Silicon Valley Wire

Santa Clara-Based CrestaTech Raises $13 Million in New Funding

Santa Clara, Calif. -- CrestaTech, a Santa Clara-based developer of "smart tuners" for TV and mobile devices, said on Monday it has raised $13 million in a round of funding co-led by Bechtolsheim Ventures, Benhamou Global Ventures, Sofinnova Ventures and AVM Capital. The company said the funding will help it release several new products this year. Originally marketed under the Xceive brand, CrestaTech's architecture features an RF tuner and a programmable digital signal processor (DSP). Several flat panel TV makers now use the technology, which enables region-free TV reception on any device. CrestaTech said its chips and software will soon be found in a variety of mobile devices, including notebooks, tablets, smartphones and media players. "Our products enable a single global platform for the TV of the future that is adaptable to support the cloud services, applications and feature sets found in mobile devices," said CEO George Haber.
http://www.crestatech.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120430005760/en/CrestaTech-Secures-13M-Develop-Smart-Tuners-TV

San Jose-Based NeoPhotonics Lands Investment from Rusnano

San Jose, Calif. -- NeoPhotonics, a San Jose-based maker of photonic integrated circuits used in high-speed communications networks, said on Monday it has landed a new $39.8 million investment from Russian investment firm Rusnano. Under the deal, the company sold 4.97 newly issued shares to Rusnano for $8 each, and appointed Sergey Polikarpov, Rusnano's managing director, to its board of directors. NeoPhotonics said it will use a portion of the proceeds to establish design and production capabilities in Russia, a market being targeted by a growing number of its clients  "We started to see and investigate this growth opportunity several years ago, and we added sales capability in the region and have since been engaged with and supplying several customers in Russia," said Tim Jenks, the chairman, president and CEO of NeoPhotonics. "With the planned support from Rusnano, we believe that NeoPhotonics is well-positioned to capitalize on new and greater opportunities in the region."
http://www.neophotonics.com
http://www.neophotonics.com/news/newsneo_1688884.aspx

San Mateo-Based ShopCo Names Ben Smith IV as CEO

San Mateo, Calif. -- ShopCo, the San Mateo-based owner and operator of Find n Save local shopping sites, has named Ben Smith IV as its CEO. Smith most recently served as the co-founder, chairman and CEO of MerchantCircle, a local Internet media company he sold in 2011. Prior to that, he held various senior leadership positions at Borland Software, including senior vice president of corporate development and CEO of spin-off CodeGear. He also has been the chairman and CEO of Spoke.com where he remains on the board of directors. ShopCo is a shopping partnership backed by media companies such as Hearst Corp., MediaNews Group and The Washington Post.
http://www.findnsave.com
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/ben-t-smith-iv-named-chief-executive-officer-of-digital-media-partnership-1650186.htm

Twelve Named to 2012 Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame Class

San Francisco -- The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) on Monday announced the 2012 class of inductees into its Consumer Electronics (CE) Hall of Fame. The class includes 12 members selected by a panel of media and industry representatives, who judged nominations submitted online by manufacturers, retailers and journalists. Among the honorees are Robert Briskman, the inventor of satellite radio; Douglas Engelbart, inventor of the computer mouse and HTML; Charlie Ergen, the founder of satellite companies Echostar and Dish Network; and Fansy and Henry Harold Gregg, the founders of consumer electronics retailer HH Gregg. A complete list is available at the link below. All will be inducted into the CE Hall of Fame during the CEA's Industry Forum, to be held in San Francisco Oct. 14-17.
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120430006488/en/CEA-Names-Industry-Leaders-Inducted-CE-Hall

Intuit to Acquire San Francisco-based Demandforce in $423.5M Deal

Mountain View, Calif. -- Intuit, the Mountain View-based maker of business and financial management software, said on Friday it will acquire San Francisco-based Demandforce in a deal valued at $423.5 million. Demandforce is the developer of a web-based app used by small businesses to automate marketing and customer communications, build their online reputation and target local consumers. The company's email, mobile and social tools, such as online reviews, have gained  strong traction with clients in fields such as dental, automotive, spas and salons, optometry and chiropractors.  "Demandforce sits at the sweet spot of Intuit's SMB customer base and is consistent with our goal to help our customers save time and make money," said Kiran Patel, executive vice president and general manager of Intuit's Small Business Group. The deal is expected to close in May, when Demandforce will become a division in Intuit's Small Business Group. Rick Berry, the founder and president of Demandforce, will lead the division.
http://www.intuit.com
http://www.demandforce.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120427005308/en/Intuit-Acquire-Demandforce

Agilent to Acquire Test and Measurement Business of Centellax

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Agilent Technologies, the Santa Clara-based measurement technology company, said on Friday it will acquire the test and measurement business of Santa Rosa-based Centellax,a supplier of test products for high-speed communications.  Financial terms of the deal, expected to close in about two weeks, were not disclosed. Centellax's test portfolio includes bit-error ratio testers, pattern generators, clock synthesizers, signal-integrity studio software and test accessories. The company's component business is not part of the deal. Juergen Beck, the general manager of Agilent's Digital and Photonic Test Division, said the acquisition will allow his company to "address the complete life cycle needs of our customers."
http://www.centellax.com
http://www.agilent.com
http://www.agilent.com/about/newsroom/presrel/2012/27apr-em12060.html

Fremont-Based Corsair Reveals Details of Upcoming IPO

Fremont, Calif. -- Corsair Components, a Fremont-based supplier of high-performance hardware components for personal computers, with a focus on gaming hardware, has set some of the parameters of its upcoming initial public offering (IPO), which the company now expects to generate as much as $96.6 million. The offering will include as many as 6.9 million shares, which will sell for $12-$14 each. About 4.1 million shares will come from the company, with the remainder coming from current shareholders. Corsair plans to list its stock on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "CRSR."
http://www.corsair.com
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1486183/000119312512186418/d52593ds1a.htm

Mountain View-Based Google Ventures Co-Leads Funding for Wingu

 
Mountain View, Calif. – Wingu, a Massachusetts-based-based developer of software for the pharmaceutical industry, said it has landed its first round of funding, co-led by Mountain View-based Google Ventures and Borealis Ventures. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2009, Wingu offers software designed to enhance the operational efficiency of pharmaceutical research and discovery. The software is designed to track and coordinate complex distributed research projects that require tight integration between pharmaceutical companies and partners.
http://www.googleventures.com/
http://www.wingu.com
http://www.wingu.com/blog/2012/04/wingu-announces-funding-led-by-google-ventures/

Mountain View-Based DITTO Lands $3 Million in Funding

Mountain View, Calif. -- DITTO, the Mountain View-based developer of an e-commerce site for designer eyewear that uses 3D virtual fitting technology, said on Thursday it has landed $3 million in a new round of funding, led by August Capital. Angel investors, friends and family also participated in the round. DITTO's site allows consumers to record a short video with their webcam to create a 3D virtual self. Users can then virtually try-on eyewear in 180-degree views to see how a particular style looks and fits their face before they make a purchase. The site also integrates social media features, allowing the user to post side-by-side snapshots in different glasses to Facebook to poll friends for opinions. DITTO plans to use the new funds to further develop its technology, add to its team and market to customers.
http://ditto.com
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ditto-secures-3m-round-for-designer-eyewear-ecommerce-site-2012-04-26

Logitech Aims to Streamline Management Through Restructuring

Newark, Calif. -- Logitech International, the Swiss maker of personal peripherals with U.S. headquarters in Newark, has announced an organizational restructuring which it said should save the company $80 million in annual operating costs. The moves included the elimination of a layer of business and sales executive management, as well as the consolidation of brand management and product portfolio management under the leadership of Logitech's business groups. "To get back to sustained, profitable growth, we need to be simpler, faster and more consumer-centric," said Bracken Darrell, the company's president. "I expect most of this restructuring to be completed by the end of the current quarter, freeing up resources to pursue our growth opportunities." Logitech reported sales for the fourth quarter of $532 million, down 3% from the prior year.
http://www.logitech.com/
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/172/9921

Mountain View-Based Shape Security Raises $6 Million in First Round

Mountain View, Calif. -- Shape Security, a Mountain View-based start-up developing new web security technology, said on Thursday it has raised $6 million in its first round of funding. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and Google chairman Eric Schmidt's TomorrowVentures co-led the round, which also included participation by Accel partner Peter Wagner, Baseline Ventures and executives from LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Ted Schlein, general partner at KPCB, has joined the company's board of directors along with Gaurav Garg, a special limited partner at Sequoia Capital and personal investor in the round. "Shape's technology will shift the burden of attack from defenders to attackers," said CEO Derek Smith. "In doing so, Shape is aiming at the economics of web hacking and forcing attackers to spend more and more to achieve less and less."
http://shapesecurity.com
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/shape-security-closes-6-million-series-a-funding-round-led-by-kleiner-perkins-caufield-byers-and-eric-schmidts-tomorrowventures-2012-04-26

Cupertino-Based Seagate Technology to Repurchase $2.5 Billion in Stock

Cupertino, Calif. -- Seagate Technology, a Cupertino-based maker of hard disk drives and storage systems, said on Thursday it plans to repurchase up to $2.5 billion in company shares. Along with other current authorizations, the company now can buy back as much as $3.5 billion in stock. "The repurchase authorization reflects the confidence that the Board and the executive management team have in Seagate’s ability to generate cash, while still investing in innovation and growth opportunities," said CEO Steve Luczo. Seagate on Thursday also named Jay Geldmacher, an executive vice president of Emerson Electric; William Coleman, founder of BEA Systems, and Seh-Woong Jeong, executive vice president of sales and marketing for the Systems LSI Division of Samsung Electronics, to its board of directors.
http://www.seagate.com
http://www.seagate.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/seagate-technology-announces-2.5-billion-share-repurchase-master-pr 
http://www.seagate.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/new-bod-members-4-26-2012-master-pr/

Confidence of Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists Rises Sharply

San Francisco -- The confidence of Silicon Valley venture capitalists rose sharply during the first quarter, according to new report by Mark Cannice, professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of San Francisco School of Management. Based on a survey of 34 Bay Area venture capitalists, the new Silicon Valley Venture Capitalist Confidence Index came in at 3.79 on a scale of five (with five indicating high confidence and one indicating low confidence). The index rose from 3.27 a quarter ago. "Venture capitalists… pointed to a more welcoming public financial market that is providing more liquidity opportunities for their portfolio firms, along with technology convergence in mobility, cloud and social platforms, which is fostering the development of a wide range of entrepreneurial endeavors," wrote Cannice. The full report is available at the link below.
http://www.usfca.edu/uploadedFiles/Destinations/management/Docs/Cannice_SV_VC_Index_2012_Q1.pdf (PDF)

Redwood City-Based Shutterfly to Acquire Kodak Gallery Assets

Redwood City, Calif. -- Shutterfly, the Redwood City-based photo sharing site, said on Wednesday it will pay $23.8 million to acquire assets of the Kodak Gallery online photo services business. The company was the lone bidder in a bankruptcy auction for the assets, and said it will work with Kodak to transfer customers and images onto its platform. "Our acquisition… a perfect example of the consolidation that we believe will play an important role in helping Shutterfly solidify our leadership position in the social expression and personal publishing category," said Jeffrey Housenbold, the company's president and CEO.
http://www.shutterfly.com
http://ir.shutterfly.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=667215

Mountain View-Based Citrus Lane Raises $5.1 Million in First Round

Mountain View, Calif. -- Citrus Lane, the Mountain View-based developer of a subscription e-commerce site focused on products for young families, said on Wednesday it has raised $5.1 million in its first round of funding. GGV Capital and Greylock Partners participated in the round, which the company will use to continue expanding its business and adding several new hires. For $25 a month, members of Citrus Lane receive monthly care packages of 4-5 "best of" products based on their child's age. The company curates its recommendations from partner brands such as Green Toys, Weleda, Zoli and Episencial. Founders Mauria Finley and Claire Hough are former executives of companies such as eBay, PayPal and NexTag. Citrus Lane raised a seed round of financing in March 2011 and shipped its first boxes in July 2011.
http://www.citruslane.com
http://blog.citruslane.com/2012/04/exciting-citrus-lane-news/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120425005933/en/Citrus-Lane-Announces-5.1-Million-Series-Funding

San Francisco-Based Delivery Agent Names Kelyn Brannon as CFO

San Francisco -- Delivery Agent, a San Francisco-based provider of e-commerce services for major entertainment and sports properties, on Tuesday named Kelyn Brannon as CFO. Brannon most recently served as the executive vice president and CFO of Calix, and previously held the same roles at Calypso Technology. The hire comes nearly six months after the company raised $35.5 million in its fifth round of funding, led by Intel Capital.
http://www.deliveryagent.com
http://www.deliveryagent.com/2012/04/delivery-agent-appoints-kelyn-brannon-as-chief-financial-officer/

IMS Health Acquires San Francisco-Based DecisionView

San Francisco -- IMS Health, a Connecticut-based developer of web-based software for life sciences organizations, said on Tuesday it has acquired DecisionView, a San Francisco-based developer of software designed to help life sciences organizations plan and track patient enrollment for clinical trials. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. DecisionView will become part of IMS's Healthcare Value Solutions business. "Through this acquisition, we will enhance clinical trial productivity – transforming the way patient studies are planned and executed," said Andrew Kress, the senior vice president of IMS Healthcare Value Solutions.
http://www.imshealth.com
http://www.decisionview.com
http://www.imshealth.com/portal/site/ims/menuitem.d248e29c86589c9c30e81c033208c22a/?vgnextoid=e5df509d881e6310VgnVCM10000076192ca2RCRD&vgnextchannel=3e382115cc4be210VgnVCM10000071812ca2RCRD&vgnextfmt=default

Sunnyvale-Based TorreyPoint Acquires Proteus Networks

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- TorreyPoint, a Sunnyvale-based provider of information systems consulting services, said on Tuesday it will acquire Maryland-based Proteus Networks, a provider of network consulting and training services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "The Proteus acquisition will enable TorreyPoint to expand our current geographic coverage and engineering services while providing enhanced in-house training and publication programs to benefit our partners and customers," said Steve Fazio, the co-founder and CEO of TorreyPoint. Proteus's management team will remain intact, with the company continuing to operate as a separate brand. 
http://www.torreypoint.com
http://www.proteus.net
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/torreypoint-acquires-proteus-networks-2012-04-24

Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical Relocates HQ to Larger Facility in Novato

Novato, Calif. -- Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, a biotechnology firm focused on developing treatments for rare and ultra-rare genetic disorders, said on Monday it has relocated its corporate headquarters to a larger facility in the Bel Marin Keys area of Novato. The company said the move will accommodate future staff growth while allowing it to expand operations in the areas of clinical development, regulatory affairs, technical operations and administration.  The company will continue to lease lab facilities at the Buck Institute in Novato, which currently houses its research staff.
http://www.ultragenyx.com 
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ultragenyx-relocates-company-headquarters-to-support-operational-expansion-2012-04-23

Intel Capital Leads $15 Million Round for ScienceLogic

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Intel Capital, the investment arm of Santa Clara-based chipmaker Intel, has led a new $15 million round of funding for ScienceLogic, a Virginia-based developer of IT operations and cloud management software, the company announced on Monday. Previous backer New Enterprise Associates (NEA) also participated in the company's second round, which increases its total backing to $30 million. In addition, ScienceLogic on Monday named John Becker as its new CEO, succeeding co-founder David Link, who will remain chairman. Becker is the former CEO of Approva, Cybertrust, TruSecure and Axent Technologies. ScienceLogic's platform is used by service providers, corporations and government agencies to improve the efficiency of their IT operations and allow them to add new services across data center and cloud computing infrastructures.
http://www.intel.com/about/companyinfo/capital/index.htm?iid=subhdr+info_captial http://www.sciencelogic.com/news-and-events/press-releases/sciencelogic-raises-15
-million-led-intel-capital-names-technology

San Jose-Based LED Engin Raises Fifth Round of Funding

San Jose, Calif. -- LED Engin, a San Jose-based developer of high lumen density LED lighting components and optics, said on Monday it has raised has raised unspecified amount in its fifth round of funding, led by GVT Fund. MSIVC and previous backers WK Technology Fund, Partech International, NGP Energy Technology Partners and company chairman Keh-Shew Lu also took part in the round, which the company will use to broaden its product portfolio, increase manufacturing capacity and expand its worldwide sales and marketing network. "The latest round of funding provides LED Engin with the financial resources it needs to accelerate growth," said David Tahmassebi, the president and CEO of LED Engin.
http://www.ledengin.com/
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120423005515/en/LED-Engin-Successfully-Closes-Series-Funding

Microsoft to Sell AOL Patents to Facebook for $550 Million

Redmond, Wash. -- Just two weeks after announcing a billion-dollar deal to acquire parents from AOL, Microsoft said on Monday it has agreed to sell a portion of those patents to social networking giant Facebook for $550 million. The deal includes approximately 650 of the 925 patents Microsoft originally bought from AOL, plus licenses to several more. Microsoft will retain ownership of approximately 275 of the patents.  "Today's agreement with Facebook enables us to recoup over half of our costs while achieving our goals from the AOL auction," said Brad Smith, executive vice president and general counsel of Microsoft. Ted Ullyot, general counsel of Facebook, called the deal "another significant step in our ongoing process of building an intellectual property portfolio to protect Facebook's interests over the long term."
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2012/Apr12/04-23AprilAnnouncementPR.aspx

Infoblox, Proofpoint Post Strong Gains After Pricing IPOs

A pair of Silicon Valley companies enjoyed double-digit gains on their first days of trading Friday after pricing their initial public offerings (IPOs). Shares of Santa Clara-based Infoblox, a maker of network automation software, gained 33% on the day after pricing its shares at $16 late Thursday. Sunnyvale-based security software developer Proofpoint, meanwhile, saw an 8% bump after pricing its shares at $13.  The debuts came a day after San Francisco-based Splunk, a maker of software providing users with real-time operational intelligence, more than doubled its market cap to above $3 billion on its first day of trading.
http://www.infoblox.com
http://www.proofpoint.com/
http://www.splunk.com

Sunnyvale-Based WeVideo Lands First $8.5 Million of Round

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- WeVideo, a Sunnyvale-based developer of web-based tools for collaborative video production, has raised the first $8.5 million of a planned equity funding round, the company revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Eighteen unidentified investors have so far taken part. The company still plans to raise another $10.7 million before closing the round.
http://www.wevideo.com/
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1535024/000153502412000002/xslFormDX01/primary_doc.xml

Alameda-Based BioTime to Acquire XenneX

Alameda, Calif. -- BioTime, an Alameda-based biotechnology firm focused on regenerative medicine and blood plasma volume expanders, said on Friday it will acquire Massachusetts-based XenneX, a provider of services and tools designed to enhance bio-medical research. The deal, technically a merger of XenneX into BioTime-unit LifeMap Sciences, is expected to close within 30 days. Through the agreement, XenneX stockholders will receive approximately 1.4 million shares of LifeMap -- a 13% stake in that company -- as well as 450,000 shares of BioTime. XenneX holds the exclusive, worldwide licenses to market GeneCards and PanDaTox. GeneCards is a searchable database of human genes, while PanDaTox is a searchable, database used to identify genes and intergenic regions. "We believe that centralized online databases of biological knowledge will become indispensable tools for research in the field of regenerative medicine," said Michael West, BioTime's CEO.
http://www.biotimeinc.com
http://www.xennexinc.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120420005197/en/BioTime-Subsidiary-LifeMap-Sciences-Announce-Agreement-Acquire

Newark-Based Neato Robotics Lands $12.2 Million in Fourth Round

Newark, Calif. -- Neato Robotics, a Newark-based developer of robots designed to perform household chores as intelligently and efficiently as humans, on Thursday raised $12.2 million in its fourth round of funding, co-led by Vorwerk Ventures and Noventi Ventures. The company plans to use the proceeds to expand operations, sales and marketing, as well as to bolster product development. "Our vision is to leverage our unique robotic technology to bring new, innovative home-cleaning products to the marketplace," said CEO Warren Flick. Founded in 2004, after its first product concept won a Stanford University Graduate School of Business competition, the company has since raised $35 million in funding. The company's core technology features an intelligent, laser-guided navigation system, paired with a robotic vacuum cleaner system.
http://www.neatorobotics.com 
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/neato-robotics-raises-122-million-in-series-d-funding-2012-04-19

San Ramon-Based Five9 Raises $12 Million in New Funding

San Ramon, Calif. -- Five9, a San Ramon-based developer of cloud-based contact center software, said on Thursday it has raised $12 million in a new round of funding, led by Adams Street Partners. Hummer Winblad Venture Capital and Partech International also participated in the round, which increased the company's total backing to more than $49 million. "The additional funding positions us well to take full advantage of our momentum, and gives us an opportunity to expand our current leadership position," said CEO Mike Burkland. Five9's software processes more than two billion customer calls a year for over 1,500 customers.
http://www.five9.com
http://www.five9.com/call-center-news/press-releases/pr-five9-raises-an-additional-12m-in-funding.htm

Palo Alto's Correlation Ventures Invests in Four Companies

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Correlation Ventures, a venture capital firm with offices in Palo Alto and San Diego, said it has made investments in four new companies -- Aldea Pharmaceuticals, MOGL, numberFire and an unnamed company currently in stealth mode. Financial terms of the deals were not disclosed. Correlation, which now has 17 companies in its portfolio, said it plans to make approximately 75 investments from its inaugural $165 million fund, announced in January. The firm said it uses predictive analytics to offer investment decisions within two weeks.
http://www.correlationvc.com
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/correlation-ventures-funds-four-companies-in-q1-delivering-co-investment-decisions-in-two-weeks-or-less-2012-04-18

 

San Mateo-Based Guidewire Software Prices Follow-On Offering

San Mateo, Calif. -- Guidewire Software, a San Mateo-based maker of core system software for the insurance industry, on Thursday priced a follow-on offering expected to generate $226 million. The offering includes 8 million shares -- 7.3 million being sold by current shareholders -- for $28.25 each. The company, itself, is expected to make $19.8 million from its 700,000 shares offered. The news comes three months after Guidewire raised $115 million in its initial public offering (IPO). The company counts more than 100 property and casualty insurers among its clients, including GEICO, Nationwide and CNA.
http://www.guidewire.com/
http://www.guidewire.com/news-and-events/press-releases/2012/guidewire-software-inc-announces-pricing-of-follow-on-public-offering-of-common-stock/

SynGen Lands $5 Million from San Francisco's Bay City Capital

San Francisco -- SynGen, a Sacramento-based developer of next-generation stem cell harvesting systems, said on Thursday it has raised $5 million in preferred stock financing from San Francisco-based Bay City Capital (BCC0. Under the terms of the deal, BCC will appoint two representatives to SynGen's board of directors. "We expect SynGen's products will play a significant role in enabling clinical research and expanding the medical applications of regenerative medicine," said William Gerber, investment partner at BCC.
http://syngeninc.com/ 
http://www.baycitycapital.com

Sunnyvale-Based Moxie Software Leads Funding for ReadyPulse

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- ReadyPulse, developer of a brand advocacy platform for social media marketers, said it has raised its first round of funding, led by Sunnyvale-based Moxie Software, and located its operations within Moxie's Bellevue, Wash. office. As part of the agreement, Dennis O'Malley, who currently leads Moxie's global services and insight division, will become the CEO of ReadyPulse. ReadyPulse recently launched its Brand Advocate Builder based on the company's behavior analysis platform. The platform is aimed at marketers to help them optimize the time spent on social media marketing. Financial terms of the funding were not disclosed.
http://www.moxiesoft.com
http://www.readypulse.com/

Santa Clara-Based Aeria Games Lands Investment from Sony Unit

Santa Clara, Calif. -- Aeria Games, a Santa Clara-based publisher of free-to-play online multiplayer games, said on Wednesday it has landed a new investment from So-net Entertainment, a unit of Sony. So-net becomes the company's second external investment partner, following a 2011 investment by NHN. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "We welcome So-net Entertainment Corporation as a strategic partner as we move forward to expand our relationships with global digital entertainment companies,” said Lan Hoang, the CEO of Aeria. With over 300 employees, Aeria Games is focused on building its presence in the emerging markets of Latin America, Eastern Europe and Russia, alongside its active community of players in the U.S. and Western Europe. The company boasts content partnerships from game companies such as Electronic Arts and NHN, as well as independent developers from around the world.
http://www.aeriagames.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120418005511/en/Aeria-Games-Secures-Strategic-Investment-So-net-Entertainment

Former HP Head Carly Fiorina Named Chairman of Good360

Alexandria, Va. -- Carly Fiorina, the former chairman and CEO of Palo Alto-based HP, on Wednesday was named chairman of Good360, a charitable organization that operates an online product donation marketplace. Fiorina succeeds Gail Aldrich, who is departing to become the chair of AARP's board of directors. Once named Fortune's Most Powerful Woman in Business for six straight years, Fiorina headed HP from 1999-2005, and in 2010 won the Republican primary for Senate in California before ultimately falling to incumbent Barbara Boxer in the general election  She currently serves as vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "We are thrilled to have Carly on board as she is undoubtedly one of the most recognized business leaders in the world," said Cindy Hallberlin, the president and CEO of Good360.
http://www.good360.org 
http://about.good360.org/PressRelease/31

Fremont-Based Quantenna Communications Lands $79 Million

Fremont, Calif. -- Quantenna Communications, a Fremont-based developer of Wi-Fi video networking technology used in whole-home entertainment, said on Tuesday it has raised $79 million in a new round of funding, led by Russia's Rusnano. Another new investor, Bright Capital, as well as previous backers Sequoia Capital, DAG Ventures, Grazia Equity, Sigma Partners, Southern Cross Venture Partners and Venrock Associates also participated in the round. Rusnano will invest up to $40 million and Sequoia Capital Growth Fund will contribute $20 million. Quantenna said it will use the funding to expand its engineering and service organizations in order to support the growing list of service providers deploying its chipsets. "Our video-over-Wi-Fi chipsets are on their way to penetrating new markets this year beyond the service provider segment," said CEO Sam Heidari. "The round also enables us to expand our presence in Russia with the addition of a team of highly qualified specialists." Quantenna said it will open a Russian subsidiary.
http://www.quantenna.com 
http://www.rusnano.com
http://www.quantenna.com/pressrelease-04_17_12.html

Mountain View-Based Skybox Imaging Raises $70 Million in Third Round

Mountain View, Calif. -- Skybox Imaging, a Mountain View-based provider of satellite imagery, video and big data analytics, said on Tuesday it has raised $70 million in its third round of funding, co-led by Canaan Partners and Norwest Venture Partners. Previous backers Khosla Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners also participated in the round, which increased the company's total funding to $91 million. Skybox said it will use the capital to complete the development and launch of its first two high-resolution imaging microsatellites, SkySat-1 and SkySat-2. The company also plans to expand its team of software engineers and data scientists. While current satellite systems sporadically capture still images of various regions of the earth, Skybox said its constellation will enable more frequent monitoring of a larger portion of the planet's surface. The company said practical applications will span sectors from business intelligence and financial trading to disaster response and humanitarian relief.
http://www.skyboximaging.com
http://www.skyboximaging.com/news/blog/skybox-imaging-raises-70m-new-financing

S.F.-Based Alt12 Apps Raises $1.3M, Launches Social Network for Parents

San Francisco -- Alt12 Apps, a San Francisco-based publisher of social health apps, said on Tuesday it has raised $1.3 million in a new round of seed funding and launched Kidfolio, a social network and digital scrapbook designed for parents. Aydin Senkut's Felicis Ventures led the round, which also included participation from InterWest Partners and angels such as HealthTap founder Ron Gutman. This funding will help Alt12 Apps make Kidfolio the best social network for parents and expand the company's growing social health platform. "Social networks today have become so broad; it's no surprise that we're seeing an uptick in certain verticals for like-minded groups to connect around specific topics," said CEO Jennifer Wong. "Kidfolio fits this bill. It's educational and super fun -- a rich, immersive experience that's highly meaningful for the people using it." Kidfolio is currently available for the iPhone, and launching soon on Android and the web.
http://www.alt12.com
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/alt12-apps-raises-126m-in-funding-and-launches-social-network-for-parents-2012-04-17

Gataround Moves to Larger Headquarters in San Francisco

San Francisco -- Getaround, developer of a peer-to-peer car sharing service, said on Tuesday it has moved to larger headquarters in San Francisco. The company, which in September landed $3.4 million in seed funding, will now be based in the South of Market area. The move follows recent city rollouts in Austin, Texas and Portland, Ore., in addition to earlier rollouts in San Francisco and San Diego. The company currently has 30 full-time employees, and said it plans to hire five more in the coming weeks. Getaround's service allows users to share cars by the hour, day or week through a secure online marketplace. The company currently boasts more than 10,000 car listings nationwide. 
http://www.getaround.com
http://www.getaround.com/static/New_Getaround_HQ.pdf (PDF)

Redwood City-Based Zenprise Names Amit Pandey as New CEO.

Redwood City, Calif. -- Zenprise, a Redwood City-based developer of mobile device management technology, on Monday named Amit Pandey as its new president and CEO. Pandey, most recently served as the CEO of Terracotta, succeeds Jayaram Bhat, who will remain an advisor to the company. He previously led the data management business at NetApp, and was the general manager of NetApp's enterprise security gateway business. The news comes six months after Zenprise raised $30 million in a round of funding led by Greylock Partners. Founded in 2003, Zenprise offers technology for mobile devices that protect sensitive corporate data, shields networks from mobile threats and maintains compliance with regulatory and corporate policies.
http://www.zenprise.com
http://www.zenprise.com/company/news_and_events/press_releases

OpenWave to Sell Mediation and Messaging Businesses, Rename Company

Redwood City, Calif. -- Openwave Systems, the Redwood City-based developer of mobile technology, said on Monday it will sell its Mediation and Messaging product businesses to Los Angeles-based private equity firm Marlin Equity Partners. Financial terms of the deal, expected to close later this month, were not disclosed. Marlin plans to rename the acquired businesses Openwave Mobility (formerly Mediation) and Openwave Messaging. The businesses will be managed by their current divisional management teams. Openwave's remaining business will be renamed Unwired Planet, focusing on intellectual property. It will remain a publicly traded company. The agreement "represents a major milestone in the implementation of the corporate strategy we began last October," said CEO Mike Mulica. "As we complete the sale of our product businesses, we will continue to focus on a multi-pronged strategy to realize the value of our unique patent portfolio."
http://www.openwave.com
http://www.openwave.com/news_and_events/press_releases/2011/20120416_opwv_marlin_equity_partners.html

Menlo Park-Based Facebook Acquires San Francisco-Based Tagtile

San Francisco -- Facebook, the Menlo Park-based social networking giant, has acquired Tagtile, a developer of customer loyalty and direct marketing technology, the San Francisco-based company said. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "Today, we are happy to announce that we are joining Facebook, and that they are acquiring substantially all of our assets," Tagtile announced on its website. "It's a huge opportunity for us to take our goal -- helping businesses grow -- and do it on a much, much bigger scale than we could have on our own." Tagtile supplies businesses with powered cubes. Customers who download the company's free app can then tap their phones against the cubes to earn rewards, as well as share their activities through Facebook and Twitter. Tagtile said it has stopped accepting new clients, but will continue to operate its service as usual for the time being. "We'll be reaching out to customers directly once future plans are set, but Tagtile as it exists today won't be part of what we do at Facebook," the company wrote.
http://www.tagtile.com
http://www.facebook.com
http://www.tagtile.com/aboutus.php

South San Francisco-Based Hyperion Therapeutics Files for $57.5M IPO

South San Francisco -- Hyperion Therapeutics, a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical firm, on Friday filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise up to $57.5 million in its initial public offering (IPO). The company, which plans to trade on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "HPTX," has yet to disclose details of the offering, such as the number of shares to be sold or their expected price range. Hyperion is focused on the development and commercialization of drugs to treat disorders in the areas of orphan diseases and hepatology.
http://www.hyperiontx.com/
http://www.hyperiontx.com/press/release/pr_1334339267
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1386858/000119312512161453/d178027ds1.htm

San Jose-Based Adobe to Repurchase Up to $2 Billion in Stock

San Jose, Calif. -- Adobe Systems, the San Jose-based developer of design and publishing tools, said it plans to repurchase up to $2 billion in company stock through the end of fiscal 2015. The company said it will buy back shares on the open market, as well as enter into structured repurchase agreements with third parties, in an effort to return value to stockholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances. The new plan replaces a previous plan that authorized the repurchase of up to $1.6 billion in stock through fiscal 2012.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/201204/041212AdobeStockRepurchase.html

Rankings: Silicon Valley Has the World's Top Startup Ecosystem

San Francisco -- Silicon Valley has the world's top startup ecosystem, according to new rankings compiled by Startup Compass. The top-25 list is based on more than 20 factors, such as startup success rate, availability of capital, market size and founder challenges. The report describes the attributes of Silicon Valley -- which in the study includes San Francisco, Oakland, Palo Alto and San Jose -- as "Biggest throughput. Strong early-stage funding ecosystem. More mentors. Most Ambitious. High Risk." New York, London, Toronto and Tel Aviv round out the top five. The complete rankings are available at the link below.
http://blog.startupcompass.co/the-rise-of-startup-ecosystems-silicon-valley

Oakland-Based BrightSource Pulls Plans for Initial Public Offering

Oakland -- BrightSource, an Oakland-based clean technology startup developing solar power plants, late Wednesday withdrew plans for its proposed initial public offering, just hours before it was expected to price the IPO. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said it decided to pull the offering "in light of current market conditions." BrightSource first announced plans for the IPO nearly a year ago, and more recently said it expected to price shares at $21-$23 each. "While we received significant interest from potential investors, the continued market and economic volatility are not optimal conditions for an IPO," said John Woolard, the company's president and CEO. "As a company, we've consistently made decisions in the best interest of our shareholders, employees and customers, and we will continue to do so."
http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1471443/000119312512159644/d173853drw.htm
http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/images/uploads/press_releases/BrightSource_S1_Announcement_Final.pdf (PDF)

Foster City's Conduit to Sell 7% to J.P. Morgan for $100 Million

Foster City, Calif. -- Conduit, an Israeli developer of tools designed to help publishers create mobile sites and mobile apps, said it will sell a 7% stake in the company for approximately $100 million to an investment fund advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The deal values the company -- which has U.S. offices in Foster City -- at $1.3 billion. Founders Ronen Shilo, Dror Erez and Gaby Bilzyk will maintain a controlling stake. "The next few months will be some of the most important in the history of Conduit, and we're thrilled to have partners like J.P. Morgan Asset Management as our company continues to grow," said Shilo.
http://www.conduit.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120411006370/en/Conduit-Confirms-J.P.-Morgan-Fund-Agrees-Purchase

Zoosk Moving Headquarters to Larger Space in San Francisco

San Francisco -- Zoosk, the San Francisco-based developer of a romantic social network, said it plans to move its corporate headquarters to a 52,000-square-foot facility at 989 Market Street. The company said the larger space will help accommodate its growth, as it expands from 102 employees to around 160 by the end of this year. "We needed more room to grow and a location that will help attract top talent," said co-CEO Alex Mehr. We also wanted a space that was more in-line with Zoosk's fun and creative culture instead of a traditional, corporate office." The new lease more than doubles Zoosk's current Financial District footprint of 21,000 square feet. The building also houses Zendesk. Founded in 2007, Zoosk is backed by Canaan Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and ATA Ventures.
http://www.zoosk.com
http://www.sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=776

San Francisco-Based Yammer Acquires oneDrum

San Francisco -- Yammer, the San Francisco-based developer of private social networks for businesses designed to help employees more easily collaborate, said it has acquired U.K.-based oneDrum, a developer of file sharing and collaboration software for businesses. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Yammer said the acquisition will allow it to add desktop sync capabilities, enabling file folders to be shared across multiple users' desktops, as well as technology that lets multiple authors work together on Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in real time. "Employees spend a huge amount of time working with files, especially in Microsoft Office," said CEO David Sacks. "Through oneDrum, Yammer will incorporate all of that content into the enterprise social graph, making it discoverable and collaborative." All of oneDrum's employees will join Yammer, with CEO Jasper Westaway leading the integration of the two products.  The news comes a month after Yammer raised $85 million in its fifth round of funding, led by DFJ Growth.
https://www.yammer.com/
http://onedrum.com/
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Yammer-Acquires-oneDrum-to-Make-Content-Social-1642789.htm

LinkedIn-Rival Viadeo Raises $32 Million in New Funding

San Francisco -- Viadeo, a France-based professional social network with over 45 million members, said on Thursday it has raised $32 million in a new round of funding. The company, which has U.S. headquarters in San Francisco, said it received investments from the French Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Fonds Strategique d'Investissement, previous backers Idinvest and Ventech and a pool of new investors including Allianz, Jefferies and Middle Eastern private funds. The company will use the proceeds to accelerate its growth in Europe and China, as well as other key emerging markets like Latin America, Russia, India and Africa. Viadeo, which focuses on non-English speaking markets, is the world's No. 2 professional social network behind LinkedIn. "We're a global society where critical business connections span multiple languages, geographies and cultures," said CEO Dan Serfaty. "We have always been laser-focused on our 'multi-local' approach, which goes beyond simple translation and focuses on catering to, and understanding the business and cultural needs of each market."
http://www.viadeo.com 
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/viadeo-closes-32-million-round-one-of-the-largest-european-tech-investments-of-the-last-12-months-2012-04-12

San Francisco-Based CloudPassage Raises $14 Million in Second Round

San Francisco -- CloudPassage, a San Francisco-based developer of cloud server security technology, said on Wednesday it has raised $14 million in its second round of funding, led by Tenaya Capital. Previous backers Benchmark Capital and Musea Ventures also participated in the round, which increased the company's total funding to $21 million. The company said it will use the proceeds to accelerate market penetration of Halo, its cloud server security platform, as well as to extend its functionality. The company launched Halo Professional, its first commercial product, last November, and followed in February with Halo NetSec. "With the cloud quickly gaining traction, we were the first to provide a security platform that allows companies to safely leverage this new computing model," said co-founder and CEO Carson Sweet.
http://www.cloudpassage.com 
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120411005102/en/CloudPassage-Lands-14-Million-Secure-Cloud-Servers

San Jose-Based OneID Lands $7 Million, Names Alex Doll as CEO

San Jose, Calif. -- OneID, the San Jose-based developer of a digital identity service that eliminates the need for multiple usernames and passwords, said on Wednesday it has landed $7 million in a new round of funding and named Alex Doll as its CEO. Khosla Ventures and North Bridge Venture Partners co-led the round, which will allow the year-old company to bring its service to market for use by identity providers, e-commerce businesses, enterprises, governments and individuals. Doll, most recently an executive-in-residence at Khosla Ventures and previously a founding executive at PGP, succeeds company founder Steve Kirsch, who will move to the role of CTO.
http://www.oneid.com/
http://www.oneid.com/about/news/funding
http://www.oneid.com/about/news/alexdoll-ceo