Silicon Valley Wire

Milpitas-Based Gigamon Files to Raise Up to $100 Million in IPO

Milpitas, Calif. -- Gigamon, a Milpitas-based developer of technology designed to give users better visibility into traffic traversing both their physical and virtual networks, on Friday filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise up to $100 million in its initial public offering (IPO). The company has not yet released specific details of the offering, such as the number of shares to be sold or their expected price range. Gigamon plans to list its stock under the symbol "GIMO" on an exchange to be determined. Underwriters include Goldman, Sachs & Co., BofA Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse.
http://www.gigamon.com/
http://www.gigamon.com/content13692
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1484504/000119312512301928/d342799ds1.htm

San Francisco-Based DocuSign Raises $47.5 Million in Funding

San Francisco -- DocuSign, the San Francisco-based developer of a cloud-based electronic signature platform, said on Friday it has landed $47.5 million in a new round of funding, led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Accel Partners and a large, unnamed institutional investor joined the round, which also included additional participation by Comcast Ventures, SAP Ventures, salesforce.com and the National Association of Realtors. Kleiner's Mary Meeker has joined the company's board of directors. DocuSign will use the funds accelerate the growth of its DocuSign Global Network through increased research and development, deeper vertical industry tools and faster international expansion.
https://www.docusign.com
https://www.docusign.com/company/press_room

Yahoo Takes Measures After Hackers Publish Passwords

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Yahoo said on Friday it has undertaken several measures designed to minimize the damage caused when hackers published approximately 450,000 email addresses and passwords belonging to writers in its Yahoo Contributor Network. "We have taken swift action and have now fixed this vulnerability, deployed additional security measures for affected Yahoo users, enhanced our underlying security controls and are in the process of notifying affected users," the Sunnyvale-based company wrote in its blog. Yahoo said it learned of the security breach on Wednesday, adding that the compromised information was provided by writers who had joined Associated Content prior to May 2010, when it was acquired by Yahoo.  Associated Content is now known as the Yahoo Contributor Network.
http://ycorpblog.com/2012/07/13/yahoo-0713201/

San Francisco-Based Plum District Promotes Jim Kollross to CFO

San Francisco -- Plum District, the San Francisco-based operator of a daily deals service exclusively for moms, has named Jim Kollross as its new CFO. Kollross most recently served as the company's vice president of finance, and previously led the finance teams for companies such as Telephia, NextCard and VerticalResponse. Founded in 2010 by CEO Megan Gardner, Plum District has raised over $30 million in funding and expanded into 28 U.S. markets.
http://www.plumdistrict.com/
http://www.plumdistrict.com/p/about

Menlo Park-Based Mayfield Raises New $365 Million Fund

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Mayfield Fund, the Menlo Park-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage IT companies, said on Thursday it has closed a new $365 million fund. Known as Mayfield XIV, the fund will continue the firm's strategy of investing in burgeoning companies in spaces such as mobile, cloud/SaaS, social, energytech and big data. "Mayfield XIV is our third consecutive sub-$400 million fund," said Navin Chaddha, who will lead the fund. "Despite being oversubscribed, we felt that keeping it to $365 million made sense for our early-stage investing focus." Mayfield active portfolio includes companies such as Appcelerator, Branchout, Couchbase, Gigya, Marketo, Solarcity and StorSimple.
http://www.mayfield.com
http://www.mayfield.com/uploads/articles/Mayfield_Fund_XIV_press_release.pdf (PDF)

California Drops 8 Spots in CNBC's Top States for Business Rankings

California has fallen eight spots in CNBC's annual ranking of America's Top States for Business. The state dropped from No. 32 to No. 40, thanks mainly to a 23-spot drop (from No 7 to No. 30) in the category of infrastructure and transportation. California still ranks among the nation's best in access to capital (No. 1) and technology and innovation (No. 3). Texas leads this year's overall  rankings, followed by Utah, Virginia, North Carolin and North Dakota.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46413845 (rankings)
http://www.cnbc.com/id/47818860 (article)

Francisco Partners Completes Acquisition of U.K.-Based Kewill

San Francisco -- Francisco Partners, a technology-focused private equity firm based in San Francisco, said on Thursday it has completed its acquisition of U.K.-based Kewill, a developer of global trade and logistics software. Financial terms of the deal -- Francisco's sixth take-private transaction in Europe since 2009 -- were not disclosed. "We see a significant opportunity for Kewill as long-term growth and increasing complexity in the trade and transportation of goods drives the need for comprehensive software solutions," said Deep Shah, a partner at Francisco Partners. Founded in 1972, Kewill boasts more than 7,000 clients, including Bayer, Black & Decker, Damco, DHL, Hitachi, Ingersoll Rand, Mothercare, UPS and TNT.
http://www.franciscopartners.com
http://www.kewill.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120712005220/en/Francisco-Partners-Completes-Acquisition-Global-Supply-Chain

Trident Capital Names Gustavo Alberelli as Managing Director

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Trident Capital, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm focused on software, Internet and business services companies, has named Gustavo Alberelli as a managing director. Alberelli, who will make late-stage and growth equity investments, most recently led growth equity investments across the technology sector for Kennet Partners. Alberelli began his investment career at Trinity Ventures, where he primarily worked with seed and early-stage technology companies. His investments included a successful exit at MyPerfectSale (acquired by Sugar), and additional investments where he served as board director or observer including AcademixDirect, Intelepeer, Prolexic Technologies and Revolution Prep.
http://www.tridentcap.com
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/trident-capital-appoints-gustavo-alberelli-as-managing-director-1678760.htm

Merkle Acquires San Francisco-Based Mobile Technology Firm 5th Finger

San Francisco -- Merkle, a Maryland-based provider of customer relationship marketing services, said on Tuesday it has acquired San Francisco-based 5th Finger, a developer of mobile technology for retailers and healthcare organizations. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Merkle said the acquisition will expand its capabilities in the mobile arena. "5th Finger’s unique hybrid of being a traditional mobile agency and deep technology platform provider will help expand Merkle's capabilities to meet the changing landscape of marketing fueled by the evolution of the mobile space," said David Williams, the chairman and CEO of Merkle. 5th Finger, whose retails clients include Jos. A. Bank, Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts and Safeway, will continue to operate as a brand within Merkle's Digital Solutions Group.
http://www.merkleinc.com
http://www.5thfinger.com
http://www.merkleinc.com/news-and-events/press-releases/merkle-acquires-5th-finger-leading-mobile-solutions-provider

San Jose-Based CaptureToCloud Raises $4.7 Million in First Round

San Jose, Calif. -- CaptureToCloud, a San Jose-based developer of software designed to streamline how people capture and collaborate with others on digital content, said on Wednesday it has raised $4.7 million in its first round of funding, led by Acero Capital. The year-old company said it will use the capital to bring its Social Workspace to market. CaptureToCloud's technology allows users to capture digital content (such as web pages, images, text, articles, email and bookmarks) and organize it in their personal cloud, accessible from anywhere. "With tens of thousands of users already relying on the CaptureToCloud app, the financing assures them of the long-term commitment to providing the Social Workspace service," said CEO Ramon Nunez, CEO. The company also announced its advisory board, which includes Steve Apfelberg, the CMO of Skire; Gary Lang, the executive vice president of product at MarkLogic; Don MacLennan, the senior vice president of product management at AVG; Jay Remley, the director of Americas enterprise sales at Google; Ken Rudin, the head of analytics at Facebook; and Gene Shklar, director, angel investor and board member.
http://www.capturetocloud.com
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120711005517/en/CaptureToCloud-Closes-Series-Funding-Social-Workspace-Professionals

San Francisco-Based Tout.com Raises $13.4 Million in Second Round

San Francisco -- Tout.com, the San Francisco-based developer of a smartphone and web app that enables real-time video status updates, said on Wednesday it has landed $13.4 million in its second round of funding. Investors included WWE, 819 Capital, institutional investor Gordon Crawford and Stan Shuman & Jack Schneider from Allen & Co. They join previous investors including Stanford Research Institute (SRI), Horizons Ventures and Seavest Ventures.  The company will use the new capital to bolster product development and international expansion. Since launch, Tout has had over 23 million visitors to its application, making it one of the fastest growing social media services. 
http://www.tout.com
http://tout-production.site.s3.amazonaws.com/images/TOUT%20FINANCE%20RELEASE%207-11-12.pdf (PDF)

WSJ: FTC Close to Record $22.5 Million Settlement with Google

Mountain View, Calif. -- Technology giant Google is nearing a $22.5 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over privacy issues experienced by users of Apple's Safari web browser, The Wall Street Journal reported. The FTC alleges that Mountain View-based Google used cookies to track the activities of Safari users and send them targeted advertisements through its DoubleClick ad network. The fine would be the largest ever assessed to a company by the FTC, The Journal said.  Google said the tracking was inadvertent. "The FTC is focused on a 2009 help center page," the company said in a statement. "We have now changed that page and taken steps to remove the ad cookies."
http://www.google.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303567704577517081178553046.html

Menlo Park-Based Lightspeed Leads $20M Round for Avere Systems

Menlo Park, Calif. -- Lightspeed Venture Partners, the Menlo Park-based venture capital firm, has led a new $20 million round of funding for Pittsburgh-based Avere Systems, a developer of network-attached storage technology, the company said on Tuesday. Previous backers Menlo Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners and Tenaya Capital also participated in the company's third round, which increases its total backing to $52 million. Avere said it will use the latest funding to advance the market penetration of its FXT Series Edge filers. "This round of funding will be used to extend our market presence by leveraging the success of our Edge filer product line and scaling the outbound functions of the company," said Ron Bianchini, the company's president and CEO.
http://www.averesystems.com/
http://www.lightspeedvp.com
http://www.averesystems.com/News_PressReleases.aspx?ID=50

Seculert Raises $5.35 Million, Plans U.S. HQ in Bay Area

Palo Alto, Calif. -- Seculert, an Israel-based developer of cloud-based technology that helps users detect advanced cyber threats affecting customers' networks, said on Tuesday it has raised $5.35 million in a new round of funding, led by Palo Alto-based Norwest Venture Partners. Previous backer YL Ventures also participated in the round, which the company will use to further invest in sales and product development teams, as well as establish U.S. headquarters in the Bay Area. "This round of funding not only enables us to expand our product and sales groups, but gives us access to a set of highly experienced investors," said CEO Dudi Matot. Dror Nahumi, a partner at NVP, has joined the company's board of directors. Seculert's cloud service is designed to provide additional cloud malware detection capabilities on top of on-premise security products.
http://www.seculert.com/
http://www.seculert.com/news.html

San Mateo-Based AlienVault Raises $22.4 Million in Third Round

San Mateo, Calif. -- AlienVault, the San Mateo-based developer of open source security information and event management software, said on Monday it has raised $22.4 million in its third round of funding, co-led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) and Sigma. Previous backers Trident Capital and Adara Venture Partners also participated in the round, which the company will use to expand sales, marketing and support functions, as well as further invest in research and development. Ted Schlein, a managing partner at KPCB, will join the company's board of directors. The new round comes just six months after the company raised $8 million in its second round, led by Trident Capital. In January, AlienVault named Barmak Meftah as its new president and CEO and Roger Thornton as its CTO.
http://www.alienvault.com
http://www.alienvault.com/company/news/alienvault-closes-22-4-million-series-c-funding-round-led-by-kleiner-perkins-caufield-byers-and-sigma/

Microsoft Opens New Office in Sunnyvale's Moffett Towers

Sunnyvale, Calif. -- Further boosting its presence in Silicon Valley, computing giant Microsoft on Monday officially opened its new office in Sunnyvale's Moffett Towers. Microsoft said employees across its business groups will utilize the 237,000-square-foot space, including those in the Online Services Division. "The opening of the Moffett Towers office represents our commitment to Microsoft Silicon Valley as a strategic location for the company in the heart of a rich technology ecosystem and talent pool," said Qi Lu, president of the division. Microsoft has had a presence in Silicon Valley since 1981 and currently has more than 2,500 employees in the Bay Area. In addition to Moffett Towers, construction is underway at the company's Silicon Valley campus in Mountain View.
http://www.microsoft.com 
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2012/Jul12/07-09MoffettTowersPR.aspx

Rembrandt, Shasta Co-Lead $10.5 Million Round for Needle

Menlo Park, Calif. -- A pair of Menlo Park-based venture capital firms, Rembrandt Venture Partners and Shasta Ventures, have co-led a new $10.5 million round of funding for Salt Lake City-based Needle, developer of a chat and voice communications platform providing e-commerce sites with real-time expert shopping assistance. The company plans to use its second round to accelerate adoption of its platform and expand its pool of brand experts and fans. Jim Barnett, a partner at Shasta Ventures, and Douglas Schrier, a partner at Rembrandt Venture Partners, will both join Needle's board of directors.
http://www.needle.com
http://www.rembrandtvc.com
http://www.shastaventures.com
http://www.needle.com/press/2012/07-02.html

MetrixLab Acquires S.F.-Based MarketTools Research Solutions

San Francisco -- MetrixLab, a Netherlands-based provider of online consumer research services, said on Monday it has acquired San Francisco-based MarketTools Research Solutions, a provider of software and services for market research, from owner TPG Growth. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. MetrixLab will continue to operate MarketTools under its current brand name, led by new CEO Simon Kooyman, who also serves as the CEO of MetrixLab USA. "The MarketTools offering is now extended with MetrixLab solutions for digital and cross media research and customer experience management," said Kooyman, who succeeds Scott Arnold.
http://www.markettools.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/metrixlab-acquires-markettools-161775155.html

Mark Etnyre to Step Down as CFO of Emeryville-Based LeapFrog

Emeryville, Calif. -- LeapFrog Enterprises, the Emeryville-based developer of educational technology for children, said that Mark Etnyre will resign as its CFO to spend more time with his family and pursue personal interests. The resignation will be effective as of Oct. 1. Etnyre has been with the company since 2007 and served as its CFO since 2010. The company has not announced plans for a successor.
http://www.leapfrog.com
http://www.leapfroginvestor.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=131670&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1712241&highlight=