appcelerator, the Mountain View-based developer of a mobile platform for rapidly developing native and mobile web apps using open web technologies, said on Monday it will acquire Palo Alto-based Particle Code, developer of a mobile gaming and HTML5 development platform. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Particle Code team has joined Appcelerator's iOS, Android, and HTML5 core platform group in Mountain View. The acquisition is the second this year for Appcelerator, following its acquisition of Aptana in January.
http://www.appcelerator.com
http://www.particlecode.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111024006305/en/Appcelerator-Acquires-Particle-Code-Leading-Integrated-Native

Menlo Park-Based Syncplicity Names CEO, CMO and VP of Finance

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Syncplicity, a Menlo Park-based developer of cloud-based file management, sync, mobile access, collaboration and backup tools, on Monday named Karen White as CEO, Jeff Schultz as CMO and Brenda Swiney as vice president of finance. Company co-founders Leonard Chung and Ondrej Hrebicek will serve as chief product strategist and CTO, respectively. White most recently served as the company's executive chairman, Schultz was vice president of sales and marketing at Bill.com and Swiney was vice president of finance at Good Technology.
http://www.syncplicity.com
http://www.syncplicity.com/company/press/syncplicity-adds-to-management-team.aspx

Los Gatos-Based Netflix to Launch in the U.K., Ireland in Early 2012

Los Gatos, Calif. -- Netflix, the Los Gatos-based Internet movie subscription service, said on Monday it plans to expand into the U.K. and Ireland by early next year. Upon launch, subscribers will be able to instantly watch an array of TV shows and movies on their TVs through a range of consumer electronics devices, as well as on their PCs, Macs and mobile tablets and phones. Netflix has been streaming to U.S. members since 2007, adding Canada in 2010 and 43 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in September 2011.
http://www.netflix.com 
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netflix-to-launch-service-in-the-uk-and-ireland-for-streaming-movies-and-tv-shows-in-early-2012-132425173.html

Shane Robison to Retire as HP's Chief Strategy and Technology Officer

Palo Alto, Calif. -- HP, the Palo Alto-based technology giant, said that Shane Robison will retire as its executive vice president and chief strategy and technology officer, effective Nov. 1. Robison, an 11-year HP veteran, also served as a member of the company's executive council. The company said it doesn't plan to refill the role of chief strategy and technology officer, an effort to drive strategy, research and development closer to its businesses.
http://www.hp.com
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2011/111020c.html?mtxs=rss-corp-news

Redwood City-Based Dermira Raises $42M, Acquires Valocor Therapeutics

Redwood City, Calif. -- Dermira, a Redwood City-based startup developing new therapies in dermatology, said it has raised $42 million in its first round of funding, and also acquired Vancouver-based Valocor Therapeutics, which is developing products to treat acne, inflammatory skin diseases and other dermatologic conditions. Investors included Bay City Capital, New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Canaan Partners. Dermira was founded and seed financed in late 2010 by former members of the Peplin and Connetics leadership teams, including Tom Wiggans, who will serve as CEO, and Eugene Bauer, chief medical officer. The company will use the funds to advance its product pipeline, specifically, lemuteporfin, a topical therapy for acne, licensed from QLT.
http://www.dermira.com/
http://valocor.com/
http://www.dermira.com/news.html

Menlo Park-Based DCM Makes First Seven Investments Through A-Fund

Menlo Park, Calif. -- DCM, the Menlo Park-based technology venture capital firm, on Thursday announced the first seven companies to receive investments from its $100 million Android-focused A-Fund, which was launched in April. New portfolio companies include Appia, Billing Revolution, PapayaMobile, Happy Elements, Kanbox, Loki Studios and Kakao. The companies are in various growth stages, and feature headquarters or significant operations in countries including the U.S., Japan, China and Korea.
http://www.dcm.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111020005423/en/DCM-Announces-A-Fund-Portfolio-Companies

San Francisco-Based Visual.ly Lands $2 Million in Seed Round

San Francisco -- Visual.ly, the San Francisco-based developer of a platform designed to connect creators of infographic content with audiences and publishers, said on Thursday it has landed $2 million in a new round of seed funding, co-led by Crosslink Capital, SoftTech and 500 Startups. Several notable angels also joined the round, which the company will use to build its team as it prepares to launch an array of self-serve data visualization tools later this year. The company said it currently has more than 4,000 indexed, searchable data visualizations, making it the largest resource of its kind on the web.
http://www.visual.ly
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111020005497/en/Visual.ly-Closes-Seed-Co-led-Crosslink-Capital-SoftTech

Menlo Park-Based TriplePoint Capital Closes $1 Billion Fund

Menlo Park, Calif. -- TriplePoint Capital, a Menlo Park-based provider of debt financing, leasing and direct equity investments to venture capital-backed companies, said it has closed a new $1 billion fund. The firm said the financing is the largest private or public capital raise by any company in the 30-year history of the venture debt industry. TriplePoint said it will utilize the fund to grow its portfolio, as well as broaden
its geographic reach, both domestically and internationally. The new capital was raised from institutional and private funds managed by Wafra Capital Partners and other private investors. Since its launch in 2006, TriplePoint has committed almost $2 billion to its customers, and plans to invest more than $400 million this year. Clients include Facebook, YouTube, Chegg, Etsy, Shazam Entertainment, Splunk and Square. 
http://www.triplepointcapital.com
http://www.triplepointcapital.com/news/announcements/triplepoint-capital-raises-1-billion

San Francisco-Based Liftopia Raises $1.3 Million in New Funding

San Francisco -- Liftopia, a San Francisco-based online retailer of lift tickets and mountain resort activities, said it has raised $1.3 million in a new round of funding led by First Round Capital. New investors Dave Morin and Chris Sacca also participated, along with previous backers and travel technology veterans Erik Blachford and Sam Shank. Founded in 2006 by former Hotwire.com co-workers Evan Reece and Ron Schneidermann, Liftopia now has raised nearly $3 million. The company, which works directly with more than 150 mountain resorts across North America, sells lift tickets and a variety of resort activities in advance, allowing consumers to save up to 80% off walk-up rates. The company said the financing will help it expand its technology platform and deliver more tools and services to resort partners.
http://www.liftopia.com/
http://www.liftopia.com/press/2011/10/Liftopia-to-Expand-Lift-Ticket-and-Mountain-Activity-E-Commerce-Platform.html

Campbell-Based BlueStacks Raises New Funding Round

Campbell, Calif. -- BlueStacks, a Campbell-based developer of technology that allows Android applications to run on Windows machines, said on Thursday it has raised an unspecified amount in a new round of funding. Participants included AMD, Citrix Systems and other investors. BlueStacks, which now has raised $14 million since its inception, said it will use the latest funds to accelerate product development and support its community of users. The company last week introduced the public alpha of "App Player for Windows," which so far been downloaded by consumers in more than 100 countries.  The software enables Android apps to run full-screen on Windows desktops and all-in-one PCs, with no loss of resolution. The beta release is scheduled for this winter.
http://www.bluestacks.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111020005258/en/BlueStacks-Closes-Strategic-Investment

Four Bay Area Startups Named to Global Entrepreneur Week 50

Kansas City, Mo. -- Startup Open, a Missouri-based competition that searches for startups with the greatest growth potential, on Thursday named its GEW 50, a list of 50 new companies culled from an original list of hundreds based on concept, growth projections and knowledge of their industry. The list includes Hayward-based Giggo, Palo Alto-based Kaggle, Oakland-based Quosap and San Francisco-based Socialize. All will compete for prizes during Global Entrepreneurship Week, a November entrepreneurship event founded by the Kauffman Foundation.
http://www.startupopen.com
http://startupopen.com/gew50for2011/ (GEW 50 list)

Dell Opens New Research and Development Center in Santa Clara

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Computer-giant Dell on Wednesday officially opened its new research and development center in Santa Clara. Approximately 700 employees are expected to occupy the two buildings, which comprise 240,000 square feet of space. "Silicon Valley is a center of technological innovation and we are looking to recruit from the great talent pool here for high-level jobs in network design, storage development, cloud computing and software development," said CEO Michael Dell. The Silicon Valley site complements Dell's Israel Research and Development Center, as well as development work done at the company's headquarters in Texas. The new facility will allow Dell to consolidate much of its current Northern California operations. It will combine the operations of several area companies Dell has acquired, including Zing, Ocarina, Scalent and Everdream. Two other local companies, KACE and Force10, will remain at their current facilities.
http://www.dell.com
http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/secure/2011-10-19-siliconvalley-facility-en.aspx

Pleasanton-Based Zeltiq Raises $91 Million; Shares Spike 19%

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Shares of Pleasanton-based Zeltiq Aesthetics rose 19% on their first day of trading Wednesday, after the medical technology company raised $91 million in its initial public offering. The company priced 7 million shares at $13 each, below its expected range of $14-$16. Shares are now trading under the symbol "ZLTQ" on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Zeltiq is developing products utilizing its controlled-cooling technology platform. The company's first commercial product, the CoolSculpting System, is designed to selectively reduce stubborn fat bulges that may not respond to diet or exercise.
http://www.coolsculpting.com/
http://coolsculpting.com/_uploads/ZLTQ_IPO_Pricing_FINAL.pdf (PDF)

Santa Clara-Based Geo Semiconductor Secures $1.6 Million

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Geo Semiconductor, a Santa Clara-based developer of geometric processor chips used in video and image processing, said on Wednesday it has raised $1.3 million in new funding from previous backers, and secured an additional $300,000 under its convertible debt agreement. The company also said it has initiated efforts to raise $10 million in its second round of funding, which it will use to complete the development of its new GEN 4 eWARP processor. "The Series B will enable us to propel our unique high-value and high-margin eWARP ICs into the fast growing smartphone and tablet markets," said Paul Russo, Geo's chairman and CEO.
http://www.geosemi.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111019006456/en/GEO-Semiconductor-Secures-1.6-Million-Financing-Initiates

San Francisco-Based Dropbox Raises $250 Million in Second Round

San Francisco -- Marking one of the largest funding rounds for a Bay Area technology company in recent years, San Francisco-based Dropbox, the developer of a service that allows users to transfer documents, photos and videos between devices, said on Tuesday it has raised $250 million in its second round. Index Ventures led the round, which also included participation from new investors Benchmark Capital, Goldman Sachs, Greylock Partners, Institutional Venture Partners, RIT Capital Partners and Valiant Capital Partners, as well as previous backers Sequoia Capital, Accel Partners and Hadi and Ali Partovi. Dropbox was founded in 2007 by Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, and now has received a total of $257.2 million in funding. The service now has more than 45 million users in 175 countries. "Our goal has always been to build a service that hundreds of millions of people would love and trust," said Houston, who serves as CEO. Dropbox recently ranked No. 5 in the Silicon Alley Insider Digital 100, an annual ranking of the world's most valuable private digital startups. At the time, the company was worth an estimated $4 billion, putting it behind only Facebook, Zynga, Groupon and Twitter. 
http://www.dropbox.com/
http://www.dropbox.com/press/20111018

Menlo Park-Based Khosla Leads $10 Million Round for BillGuard

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Khosla Ventures, the Menlo Park-based technology venture capital firm, has led a new $10 million round for New York-based BillGuard, developer of a web-based service that scans users' credit and debit card activity and alerts them to hidden charges, billing errors, misleading subscriptions, scams and fraud. Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Eric Schmidt's Innovation Endeavors and previous backers Bessemer Venture Partners and IA Ventures also participated in the company's second round. BillGuard, whose service launched in May, said it will use the proceeds to accelerate growth and support marketing, business development, sales and R&D expansion. The company said its service is similar to anti-spam technology, harnessing the collective knowledge of millions of people posting billing complaints online and through a transaction flagging system directly in electronic statements.
http://www.billguard.com
http://www.khoslaventures.com/
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/vinod-khosla-peter-thiel-eric-schmidt-back-billguard-in-10m-series-b-financing-1574473.htm

Mountain View-Based Ovia Raises First Round, Led by DCM

Mountain View, Calif. -- Ovia, the Mountain View-based developer of a video recruitment platform designed to improve candidate screening, said on Tuesday it has raised an unspecified amount in its first round of funding, led by DCM. The company said it will use the proceeds to enhance its technology platform, expand sales and marketing and add key employees. "Our goal is to disrupt and improve the recruitment process by leveraging technology to bring back the true essence of recruitment: people getting to know people," said Rodrigo Martinez, the company's co-founder and CEO. Launched in January, Ovia already boasts a client list that includes Groupon, Intel and Salesforce.
http://oviahr.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111018006566/en/OVIA-Secures-Series-Funding-DCM

S.F.-Based Cleantech Group Unveils Global Cleantech 100 List

San Francisco -- Cleantech Group, a San Francisco-based research firm focused on the cleantech sector, on Monday night unveiled its third annual Global Cleantech 100 list at an event at the French Embassy in Washington, DC. Produced in collaboration with the UK's Guardian News and Media, the program recognizes 100 companies deemed likely to make a significant market impact over the next 5-10 years in areas such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, water and waste, and low carbon transportation. To qualify, companies must be independent, for-profit, cleantech companies not listed on any major stock exchange. This year, 4,274 companies were nominated. The complete list is available at the link below.
http://www.cleantech.com/global-cleantech-100/

Pleasanton-Based Polycom Acquires Cupertino's ViVu

Pleasanton, Calif. -- Polycom, the Pleasanton-based developer of a unified communications platform that allows users to collaborate face to face, said on Monday it has acquired Cupertino-based video collaboration software firm ViVu. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. ViVu's software allows users to participate in instant web-based HD video collaboration. Polycom said the acquisition gives it a fast-track to embed HD video into web-based applications. "Their technology provides a scalable architecture to quickly deploy rich video collaboration for a range of web-based applications," said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, executive vice president and general manager of UC solutions and chief development officer of Polycom
http://www.polycom.com/
http://www.polycom.com/company/news_room/press_releases/2011/20111017.html

Sunnyvale-Based Sunpreme Raises $50 Million in New Funding

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Sunpreme, a Sunnyvale-based manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, said on Monday it has raised more than $50 million in a new round of funding, led by International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private sector investment arm of the World Bank Group. Previous backers Capricorn Investment Group and Tsing Capital's China Environment Fund III also participated in the round, which the company will use to construct a new solar cell facility in China. "Over the past 18 months, Sunpreme has demonstrated for the first time a commercially viable metallurgical Silicon solar cell technology," said Ashok Sinha, the company's chairman and CEO. "Our first three U.S. patents for the innovative device structure have been granted and we are now moving to scale production." Sinha is the former senior vice president of Applied Materials' silicon products business.
http://www.sunpreme.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/solar-cell-manufacturer-sunpreme-closes-50-million-financing-131968648.html

Apple Sells More Than 4 Million iPhone 4S Models in First Weekend

Cupertino, Calif. -- Apple said on Monday it sold more than 4 million of its new iPhone 4S models since their retail launch on Friday. Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said the device's first weekend sales are "the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days." The Cupertino-based company also announced that more than 25 million customers are using its new iOS 5 mobile operating system, released last Wednesday, and more than 20 million have signed up for iCloud, Apple's new set of free cloud services that automatically store customers' content and push it to their devices.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/10/17iPhone-4S-First-Weekend-Sales-Top-Four-Million.html

San Francisco-Based Grockit Raises $7 Million in Fourth Round

San Francisco -- Grockit, the San Francisco-based developer of a social network for studying, said on Monday it has raised $7 million in its fourth round of funding, led by Atlas Venture. Previous backers Benchmark Capital and Integral Capital Partners, along with new investors NewSchools Venture Fund and GSV Capital Corp. also participated. The company, which now has raised more than $24 million since its inception in 2007 -- including a $7 million round that closed in May 2010, plans to use the funds to support growth both domestically and internationally. Grockit's learning platform combines social networking and online gaming technology to help students master academic skills and prepare for standardized tests.
http://www.grockit.com
http://grockit.com/blog/main/2011/10/17/grockit-funding-news/

SunWise Moves Headquarters to San Jose; Names Scott Tonn as New CEO

San Jose, Calif. -- SunWize Technologies, a developer of solar electric systems, said on Monday it has moved its headquarters from New York to San Jose, and named Scott Tonn as its new CEO. Tonn, the former president of Essco Wholesale Electric and EGM, succeeds David Kulik, who was with the company for 19 years. Tonn also previously served as managing partner of Blue Renewable Energy. SunWize said the move to San Jose, where it already had an office, will help enhance its internal communications and improve relationships with stakeholders.
http://www.sunwize.com
http://www.sunwize.com/news/pdf/SunWize-Press-Release-CEO-Announcement.pdf (PDF)

Menlo Park-Based Khosla Ventures Closes New $1.05 Billion Fund

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Khosla Ventures, a Menlo Park-based venture capital firm focused on the technology sector, said it has raised $1.05 billion for a new venture fund. The fund, known as Khosla Ventures IV, will allow the firm to continue its strategy of investing in early stage clean tech, IT, mobile and Internet technology companies. Founded in 2004, Khosla had previously closed its $1 billion Khosla III fund, as well as a $300 million seed fund. "We fundamentally invest in the companies that we expect to have significant impact, and that’s precisely what the Khosla Ventures IV fund will do," said Khosla Ventures founder Vinod Khosla. "We don't mind failing but do care that the impact be material if we do succeed; and we believe that our willingness to fail gives us an ability to succeed." 
http://www.khoslaventures.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20111013006631/en/Khosla-Ventures-Raises-1.05-Billion-Fund

Apple Shares Spike as New iPhone 4S Hits Retail Stores

Cupertino, Calif. -- Shares of Apple rose more than 3% on Friday after the Cupertino-based company's newest iPhone model hit retail store shelves earlier in the day. Though the company began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4S a week ago -- with more than 1 million devices ordered in the first 24 hours -- long lines still formed at retail outlets early Friday. Apple first unveiled the new version on Oct. 4, one day before the passing of iconic CEO Steve Jobs. The device features a faster chip than previous models, as well as longer battery life, improved call quality, an 8 megapixel camera and HD video recording. It also features a new voice-activation tool, known as Siri, capable of answering questions, reading texts and conducting web searches. The iPhone 4S sells for $199 (16 GB), $299 (32 GB) and $399 (64 GB), with a two-year contract with AT&T, Verizon Wireless or Sprint. 
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/10/10iPhone-4S-Pre-Orders-Top-One-Million-in-First-24-Hours.html
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/10/04Apple-Launches-iPhone-4S-iOS-5-iCloud.html

Digital Assent Lands $2.5M of Debt Financing from Silicon Valley Bank

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Digital Assent, the Atlanta-based developer of self-service patient check-in technology, said on Friday it has landed $2.5 million in debt financing from Santa Clara-based Silicon Valley Bank. The company said the additional resources will allow it to purchase the hardware needed to meet customer demand for its flagship PatientPad product. "Our goal is to achieve nationwide coverage by year's end," said CEO Andrew Ibbotson. "This financing helps us increase production of the PatientPad to meet the significant demand we are experiencing." PatientPad is a wireless touch-screen device that automates the patient check-in process and delivers targeted educational health information and advertising to patients while they sit in their healthcare provider's waiting and treatment rooms. The company has sold more than 2,000 PatientPads to 350 practices so far this year. Digital Assent recently also raised $7.5 million in its second round of equity funding.
http://www.digitalassent.com
http://www.svb.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-assent-secures-25-million-debt-financing-from-silicon-valley-bank-131848988.html